Portable Radio based repeater??

[WRQE264]

**EDIT

Moved to this forum because this may be the correct location, I apologize for wrong spot. 

 

Hello, 

I am newer to GMRS and have some basic understanding of how radio transmissions work. I'm a little fuzzy on nomenclature when it comes to repeaters, but I understand the concept. 

I had wondered in my head if you'd be able to set up a portable radio based repeater. This would be something for like at the beach, campsite, event, etc.

In my internet wanderings I came across the following. Does anyone have any experience/thoughts/ideas they'd be willing to share. Seems like a lesser expensive idea to work out that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

 

SR-628 Cross Band Duplex Repeater Controller with Cable Free Shipping - Walkie-Talkie Android Phone Two Way Radio (walkytalkyshop.com)

 

Thanks!

[BoxCar]

The cost and frustration in attempting to use two handheld radios as a repeater is about 10 times the cost of the Retevis system.

[OffRoaderX]

The English on that webpage is suspect, but that aside, it says this is for making a cross-band repeater (RX on UHF, TX on VHF or visa-versa) - that means that the two radios sitting next to each other would not be much of an issue. But if you set your radios to work as a GMRS repeater (RX on 467.xxx and TX on 462.xxx) there would be much desense (the radios making each other deaf because they are too close) unless you set them at least 10-15 feet apart... But I've never used something like this so I would like to see what anyone with experience has to say. 

Something like the Retevis RT97 would do exactly what you want, but it costs a bit more.

 

[WRQE264]

37 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

The English on that webpage is suspect, but that aside, it says this is for making a cross-band repeater (RX on UHF, TX on VHF or visa-versa) - that means that the two radios sitting next to each other would not be much of an issue. But if you set your radios to work as a GMRS repeater (RX on 467.xxx and TX on 462.xxx) there would be much desense (the radios making each other deaf because they are too close) unless you set them at least 10-15 feet apart... But I've never used something like this so I would like to see what anyone with experience has to say. 

Something like the Retevis RT97 would do exactly what you want, but it costs a bit more.

 

Hmm.. that definitely makes sense. For the lesser output of portables would you mount them 10-15 feet apart at same height that way you'd equalize potential for reception and output? thanks for the reply...totally fanboy-ing right now LOL. LOVE the videos, have made a ton of info way more simpler to understand and are as equally entertaining!

Also just sort of thinking out loud with this whole process....I agree the RT97 seems way more straightforward and more bomb proof. I don't have the need as much as the want or the 'can I make this work' factor. This and some cheap-bay radios could be worth the cost to tinker. 

[wayoverthere]

1 hour ago, WRQE264 said:

Hmm.. that definitely makes sense. For the lesser output of portables would you mount them 10-15 feet apart at same height that way you'd equalize potential for reception and output? thanks for the reply...totally fanboy-ing right now LOL. LOVE the videos, have made a ton of info way more simpler to understand and are as equally entertaining!

Also just sort of thinking out loud with this whole process....I agree the RT97 seems way more straightforward and more bomb proof. I don't have the need as much as the want or the 'can I make this work' factor. This and some cheap-bay radios could be worth the cost to tinker. 

For what its worth...I've done a little mucking around with some handhelds...baofeng, wouxun, yaesu, midland, and a vertex evx..even half a watt was enough to deafen the baofeng and midland i was testing with from across the room. 

i forget the wattage used when testing tx/rx to repeater (want to say 5 watts, using the wouxun)...but even at the +5mhz, the midland and baofeng were basically deaf. the vertex and yaesu were still receiving audio, even at the 5 watts.

as much as i like to tinker, it just sounds like a recipe for frustration, unless you're using too little power to be much use, or spending enough on the handhelds that it ends up a wash with just having bought the retevis to begin with.

[KAF6045]

One has to add in the cost of the two radios to be used... FRS bubble packs will not suffice (actually unless the radio has VHF/UHF [many Amateur units], even GMRS units won't work -- Repeater capable GMRS can transmit on the 467MHz repeater inputs, but can not receive those frequencies [I'm not sure if I've seen a low-cost GMRS that has repeater REVERSE [meant to determine if the other person is close enough for simplex usage -- if, reversed, you can hear their 467MHz signal, you can go to simplex].

The other aspect is that, as a cross-band repeater, it will also repeat traffic from the other radio (ie; receive 462MHz, and feed that to the radio configured for 467MHz -- which is just RF noise to most of the world that doesn't receive that frequency)

[marcspaz]

Didn't realize there are two threads... copied.

 

I bought this exact unit from Amazon... I tried using it with two Baofeng handhelds.  Even though they call it cross-band, the radios actually determine if its same band or cross-band.

 

Bottom line... it ended up in the trash.  It relies on the volume level of the radio, VOX operation, and if you try to use it on the same band, unless you have incredibly expensive radios with great filtering on the front-end, the transmitter wipes out the receiver and it gets stuck in a transmit loop until you turn off either one of the two radios.

 

I am a geek by trade, so I ended up building a full-blown portable repeater.  At this point, I would recommend you just buy a pre-programed Retevis. 

 

[WRFP399]

I tried this exact thing...I even added a small duplexer...none of it worked well. I too like to tinker and learn but what I learned was the handhelds desence too much and I went with an RT97 which was far superior.

 

They are low powered, weather resistant and with height I have used it out to 31.2 miles.