Gmrs repeater

[WRVY769]

Why is going through a gmrs simplex more clearer than a gmrs repeater?

[OffRoaderX]

Talking on simplex is not necessarily more clear than talking through a repeater.. Sometimes it might be, sometimes it might not be.  

I'm sure there will be  several other much longer, "impressive" and overly complicated answers, but the only real answer as to why is: "it depends on a lot of things"

[kidphc]

[SteveShannon]

57 minutes ago, WRVY769 said:

Why is going through a gmrs simplex more clearer than a gmrs repeater?

It could be because it’s like a copy of a copy. It has to be modulated by the original transmitter, then demodulated by the repeater receiver, then modulated again by the repeater transmitter, then demodulated again by your receiver.

[WRKC935]

Well, there are a couple reasons.

First is the repeater is farther away and has less signal getting to you and the other radio than the distance between the two radios that are talking simplex. 

If you are talking across a room and the repeater is 15 miles away, that can have a tone to do with it.

 

Second is the repeater isn't setup right. 

Yes, just because someone was able to connect up some cables and get an antenna up in the air doesn't mean it's actually done right, or that it's a quality repeater.   There are a number of repeaters out there that are just two mobile radios taped together with some wiring between them.  Nothing correcting the audio levels coming out of the receive radio sending into the transmitting radio.   This is the BIGGEST reason a repeater will sound 'bad'.  This can also come from the repeater being programmed incorrectly.  There are audio gain settings in most repeaters that are of good quality.  For the most part these should be left a default, but some don't believe in leaving anything alone.  They have it in their minds they know better and 'tune' the repeater for louder audio which just screws up the audio.

Another common thing I see is radios that are programmed opposite what the repeater is programmed for with regard to Wide Band VS Narrow Band. 

Narrow Band radios and repeaters transmit  HALF the audio level of a wide band radio and expect HALF the audio level on receive.  So if everyone is telling you your radio lacks audio or to speak up and everyone you hear sounds loud and distorted, then you are no doubt programmed narrow band on a wide band repeater.   And GMRS is WIDE BAND for the repeater pairs.  Again, a simplex radio, especially matching radios programmed by the same person, or true GMRS radios that are factory configured for GMRS only operation are going to have the correct programming in them for the simplex channels that typically never get messed with. But it's a settable option on all commercial radios and many of the GMRS specific radios as well.  SO that's something to check.