Denton County 550 (Texas) - NET Meeting

[WSEH456]

Howdy all,

From what I understand is that the Denton County 550 repeater in Krum, TX has a NET meeting on Saturday evenings at 2100.

I have been able to receive but apparently not transmit.  I have the right Tx tone set, nothing on Rx tone though.

Is there something specific that I need to do, to be able to transmit and be apart of the chat on the NET?

As a follow up to the second sentence...... do you have to have both the Tx and Rx tone?

Thanks,

Brent (WSEH456)

[Socalgmrs]

As with all repeaters you only need to have the tx tone. You do not need the rx tone.  
 

as for the problem….. are you close enough for the radio and antenna set up you are using?   Do you have line of sight? No big trees, heavy brush, mountains, hills, homes or buildings? If your  input tone is correct and you’re within range of your radio setup and you have good line of sight then that is all that is needed.   
 

just because you can here them does not mean they can here you.   I have a repeater 200 miles away.  I can here it on a hand held but I have to jump on my 20w base station with a big antenna up high to talk back to them. 
 

 

[WSEH456]

That's fair!  I am on a handheld radio with the standard 18" antenna and approximately 20 miles away from the repeater.

There is another tower in Denton (Denton 600) that I am able to transmit and receive but I have to stand outside on one foot and with my aluminum foil hat.  This tower is about the same distance from me so I figured I should be able to transmit the same.

Making a great argument for why I need another radio but, mounted in my truck.  I am going to tell her that WRXP381 told me I had to get it!  

[BoxCar]

7 minutes ago, WSEH456 said:

 I am going to tell her that WRXP381 told me I had to get it!  

Great choice - blame someone else!

[Socalgmrs]

10 minutes ago, WSEH456 said:

That's fair!  I am on a handheld radio with the standard 18" antenna and approximately 20 miles away from the repeater.

There is another tower in Denton (Denton 600) that I am able to transmit and receive but I have to stand outside on one foot and with my aluminum foil hat.  This tower is about the same distance from me so I figured I should be able to transmit the same.

Making a great argument for why I need another radio but, mounted in my truck.  I am going to tell her that WRXP381 told me I had to get it!  

Go for it.  You know my wife wasn’t into it much but now she is on all the time and runs nets and talks on the local repeaters so hopefully it catches on with yours.  
 

20miles on a hand held is on the edge.  May work some places and not other places.  Some areas I can use a hand held and do 40miles and others they stop dead at 1/2 a mile.  Very much line of sight dependent.   A nice 20w in your truck with even a $20 mag mount with greatly extended you range.  Heck even the same $20 mag mount on the truck hooked to your hand held will work much better.  Or an antenna on the house hooked to your HT will help a lot. 

[BoxCar]

A mag mount on a cookie sheet would also be a BIG improvement.

[GreggInFL]

35 minutes ago, WSEH456 said:

I am on a handheld radio with the standard 18" antenna and approximately 20 miles away from the repeater.

There is another tower in Denton (Denton 600) that I am able to transmit and receive but I have to stand outside on one foot and with my aluminum foil hat.  This tower is about the same distance from me so I figured I should be able to transmit the same.

You're probably 99% there.  20 miles on a handheld is a long way; I'm lucky to get five miles here in the swamp.  As others have said, your answer is a slightly better antenna.

[LeoG]

I have two repeaters, 17 miles and 21 miles that I talk on.  Usually the 21 mile repeater.  We just had our net and I confirmed the base and it was R9 and then I confirmed the talkie and it was an R7 into the repeater.  Both are up about 750' on mountains.  Or big hills if you live in real mountain areas.

[WRYZ926]

Terrain, foliage, and structures are going to have an affect. There is no getting around that. A mobile antenna on a cookie sheet will definitely improve things. Try to get the antenna as high as you can will also help.

My club's repeater sight is 21.5 miles from my house. The 2m and 70cm antennas are at 900 feet while the GMRS antennas are at 400 feet. I can easily get into the 2m repeater with a hand held but can't get into the 70cm repeater at all. I can sometimes get into the GMRS repeater when out in my yard, but that is spotty at best.

It's not the power that affects me but the short antenna on hand held radios. I can get into all three repeaters on low power using my mobile radios in the house using base antennas mounted up on the roof.

[LeoG]

Ya, I can't even touch the repeater from inside my house (aluminum siding doesn't help) but step outside and it's a pretty good connection.  No problem with the 20 watt base and antenna.