I can repeater but not hear

[desertbird]

I have a repeater programmed on my UV5R that is many many fars away, ~60 miles. When I first tested it with quick kerchunk the reply green light went on but no audible kerchunk.

I call out for a radio check and call sign. Again the green light goes on with repeater reply. then it goes on again where I assume someone is talking to me but I hear nothing.

So I program radio 2 to the repeater, button push and get green light kerchunk repeater reply on both.

I Separate radios and test talking to each other and seems I am getting the repeater reply but no audio.

If the repeater is too far away could I get a kerchunk replies on both but no audio communication or hear someone replying to my radio check but see they are talking with the green light on the radio?

[Guest]

You’re much too far away.  You may be  hitting it from 60miles and opening squelch  if you have perfect line of sight but voice from an ht at 60miles is not going to happen in 99% of the cases.  What antenna are you using?   Have you ever heard any one on the repeater?   Can you try your radio check when some one is on?   Do you have the correct tones both in and out?   Can you drive closer until you can talk to it and get a reply back?   I my self have done 60miles and know a few people that have also done 60miles with an HT so it’s not totally unheard of but pretty rare in most cases.  

[desertbird]

Ok so it is possible to open squelch and kerchunk this far away but not get audible responses. I see the radio green light come on and off when monitoring channel but never any audible comm.

I will be closer to repeater tomorrow to test. Just was confused as to why it seems I am hitting it but no audible comms happening.

[Guest]

Yea it is very possible you are hitting the repeater and “kerchunking” it but your audio can not get that far.     However the light may also be in because it is receiving simplex traffic but with the tones set that traffic is not opening your radios squelch.   The output of the repeater is the simplex frequency.  When you see the light monitor simplex and see what you can hear.  If you know when they have a net you can also Monitor simplex and see if you can here them. 
 

this all assumes your tones are set correctly.  

[desertbird]

That helps thank you!

[desertbird]

Following up to this. I had a receive tone set and removed it and started the comm.

 

The UV5R is showing a green light when I was getting a repeater reply and a reply from another person, but it was not opening squelch I presume.

 

I thought maybe the green light was an indicator of an open squelch and matching receive tone, but no audio due to distance etc. Not so apparently.

[Guest]

How do you know for sure some one on the repeater is actually talking back to you?  The green light will come on any time any one on that frequency is talking wether simplex or any other repeater traffic     So have you actually communicated with some one that already has useable access to this repeater?  Have you reached out to the owner?  How far away is it? And do you have line of sight?  

[desertbird]

I talked to someone on both repeaters after i removed the receive tone. Yes. Yes. ~60 miles. No.

[WSFF871]

Wow....wish I understood all this...I live in Jacksonville FL and the only repeater I think I have is 20 miles away  (as the crow flys)....but there are just too many trees and 4 story building on A1A - I can't hear anything...ever - so far...

Obviously I am still learning and will continue to read and monitor this wonderful site...many thx to ALL!

Bobby

WSFF871