PL tone limit on GMRS repeater

Blink962 · Jan 12, 2018

Is there a limit number of PL tone can be used on a gmrs repeater?

The reason I ask is that a repeater here in California (I prefer not to give out the frequency repeater and the location due to privacy) this repeater has eight PL tones on the same frequency. In my opinion I think it is a little bit too much and the interference is terrible

Is there a limit on how many PL tones can be used on the same frequency
If you understand what I am trying to ask an answer is greatly appreciated

rescue161 · Jan 13, 2018

No limit really, but as you've noted, it gets very cumbersome very quickly. It's called a "community repeater." Poor man's trunking. If users don't realize how the system is suppose to operate, then they will constantly walk all over other users. Users are suppose to press the monitor button to make sure the repeater is not in use before they start talking, but you and I both know that that never happens.

ecps92 · Jan 13, 2018

Nope - none
I even know of one where each user has his/her own DPL input but all share the common PL output

If they are the only Repeater in the area, should not be a problem

IF you are the 2nd Repeater in the area, chat with the owner and work out an agreement
this is what many of the Commercial Repeater owners had done for years.

Blink962 said:
Is there a limit number of PL tone can be used on a gmrs repeater?

The reason I ask is that a repeater here in California (I prefer not to give out the frequency repeater and the location due to privacy) this repeater has eight PL tones on the same frequency. In my opinion I think it is a little bit too much and the interference is terrible

Is there a limit on how many PL tones can be used on the same frequency
If you understand what I am trying to ask an answer is greatly appreciated

Blink962 · Jan 13, 2018

Thanks for the informative answers greatly appreciated.

n1das · Jan 15, 2018

Blink962 said:
Is there a limit number of PL tone can be used on a gmrs repeater?

The reason I ask is that a repeater here in California (I prefer not to give out the frequency repeater and the location due to privacy) this repeater has eight PL tones on the same frequency. In my opinion I think it is a little bit too much and the interference is terrible

Is there a limit on how many PL tones can be used on the same frequency
If you understand what I am trying to ask an answer is greatly appreciated

The 8 PL tones in this particular repeater might be the maximum number of PLs that the repeater hardware can support. I had a Kenwood TKR-820 repeater on GMRS several years ago and it could hold a maximum of 8 PLs. I later had a Kenwood TKR-850 repeater on GMRS and it could have a maximum of 16 PLs in it. The TKR-850 actually had two multi-PL tables in it, a primary and a secondary. Only one or the other could be used at a time. It was possible to program a front panel function button to switch between multi-tables on a channel. An external input could be programmed to be able to remotely select which multi-table was used on a channel.

There is no limit in theory on the number of PL tones a GMRS repeater could support. A practical limit is what the repeater hardware can support.

Managing the use of multiple PLs on a repeater could be cumbersome and I try to use as few as possible and no more than I'm actually going to use. It's generally a bad practice to "reserve" a tone in a repeater by having it programmed in but never use it. It makes it harder for other repeater owners in the area to set up a repeater and find a tone that's not already in use in the area. I purposely use DPL instead of PL on my repeaters to help avoid tones already in use in the area. I don't want to create a situation where I inadvertently key up a distant repeater that's not mine when trying to use my repeater.

Blink962 · Jan 15, 2018

My concern with that many repeater that if like say for example you use tone 82.5 and someone also uses tone 94.8 won't that cause interference and wipe each other out that's the reason I am concerned with that many PL tones on one repeater

DaveNF2G · Jan 16, 2018

The basic radio signals will interfere with each other regardless of PL tone. The tone only keeps an equipped receiver from unmuting on foreign transmissions.

If the repeater passes a wide enough audio bandwidth to include the PL tones from the user stations, then the number of tones that can be used is unlimited.

kayn1n32008 · Jan 16, 2018

Blink962 said:
My concern with that many repeater that if like say for example you use tone 82.5 and someone also uses tone 94.8 won't that cause interference and wipe each other out that's the reason I am concerned with that many PL tones on one repeater

The only real limit is the hardware.

If you use an external 'community tone panel' then your maximum is the number of tones available(38 'standard' tones) and 108? DPL codes. Realistically though a single RF pair will not support that high a number of users.

I have built portable repeaters with community tone panels that will support any of the standard PL tones, and transmit the matching tone that is received.

To keep users of different tones from 'walking' on each other can be accomplished by using 'Busy Channel Lockout'. This only works if the tone the repeater transmits is different for each user group.

BCL prevents the radio from transmitting if the wrong tone is being received, and will not allow the radio to transmit until either the correct tone is received, or the carrier with the wrong tone drops.

bharvey2 · Jan 16, 2018

Blink962 said:
Is there a limit number of PL tone can be used on a gmrs repeater?

The reason I ask is that a repeater here in California (I prefer not to give out the frequency repeater and the location due to privacy) this repeater has eight PL tones on the same frequency. In my opinion I think it is a little bit too much and the interference is terrible

Is there a limit on how many PL tones can be used on the same frequency
If you understand what I am trying to ask an answer is greatly appreciated

Do you know if the intent is to have multiple tones? I'm also a GMRS repeater user in the Bay Area and am aware of an owner that set up a new repeater. There are multiple input tones on it but he's trying to clear that up now. If you're unsure, you could contact the repeater owner directly.

PL tone limit on GMRS repeater

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