Are the ham repeaters this dead everywhere now?

[k3cfc]

I probably would prefer simplex as well but how far is the range HT to HT? When I get general and a HF radio with some wattage well then!!!

Fuzzy the more you get away from 11 meter thinking the better you will be. you will find that bigger better faster and more powerful is not always the answer. repeaters were designed to be used by ht's and mobile's when simplex doesn't work. there are some very good videos on you tube ham nation, amateur logic and if you type buddipole in the search you can see some hams making contacts from their mobiles @ 5 watts. just remember an antenna tuned properly will work the world. a tuner on the other hand only tricks the radio into seeing 50 ohms and does not make the antenna work any better.

K3CFC

 

[TheSpaceMan]

Just a reminder to everyone that the ARRL VHF FM contest takes place this weekend! Good chance to make a lot of new contacts in and around your region, and hopefully that will translate to more activity and QSOs on your local repeaters! Just call "CQ contest" on the simplex frequencies, and join the party!!

 

[SCPD]

The same thing here in Des Moines Iowa and the same thing in Phoenix Arizona plenty of repeaters so many in fact both area coordinators claim there are no more pairs to be issued, however no one is one the air using them. I think the economy and unemployment have a lot to do with it the lack of participation on the ham bands. There are a lot of folks who are too busy looking for work or selling off things of value to pay the bills one more month while still searching for a job. The second thing that pulls attention form the hobby is all the other neat technology out there and social media forms like Facebook and just the internet period that keep folks busy.

 

[k3cfc]

The same thing here in Des Moines Iowa and the same thing in Phoenix Arizona plenty of repeaters so many in fact both area coordinators claim there are no more pairs to be issued, however no one is one the air using them. I think the economy and unemployment have a lot to do with it the lack of participation on the ham bands. There are a lot of folks who are too busy looking for work or selling off things of value to pay the bills one more month while still searching for a job. The second thing that pulls attention form the hobby is all the other neat technology out there and social media forms like Facebook and just the internet period that keep folks busy.

I like to play chuzzle while i chat lol.

K3CFC

 

[SCPD]

What?

 

[SCPD]

I had to Google "Chuzzle" LOL

 

[N8IAA]

I think the economy and unemployment have a lot to do with it the lack of participation on the ham bands. The second thing that pulls attention form the hobby is all the other neat technology out there

Hams are buying into D-Star and other digital comms. In the last month and a half, I have heard more hams on D-Star than you can imagine. Lots of new 92AD's, 31A's, 80AD's, and 880H's. They are using dongles and DVAPs to communicate around the world. When I can use my DVAP and ht running 100mw. It's not hard to talk to the UK, Japan, South America, etc.. FM analog has been reduced to once a week club nets, rush hour talk time, late night gabfests, and simplex ragchews.
Ham activity is out there, just not on the local FM repeaters.
Larry

 

[SCPD]

Interesting, hams in Arizona have gone to Moto TRBO with a large network of DMR TRBO repeaters not so much D-Star anymore. They are linked all over the world with this Timeslot stuff pretty cool and the audio blows D-Star out of the air.

 

[rapidcharger]

Hams are buying into D-Star and other digital comms. In the last month and a half, I have heard more hams on D-Star than you can imagine. Lots of new 92AD's, 31A's, 80AD's, and 880H's. They are using dongles and DVAPs to communicate around the world. When I can use my DVAP and ht running 100mw. It's not hard to talk to the UK, Japan, South America, etc.. FM analog has been reduced to once a week club nets, rush hour talk time, late night gabfests, and simplex ragchews.
Ham activity is out there, just not on the local FM repeaters.
Larry

So it's all about brief, impersonal, lets-exchange-weather-conditions, type interactions now rather than long late night gab fests and rag chews?

 

[SCPD]

Nice to know there are still folks monitoring all these repeaters, being way out in the back roads at night is scary at times as the cell phones beeps "No Service" I see the local 2m repeater has a full scale signal on the return to me in the mobile and even on an HT out in the corn fields of Iowa.

Just not as much chatter and use as I was expecting I thought it was just the Phoenix area of Arizona that was dead and there would be more activity elsewhere, I was wrong it's just as bad here with repeaters sitting dormant for months on end without so much as a kurchunk.

 

[DaddyHam]

Hummmm,

New Tech here. We have two repeaters in our area that have rush hour traffic and some net check-ins. Daytime chatter is low or not there many days. Bing new to ham I sometimes just leave mt HT on at home and listen. Not much.

But that said, I have met some nice people on 2M and 70cm and hope to meet more when I get a chance to go to some club meetings.

I suspect that a local dstar repeater is busy and many folks are there. Just don't have the $ for dstar right now.

I haven't had a chance to travel out of my area since getting my radio so other areas nearby might be different.

Eric
KK4MWM

 

[SCPD]

Welcome Eric, Just keep scanning the bands and you will find out where everyone runs off too. Scan the simplex frequencies and the rest of the know repeaters you will find more activity by searching all over rather than just the usual or known repeaters. Also look for repeaters that are not listed, sometime coordinators do not always publish or report all the active OPEN repeaters to the ARRL repeater directory for whatever reason so you might find more than you are aware of in your area. Use these neat on line repeater listings they will help you find more"

K5EHX Amateur Radio Repeater Mapping

Repeaterbook.com: Quick Search for Virginia Amateur Radio Repeaters

 

[DaddyHam]

Thanks

I have about 20 repeaters in my HT and scan them frequency. Some of the repeaters I have in are for surrounding towns that are out of range for my HT right now. Once and a while I can hear just a little traffic coming through. So I know that they have some activity. Getting a proper antenna or even mobile would do me good. But the HT I have is great locally.

I haven't scanned simplex much and will do that once and a while. thanks

Eric

 

[SCPD]

Get a base / repeater antenna like a Diamond X-30 or X-50 and put that outside somewhere and you will increase your monitoring by 50 to 60 % easy. Even a home brew j-pole hanging in a tree in the front yard will do. A good mobile mag mount of top of the AC unit or the fridge works too I have even seen a cookie sheet being used as a base for an indoor mag mount set up as long as the YL don't get mad you can use all kinds of stuff to make do for antenna installations. You will soon discover if you haven't already Ham Radio is addicting and more you hear the more you want and the higher and better the antenna system must be LOL

 

[TheSpaceMan]

Hams are buying into D-Star and other digital comms. In the last month and a half, I have heard more hams on D-Star than you can imagine. Lots of new 92AD's, 31A's, 80AD's, and 880H's. They are using dongles and DVAPs to communicate around the world. When I can use my DVAP and ht running 100mw. It's not hard to talk to the UK, Japan, South America, etc.. FM analog has been reduced to once a week club nets, rush hour talk time, late night gabfests, and simplex ragchews.
Ham activity is out there, just not on the local FM repeaters.
Larry

Not around here! D-Star activity is almost dead, and the hams on it are complaining about terrible audio, expensive radios, and other problems and issues. However, there has been a big uptick in simplex use and Echolink activity!

 

[k3td]

900 MHz FM is growing rapidly in some areas due to the availability of Motorola and kenwood commercial equipment at very reasonable prices - lots of lonked repeater systems on that band and the conversations are interesting - reminds me of 2 meters and 440 MHz back in the '70s. The USAF Pave Paws radar has also chased some repeaters off of UHF and some found a home at 900 MHz.

 

[SCPD]

Alinco finally came out with a 900 MHZ radio 2.5 watts like the GTX and from what I hear from friends it works good. The Air Force base in Phoenix AZ Luke AFB runs a radar in the summer that cause a sweeping whooshing sound on UHF but never bad enough to chase anyone off.

 

[k3td]

The Alinco DJ-G29 is a neat portable with 222 and 900 MHz FM. I use one to monitor my EchoLink node on 927.500 MHz.

 

[SCPD]

Here in Iowa there are not as many 220 or 900 especially here in the Des Moines Metro. Back in Arizona in the Phoenix Metro one is spoiled with more 220, 900, 1200 than you can shake a stick at. I am looking for repeaters here in my area and there are no 900 and just one each 220 and 1200 not sure if they even work.

 

[AC2OY]

Fuzzy the more you get away from 11 meter thinking the better you will be. you will find that bigger better faster and more powerful is not always the answer. repeaters were designed to be used by ht's and mobile's when simplex doesn't work. there are some very good videos on you tube ham nation, amateur logic and if you type buddipole in the search you can see some hams making contacts from their mobiles @ 5 watts. just remember an antenna tuned properly will work the world. a tuner on the other hand only tricks the radio into seeing 50 ohms and does not make the antenna work any better.

K3CFC

I hear you...LOL When it gets warmer I will go outside and try diffrent locations. Eventually I want to purchase a super antenna and I know even with my HT I can get out further!