Columbus to Bowling Green on 2m

[mparker]

i am trying to have a QSO with a friend some distance away in Bowling Green Ohio

he said he can just make it into a repeater in Lima (roughly 60miles from him) and i can just get into one in Belfountain (about 60miles from me)...

does anyone know of any linked systems that could get me in range of BG Ohio? or visa versa

i am using a Icom 2200h (65W) to an arrow Jpole in the attic, he is using a 857D (50W) to the same antenna

 

[KR4BD]

I would suggest using yagi (multi-element, directional) antennas. There are many on the market. I once had an 11 element Cushcraft at 50' and could reliably hit mountaintop repeaters in Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina from my QTH in Lexington, KY (150+ miles away). Back in the 1970's, I lived near Dayton, OH and used to work a wide area repeater in Bellfountain on 147.000 mhz. If BOTH of you used higher gain yagis with 50-75 watts or more, you might be able to make the connection through Bellfountain, which sits at the highest point in the state of Ohio.

 

[mparker]

a wide area repeater in Bellfountain on 147.000 mhz. If BOTH of you used higher gain yagis with 50-75 watts or more, you might be able to make the connection through Bellfountain, which sits at the highest point in the state of Ohio.

i dont think i could convince the XYL that i need " another antenna, cant you just get one that does everything" lol


good info about that Bellfountain repeater being the highest point... thanks

i wish there were more linked systems in ohio, there are a few here locally but that would be great to link some to cinci - columbus - akron - cleveland - toledo

 

[bvankl]

Irlp

You could always see if the IRLP system worked for you two.

The Delta (147.285) is approx 25 mi from Bowling Green (irlp 4479) and the

Pataskala (147.330) is approx 17 mi from Columbus (irlp 8094).

If the system works out for you two, you could always put your own IRLP machine at your house.

IRLP.net

Its also great to make contacts with minimal equipment or antennas (which will keep the xyl happy)

Bob

 

[steveh552]

Maybe a good time to upgrade to General if you both are not already, then get on the HF bands and give it a go, if you are techs, you maybe able to make it on 10m SSB, I do not recall of hand the tech priviliges on 10, but I think it is 28.300 to 28.500, double check yourself on that one.

 

[W2NJS]

Perhaps a Repeater Directory would be of some help to you. The book from two years ago shows about five VHF repeaters in Lima and fifteen or so in the Columbus area. If all else fails since both of you have amateur licenses you can use Echolink and talk on the internet for free. IRLP is a similar arrangement.

If you must go the radio route you'll have to do some math involving path length, heights of your's and your friend's antennas, antenna gain, blah, blah, blah...you get the idea, but depending on overall distance and the other factors mentioned it might be possible to talk direct on simplex.

 

[kc8qab]

I know there ued to be a linked repeater system on ohio on 145.190 I do not know if that system i still up

 

[wa8pyr]

I know there ued to be a linked repeater system on ohio on 145.190 I do not know if that system i still up

It is not, and for several years before it went away it was "members only."

 

[radioscan]

I know there used to be a linked repeater system on ohio on 145.190 I do not know if that system i still up

It is but not the extent it used to be. It is just a shell of its former self.
Last I heard the Fairfield Amateur Radio Association (FARA) its owner has it up for sale. I believe you need a code to bring it up or catch it on and use it.


You can download a PDF of the latest Ohio Area Repeater Council's directory here: OARC homepage

Here is link to a Ohio Repeater Map courtesy of KB8SSH:
KB8SSH 2m Map

 

[jackj]

It looks like downtown Bowling Green to downtown Columbus is a little over 100 miles. That's pushing it for 2 meters, simplex. If you have good beam antennas at a reasonable height (50-60') then you should be able to work a good repeater around 60 miles away. So the two of you, if you can find a repeater in the right place, should be able to work each other through the repeater.

Good luck
N8BSR

 

[wa8pyr]

It is but not the extent it used to be. It is just a shell of its former self.
Last I heard the Fairfield Amateur Radio Association (FARA) its owner has it up for sale. I believe you need a code to bring it up or catch it on and use it.

It's really nothing more than a local linked system covering the SW Ohio area these days, if even that; as far as I know the links to nearly all the repeaters outside that area are down, and have been for a couple of years (IIRC, for the long-distance links they were in many cases using spare microwave capacity on the Verizon network, which they have since lost access to). The one in Columbus has been non-functional for at least 2 years and I no longer even have it in my radio.

As far as I'm concerned, FARA bit off way more than they could chew by expanding into central Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, NE Ohio and SE Ohio without a long-term plan for operation, maintenance, and especially funding. They built a system that in it's day was quite impressive, but were unable to fund it, and their local partners (ie, the sponsors of the local repeaters they made deals with) were unable to come up with the funding on their own without help from FARA. Had they limited their area of coverage to SW Ohio, SE Indiana and northern Kentucky (maybe 60-75 miles in any direction) they might have been able to keep it going, but 150-200 miles in any direction was just too much.

I also think that FARA just did not have the will or desire to keep it going. Even with the loss of the microwave for long-distance linking, they could have kept it going through the use of Echolink and/or IRLP, which has proven to be a very effective method for long-distance linking; the fact that hasn't happened speaks volumes.

As far as Columbus to Bowling Green goes, look for Echolink or IRLP repeaters in both cities and go that route.

 

[KC8TCQ]

There is also the 145.410 WD8IEJ machine in Archbold Ohio that can be reached from Bowling Green that is both IRLP and Echolink.