From my house, there are NC repeaters only about 10-15 miles away. Granted there is a huge mountain range in the way, but I feel like I should be able to hit them. Any advice is appreciated.
That pesky mountain range always in the way! Here in California I have one named Sierra Nevada.
Your question is a good one and the variety of responses are addressing many different valid factors that should be considered.
- Basically, line of sight for VHF/UHF frequencies typically offer improved results versus reflected. Still, that mountain range in the way is unfriendly and you may not overcome it.
- Although your radio transmits using a few watts, you have already realized that an improved antenna is critical to the entire system. The coax you use is important too, especially at the higher frequencies.
- Even if you had a radio that put out 50 watts, used low attenuation coax and fed it into an antenna with reasonable gain, you may still not reach the repeater(s) you indicated.
- On the other hand maybe you already are or could reach those repeaters with an improved system, but that does not mean you may receive them. Much depends on the antenna, coax and power output on their end as well. Whomever setup the repeater may not have considered that someone on the other side of the mountain range could or would reach them. Your direction from the site could be purposely in the null of their antenna as well.
Consider this, improving your antenna, coax and radio will overall improve your TX and RX, but is it worthwhile to reach a repeater that may not have much or any use?