Recently Validated 6m Repeaters in Florida?

[kd4e]

I've just spent way more time than planned trying to figure out which of the 20+ 6m repeaters, variously listed across multiple sources, are actually on the air in Georgia. (Only 5 of the 20+ proved to be active, one of them pending-return.)
Since 6m RF crosses the political boundary between GA & FL it would be helpful to also know which of the 6m repeaters in Florida have been recently validated as still on the air.
Can anyone assist with frequency, tone, location, and call, please?
Note 1: For the State of GA none of the usual sources had an accurate list - so referring me to them would not be helpful - unless you know that someone actually validated the repeaters in 2021.
Note 2: I've shared the results of my research with all of the keepers of repeater lists of which I'm aware. My purpose is to help fellow Hams, nothing more.
Thanks, David KD4E

 

[MSS-Dave]

53.230 / 52.230 PL 103.5 in Eustis FL is on. Call is KD4MBN. It has pretty decent coverage in the North end of Central Florida. I can't confirm nor deny any others, just not been active on 6 FM.

Dave

 

[pctek961]

W4VRB 53.330 / 52.330 PL 100 Vero Beach, Net every Monday Night 8PM

KJ4LWZ
Glenn

 

[radioman2008]

which is the input and output of each of those repeaters? from the ARRL site, the in and out of both fall within the input range

ARRL bandplan says
repeater inputs

51.12-51.48

Repeater inputs (19 channels)

52.0-52.48

Repeater inputs (except as noted; 23 channels)

53.0-53.48

Repeater inputs (except as noted; 19 channels)

outputs

51.62-51.98

Repeater outputs (19 channels)

53.5-53.98

Repeater outputs (except as noted; 19 channels)

as found on
Band Plan (arrl.org)

 

[AK9R]

The 6m band plan isn't as well cast in stone as the 2m and 70cm band plans are. You'll find 500 kHz splits, 1 MHz splits, 1.7 MHz splits, and odd splits. Really need to check with the repeater trustee, which would include the club for club-owned repeaters, or other hams who use the repeater to know for certain.

Remember, ARRL band plans are "gentlemen's agreements". They are not hard and fast rules.

 

[MSS-Dave]

For the previous two 6 meter repeaters listed in Florida the 53.xxx is the repeater output, the 52.XXX is the repeater input.

Excellent point by AK9R about the "gentlemen's agreements". 🤣

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I went through this in programming a 128 channel Syntor X9000. The ARRL 6M band plan is little more than a suggestion. There are a ton of repeaters listed that use different channels and offsets. In the end I programmed as many possible repeater channels and used the talk around and repeat modes to accomodate 500 KHz and 1 MHz repeater offsets.

 

[Bote]

Remember, ARRL band plans are "gentlemen's agreements". They are not hard and fast rules.

...which depend on hamateurs acting as gentlemen.

Single-site repeaters require a wider frequency split plus vertical antenna separation as those huge cavity filters for 52 MHz are not cheap nor readily available. Split-site repeaters can get away with a narrower split. Due to the propagation of 6 meteors you can't always choose a frequency that matches the bandplan, since there might be a co-channel system that can be heard in the local machine's coverage area. Or they flip-flopped the pair and your input is their output; that's when things get really fun!

Frankly, I never saw the point in a 6-meter repeater. I've worked guys in California from the east coast on 52.525MHz FM. After a few hours I was tired of all the heterodynes and pile-ups. Just wait for a good band opening and enjoy.

 

[kd4e]

53.230 / 52.230 PL 103.5 in Eustis FL is on. Call is KD4MBN. It has pretty decent coverage in the North end of Central Florida. I can't confirm nor deny any others, just not been active on 6 FM.

Dave

Cool, thanks!

 

[kd4e]

W4VRB 53.330 / 52.330 PL 100 Vero Beach, Net every Monday Night 8PM

KJ4LWZ
Glenn

More cool, thanks!

 

[902]

Frankly, I never saw the point in a 6-meter repeater.

6 meter simplex was superior to other frequency bands, and we could communicate at least as far on simplex as I could go in Florida with my repeater. Setting up a repeater kinda limits you to the footprint of the repeater, anyway.

The other thing is that quality repeater sites in Florida have become fairly hard to get. One site might be doable, but two sites for split site operation is improbable.

 

[KA0XR]

6 meter simplex was superior to other frequency bands, and we could communicate at least as far on simplex as I could go in Florida with my repeater. Setting up a repeater kinda limits you to the footprint of the repeater, anyway.

The other thing is that quality repeater sites in Florida have become fairly hard to get. One site might be doable, but two sites for split site operation is improbable.

Maybe a bit off-topic but were you using 6 meter vertical ground planes to communicate on simplex or 5/8 wave verticals? How much farther could simplex reach than higher band repeaters in Florida, assuming everything else was relatively comparable?

I think 6 meter FM is an underutilized band for sure (simplex or repeaters), and am always throwing my call out on 52.525 since we have no working repeater where I am but to basically no avail. Getting decent antenna gain at such a low frequency, plus the amount of man-made noise seems to turn people off from the band. What little 6m activity there could have been on FM seems to have now all shifted towards a single frequency used for FT8.

 

[902]

Maybe a bit off-topic...

Check your PM for my off-topic response.