Question about SARnet

[chrisw8189]

I came across this SARnet program and in an effort to understand it I have a question:

Let's say I was jumping in the car for a trip from Key West to Orlando, as I travel I would have to continuously switch frequencies/repeaters to be able to be talk/be heard on this network, correct? What I am getting at is the state doesn't have one single frequency right and you must be able to reach a repeater?

 

[MSS-Dave]

The repeaters are all linked together so you come in on one repeater you come out on all the others. Yes you must be in range of one of the repeaters to be able to use it. I do not believe there's any sort of remote access to sarnet from internet.

 

[K4DPA]

SARnet’s a system made up of Amateur Radio repeaters utilizing the 70 cm band “UHF”. Most of these repeaters are privately owned and are linked together via the state DOT microwave system. The SARnet is a simulcast system meaning that when you transmit on one of its repeaters all of them transmit at the same time, with a small delay. All the repeaters are on different frequencies so they won’t interfere with each other. So you will need to look at the map on sarnetfl.com to see what repeater you’re closest too.

Yes you must be within range of a repeater to hear and transmit on SARnet.

https://www.sarnetfl.com/uploads/6/1/7/0/61701057/180330_sarnet_map.pdf


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Radioguy92]

It’s multicast , not simulcast. Simulcast by definition implies that all the repeaters use the same frequency on transmit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I came across this SARnet program and in an effort to understand it I have a question:

Let's say I was jumping in the car for a trip from Key West to Orlando, as I travel I would have to continuously switch frequencies/repeaters to be able to be talk/be heard on this network, correct? What I am getting at is the state doesn't have one single frequency right and you must be able to reach a repeater?

I programmed all the frequencies into 3 x16 channel banks in my Sytems Saber. I have an I95 bank, an I75 bank and an I10 bank. Each bank has a scan list and talk back delay, in practice, it will stop scanning on a nearby tower and you can reply in a few seconds, or you can park the radio on the nearest repeater, it does actually work,

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

 

[AA4TX]

I have an I95 bank, an I75 bank and an I10 bank. Each bank has a scan list and talk back delay, in practice, it will stop scanning on a nearby tower and you can reply in a few seconds, or you can park the radio on the nearest repeater, it does actually work,

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

I did something very similar. I have an I75 group, an I95 group; an I4 group, a Route 1 group, a Route 10 group, and a Route 98 group. Each repeater has a name of SNXXCITY, where SN represents SarNet, XX is the route, and CITY is an abbreviation of the location of the repeater.

It is one of the best AR tools we have in the State!

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I did something very similar. I have an I75 group, an I95 group; an I4 group, a Route 1 group, a Route 10 group, and a Route 98 group. Each repeater has a name of SNXXCITY, where SN represents SarNet, XX is the route, and CITY is an abbreviation of the location of the repeater.

It is one of the best AR tools we have in the State!

It is pretty cool. I would like to see a widget on the SARnet website to show activity of each of the repeaters. A pie chart showing percentage of repeaters receiver activity and a tabulation of when each repeater was activated on the receiver side. This way one could judge its availability. If a repeater is seeing little use or no activity on the input, it might be out of service requiring attention.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

 

[ipfd320]

Honestly for the past 7 months im Down Here Really Not Much Activity on the SAR but it does work well

WHAT IS SARNET?
The Statewide Amateur Radio Network (SARnet) is a network of linked UHF voice repeaters that serves the State of Florida. The repeaters are operated by their local trustees and the network that connects them together does not interfere with the local use of the repeaters.

These UHF repeaters were specifically chosen in part because the voice traffic on them is light.

This helps ensure that long conversations and rag-chews are rare on SARnet since any SARnet traffic brings up ALL of the repeaters on the network.

But always remember when using these UHF frequencies that the government has primary use of the amateur spectrum near 440MHz. See this discussion on the government use of the band.

Here is the Sarnet Website---> https://www.sarnetfl.com/


The Last Paragraph is a Kicker on the Website

 

[N1XDS]

When I go back to Florida every year I always listen to on to the SARNET system. There isn't much activity on the repeaters every now and then you'll hear couple of people talking to each other but not much.

 

[K4DPA]

It’s not just the SARnet, repeater traffic has decreased all together unfortunately. I throw my call sign out whenever I’m down there and I barely get a response. My other problem with the SARnet would be the coverage in the rural part of North Florida isn’t as great because the system is UHF which doesn’t work well in this area. Nonetheless it’s a great system, especially if you have a base with an antenna high enough to get over all these trees here.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AA4TX]

Honestly for the past 7 months im Down Here Really Not Much Activity on the SARNet but it does work well

During Irma, the activity level was raised quite a bit (obviously). Most nodes (I remember the node in the Keys went down) remained available throughout the storm. Getting real time updates from across the state, from the connected Emergency Operations Centers, ARES groups, AND individual Amateurs was impressive.
We were planning on sheltering in place, but with a late mandatory evacuation order, we moved north to a better location. The brief contacts through SarNet allowed us to remain in communications with family even after loss of cell phone connectivity, before, and after the storm (we only monitored during the storm).
Thanks to those who developed the concept, implemented the plan, and maintain the network!

 

[Commo-Commander]

Every once in a while there’s a “jammer” that will disrupt the SARNET during nets. Haven’t heard him in a while. Probably a punk kid..Maybe he has grown up, and moved on.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kayleesdad]

SARNet is good.

In the Tampa Bay and surrounding counties, the next smaller linked repeater system appears to be the NI4CE repeater system that has local weather alerts/reporting/EagleNet:

NI4CE Repeater Map & Frequencies – West Central Florida Group, Inc.

After that TARC has repeaters with good coverage in Tampa:

General Information | Tampa Amateur Radio Club – TARC

And Pinellas has a very nice linked repeater system:

https://qsl.net/wd4scd/

And we thank all those who provide and maintain these repeater systems!

 

[kayleesdad]

SARNet is good.

In the Tampa Bay and surrounding counties, the next smaller linked repeater system appears to be the NI4CE repeater system that has local weather alerts/reporting/EagleNet:

NI4CE Repeater Map & Frequencies – West Central Florida Group, Inc.

After that TARC has repeaters with good coverage in Tampa:

General Information | Tampa Amateur Radio Club – TARC

And Pinellas has a very nice linked repeater system:

https://qsl.net/wd4scd/

And we thank all those who provide and maintain these repeater systems!

 

[APX8000]

I have it set up similar in my XTS5000 with routes as well. But I also use vote scan, so the radio will automatically switch to the closet repeater without me having to guess or touch the dial.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[z31jaime]

I have it set up similar in my XTS5000 with routes as well. But I also use vote scan, so the radio will automatically switch to the closet repeater without me having to guess or touch the dial.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Same thing I do

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[ipfd320]

OK Folks---We Got HURRICANE MICHAEL coming to the Northern Panhandle of Florida as a Category 3 Landfall Hit

Keep your Ear on All the Channels Along with Sarnet

Governor Scott Already has State of Emergency and a Pre-Landfall Disaster Declaration https://www.flgov.com/

 

[Rred]

"a “jammer” ... Probably a punk kid.."
Actually, the FCC itself has stated that most of the problem children on amateur radio are fully licensed general class operators--and not kids, either.

The state of Florida, and a number of their counties, have had the experience of having all communications infrastructure go down during hurricanes. Landlines, cell phones, satcoms, all of it goes down. Except, that unstructured unreliable ham radio keeps on working. There have literally been remarks in emergency operations centers as to "WTF is that ham radio the only communications we have?!" and as a result, their DOT has wisely allowed for "that ham radio" to be linked statewide using their pricey backbone.

Of course, on the mainland, other communications have been more robust. Usually. But the point still remains...when they get to the bottom of the barrel, it is nice to have something that DOES work.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Is SARnet down? Not hearing anything on the Orlando repeater as I write this 5:40 PM

 

[CanesFan95]

OK Folks---We Got HURRICANE MICHAEL coming to the Northern Panhandle of Florida as a Category 3 Landfall Hit

Keep your Ear on All the Channels Along with Sarnet

Governor Scott Already has State of Emergency and a Pre-Landfall Disaster Declaration https://www.flgov.com/

The unidentified key breaks are starting to pick up....