looking for a repeater, any suggestions

[deconb]

So I think this is probably the wrong place to post this but I really couldn't find any place better!

Anyway, my friends and I frequently go to mexico camping, we're really out in the middle of nowhere. We camp at the base of a decent sized hill and off road around the entire area. We have a lot of trouble communicating with the hills in the way.

So I was thinking I'd like to have a small device I could drag up to the hilltop and leave there over the week. I'd be happy with a simplex or even cross band repeater, most of us use ht's with lots of flexibility. We have a few people that have murs radios so we frequently use those frequencies. We're very respectful of interfering with other traffic but we're so far out there that we never hear anything else. I know in the US, murs repeaters aren't allowed but I don't think it's true in mexico.

So, I'm open to all kinds of ideas. I don't need a lot of power, probably 5w would be fine.

Thanks for the your time.

 

[ncarpenter]

I don't know if this helps, but this looks pretty sweet:
http://www.ceswireless.com/Rm_20 Repeater Maker.htm

 

[kf4sci]

Repeater

So I think this is probably the wrong place to post this but I really couldn't find any place better!

Anyway, my friends and I frequently go to mexico camping, we're really out in the middle of nowhere. We camp at the base of a decent sized hill and off road around the entire area. We have a lot of trouble communicating with the hills in the way.

So I was thinking I'd like to have a small device I could drag up to the hilltop and leave there over the week. I'd be happy with a simplex or even cross band repeater, most of us use ht's with lots of flexibility. We have a few people that have murs radios so we frequently use those frequencies. We're very respectful of interfering with other traffic but we're so far out there that we never hear anything else. I know in the US, murs repeaters aren't allowed but I don't think it's true in mexico.

So, I'm open to all kinds of ideas. I don't need a lot of power, probably 5w would be fine.

Thanks for the your time.

Years ago Radio Shack sold a simplex repeater. I bought one on close-out but never used it. If you are interested in buying it I'll try to find it this weekend. Send me a PM if interested.
For actual repeater use your radios must transmit and receive on different frequencies. Since I doubt they are capable I think simplex is your only option.

 

[deconb]

Years ago Radio Shack sold a simplex repeater. I bought one on close-out but never used it. If you are interested in buying it I'll try to find it this weekend. Send me a PM if interested.
For actual repeater use your radios must transmit and receive on different frequencies. Since I doubt they are capable I think simplex is your only option.

I have a yaesu vx-7, most of the people in our group have 'dual channel' radios and can program repeater shifts so duplex is fine. Simplex is a lot easier but requires a radio. It'd be really nice to have a fully contained unit that I can just hike up a hill, plant an antenna and be done with it until I take it down.

I am interested in your radio shack repeater, I'll send you a pm shortly

 

[mjthomas59]

I've used one of those ratshack simplex repeaters. Works awesome if you don't mind the lagtime involved with it. Just plug it into another transmitter and everything received is retransmitted. It sounds like it would be perfect for your situation where you have a high hill you could set it up on.

You see them for sale on ebay every so often just fyi.

 

[n8emr]

repeater for what radio service? ham, gmrs, commercial band?

 

[nd5y]

Anyway, my friends and I frequently go to mexico camping,

Do you have a license or authorization to operate a repeater or radios there?
That sounds like a good way to end up in prison.

 

[mjthomas59]

The ratshack repeater doesn't require any special licenses to operate. The radio you tie it into though would need to be licensed(when required) but honestly, you could plug it into a CB and it would work just as well as if it were plugged into a ham transceiver.

 

[n5ims]

Please be aware that the US and Mexican rules are different (often very different) about what can be used both with and without a license. When on a cruise to Mexico a few years ago, our FRS radios were questioned and we were allowed to leave them with the ship's crew (vs. the initial confiscation decision) at an on shore checkpoint. Based on what we were told, the radio needed to have a Mexican certification (similar to our FCC certification) or they couldn’t legally be used there.

 

[Don_Burke]

Many dual band ham band handhelds have a crossband repeat function.

One of those with the big battery could be the ticket.

 

[SkipSanders]

He's already illegal before the repeater, MURS is not a Mexican service, and there is no equivilent there.

FRS is, but only, as said above, with Mexican certified radios, even though they're exactly the same. FRS/GMRS radios, mind, are not acceptable ever. No GMRS service in Mexico.

Caught means confiscation of radios if you're lucky, jail if not. Mexico is cranky about US Citizens ignoring their laws.

 

[mjthomas59]

Is CB radio legal in Mexico? I use to live on the border and all the truckers that ran from Zenith Electronics in Juarez Mexico up into the US had cb's(this was 10-15 years ago). Did the truck drivers just have to shut them off when they crossed the border?

FRS, even if mexican certified, isn't going to give you any range anyway. .5watts isn't going to penetrate any hills in this instance.

 

[N467RX]

Regarding Mexico
FRS - Legal, identical rules to the US. Radios need to be certified by Cofetel (CFT ID). This is rarely enforced, most people buy their radios in the US, since it is way cheaper to get them up there. Personally, I have owned at least 4 pairs of them in Mexico and was never questioned.
GMRS - Illegal. 22 channel radios are supposedly illegal, but as said before, that is rarely enforced. Without knowledge of this, I got to operate channels 15-22 when I was like 15 yearss old, but nothing happened.
MURS - Illegal
CB - Legal. No further knowledge about this, but I guess that radios should be approved by Cofetel, but again, rarely enforced. Most users have kickers, so good luck trying to operate without one.

 

[firetaz834]

You might want to think about low-band that will give you penetration through the mountains and you won't need a repeater.

 

[CAPTLPOL1]

Get a ham license then get a crossband radio with a built in crossband repeater since you say you would be in Mexico. I could quote some lines from Blue Streak about going to Mexican prisons (edited for content). You could end up with a burrito in an oriface where it does not belong.

 

[n8emr]

Get a ham license then get a crossband radio with a built in crossband repeater since you say you would be in Mexico. I could quote some lines from Blue Streak about going to Mexican prisons (edited for content). You could end up with a burrito in an oriface where it does not belong.

Most dual band cross band repeaters are operated illegally in the US, I dont see how this changes when you go to mexico.

 

[whls3]

Most dual band cross band repeaters are operated illegally in the US,

Since when? The Ham ones are probably the most well known. They are prominently advertised on club websites. And when I worked for a land mobile dealer, I sold a couple cross band repeaters. There are certainly simple repeaters out there working unlicensed, as well as simplex business radio.

 

[n8emr]

Since when? The Ham ones are probably the most well known. They are prominently advertised on club websites. And when I worked for a land mobile dealer, I sold a couple cross band repeaters. There are certainly simple repeaters out there working unlicensed, as well as simplex business radio.

Advertisement, what land mobile does have no baring on what ham's legally can do.

They are illegal because you cant ID them properly. A cross band repeater has two transmitters. You can only ID (easily) one side. For example. Your cross band repeater links a remote remote on 2m. Your on a 440 HT. The radio will transmit on 2m to the repeater and then on 440 to you. You can Id the 2m radio with an ID from the 440ht, BUT you cant id the crossband 440 link to the HT. Hence doesnt meet ID requirements.

IN addition to that People also leave them running when they are no around, again illegal since there must be a control op, human or otherwise to control the radio and you must have a off band way of controlling the repeater, via phone or on another band besides the one used by the repeater.

SO yes, cross band repeaters are illegal for ham, At least xband repeaters as most people implement them.

 

[whls3]

First, control operators are not required in land/mobile repeaters. Second, a properly licensed crossband repeater has the same call sign on both bands, so ID can happen legally on both bands using a common controller. I've never built a Ham repeater, much less a Ham crossband repeater, but I would imagine that both bands use the same "club" callsign.

 

[n8emr]

First, control operators are not required in land/mobile repeaters. Second, a properly licensed crossband repeater has the same call sign on both bands, so ID can happen legally on both bands using a common controller. I've never built a Ham repeater, much less a Ham crossband repeater, but I would imagine that both bands use the same "club" callsign.

As I noted what land mobile does was not the issue, Its what ham radio ops do that is the question and the cross band repeater is less repeater and more dual band radio with an audio cross over and unlike a purpose built land mobile extender The cross band repeater inlcuded with many dual band ham rigs have no controller, or Iider. Thus they are not legal. As a user of such system you can only practically ID the outbound signal. You DONT ID a "system" you id a transmitter. If there are 4 remote receive sites on VHF with 4 UHF link transmitters to a central VHF tranmitting site you need to ID 5 transmitter with separate IDers, (4 if you cheat a little), they can all be the same call but they need to be IDed and if you want to get real cranky about the rules should also have another receiver at each receive site as well as the main transmitter or other way to control/shutdown each transmitter remotely.

Now, If you use a "crossband" repeat as MOST manufactures document it can be legal, IN that case you use a dual band HT, listening on VHF, talking on UHF. Your signal goes from the HT on UHF is picked up from the xband UHF recevier and retransmitted back out on VHF. You then listen for the return station on VHF on the HT and the UHF transmitter on the xband radio never used. You ID the outbound transmitter along with your HT and your legal..