You talk to anyone that uses public service radios that has switched to APCO 25 and they will tell you that it sucks - the reason why it sucks is because it does not work as good as the analog radios do when you are trying to operate in challenging terrain.
The reason why your repeater works for you is because you probably live someplace where there is not tall mountains and deep valleys and your signal goes everywhere you want it to.
Some peoples worlds are so small that all they know is what they know which is nothing but their little 1 acre patch of the world.
Unfortunately the world is not flat, nor is it round....
If the world was flat, all you would need to do is put up one repeater and use a very high amount of transmit power and a very sensitive receiver / antenna / pre amplifier and you could talk around the world.
But since it doesn't work like that, the next best thing we ever had was analog radio - which worked very well for 100 years.
Now all of a sudden - we need to keep up with technology and move into the digital spectrum.
Unfortunately digital is a all or nothing type system.
Either you have a picture perfect signal, or you have some pixelation or you have no signal at all.
There is nothing in between.
A real good example of analog radio is the Motorola Mastr II repeater.
Its design was of such that it would stay open long after most other repeaters would close the squelch.
The reason for this was because it was designed for use in the NASA space program.
A digital repeater such as POCO 25 - either you have a signal or you don't.
Add a weather front, bad weather, any type of noise, or a lack of good signal - and all of a sudden you have no signal.
If the reason for amateur radio is to be of public service in times of emergency's - and your repeater doesn't work - then what good are you?
My old Mastr II will still be running long after your digital repeater is recycled into bicycle frames and sewer pipes and the electronics's are turned into shredded wheat.
