Help, no speech via repeater

[KD9CYY]

I've played with 20 and 40 meter (no repeater), but I'm new to handhelds and can't get anything but hash when trying to speak via a repeater.

In simplex mode, words are load and clear between my two handhelds.

My radio is a Yeasu FT60R, and setup for repeater is at 444.350 MHz, Shift +, Offest 5MHz, 100 Hz CTCSS
Repeater is about 18 miles away, and have tried as close as 7 miles.

When I PPT and say "KD9CYY check", the repeater responds with a bunch of tones (even at 18 miles) to both my handhelds.
When I PPT and say something else like "KD9CYY testing", the only thing that comes thru is HASH.

Have tried RxMod of FM, AM and Auto
Have tried SQLTYP of TONE and TSQL.
Have tried narrow and wide band.

What am I missing?
Much obliged for any insights.

 

[ramal121]

Been covered before. 18 miles is a stretch for a handheld and even at 7 miles the repeater's signal is kinda weak. What happens is your transmit radio, when on, it's overpowering the receiver of the other. Yes, even though the frequency is different. This is called desense if you want to search for it. To overcome this, separate the two radios and I mean tens of feet maybe to reduce the transmit power to the receiver or get closer to the repeater to increase its signal to overcome the desense that's happening.

 

[MTS2000des]

Not knowing the repeater status, it's hard to diagnose over the internet. Remember that amateur repeaters are privately owned, and owners may not have them working to "handheld friendly" spec meaning they may not be on high sites, have receivers with pre-amps, or be operational at the time one is wanting to use them. Best to contact the repeater owner/club via email/social media and confirm it's operational and maybe schedule a contact with a member/owner/user or find out if any nets are held on said repeater.

As was stated, 7-20 miles is a stretch for a low power handheld radio with rubber duck antenna to reach, depending on terrain and obstructions, may not even be possible. VHF/UHF can be truly "line of site" in many situations. Infrastructure has to be designed/optimized for portable radios and more often than not, in the amateur service this isn't the case.

 

[KD9CYY]

Been covered before. 18 miles is a stretch for a handheld and even at 7 miles the repeater's signal is kinda weak. What happens is your transmit radio, when on, it's overpowering the receiver of the other. Yes, even though the frequency is different. This is called desense if you want to search for it. To overcome this, separate the two radios and I mean tens of feet maybe to reduce the transmit power to the receiver or get closer to the repeater to increase its signal to overcome the desense that's happening.

Thanks for all this info.

 

[radiotweester]

So is this the KC1SBG/R in Buckfield? If so it's DSTAR, not FM as your radio is limited to.
If this is a different repeater, it might just have a short squelch tail. I agree with the other 2 replies about distance and an upgrade of the rubber duck might help. Any idea how high the repeater is? Elevation, receive filtering and antenna REALLY can make a difference in a repeater distance. Here in Oregon 30 miles portable is a norm for a couple of the repeaters VHF/UHF, BUT, those repeaters are multiple 1000s of feet up on mountains and the RX is very precisely tuned and filtered (owner's day jobs are public safety installs and engineering). You might inquire with the owner or group as to the coverage. I spent some time, about a decade ago, up by Fort Kent and around Aroostook County and I never was able to bring up any of the repeaters 146/440MHz.

-Welcome and 73s

 

[KD9CYY]

Repeater I'm currently interested in is on Streaked Mtn, Hebron, ME elevation 1700 ft.
It's a UHF D-Star repeater.
I also plan on building a couple Yagis, specifically for 444.350 MHz, to help things out.

 

[MTS2000des]

If it's a D-Star repeater, you'll need an Icom D-Star radio to access it. If it's listed as having CTCSS, than it may be accessible in analog, but it's really best to contact the owner and make sure it's active and on the air in analog mode. Many repeater listings are crowd sourced and not 100 percent accurate, it's always best to contact the club/owner first and verify it's status before buying any new radio, building antennas, etc.

 

[jwt873]

A quick search shows the repeater is run by the Androscoggin Amateur Radio Club.

Androscoggin Amateur Radio Club – W1NPP

www.w1npp.org

Your best bet would be to get in touch with them. They will be able to supply everything you need to know.

An even better idea would be to join the club and go to their meetings. You'll get to meet the repeater users face to face. You'll have the advantage of knowing who you're talking to, and even making new ham friends.

Plus, if the club has dues, you'll be helping to cover the costs of running the repeater.

 

[KD9CYY]

Yeah, have already started doing that, membership, meetings, etc.