Linking a 220 repeater to 2m and 440. Why?

[mortoma61]

73 hams,
I just recently got a Kenwood TH-D75 and am really interested in getting on 220 band. However, I'm experiencing an unfortunate problem. Here where I live, they are going to get a 220 repeater back online again after it being down a long time. Would be good except for one thing. In the past when it was formerly up and running, it was linked to both their club's 2 meter and 440 repeaters. And as far as I've heard they will link it up to them again when it comes back online!!

To me that's a total waste of a 220 repeater, since why transmit into it on 220 when you could have just got on the other two repeaters with your dual bander on 2 meters or 440 in the first place?

If they indeed link once again as proposed, then I'm not going to get on it, ever. To me there would be nothing special about a 220 repeater if it's linked to both other common VHF/UHF bands. Not to mention one of the virtues of 220 is the solitude of being on a quiet band with a only a few other 220 fans. And I do know some other hams around here that are super interested in 220 like me. And if it's perma-linked to the other two repeaters, then you would also have quite an unwelcome listening audience, very unlike the tiny audience of 220-only listeners.

I'm not sure the whys and wherefores of their reasoning and thinking on this linking. I think it's possible that they think they are helping to "save" the 220 band by getting traffic on a 220 frequency, even if nobody in the area would actually listen to the traffic of the three repeaters on the 220 frequency. Likely most, if not all other folks would just be on 2 meters or 440 both listening and QSO'ing. I do know that the linking is not done to extend range because all three repeaters are on the same tower and so have similar footprints.

So please give me your opinion on this topic. Do you see a benefit on linking a 220 repeater to 2m and 70cm? I sure don't. I'll maintain my stubbornly intransigent opinion of it being a waste, no matter your comebacks but I'd like to hear from you all anyway.

 

[W9WSS]

I’m a member of the Six Meter Club of Chicago. We have been in existence for over 50 years. For the last 20 years, we have linked our 146.970 repeater with our 443.300 repeater and our 224.820 repeater. There are several reasons for having them linked, as propagation changes, and at times the VHF repeater performs differently than the UHF repeater, and for those who utilize 222 MHz. repeaters that is an option to be with the linked network. We can “separate” the systems individually when necessary.

Of note, since Amateur Radio lost the lower portion of 220 MHz. several years ago, we refer to that part of the spectrum as 222 MHz. as opposed to “The 220 band.”

 

[N4DES]

There is nothing stopping you as a licensed AR operator from putting up your own 222 MHz. repeater for a pseudo "private place to chat".

 

[ecps92]

I’m a member of the Six Meter Club of Chicago. We have been in existence for over 50 years. For the last 20 years, we have linked our 146.970 repeater with our 443.300 repeater and our 224.820 repeater. There are several reasons for having them linked, as propagation changes, and at times the VHF repeater performs differently than the UHF repeater, and for those who utilize 222 MHz. repeaters that is an option to be with the linked network. We can “separate” the systems individually when necessary.

Of note, since Amateur Radio lost the lower portion of 220 MHz. several years ago, we refer to that part of the spectrum as 222 MHz. as opposed to “The 220 band.”

As Will indicates many Clubs do link their repeaters.
My Club here in Mass uses 2m, 220, 440, 900 , 6m and 10m - some linked Full Time, other Part-time and some on-demand by the Control Ops

Minuteman Repeater Association

www.mmra.org

 

[AK9R]

So please give me your opinion on this topic.

My opinion is that the owner/trustee of the repeater can do whatever they want as long they follow FCC rules and don't cause interference to others.

 

[k6cpo]

I'm in San Diego County, CA. Every Sunday morning, the ARES group in Imperial County to the East hold a net where they communicate with hams in both counties. This is accomplished by linking 2 meter, 440 and 220 repeaters located in the eastern San Diego County mountains together. The advantage to the linking is it gives net participants three choices in being able to get their signal into the net. Sometimes, one repeater is working better than the others. Characteristically, it's usually the 220 repeater. The repeaters are usually unlinked when the net is over.

 

[mortoma61]

There is nothing stopping you as a licensed AR operator from putting up your own 222 MHz. repeater for a pseudo "private place to chat".

Never said I needed a private place to chat. Just think a lot of 220 fans like a more quiet band. And I put in my post that I just wanted others opinions, not their unfriendly attacks. Possibly a good dose of laxative is in order for some people.

 

[mortoma61]

My opinion is that the owner/trustee of the repeater can do whatever they want as long they follow FCC rules and don't cause interference to others.

Of course they can do whatever they want. Never said they couldn't. And it's obvious that they have done whatever they wanted in the past and will in the future. Nothing in my post suggests they can't or shouldn't. But most 220 fan I know all over the USA would not like linking to the other bands. We can dislike anything we want to. The post is just to argue why do it. I guess folks are not fully reading my post. I just invited other friendly opinions. Not snarky and obvious stuff.

 

[mortoma61]

I’m a member of the Six Meter Club of Chicago. We have been in existence for over 50 years. For the last 20 years, we have linked our 146.970 repeater with our 443.300 repeater and our 224.820 repeater. There are several reasons for having them linked, as propagation changes, and at times the VHF repeater performs differently than the UHF repeater, and for those who utilize 222 MHz. repeaters that is an option to be with the linked network. We can “separate” the systems individually when necessary.

Of note, since Amateur Radio lost the lower portion of 220 MHz. several years ago, we refer to that part of the spectrum as 222 MHz. as opposed to “The 220 band.”

Great, it's fine for clubs to do as they wish. They are your repeaters. But I as an individual has the right to like or dislike anything I want and to not use a repeater if I don't want to. If everyone in your club is fine with not separating repeaters and they are happy, that's all that counts.

And I very well know the band no longer starts at 220 but it's been called the 220 band for so long that thousands of people still call it the 220 band. I heard someone call the band "220" at our Heber Utah field day. So big deal? I'll never call it the 222 band. Sorry. Seems hams have always been a picky lot, reminds me of things like when old stuffy hams don't like people to say, "Radio Check" but want you to say "Signal report" instead and get their panties all waded up about stupid stuff like that. This type of thing is one of the less attractive things about being a ham. I heard someone that had a roger beep on the other day and another ham went ballistic on him. I'm a ham but not all geeky and nerdy about everything. People hopefully will be more like me and relax a little.

 

[AK9R]

So please give me your opinion on this topic.

You asked for opinions. You got opinions.

Please just stop this idiocy.

Will do. Thread locked.