Talking to Repeaters

[mikefr1946]

I just bought my first radio, a TH-d74 hand held. I am trying to connect with a repeater in Conroe, Texas; frequency 442.900. I have my radio set up as recommended by their website. I have it setup to receive at 442.900 with a positve 5MHz offset and a 151.4 CTTS tone. When I key my set I don't get a key from the repeater, so I know Im not connecting, any ideas what my problem is ????

 

[AK9R]

What is the approximate distance between you and the repeater? Are you using the stock rubber duck antenna? Are you attempting to use the repeater from inside a building?

 

[buddrousa]

Welcome to RR a couple of quick things come to mind.
1 How far are you from the the repeater site?
2 Is that repeater site still on the air?
3 Do you hear traffic on that repeater site?
4 If you bought your radio used is it on frequency?
5 Have you tried to move closer to the repeater site to see if it will work?
6 Look around for a local ham in your area to help you get started after you get the little things out of the way it is a great hobby.

 

[ka3aaa]

you will not hear the repeater key up on your radio that you are transmitting on unless you have a second radio or scanner beside you that is listening to the output of the repeater.

 

[K5mow]

you will not hear the repeater key up on your radio that you are transmitting on unless you have a second radio or scanner beside you that is listening to the output of the repeater.

This is definitely correct but you will hear the tale of the repeater afterwords if you successfully key it up.

Roger



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[eaf1956]

This is definitely correct but you will hear the tale of the repeater afterwords if you successfully key it up.

Roger



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Not necessarily. Some repeaters have to squelch tail. It all depends on how it is set up. But true most repeaters do and you can hear it. Some people kerchucnk a repeater to test. Which BTW really irritates people and isn't good practice.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[WA0CBW]

Do you have your radio set for tone squelch? Not all repeaters transmit a tone.
BB

 

[mikefr1946]

The repeater is local. Its a busy repeater, they reception is like they are next door. I have a 51" j-pole antenna, Ive practically gave up on the rubber ducky. I also have a diamond antenna, but all combinations dont seem to help. Im going to call the tester of my tech license test, maybe he can shed some light. I cant wait for the moment that I can transmit. Im looking forward to being active. I was a radio operator while in the service, I enjoyed it then and sure I will enjoy it again. Thanks to all for your immediate responses.

 

[MTS2000des]

This is where finding a good local Elmer to guide you would be helpful versus dart board troubleshooting over a forum. Because none of us can see (and hear) what the poster is experiencing, it would be best if he can find a LOCAL fellow ham who can assist. There can be a plethora of reasons why one isn't accessing a local repeater.

Anyone in the Conroe TX area can assist a new ham?

 

[techman210]

Did you try to talk through the repeater or just “dead key” your radio?

Some repeater controllers require a modulated carrier to activate the transmitter.

 

[mikefr1946]

I did try to make a formal hello, and try my transmit, but no reply, the net was busy at the time.

 

[W5GX]

The repeater is local. Its a busy repeater, they reception is like they are next door. I have a 51" j-pole antenna, Ive practically gave up on the rubber ducky. I also have a diamond antenna, but all combinations dont seem to help. Im going to call the tester of my tech license test, maybe he can shed some light. I cant wait for the moment that I can transmit. Im looking forward to being active. I was a radio operator while in the service, I enjoyed it then and sure I will enjoy it again. Thanks to all for your immediate responses.

You should be hitting the repeater. Being that close, you should receive just fine with a rubber duck.

It was suggested that you may have the CTCSS code on for receive as well. A lot of repeaters won't transmit a tone, so if your receive is set for it, it won't open your squelch. Some repeaters do "pass through" the transmit tone from the user, so you will hear the speaker but won't hear the squelch tail / roger beep, but this repeater may not.

 

[bharvey2]

Looking up that repeater on Repeaterbook.com, it looks like you should have transmit frequency of 447.900 mhz with a tone of 151.4hz. Your receive frequency should be 442.900 mhz with no receive tone at all. It should be carrier squelch. Kenwood usually classifies this as Tone and not CTCSS. As mentioned above just kerchunking the repeater may not result in a repeater key-up.

 

[w2xq]

There may be another problem. Repeaterbook's info has a call WB5DGR that is unknown to the Texas VHF-FM coordination group. A search = call not found. Given the entry is from mid-2018, the repeater info may have changed with a new call. More investigation, email the coordinators, ask in a radio club... something. HTH a bit.

 

[AA6IO]

Is that frequency pair correct? Most So. Cal repeaters have a receive frequency above 445 and transmit frequency of minus 5 Mhz.
Are you sure 447.900 is not the receive frequency and 442.900 the transmit frequency? Maybe Texas is different.

 

[buddrousa]

The OP is in TEXAS and if you check the database that is what is listed for his hometown.

 

[nd5y]

Maybe Texas is different.

It is.
Texas VHF-FM Society Band Plans

 

[W5GX]

You should be hitting the repeater. Being that close, you should receive just fine with a rubber duck.

It was suggested that you may have the CTCSS code on for receive as well. A lot of repeaters won't transmit a tone, so if your receive is set for it, it won't open your squelch. Some repeaters do "pass through" the transmit tone from the user, so you will hear the speaker but won't hear the squelch tail / roger beep, but this repeater may not.

After further thought - I don't think this would be your problem; you're still able to hear the repeater.

you will not hear the repeater key up on your radio that you are transmitting on unless you have a second radio or scanner beside you that is listening to the output of the repeater.

This would be a good start - listen to the output of the repeater on another radio, or listen to the input frequency with the same tone squelch.

Is this a known good radio for simplex?

 

[nd5y]

This would be a good start - listen to the output of the repeater on another radio,

If the radios are close together then the transmitting radio will probably desense the receiving radio and it might not hear anything.

 

[bharvey2]

The OP states that he is using a J Pole (I'm assuming it's outside but I may be incorrect) He also states that the repeater is local and "reception is like it's next door". If that's the case, using an HT on the receive frequency he'll probably be far enough away from his J Pole and be safe from desense. Although the comment about "reception is like it's next door" confuses me a bit. It suggests that he's heard the repeater in the past. Given that he used the term CTCSS for his tone settings and Kenwood's programming software uses that term to mean both transmit and receive tones, I'm leaving my chips where they are.