Yaesu: What am I doing wrong.....

[LandsdowneScannerGuy]

Hello Everyone!! So, good news....I have finally made contact on the repeater!!! Thank you again to everyone who took the time to help out.

Now, what did the issue end up being....When going through everything for the 10,000th time, I made a discovery, there is both a 6 and .6 offset setting. I didn't notice. Sooooo, it turns out I wasn't even transmitting on the right frequency, once I changed from 6 to .6, it worked as it was supposed to.

Also, I have downloaded the RT Systems software and will hopefully be getting my programing cable tomorrow.

 

[k7ng]

We all knew there would be a solution, as long as the radio was basically working.

Glad you're getting what you wanted now. Get all your memories loaded up with nearby repeaters and have at it.

Decent programming software makes life so much easier.

 

[K4EET]

<snip>
Also, I have downloaded the RT Systems software and will hopefully be getting my programing cable tomorrow.

You will like the RT Systems software. I use it on most of my radios. Great software that makes life much easier when it comes to programming radios.

 

[AK9R]

Sooooo, it turns out I wasn't even transmitting on the right frequency, once I changed from 6 to .6, it worked as it was supposed to.

I'm going to make some observations and I want it to be clear that it's not my intent to call anyone out. I'm just making observations.

If you were transmitting in the 2m band with a 6 MHz offset, you were transmitting outside the amateur radio band...which is contrary to the FCC rules for amateur radio. In your first post, you mentioned trying to access a repeater on 146.655 MHz. With a 6 MHz offset, you would have been transmitting on 140.655 or 152.655 MHz depending on the direction of the offset.

I don't own an FT-65. But, I'm very surprised that the radio, out of the box, would transmit that far outside the amateur radio band. It's possible that your radio has been modified for out of band transmit. If the radio has not been modified, I'm surprised that it didn't beep at you when you tried to transmit out of band.

Finally, most of the VHF/UHF amateur radios I own show the transmit frequency when you press the PTT. If the display showed 140.655 or 152.655 when you transmitted, that would have been a pretty solid clue that there was a problem. The display should have read 146.055 or 147.255. What you see on the display is something to watch for when diagnosing a problem.

 

[GlobalNorth]

Frustration can temporarily blind someone to seeing even an obvious condition or problem. When I get to that point, I walk away for a time and come back later after I've relaxed and run the problem through in my head.

It works for amateur radio, grad school, and other things that are not time critical.

 

[LandsdowneScannerGuy]

I'm going to make some observations and I want it to be clear that it's not my intent to call anyone out. I'm just making observations.

If you were transmitting in the 2m band with a 6 MHz offset, you were transmitting outside the amateur radio band...which is contrary to the FCC rules for amateur radio. In your first post, you mentioned trying to access a repeater on 146.655 MHz. With a 6 MHz offset, you would have been transmitting on 140.655 or 152.655 MHz depending on the direction of the offset.

I don't own an FT-65. But, I'm very surprised that the radio, out of the box, would transmit that far outside the amateur radio band. It's possible that your radio has been modified for out of band transmit. If the radio has not been modified, I'm surprised that it didn't beep at you when you tried to transmit out of band.

Finally, most of the VHF/UHF amateur radios I own show the transmit frequency when you press the PTT. If the display showed 140.655 or 152.655 when you transmitted, that would have been a pretty solid clue that there was a problem. The display should have read 146.055 or 147.255. What you see on the display is something to watch for when diagnosing a problem.

My radio was was bought brand new, so I'm fairly sure it wasn't modified. I also have no proof or knowledge that it was actually transmitting, it may have just been attempting to. I honestly don't know. I can program and make work just about any scanner you throw at me, this Ham stuff is all new to me. As for the display, it would show that (I think) if I hadn't saved the frequency with a name tag. And if I turn on the dual display (I think that's what it's called, shows the name and the frequency), but I don't have that turned on yet.

 

[AK9R]

My radio was was bought brand new, so I'm fairly sure it wasn't modified.

That's probably true.

However, I have dealt with some ham radio stores who simply put returned merchandise back on the shelf and sell it as new. If the original purchaser had the radio modified, then decided that they didn't like it and returned it to the store, it's possible that you got a new, modified radio. This is a remote possibility.

I also have no proof or knowledge that it was actually transmitting, it may have just been attempting to.

Most ham radios I've owned will beep at you or otherwise complain if you try to transmit out of band.

As for the display, it would show that (I think) if I hadn't saved the frequency with a name tag.

Fair enough.