quick repeater settings question(s)

[Coyote33]

Anyone familiar with the Warren, Wilbraham, Monson, Amherst, or Belchertown repeaters mind taking a quick look at these settings, and let me know if these are OK?

Thank you.

 

[JDL]

Don't worry about the Monson, Amherst and the Belchertown Repeaters they are 440 repeaters as far as Warren and Wilbraham that would be the settings.

 

[Coyote33]

Don't worry about the Monson, Amherst and the Belchertown Repeaters they are 440 repeaters

What is this saying? Do these not work? Should I just delete them?

Thanks.

 

[JDL]

No they are just a different band, not 2meters. I am not really sure what you are asking. The 440 band repeaters have a lot less traffic.

 

[Coyote33]

I have these repeaters programmed in, but when scanning, the radio will stop there, but not receive anything. Maybe they are just too far away?

I understand that they are a different band/frequency; what I didn't get was you saying "don't worry".

What I was really wondering is are they actually something that is up and running, or is the repeater database wrong?

 

[ToddDubya]

If you just tune to them and listen for a while do you ever hear anything? If they're opening your squelch, then you have the output tone correct (or aren't using/expecting it).

To further @JDL, the most traffic I ever hear on the local 440 repeater is when someone is going in to fix the 2m repeater and they want someone to let them know it's working.

 

[Coyote33]

If you just tune to them and listen for a while do you ever hear anything?

I don't think I've heard anything, and if so, it was a long time ago and I've forgotten.

If they're opening your squelch, then you have the output tone correct (or aren't using/expecting it).

Or both. Maybe just too far away? I tried holding in the "monitor" button, but nothing there either.

 

[JDL]

I have these repeaters programmed in, but when scanning, the radio will stop there, but not receive anything. Maybe they are just too far away?

I understand that they are a different band/frequency; what I didn't get was you saying "don't worry".

What I was really wondering is are they actually something that is up and running, or is the repeater database wrong?

I dont know. I have never tryed to use these repeaters and I dont normally use 440. anyway. In fact I didnt even know they exsisted until you point them out. The Warren 147810 and Wilbraham 147105 are both active and I have used them. The147105 is my local repeater and I always monitor that repeater.

 

[JDL]

Give me a phone call and we can set up a time for me to call out on the 105 so you can see if you can hear. You could also build a yagi antenna and point it in the direction of the 105. Yagi antennas are easy to build and there are lots of plans on the internet for 2 meter antennas.

 

[Coyote33]

Maybe tonight? Heading out to do some mowing right now John.

I plan to do one of those tape measure yagi's. A guy Dennis who helps instruct my class has one I want to try to copy.

 

[ToddDubya]

How's the class going? You gotta be closing in soon, right?

 

[breslau]

The Warren repeater is at 147.210 with a 600kz positive offset. The listing in your table for Warren at 147.810 is the frequency your radio transmits on to the repeater. Useful sometimes when troubleshooting but not usually monitored.

Using Chirp the tone mode is usually set to "tone" with the repeaters pl tone in the tone column. The pl tone is transmitted to turn on the repeater. The "tsql" mode does this and also has your radio looking for a tone from the repeater to open the squelch. This is more likely to be used by police and fire radio.

 

[Coyote33]

I think I got that from either repeaterbook or radioreference. I find more often than not, a lot of those databases are incorrect and cause more problems than they prevent.

The Warren repeater is at 147.210 with a 600kz positive offset. The listing in your table for Warren at 147.810 is the frequency your radio transmits on to the repeater. Useful sometimes when troubleshooting but not usually monitored.

I see. So, the +600 offset brings the 147.210 up to the 147.810, and therefore I don't need both entries. Is that correct, and what you're saying?

Using Chirp the tone mode is usually set to "tone" with the repeaters pl tone in the tone column. The pl tone is transmitted to turn on the repeater.

Then I change "tsql" to "tone"? Is there a number I put in the tone column ("the repeater's pl tone" you referenced above)? Do you have that?

The "tsql" mode does this and also has your radio looking for a tone from the repeater to open the squelch. This is more likely to be used by police and fire radio.

So take out "tsql" then. OK.


I understand all the separate pieces and concepts, but sometimes translating them to clunky software, then lay that on top of a Chinese radio, and it gets awkward, fast, for a newbie.

Thank you for all your help.

 

[Coyote33]

How's the class going? You gotta be closing in soon, right?

It's going good. Great instructors also, @breslau is one of them!

Baypath is a very nice school, high up on a hill. Would make a great location for a repeater. Since it overlaps the 2M ones in Paxton and Warren, it would be nice if there were one in a different frequency, or even another in 2M, just for more coverage. Just a thought.

I wonder if they have a radio class or club there. Would fit nicely in electronics curriculum.

 

[ToddDubya]

I see. So, the +600 offset brings the 147.210 up to the 147.810, and therefore I don't need both entries. Is that correct, and what you're saying?

Yes

Then I change "tsql" to "tone"? Is there a number I put in the tone column ("the repeater's pl tone" you referenced above)? Do you have that?

Probably the number you have for TSQL

So take out "tsql" then. OK.

Correct, you use TONE or TSQL, not both. TONE is just you sending a tone to make the repeater listen to you, TSQL is the same as TONE, PLUS expecting the tone back from the repeater to make your radio listen. If the repeater doesn't do that, you never hear it. Most don't.

I understand all the separate pieces and concepts, but sometimes translating them to the clunky software for a Chinese radio, it gets a little awkward for a newbie.

Thank you for all your help.

For a test, you can take a repeater you know you can hear and save it to two memory channels: one with TONE and the other with TSQL. Then listen with it set to the TONE memory channel, and when you hear people on it, switch to the TSQL memory channel and see if you can still hear them. If not, the repeater is not sending the tone.

 

[ToddDubya]

It's going good. Great instructors also, @breslau is one of them!

Baypath is a very nice school, high up on a hill. Would make a great location for a repeater. Since it overlaps the 2M ones in Paxton and Warren, it would be nice if there were one in a different frequency, or even another in 2M, just for more coverage. Just a thought.

I wonder if they have a radio class or club there. Would fit nicely in electronics curriculum.

The trouble with an amateur hobby is someone has to do everything for free (or someone has to spend their own/club's money to pay them). That's why repeaterbook isn't up to date, the countryside isn't littered with repeaters, and stuff like Chirp software is clunky. The popular software written for slow scan TV (SSTV) was written years ago and the guy died, so it's never going to be updated.

In contrast, I paid for real logging software and it works great, has different versions for every contest, supports rig interfaces so it already knows what frequency I'm on, allows me to click on DX spots and it automatically changes my radio's frequency to the spotted frequency, etc. It's a family business and I doubt they're rolling in the cash, but they make money off it.

 

[Coyote33]

The popular software written for slow scan TV (SSTV) was written years ago and the guy died, so it's never going to be updated.

Is it "open source"? Someone should try sending it to one of those Chat/GPT AI things, and see what comes out.

 

[ToddDubya]

Is it "open source"? Someone should try sending it to one of those Chat/GPT AI things, and see what comes out.

No clue. I try to stay away from the software end of things. I've used it and received images, but I've tried to send and have no idea if they sent or what I'm doing, so I stopped.