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New Guy here, slight issue with HT please help

K

KB1UGX

Member
May 21, 2010
52
0
16
Hello and greetings to all my fellow HAMS out there.

I am very new to HAM radio, so new infact my license was just granted this past week and i found myself in the ULS database!


Upon entry into this fantastic service and hobby i bought a Yaesu VX-7r
Im sure many of you have many opinions on this HT and why to or why not to buy it. I promise i wont start one of those boring threads on "what is the best ht to buy" topic lol :thumbdown:

My question revolves around my local repeater network. Im trying to access my local repeater network on 146.820 No big deal right? i would of thought not. I discovered that my repeater network uses a 146.2 Tone. Ok no big deal aswell. Set the radio up and still i cant bring up the repeater. It is in fact set to high power on the 5 watts.

I have the HT set in two ways. One on VFO mode and the other on Memory that was programed with the yaesue software.

In the software it asked me to enter in a repeater offset. i simply choose simplex. and negated this option. Set the tone and carried on

For the VFO setting i did it manually and the radio has an ARS setting. This is where i get fuzzy. (as the new guy) The radio receives on 146.820 and when i push the PTT key it trys to transmit on 146.220 I assuming this is the preprogramed repeater offset. Are all 2 meter repeats a minus 600 offset

Upon trying to make contact with a local net, standing outside and trying to hit the repeater that is in my local town not more then 5 or 6 blocks away and verified the correct tone, i have had no success. While operating the HT on Memory which has the simplex setting and no offset i have had zero success at all.

Operating the radio in VFO mode while trying to make contact useing the default setting of 600 Mhertz offset today and giving my call i heard other contacts say " what was that call" "was someone trying to break in" "Couldnt hear anything" "is someone trying to break in"

So now im really stumped. I managed to raise the repeater apparently but no one could hear me. I contacted the repeater admin and he confrimed 146.2 is the correct tone and had no idea what was going on. I have no issue making contact on 440 with a repeater with no tone set and is 3 towns away.

Do i need drastically more power then 5 watts to raise a 2 meter repeater?

Any sugestions or ideas would be great. Sorry for the long first post.

Thanks again!

73
KB1UGX
 

My VX-8R has the same problem with a local net. I try to access an extremely close repeater with a 82.5hz tone and it just wont pull it up. Now my VX-5R will do it just fine, the VX-8R will just not pull it in. No idea why.
 
Brandon thanks for the reply

So what is the common denominator here and how does the 5x differ i wonder?
 
Power

I don't really see why you would forge ahead in simplex mode to hit a repeater...but that aside have you verified that the repeater had a standard offset? Granted most do...and verified + versus - offset right? Did you try lower power by any chance? A different antenna? I don;t imagine you're over powering the input from blocks away at 5Watts...strange one. Let us know what you find out.
 
In the software it asked me to enter in a repeater offset. i simply choose simplex. and negated this option. Set the tone and carried on

For the VFO setting i did it manually and the radio has an ARS setting. This is where i get fuzzy. (as the new guy) The radio receives on 146.820 and when i push the PTT key it trys to transmit on 146.220 I assuming this is the preprogramed repeater offset. Are all 2 meter repeats a minus 600 offset
Click to expand...



Hello and welcome to Ham Radio.
Lets start with some basics.
To answer the Question about the offset, yes a repeater will "listen" on the input frequency, and " transmit" on the output frequency, so an offset is necessary. It can be a - ( negative) offset or a + (positive) offset...this is to say the the input can be shifted above or below the transmit frequency. The repeater is Transmiting AND receiving at the same time...it is listening to the input and taking that signal and re-transmitting it back out 600 hz lower/higher at the same time.
If you programed the radio to do Simplex, you are transmiting on the same frequency as the output of the repeater....you are "competing" with it so to speak. Other operators might be able to hear you , but i am sure the repeater is transmiting with more power/more gain than you are so it is probably covering your signal.. You should contact some one in your area and ask if it is a + or - offset or look online and see if you can find out if it is a + or - offset.
(ARS or Auto Repeater shift will plug in the " Standard offset", but it is not always correct, some times you will run across repeaters that use different offsets for various reasons.. ) Then, make sure you have the tones turned on in your radio.....even if you set the proper tone, the feature needs to be "turned on" to make it transmit the tone. I am sure there is someone here that is familiar with your model radio, and how it is programed, or if not I will get a look at the manual for your model in the next few days and try to help you further.

Keep us updated as to your progress and we will help you get on the Machine!

On edit, where are you located, we might be able to look the info quickly online if you tell us that.

73
Jeff
 
Last edited:
Hi

The reason i choose simplex while programing the memories is because i am a bit fuzzy on how the repeaters work and off set.

I understand one frequncy input and one is output

Why do then almost all repeaters only have one frequncy given?

I understand the standard offset is 600 on a 2 meter unit. Is that just assumed?

How does one know if its plus or minus? it is not listed and the admin never mentioned anything in regards to it.
 
Not all the offsets are the minus offsets,some are positive depending on where the repeater is located at in the band....most all radios have the proper offsets as factory default...and the usual offset spread is 600khz

So in the VFO setting wether you see the minus or positive offset,chances are very good that is how the repeater is set up,all you will need to do is get the PL tone set and you should be good to transmit
 
KB1UGX said:
Why do then almost all repeaters only have one frequncy given?
Click to expand...

They always give the output frequency. That is the standard.

KB1UGX said:
I understand the standard offset is 600 on a 2 meter unit. Is that just assumed?
Click to expand...

Yes. If they're using a non-standard offset then they should tell you.

KB1UGX said:
How does one know if its plus or minus? it is not listed and the admin never mentioned anything in regards to it.
Click to expand...

Where did you find the repeater? Most repeater listings are like this:

N6NFI 145.230 MHz – PL 100.0

N6NFI is the call sign. 145.230 is the output frequency. - indicates a standard negative offset. PL 100.0 means I need a 100Hz tone to access.

There is a standard "band plan" that breaks up the 2M band into chunks. You can see it here. It's not law, but pretty much everyone follows it. And the handset usually knows about it too.

There are two chunks noted for repeater outputs. The chunks in the lower part of the band have - offset, the ones in the upper part of the band have + offset. So if you input in a frequency from the keypad that is in the lower chunk for repeater outputs then the handset should assume that you're talking to a repeater with a negative offset and do the right thing. That's what my VX-8DR does.

So what you need to do is three things:

1) Tune your HT to the repeater output.
2) Verify what offset you're using. (You can probably guess from the output frequency, but you should find the webpage for the repeater and check.)
3) Verify that you're transmitting the PL tone.
 
If you are trying to hit K5TEC in Brookline Mass from your house in Mansfield Mass, you likely can't do that with an HT (20+ miles).

I verified K5TEC in the ARRL repeater directory.
Intput freq 146.2 and output is 146.82 with a tone of 146.2
 
Repeater Freqs

Minuteman Repeater Association

Wouldn't it be 146.82 - .60 = 146.22 ?

So:
146.82 Output or Listen with your HT
146.22 Input or transmit with PL 146.2 from your HT

928bolo said:
If you are trying to hit K5TEC in Brookline Mass from your house in Mansfield Mass, you likely can't do that with an HT (20+ miles).

I verified K5TEC in the ARRL repeater directory.
Intput freq 146.2 and output is 146.82 with a tone of 146.2
Click to expand...
 
Also as a mistake alot of new operators make is you need to make sure you have the ( T ) Tone or (TSQL) Tone Squelch turned on you should see The T or Tsql and some radios will show the + or - aswell.
 
Hi guy

Thank you for all the replys.

Here is what i found. Im sure this is just user error. Seeing as im new to this.

The offset is a -600 and it is infact 146.2

Thank you for the repeater help. I ofcourse understood the theory of them but still working out the kinks on how the offset actually works. Thanks for all the great info though. Got it pretty clear now

I confirmed the settings on my HT. It is actually the brookline repeater im trying to hit. I am trying to hit it from brookline not mansfield. Mansfield is my mailing address.

Im about 5 or 6 blocks away from the Brookline Machine.

Still kind of stumped on this here. I have been able to raise the repeater because when i let off the PTT you can hear it Beep. Someone today when i tried heard me for a moment but could not make out my ticket.

I made a few contacts today on the 449 repeater that has no tone and that repeater is 2 towns away. Seems to work well. Comes in crystal clear.

Could this be a possible 2 meter issue with my ht hardware.

:sad:
 
Sucess!

lol

Im not sure how but i finally got a 2 meter contact!

Thanks for all the help to everyone that chimed in. It was most likley User error. Thanks again everyone

73
KB1UGX
 

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