Forum
Repeaters
Quote from WSAL566 on March 22, 2024, 2:13 pmHi,
You RI folks appear to have set up several repeaters around Providence, Warwick, Rehoboth, etc. And some of them claim quite a long range (25-35 mi based on myGMRS.com map). That leads me to a few questions. I'm really just curious, as I'm new to this world.
Are these appropriate questions for me to ask at the Rag Chew?
- Is the range estimate real?
- Are you renting space on a tower to get the antenna high enough to get that sort of range?
- Are these 50w repeaters?
- What equipment are you using for these?
- To talk from an HT to the repeater, the HT would have much lower range I assume. Meaning that you could hear repeater transmissions from 25 mi away -- but the repeater might not hear HT transmissions from 25 mi away. Correct?
- Are they privately owned, or owned by the club?
I've set up a Pi in my house with a PiHat on it -- so that's a repeater of sorts -- but certainly wouldn't get range much outside of my house (or maybe neighborhood).
Thanks very much.
Hi,
You RI folks appear to have set up several repeaters around Providence, Warwick, Rehoboth, etc. And some of them claim quite a long range (25-35 mi based on myGMRS.com map). That leads me to a few questions. I'm really just curious, as I'm new to this world.
Are these appropriate questions for me to ask at the Rag Chew?
- Is the range estimate real?
- Are you renting space on a tower to get the antenna high enough to get that sort of range?
- Are these 50w repeaters?
- What equipment are you using for these?
- To talk from an HT to the repeater, the HT would have much lower range I assume. Meaning that you could hear repeater transmissions from 25 mi away -- but the repeater might not hear HT transmissions from 25 mi away. Correct?
- Are they privately owned, or owned by the club?
I've set up a Pi in my house with a PiHat on it -- so that's a repeater of sorts -- but certainly wouldn't get range much outside of my house (or maybe neighborhood).
Thanks very much.
Quote from WRFD401 Ray on March 23, 2024, 1:10 pmQuote from WSAL566 on March 22, 2024, 2:13 pmHi,
You RI folks appear to have set up several repeaters around Providence, Warwick, Rehoboth, etc. And some of them claim quite a long range (25-35 mi based on myGMRS.com map). That leads me to a few questions. I'm really just curious, as I'm new to this world.
Are these appropriate questions for me to ask at the Rag Chew?
- Is the range estimate real?
- Are you renting space on a tower to get the antenna high enough to get that sort of range?
- Are these 50w repeaters?
- What equipment are you using for these?
- To talk from an HT to the repeater, the HT would have much lower range I assume. Meaning that you could hear repeater transmissions from 25 mi away -- but the repeater might not hear HT transmissions from 25 mi away. Correct?
- Are they privately owned, or owned by the club?
I've set up a Pi in my house with a PiHat on it -- so that's a repeater of sorts -- but certainly wouldn't get range much outside of my house (or maybe neighborhood).
Thanks very much.
Those range estimates are more of a MyGMRS.com thing. When you list your repeater they don't offer a lot of options for listing your range.
Most GMRS repeater are a homebrew cobbled together with mobile Motorola radios and a mobile duplexer. The Cranston repeater is a Bridgecom repeater, but that would be the exception.
As far as HT to repeater, I guess generally weather it is an HT or mobile rig, you will hear better then you can transmit. It is all about line of sight. So being low with a small antenna you are more likely to get blocked transmitting by a building or a tree. On the receive you may still be blocked by the same building or tree but you will get enough of the signal to make out what is being said.
All the repeaters are privately owned and funded by the owned in most cases.
Quote from WSAL566 on March 22, 2024, 2:13 pmHi,
You RI folks appear to have set up several repeaters around Providence, Warwick, Rehoboth, etc. And some of them claim quite a long range (25-35 mi based on myGMRS.com map). That leads me to a few questions. I'm really just curious, as I'm new to this world.
Are these appropriate questions for me to ask at the Rag Chew?
- Is the range estimate real?
- Are you renting space on a tower to get the antenna high enough to get that sort of range?
- Are these 50w repeaters?
- What equipment are you using for these?
- To talk from an HT to the repeater, the HT would have much lower range I assume. Meaning that you could hear repeater transmissions from 25 mi away -- but the repeater might not hear HT transmissions from 25 mi away. Correct?
- Are they privately owned, or owned by the club?
I've set up a Pi in my house with a PiHat on it -- so that's a repeater of sorts -- but certainly wouldn't get range much outside of my house (or maybe neighborhood).
Thanks very much.
Those range estimates are more of a MyGMRS.com thing. When you list your repeater they don't offer a lot of options for listing your range.
Most GMRS repeater are a homebrew cobbled together with mobile Motorola radios and a mobile duplexer. The Cranston repeater is a Bridgecom repeater, but that would be the exception.
As far as HT to repeater, I guess generally weather it is an HT or mobile rig, you will hear better then you can transmit. It is all about line of sight. So being low with a small antenna you are more likely to get blocked transmitting by a building or a tree. On the receive you may still be blocked by the same building or tree but you will get enough of the signal to make out what is being said.
All the repeaters are privately owned and funded by the owned in most cases.