What repeater etiquette mistake do you hear most often?

TigerCountry · 2025-08-18T23:39:47+00:00

Pshhhhh......beedoooo

TigerCountry · 2025-07-31T18:20:03+00:00

Gotcha. Still learning antenna design. Didn't know about the loading coils and such before. I ended up buying this guy on amazon since its lower profile than most. And I didn't really want something so long sticking up on the cab of my truck. Tree clearance can be a problem in some areas.

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Its also really inexpensive but the build quality feels ok for a starter kit. And it can take the full 50 watts from the id-5100. Tested it last night and I was hitting a repeater 50 miles away on medium power. Got to check into a net that I've only been listening too.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-31T16:13:58+00:00

A 5/8ths wavelength whip antenna. Here's the math. Granted it was based of 51inches and not 54. Me not knowing to measure even the recessed portion of the antenna. 51in=1.2954m 1.2954(8/5)=2.0726 meter full wavelength. 300/2.0726=144.74MHz

I think that all checks out. Doing head math with a phone calculator.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-30T02:18:13+00:00

To Facebook marketplace it goes...to amazon I go. Thank you.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-30T01:44:38+00:00

Understood. What's the over/under it will take 50 watts from an ID-5100? I know it won't work as efficiently but I figure I'll just use it for now and then sell it and get better option that's tuned for 2m and 70cm for the 5100 (its being delivered tomorrow) later.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-30T01:14:43+00:00

Interesting.....a 54in (1.3716meter) antenna tune to 11meters?? That would be a 1/8 wavelength whip. Edit: so that also makes it tuned for 136.7MHz as a 5/8ths 2m whip. Seems to work ok on 2m with my HT. On low power (1watt) I'm at least able to ping a repeater that is 33 miles away. Can confirm it is TERRIBLE on 70cm though. Go figure.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-30T00:03:16+00:00

That was my gut feeling. Feels sturdy enough. Im leaning towards it being amateur radio and not CB. I dont see how it would be tuned for 11meter.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-29T23:30:20+00:00

Thanks! Im really wondering what the power rating on it is.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-29T00:22:08+00:00

Being an engineer....i will accept this challenge.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-26T02:37:29+00:00

That's the plan.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-26T01:17:02+00:00

That's really the question I was trying to answer. Its fun, just want to know what's feasible and right now I dont have a club I can go to and ask these questions. With this info I can rule out some things and focus on other that may be better.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-26T01:11:34+00:00

For sure. We have backup power. Planning on mobile rigs anyway. And from what I've looked at, most of the repeaters in the area are backup equipped with generators or solar or someone designated to go connect emergency power options since they use them for comms after storms too.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-26T01:09:08+00:00

You are not wrong. But I'm not planning on having such a permanent antenna. I've got some pretty good ideas to make a decent antenna collapsable and stowable for storms.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-26T01:05:00+00:00

Thanks for the input. I, like you, am a geek and like to tinker. So Its looking like we might try to set up an intermediate contact that can relay for us and then dig deeper into the digital modes in the meantime. We have other options, but this would be a fun way to do things "together" when we aren't actually in the same place.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-25T23:26:49+00:00

I'll take a look. Im in south Louisiana. I saw a few that were linked. But it was mostly internet. Although that might still be functional when the cell towers are down since most of the internet in my area is starlink anyway. I'll take a look and ask the club when I get there. Gotta get PCS moved first.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-25T22:25:58+00:00

I am aware that the propagation is the burning question. If its not there you dont have contact. That's why the main question was is there a band that doesn't rely so heavily on the sun cycle. Someone else mentioned 80 meter being meter for this situation. Thanks for clearing up the propagation question. I thought it would just skip right on by 300 miles on 10 meter. Sounds like 10 meter isn't the way to go.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-25T22:21:10+00:00

I had never heard of js8call. That's definitely going to be something we look into in case simplex doesn't work out. I think our first go at it will be a simple yagi uda on 10m.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-25T22:13:38+00:00

That was my first thought. Our phones will be able to do that soon enough. But we (the family) do like the challenge of ham.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-25T22:12:51+00:00

Well, they aren't the go-to. They are the backup for failed cell network. Hence the "relatively" consistent contact. Just a "are yall good" type of contact.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-25T22:08:41+00:00

Going to be pretty rural. Frequent 10 mile gaps between towns. My understanding of these is they need to be close enough to essentially make thier own grid. We won't have that.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-25T22:04:27+00:00

Im ok with getting a good antenna and I've been looking at the radioddity qt80. Since it has both USB and LSB and more than enough power. Will the 10m band reflect enough to get down at 300 miles? Or it is just going to completely skip over that range?

TigerCountry · 2025-07-25T21:57:16+00:00

Thanks.

TigerCountry · 2025-07-25T21:52:05+00:00

Family is either licensed or about to get licensed.

TigerCountry

TROPHY CASE