I have a Yaesu FT-65R with the Diamond antenna. I live in Parker, about a half mile west as the crow flies of Salisbury Park. I tried jumping on the Tuesday night net thinking with the repeater I might be able to chime in. I tried several times with no success. I'm pretty sure I have the offset & tone right. Maybe not.
Is the ht just that weak that even with the repeater it just can't do it?
I also have a Yaesu FT-8900 I'm trying to get installed but still a work in progress.
Any help greatly appreciated.
John
W0JNY
Squaw Mountain is 40 miles from Parker. Unless you can literally see it from your QTH, you're going to have a hard time hitting it with 5 watts. That FT-8900 should serve you very well, especially if you can get it on a GP-3 or X-50 antenna with a little elevation.
Here's a rough approximation of the range from your QTH on a 5 watt HT:
And here's mine (Comet GP-3, 45' up, 50 watts):
AB0L (Formerly N0KAI)
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Kenwood TM-V71A, Kenwood TS-590S, Icom ID-4100A, Yaseu FT-891, TYT MD-UV380, TYT MD-380, Kenwood TH-D7A, BTECH UV-5X3, µBITX V5, µBITX V4, QRPGuys 40/30/20m DSB Digital Transceiver
Ah!!! Thanks, Jeff! I didnt realize the repeater was that far away. I thought it was in or around Parker. That makes me feel a little better.
I got the 8900 because it will crossband repeat so I can use my ht while I'm about our property. I know the ft-65r does not carry that far so that's why I got the combination of those radios. I got the Diamond antenna that is supposed to work with the quad band 8900.
Thanks again!
John
W0JNY
The club does have a local repeater we call the "water tower" but based on that map, you may have difficulty hitting it with an HT too.
Good call on the 8900. I do the same with my TM-V71A, crossbanding it whenever I'm out of the shack. Just remember to run CTCSS/DCS on the 2M side and program your HT accordingly. This will prevent unwanted signals from being passed on to W0CFI. Also run the 2M side and your HT at the lowest power possible.
Your QTH is down in the Parker "valley" so get that antenna up as high as possible for best results.
73, N0KAI.
AB0L (Formerly N0KAI)
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Kenwood TM-V71A, Kenwood TS-590S, Icom ID-4100A, Yaseu FT-891, TYT MD-UV380, TYT MD-380, Kenwood TH-D7A, BTECH UV-5X3, µBITX V5, µBITX V4, QRPGuys 40/30/20m DSB Digital Transceiver
Greatly appreciate the info for the 8900.
Thanks!
John
WOJNY
I'm probably late to this party. That said, I regularly hit the Colorado Connect repeaters from my home near Smoky Hill and Aurora (near Southlands Mall) with my Wouxun HT putting out 5 watts. And, I almost always get excellent signal reports. I've got it set-up with a Tram 1185 dual band mag mount antenna on top of my FJ Cruiser and battery eliminator. So while I can't compete with a 45' tower putting out 50 watts, I've rarely had an issue with being able to hit the repeater. Just my .02
You don't need a 45' tower to compete when you've got a 200' advantage in elevation. 😋 Smoky Hill is a ham's dream QTH.
Colorado Connection also has many repeaters, one even East of you.
AB0L (Formerly N0KAI)
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Kenwood TM-V71A, Kenwood TS-590S, Icom ID-4100A, Yaseu FT-891, TYT MD-UV380, TYT MD-380, Kenwood TH-D7A, BTECH UV-5X3, µBITX V5, µBITX V4, QRPGuys 40/30/20m DSB Digital Transceiver
N0KAI,
What software did you use to generate those propagation maps?
Thanks,
Ed L (KE0TSD)
Account required but it's free. Knowing a bit of French doesn't hurt...
AB0L (Formerly N0KAI)
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Kenwood TM-V71A, Kenwood TS-590S, Icom ID-4100A, Yaseu FT-891, TYT MD-UV380, TYT MD-380, Kenwood TH-D7A, BTECH UV-5X3, µBITX V5, µBITX V4, QRPGuys 40/30/20m DSB Digital Transceiver
