Official Colorado HAM and cheese thread

172.800 is pretty far outside of the amateur bands. It's probably used for commercial/consumer wireless digital microphones or maybe even TV. So, that's why you're hearing static.

If you have programmed your BF with some local repeaters you should hear chatter driving around Denver very often.

 

I am coming through Denver in about 10 days and I want to program some local repeaters. I tried the link in the first post but it only showed four repeaters. Is there a better source for finding Denver repeaters?

Thanks in advance, KE0VVZ.

 

https://w0tx.org/repeaters.htm

https://www.rmrl.org/

145.145 and 145.310 are both pretty active repeaters in the Denver area.

 

Four networks? Or four repeaters?
The link to a Google drive has lots of Denver area repeaters.
Says semi-official cotw channel list or something like that.

 

In case you're not familiar with RepeaterBook, here's a link to every listed 2m and 70cm repeater within 75 miles of Denver.

There are a lot of active repeaters here in the front range. What equipment are you running?

 

Is it a 1974 Caddy?

 

I want to petition to change the ham channel list to reflect aprs ......

 

Ok Andy.... What are you on about now?
You just want a designated channel with the APRS frequency?

 

Well yeah. Ideally three channels.
http://www.aprs.org/D7xx/d710-setup.txt

MEMORIES: Store this APRS/Voice Alert channel with CTCSS 100 in
memory, say memory 1 and name it "APRS VA". Now turn CTCSS OFF
with no Tones and label this "APRS raw". Save this in say memory 2.
Now turn CTCSS ON again, and program it with a private PL tone.
Save this as "APRSmute". Save this in channel 3 for example. With
these 3 channels then you can easily configure APRS on the fly:

Ch-1 144.39 CTCSS 100 "APRS VA " - for normal operations
Ch-2 144.39 no tones "APRS raw" - for troubleshooting the channel
Ch-3 144.39 CTCSS xxx "APRSmute" - for completely QUIET operation

The real purpose of channel 3 is if you go to a club meeting or
hamfest and there are so many voice alert operators that the noise
is bothering you. DO NOT TURN DOWN SIDE A VOLUME! Instead, set
channel 3 and you will not hear anything. The reason for this is
that if you ever turn the volume down, you will forget and it
might be weeks or months before you realize it and in the mean
time you missed all those fun Voice Alert calls.

 

I'm putting together my list of frequencies for loading in to CHIRP, and making notes for myself. I came upon the Statewide Repeater system: https://colcon.org/wp/repeaters/

Can someone ELI5 how this works? Is the theory that I could call in to the repeater in Grand Junction and have it transmit statewide? (That'd be real nice trying to talk to the rest of my convoy east of the tunnel.) How does that work if all the repeaters are on different frequencies?

It's possible I'm grossly misunderstanding the "statewide" part of the repeater system. Perhaps it's just to provide HAM coverage to most of the state?

 

Repeaters can be linked thereby allowing you to hit a repeater via another repeater. That's exactly how it works. Try it out, each club has a repeater network

 

Did you see the list linked in the first post?
By all means, do all the research you want and learn everything you can, but it could save you some time

 

I've been plagued with feedback from my radio. Sporadic constant static which I haven't been able to solve. Only thing I know, is when I unscrew the antenna from my mag mount, it stops. The "pitch" of the static tends to change with engine RPM.

Was doing some digging, found this article, about half way does the page it talk about making low impedance connections to various conductive parts along the vehicle, the main one being the exhaust system/piping. https://hamradioschool.com/going-mobile-part-2-solving-rfi-problems/

Has anyone experienced or tried this fix?

 

You do have a lot more electronics than the 2nd gens as far as stock vehicle equipped. Unscrewing your antenna is funny and would quiet all noise so it might be a funny, ineffective way to trace a problem.

1st, have you played with squelch levels at all to raise your noise floor?

2nd, can you eliminate the issues with any specific key positions or items left off?

3rd, Does your truck have PCS, LCA, BSM?

You could try bonding the exhaust, I haven't seen that issue on a Toyota yet. Generally 2m/70cm isn't too sensitive to panels/parts that are not bonded, unlike HF.

 

I had no clue how to troubleshoot so I just followed this part of that article,

-I tried adjusting squelch, no change
-I tried turning off my car stereo and moving my phone away, no change
-I don't have any of the fancy BSM, parking sensors or stuff like that.

 

Does the noise occur with the key on, engine off?

Just FYI the amount of duty cycled parts in a modern running vehicle is crazy. Each one of those duty cycled parts is a potential for RFI. I have a known RFI issue from a worn brake actuator motor, I can't address it due to unit cost. Bonding can sometimes help RFI but is not an end all. I was able to limit my RFI with chokes on that motors power wires and the wires to the radio.

 

I can't recall if I have tested that one yet. I will have to try it next time it occurs and I'm in a position to be able to turn the vehicle off.

That's what I was reading. Some people recommended chokes/filters on bother the pos/neg wires to the battery to help filter some of it out. Others have said don't use mag mounts, bolt right to whatever surface you are mounting to and, at that, bond to the surface from the mount as well

 

I know the biggest RFI in vehicles is the Alternator, but that doesn't jive with your RPM change (Alternators are constant speed- I think)

 

The easier way I can describe the sounds is hearing a vehicle coming down the road with very aggressive tires. Like a jeep with mud terrains or something

 

I don't know if the alternator is his problem or not but FWIW I don't see how the alternator could possibly be a constant speed if it's driven by a belt from the motor....