Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

That's the repeater offset. The repeater receives the signal from one freq. and sends it out on another, allowing for simultaneous TX/RX.

Where abouts do you live? And which freq. are you on?

 

I live in Studio City, and will have to check freqs later. I think one channel I was listening is 147.350, but it would transmit on 147.900. How the heck could anyone ever hear me if it transmits on a different freq?? I need to study more.... grrrr....

 

LOL stay off 147.350 and 147.500...that's renegade radio and those guys will block your freq. and rip you to shreds. The FCC literally denies their existence.

Try 147.090. That's the Catalina repeater, and if you're licensed just state your callsign and ask for a signal report. Somebody will usually come back and give you a report. I usually monitor that repeater.

2 meter repeater offset is 600kHz, so the freq that shows up when you key up is usually 600kHz off from the freq. you're listening on.

 

Ha! I forgot about 147.350!! That's why I left it on... dang. They're pretty hilarious!

So the offset isn't what's doing it at all then, huh? Seems like it's automatic.

I'll try 147.090 at lunch since I'm down in Santa Monica.

 

Make sure you have the right PL/CTCSS tone set otherwise the repeater wont pick you up. DO you have ability to program the radio via software? That is the best way to make sure you have everything configured properly. I got my repeater list from a 4x4ham.com for my area, someone had uploaded all the info and I was able to just tweak it for my immediate area and upload it to my radio.

 

Just PM'ed you my cell phone number. Text me when you're gonna go out and try, and I'll get on my radio to see if I hear ya.

 

Most radios come out of the box ready to use on the local repeaters here...at least mine and 3 other people I know with hams were like that.

 

I do NOT have the software since it's PC only. Folks at HRO said it was a lot easier to program w/ software, and looked at me cross-eyed when I said I don't have a PC. My ham is Yaesu ft-8900r. What's yours? I'll check out the manual when I get home, but is setting PL/CTCSS easy? Wouldn't I simply be able to tune in a frequency and go car-to-car, or does everything have to go through a repeater?

Alright, will do! Thanks!

 

I have the Yaesu FT2900-R, so the only difference is mine is a single band, and yours is quad band.

You can use just radio to radio communication called "simplex". But your range will be dependent on how much power the radios are putting out, and the signal strength and location of the antennas. My setup will operate on simplex with a range of about 20 miles if the conditions are right.

But I can hit the Catalina repeater from the desert.

 

DO you have a Mac or Linux machine or are you living computer free?

 

lol Mac. Is there software? I haven't checked, but I could see the HRO folks not mentioning that tidbit since they were definitely about making $$ off me yet didn't have Mac software...

 

I use a Mac too.

Chirps is free and considered one of the best software out there (win/OSX/Tux). They support a metric butt load of radios. So you can continue to use it as you expand your radio collection. I recently got a 8800 and it worked perfectly.

I got this cable from Amazon because it has an FTDI chip, just google for the drivers and you will be all set.:

$32 Valley Enterprises Yaesu USB FTDI Programming Cable FT-7800, FT-8800, 10 Feet

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0035DSVW8/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Also, if you are trying to hit a repeater you need to know what the PL tone is, each repeater sets this for their repeater and it wont pickup your signal without it. The 8800 and 8900 have the ability to listen to a channel and pickup the PL tone, so if you don't know it, that is a really cool feature.

I paid the $18 for the quick reference guide from HRO, it has helped me out a lot.

 

Tone Search Scanning for 8900 on page 31:

http://www.repeater-builder.com/yvs/pdfs/yaesu-ft-8900r-operators-manual.pdf

 

AWESOME!!! Thank you! Think that cable works w/ the 8900r? Am trying to find the store's email to ask them... Yeah, I got the HRO quick guide, too, and will check it out during lunch.

 

I know the Amazon page for that cable says 7900/8800, but every where else I look says 7900/8800/8900 for the same cables. You can search "FTDI chip usb cable ft-8900" and might find something you can be more confident in buying.

I don't remember what the other chipset is (PCLI or something), but avoid it at all cost!! I have it for my wuoxun and most cables come with a chinese knock off version of that chipset that is a royal PITA to get to work with macs (or windows 8). Ask me how I know! You need the FTDI chipset to get it to work.

Edit:
In the product description for the cable I linked it says:

 

I would suggest the programming software and cable from RTsystems..you can also find free software available from two sources but you will still have to buy the programming cable. When i get home later tonight I'll post the links to the free software sources.

 

From RT Systems website:
The RT Systems programmers are Windows based. There are no plans in the works currently to move them to native MAC operations.

So unless he is planning on running some form of vmware, it wont work for him (which can be it's a whole different headache...ask me how I know!). Also, the newest cables for v4 of RT, will only work with RT. I like having the option of using a $30 (sale price at HRO right now) cable on what every I want. $25 for a cable that will work with RT's software OR any of the other ones out there, is more practicably. You can always buy the RT software without the cable for $20.

 

Ha-Ha...

 

lol Mac FTW!!!

Thanks, guys!

 

I had a major programming SNAFU with my wuoxun, couldn't hit any repeaters, but could listen all day long. This was getting really annoying. When I dug deeper into the issue, I was not surprised it was 100% user error. I switched from the software I was using and tried and to get it working with a windows only software through VMware. Two days later and several emails back and forth between my ham guru and I finally got chirps and a good repeater list from the local repeater association. So, when I got the 8800r, I didn't mess with it, I got the new cable and copy and pasted the repeater list into chirps. Both radios hit the repeaters without issue and my drive time is much more entertaining.