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N3FNE (Pete)'s Blog

N3FNE (Pete)



N3FNE Posted about 1 year

The 2 Meter Repeater

Although I’ve had a 2 meter HT as long as I can remember, I’ve never been a big fan of using 2 meter repeaters. Many, perhaps most, of my radio friends love the repeater. It is the glue that holds local clubs together and a source of information for both travelers and locals. Yet, I’ve always looked at repeaters as a cheat because I really love HF DX and the farther the better. It seems using a repeater is cheating somehow. Of course, I shouldn’t think this way since repeaters serve an entirely different function and have nothing to do with DX. Well…at least until Echolink.

Comments (4) |
n7ice (Chris)
about 1 year ago

What if we could create HF repeaters? The entire DX world always be ON.

N3PRO (Dave)
about 1 year ago

Personally, 90% of my operation is mobile so I am mostly on repeaters. Some local, some distant, some IRLP node 7060 and some Echolink AA3RG. HF to me is like playing darts. It’s something I do for fun, relaxing and it’s a crap shoot. May contact a state away or a country away. May get a 59 tnx or my get an hour conversation.

I view the repeaters as my cell phone. It’s a tool to keep me sane behind the wheel as well as keep me awake and informed. I can’t mention the number of times I was in a situation where I needed the time to vent my frustration of other drivers, It made me feel better and focused. There are times where I wasn’t aware of an accident or a national news event. The local 2 meter repeater is how I leaned 911 happened.

One of the great parts of the hobby is the amount of outlets you can choose. The hobby would be boring if we were all interested in the same. I have visited other places where the only activity on the local repeater was during nets. Fortunately in the Harrisburg, PA metro area there is a fair amount of activity.

Now I must jump back in the truck and head back to work. Thanks for the post.

ki4rex (Ryan)
about 1 year ago

I too am like n3pro, I commute 2.5-3 hours a day for work and the repeaters keep me sane and help pass the time better than most of the garbage that is on broadcast radio today. I am especially great full for the Atlanta Radio Club w4doc 146.820 repeater.

N3FNE (Pete)
about 1 year ago

I’m charging up my Icom V8 to talk on the local repeater so I’m not anti-repeater…I just like HF better. Maybe that’s the gambler in me. And I should mention that there are HF repeaters on 10 meters although I haven’t heard many active in recent years. They used to be popular in Europe, too.

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