This is an analog repeater that is independent from W0ILO. This means
we now have backup if W0ILO were to ever have an issue, or if W0ILO is
busy during a net (for example, Fargo Marathon or Skywarn), there is
another option for hams to use.
It doesn’t have quite the footprint that W0ILO has, but in our initial
testing we have found that it covers Fargo quite well. All reception
reports are welcome! 1
Get on the Air and Make Some Noise—Advice on Increasing Local Repeater Activity
Why are VHF and UHF repeaters so quiet much of the time? Where is
everybody? When you tune in on the local 2-meter repeater, more often
than not it’s nothing but cricketsand they’re not chirping PL
tones.
Oldtimers would tell you someone on the repeater was always willing to
talk during the day. Many were retirees with time on their hands or hams
operating mobile while running errands or traveling to and from work.
But today, it seems like just the opposite.
It’s not for the lack of licensed hamsthere are nearly 27,000 in
Ohio where I live. Nationwide, there are about 745,000 (ARRL, November
2024, as reported by the FCC). Granted, not all are active on the air,
but you’d think some would be on a local repeater at any given time.
Why is this? What’s changed?
Cell Phones & Other Distractions
With radio tech changing rapidly, more communications options are
available than a decade ago.
Mobile phones and their capabilities have changed our lives. Why would
you carry a radio when you can use your smartphone to contact your
significant other, kids, or friends? It’s so much more convenient. You
don’t have to monitor the repeater, and you can almost always reach
them or leave a text or voicemail. At Dayton Hamvention®, I usually
don’t bring an HT to keep in touch with my ham friendsthe phone has
become the primary means of communication.
Once you upgrade from your Tech license, a new world opens on
the HF bands. You’ll likely spend more time there finding DX,
POTA, and
contest stations than on VHF/UHF radio. There’s certainly evidence of
increased HF activity, especially now during the peak of Cycle 25. But
it’s not likely we’re talking to locals on HF.
Digital radio has become an integral part of amateur radio.
DMR,
D-STAR,
and
System
Fusion
are among the current favorites on VHF/UHF. In addition to the
traditional voice communication we’re used to, digital modes allow us
to transmit text, images, and even data packets. Thanks to the Internet,
you can expand your HT’s communication from local to worldwide when
used with a digital hotspot and computer.
Space-bound communications have become increasingly popular in the
UHF/VHF bands. Options include talking with the ISS Space Station,
moonbounce, and meteor scatter/aurora propagation. FM satellites
function just like an orbiting repeater. There are dozens of ham radio
satellites in orbit right now, and they allow short QSOs over a few
thousand miles to take place. Several satellites use FM, others use SSB
or CW, and a few use digital modes.
Life gets in the way as well. Little League, music lessons, carpools
and other family obligations take up significant amounts of time. Other
activities like golf, pickleball, video games, cooking or baking,
fitness, and watching sports are popular pastimes that compete for
our attention. Many of us also volunteer with various charities and
organizations.
Too Many Repeaters/Modes?
Every club wants its own repeater (or several). Instead of having
all the locals on one or two repeaters, you have a dozen repeaters
that are quiet most of the time. On any given repeater, you have a
more challenging time finding someone to chat with because there are
potentially fewer people on it.
Then along came digital, limiting the hams you could hear and contact.
Analog people couldn’t talk to the digital people. And with several
competing digital modes, nobody can really talk to anybody who doesn’t
use the same one. D-STAR isn’t compatible with DMR, nor is Yaesu
compatible with P25. Newer mixed-mode repeaters will accept FM signals
if programmed to do so, bridging some of the digital gap.
So what do we do to increase activity? I don’t think there’s one
easy answer for solving the problems with VHF/UHF repeaters, but here
are some suggestions that might work. All involve being more active on
the air.
Put your call out there. Announce you are listening but extend the
transmission a bit. For example, add phonetics for clarity: âoeN8XYZ,
November eight, XYZ. Or say something like âoeN8XYZ, monitoring
146.94.â Do something to keep the squelch open for a few seconds and
give the scanners time to settle on you or listeners to react. You might
be surprised that someone is listening and willing to talk to you. Do it
more than once if there’s no response.
Wait and listen. Avoid the temptation of quickly moving to the
next repeater frequency. Waiting 15 to 30 seconds after a call might not
be long enough to give someone a chance to answer. If you’re using
the scanner function, temporarily pause. Give it a minute or two before
moving on. If you hear someone, answer them.
Ask for a radio check. Asking for a radio check is good because
if somebody is otherwise busy but wants to be helpful and friendly,
they know they can get in and out of the conversation quickly if it’s
just a radio check. Let them decide if they want to continue the
conversation.
Take advantage of drive time. Why not switch off talk radio or
music and listen on repeater frequencies to and from work? It’s
probably the best time to find someone on the repeater.
Net results. Check into regularly scheduled nets. Our local club
has a weekly net and sponsors an ARES net twice a month. If you randomly
stumble upon one, join in. When the net ends, there may be some stations
that hang around to chat for a while.
Gather ‘round the radio. Recruit a few ham friends and establish
a net of your own with the cooperation of a local repeater group. Form
a breakfast or coffee break group to meet on the repeater and encourage
activity and friendly chat. Looking for a service net? Form a ham Q&A
net or an Elmer net to help new (and not so new) amateurs with questions
about the hobby or technical issues
Adopt a digital standard. This could be the most challenging thing
to accomplish since it requires hams to agree, some who may already
have vested interests in a particular mode. Rather than have multiple
repeaters with differing digital modes, look at all the available
resources in your community and choose the mode that is the most active.
Is the D-STAR repeater the most active? Then go with D-STAR. If System
Fusion is big in your community, then go System Fusion. Choose the
dominant mode and run with it.
Event communications. Whether it’s marathons, parades, hamfest
check-ins, or other events that use 2M/70cm for communications, a
repeater can assure good coverage for participants with HTs over
distance and difficult terrain. Sometimes, simplex doesn’t cut it.
Support Your Local Repeater
Get on the air and make some noise. The amateur radio service is a hobby
with so many opportunities, but let’s not forget our local ham radio
community.
Get on the air and put those repeaters to work.
There is a saying in ham radio that you need to use it or you may lose
it. There’s a constant threat of bandwidth being taken away, whether
it’s by the FCC or the owner of a tower site. It is easier to justify
the existence of a repeater if it is part of an active community and
provides a needed service.
(Image/DX Engineering)
N8DXE Repeater, 146.985 MHz — If you’re driving through Akron,
Ohio
on I-76, you can check into the DX Engineering repeater, 146.985 MHz, no
PL. We’re fortunate to have several local clubs nearby, so there’s
always plenty of activity. The repeater covers most of the east side of
Akron, and stretches close to the Pennsylvania state line.
There is now another digital repeater available in the Fargo-Moorhead
metro area: the
KD0IOE DMR/YSF repeater at 444.625+ CC1. This
repeater is an
MMDVM
based system that currently has
DMR and
YSF
enabled, with both timeslots available. It is located at my West Fargo
home, linked to the Internet and available for public use.
The MMDVM is intended to be an open-source Multi-Mode Digital Voice Modem,
which utilities the power of an ARM processor and a simple analogue interface
board. The Multi-Mode Digital Voice Modem is a combined hardware and software
development of a modem to handle all amateur digital voice modes
1
This video by 2E0XVX demonstrates an MMDVM Multi Mode Digital Hotspot in
operation:
The Forx Amateur Radio Club 146.940 repeater has been
replaced with a newer model GE Mastr III. It now has a CTCSS tone of 123.0 hz,
and is operating at an output power of about 55 Watts. A preamp has been
installed to improve the repeater’s receive sensitivity.
Please update your repeater listings and radio memories.
Thanks to John Vik, KB0BSJ, for donating the repeater; and to everyone who
helped with the installation.
