repeaters

Dublinflyer

hey,
new to ham radio and have been experimenting a bit with some handhelds and have been trying to connect to some repeaters in Dublin but am having a hard time. One thing I have been wondering is if any of the repeaters are still live. any info I can find on the web seems to be quite old. I am on the northside of Dublin not far from the airport so can anybody advise of a repeater they know off that is live. Ta.

martinedwards

miles away, so no specific help, but if you have your trx programmed properly, the digital readout will change to the tx freq when you key the mic.

when you release it you'll get about 2 seconds of reception before it clicks off again.

you might get a single pip.

hopefully someone more local will chime in and maybe arrange a time to make a contact.

when I was in Dublin at Halloween the repeaters were as dead as hector.

watty

Three rock should be Ok. But you need specific CTCSS and/or tone burst etc to "wake" it. You might get Dundalk too.

Dublinflyer

hi,
yea 3 rock was the one I was initially trying for as I almost have line of sight of it from the garden but o joy I am pretty sure I have all the settings I need and hopefully have he radio set up correctly. I will continue with the experimenting as that's the fun bit

Output: 145.600
Input: 145.000 EI2TRR 1750Hz/
88.5Hz

martinsvi

EI2TRR is down/dead, try EI2KPR, there seems to be some activity there and EI2CCR, if you have enough power to reach it (I can hear it well, but I can't reach it)

Dublinflyer

That would explain why I can connect to it. :eek: I will give EI2KPR a try this evening an see if I can access it. Thanks for the help. I am guessing that a lot of the clubs are not very active anymore.

martinsvi

all repeaters should identify themselves every once in a while, some use recorded voice messages, others use morse. If you're listening on the frequency for a while (30min) and haven't heard a beep, either repeater is out of your reach or it's down

EI2CCR will send it's call sign in morse every 8 minutes, not sure about EI2KPR, I think it does the same

Dublinflyer

oh great, I did not know that! I will have a listen first on the scanner to see if I am in range and then try access. Thanks again!

Dublinflyer

so I had a listen last night on the scanner and could hear morse from kippure and 3 rock so I think it may still be alive. I had no luck accessing them but I think my handheld is not sending out the 1750hrz tone out correctly. Still, I am glad to know that the repeaters I am trying are alive. I have noticed that a lot of non irish repeaters don't need a 1750 burst to access, is there a reason for that?

martinsvi

Are you sure it was three rock? I was literally standing next to the tower few weeks ago, it was silent. It would be great news if that thing is back operational.

you need to have tone access otherwise harmonics from other bands and other interference will keep them operating all the time

tone burst is not the only thing you have to use. You also have to configure CTCSS tone frequency, for Three Rock and Kippure it's supposed to be 88.5Hz. The next setting you probably have to take care is CTCSS tone TYPE. It needs to be set as constant tone (there could be other options such as pager, code etc that will not work for this purpose)

some repeaters require that deviation is set to 2.5KHz (default is 5), I'm not sure if these two require the same, but set it to 2.5 anyway - smaller deviation should help radio waves to travel further "sacrificing" audio quality

Dublinflyer

I am pretty sure it was three rock but it was late and you have me doubting myself now, I was tired :eek:
I will double check this evening. thanks for the advise on the settings I will see if I have it set up correctly. I will be in Wicklow this weekend so I am hoping to have have more luck up there.

martinsvi

find one of those online morse "translators", put in Call sign for three rock and see if the beeps you hear are the same as transmitted ones.

what gear do you have? what's you call sign?

Dublinflyer

will do that, I guess it could be anything I am picking up. I am playing around with an icom handheld at the moment with a mix of antennas, some homemade some shop bought. I got my licence about 10 years ago in the US, CA5DL, but am hoping I to take the exam here in a few months to make sure I am fully legal as it looks like it's a bit of a grey area. I won't be doing any talking until I get that sorted. It's the HF stuff that interests me TBH, I am a bit disappointed by the low level of activity in Ireland.

martinsvi

that looks like a call sign from Chile :-)

Dublinflyer

EI7DIR still live. I could hear someone calling on it

soerenswl

Dublinflyer wrote: »

I am a bit disappointed by the low level of activity in Ireland.

yes that`s right, every once in a while i hear someone but even on shortwave is not much activity.

it feels like most activity in ireland is on +/- 27.555 mhz - try listening there.
a handheld scanner with rubber-duck won´t pickup much, you need external antenna at least.

telecinesk

I sometimes use the 4m repeater on 70.350 via echolink to speak with a mate in wicklow often. Theres a few 4m rigs starting to surface now. That repeater has amazing coverage given its location .)

watty

Is there any "stock" Ham rig for 70MHz yet? Or only ex-fleet mobile and a few models that can be hacked?

telecinesk

Hi,
not really unless you have the money for an IC-7100 icom that appears to have 70mhz on it, and the pmr rig - AnyTone AT-5189 4m 70Mhz 25 watts FM Mobile Transceiver.
One remark is the audio from that radio is not wonderful. Anyone else operate on 70.350?

watty

Thanks, I hadn't noticed that.

The Icom IC-7100 is an affordable all-mode HF/VHF/UHF mobile transceiver ...

They have strange definition of affordable. MSRP: $1600
The US version doesn't seem to have 70MHz.

The worst thing Icom have done is promoting the proprietary, poor modulation, poor codec "DStar". Other than that they make good products, but some have poor usability (pocket scanner with no keypad frequency entry?).

Only the model specifically for Europe has 70MHz, so avoid "grey" imports from Americas, Australia, Asia etc.
http://www.rigpix.com/icom/ic7100.htm

Obsolete type DSP from over 5 years ago!
Double conversion superheterodyne (WFM) [i.e. no DSP]
1st IF: 134.732 MHz
2nd IF: 10.7 MHz
Triple conversion superheterodyne (AM/FM/SSB/CW/RTTY)
1st IF: 124.487 MHz
2nd IF: 455 KHz
3rd IF: 36 KHz [Downconversion for DSP system of real IF to 36KHz for poor 150kHz or less ADCs, no bettter than a PC Sound card]

A modern DSP design with FPGA and current Analog Devices ADC and DAC chips could be MUCH lower noise and better IM by using only one IF. If IF was say 8 MHz bandwidth a 20MHz sample rate aliasing ADC can be used at even 900MHz. Bandwidth can then be variable 20Hz to 250KHz and DRM, DAB, PSK, WBFM, NBFM, AM, (synchronous or envelope user selectable) Stereo AM, SSB etc is then all just firmware.

Overpriced for what it is, but then it's a niche market. Check out the number of Radios, wavebands and Modulations in a $500 phone. FM, GSM (GMSK & QAM), 3G (CDMA with QPSK and QAM), maybe 4G (COFDM), 3 different WiFi modulations, Bluetooth, GPS (Potentially BandII, 800MHz, 900MHz, 1400MHz approx, 1700MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz 2400MHz and possibly 2600MHz bands). All DSP with single Zero IF for the full duplex Mobile modes, using multiple 200kHz, 5MHz, 10MHz, 20MHz bandwdiths (The WiFi, GPS, FM Radio and Bluetooth can be four "radios" in one chip). The Mobile part may scan alternate channels and bands while connected (complete dual reception).

Shpongler

Wouxon do a 4m/2m handheld

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Wouxun-KG-UVD1P-4M-2M-5W-66-88-136-174-MHz-Walkie-Talkie-Ham-Amateur-2-way-Radio-/180938890862?pt=UK_Mobile_Phones_Communication_Ham_Radio_Receivers_Transceivers&hash=item2a20cc5e6e

watty

That link doesn't work
try this
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Wouxun-KG-UVD1P-4M-2M-5W-66-88-136-174-MHz-Walkie-Talkie-Ham-Amateur-2-way-Radio-/180938890862

Looks interesting. Illegal to transmit on Marine with it even if you have a marine licence. But nice to listen to Coastguards.

Output power is likely a little optimistic.

Is the FT817ND still the smallest / really portable rig with VHF & UHF SSB?

tonyham

Come down to the North Dublin Radio club in Artane ABFRC Center on Saturday night and meet with other amateur radio operators who will give you all the info you require.