[LARC-CQ] DMR Users in Polk County

Thu Apr 7 10:09:57 PDT 2022

Hi John,

I am not sure if this list allows it, but is there any chance you could forward a picture of what you describe below? I am struggling with antenna’s and would like to see your setup.

73, and thanks!

-Chris
KO4YAW

From: CQ <cq-bounces at lists.lakelandarc.org> on behalf of J Leahy via CQ <cq at lists.lakelandarc.org>
Reply-To: LARC Discussion List <cq at lists.lakelandarc.org>
Date: Thursday, April 7, 2022 at 12:55 PM
To: LARC Discussion List <cq at lists.lakelandarc.org>
Cc: J Leahy <jleahy00 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [LARC-CQ] DMR Users in Polk County

Jerry,

You are allowed by FCC regulation to have a TV antenna as long as you own the structure. If you place it on a 5ft mast you can then attach an EF with a 9:1 UnUn that is 35.5ft long. An 18-20 ga wire is all you need for 100w.  Mine serves me quite well as I have hit all corners of the US and many European countries at only 5w CW & SB.

Of course your could also install a dipole using the same scheme.

If your building is not metal the you can also look at your gutters as there are a number of folks doing that also.

Just a few thoughts and hopefully a solution to our common problems.

73,

John
KK4ITX
🙃Each mistake is a learning opportunity.🙂

On Apr 7, 2022, at 12:16 PM, Jerry Crawford via CQ <cq at lists.lakelandarc.org> wrote:
John, you are absolutely correct about the antenna being the most important component.  For example, I have a great HF radio, IC-7610, but a lousy non-resonant vertical due to HOA restrictions.  So it is still fun to use the 7610 but I can’t do as much with it as I could with a “real” antenna.

Somewhere I have a magnetic mobile antenna and when I get the motivation a will put it outside and use an adapter to connect the 878.  Meanwhile I am continuing to learn about different aspects of DMR.  Such as I found out that 3100 is available on the Polk repeater so I added that to the code plug.

Hopefully I will be seeing some of you at club meetings as well as hearing you on the air.

Thanks again to all for the responses and useful information.

73,
Jerry
K7UPJ

On Apr 6, 2022, at 12:52 PM, John Leahy via CQ <cq at lists.lakelandarc.org<mailto:cq at lists.lakelandarc.org>> wrote:

Jerry,

A simple adapter for the HT and a magnetic mobile antenna mounted on a pizza pan on top of a roof 10ft AGL will get most folks out at least 20-25 miles.  Not much effort and cost for so much more.

For years I used a Baofeng UV5R coupled with a flexible J-pole as my base. I could easily hit the Gulf Coast repeaters @ 30-35 miles distant.  My best using that setup in my motorhome was 65 miles to a repeater in Orange, CT.  If you are going to rely on your HT antenna 100% of the time, as many do your results will not be very rewarding.

The antenna is probably the most important component to a radio.  HOAs only make it difficult, not impossible, to have an antenna that will do the job..... even for HF.

John
KK4ITX
Zephyrhills

Click Here<http://www.zaarc.org/> for Zephyrhills Area Amateur Radio Club
Many of life's failures are people who
did not realize how close they were to
success when they gave up.
[Image removed by sender.]       Thomas A. Edison

On Wednesday, April 6, 2022, 10:41:07 AM EDT, Jerry Crawford via CQ <cq at lists.lakelandarc.org<mailto:cq at lists.lakelandarc.org>> wrote:

Thanks everyone for the great information.

I appears that the only DMR repeater I can access is the Polk City W4VCO, which does not have 3100.

I have been told there is a Repeater Not Found message on the 878 when a repeater cannot be accessed but I have not seen that even for repeaters that are far away.

73,
Jerry
K7UPJ

On Apr 5, 2022, at 10:07 AM, John Sherwood via CQ <cq at lists.lakelandarc.org<mailto:cq at lists.lakelandarc.org>> wrote:

I use DMR weekly. I talk mostly with some locals on the Lakeland FDARN machine (.775) on TG L9. Sometimes I’m on the W4VCO Welcome machine for L2 and 3112 FL SW.

About activity on the machines, keep in mind on the Lakeland FDARN machine, only Local 2 and Local 9 on TS2 are the only ones on full time. All other TGs on TS1 are PTT 15 min only. So you will not hear much activity unless someone is on L2, L9 or selects one TG from TS1. Julian’s machines (W4VCO) have different settings. Talkgroups L2, L9, TG8 (The Ridge), and FL SW are on Full time.

Thanks very much,
John Sherwood
W4JFS

On Tue, Apr 5, 2022 at 7:09 AM Jerry Crawford via CQ <cq at lists.lakelandarc.org<mailto:cq at lists.lakelandarc.org>> wrote:
Since the LARC Facebook group has been discontinued this is a test to see what kind of response there might be from the mailing list.

So this is a survey about DMR use.

Thanks to great help from KB4FHP I have a usable code plug on my DMR handheld and am able to access a local repeater.  But my impression so far is that participation is limited.  Maybe because I am listening to the wrong talk groups.

So the questions are:
Who on this mailing list uses DMR?

Which DMR repeater or repeaters do you commonly use?

Do you use a DMR hotspot?

Which Talk Groups do you most commonly use?

73,
Jerry
K7UPJ
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