Here in the U.K. the local analog repeaters are very quiet too. I'm new to ham radio though so not sure if it used to be better. I guess there are only so many radio hams around and at any given time, on any given repeater, there is only a limited number of people who could be using it any many of those are doing something else instead. As for calling CQ, personally I don't on repeaters and it's not something I often hear but I don't have a problem with it. Having said that, I recently started using DStar and on that system I often hear people call CQ. Again though, it doesn't bother me either way. It's not like people are doing a long drawn out CQ like on HF. Relax guys. You know what CQ means. If you hear someone callling maybe just try responding instead of telling people what they should or shouldn't be doing. Finally, remember that someone or some group spent time and money putting in and running the repeaters. Try making use of what is available instead of complaining about it. Over and out ;-)
Repeaters are a wonderful venue for the noobs and reflective vest whackers. If only we could get the contesters to move there as well.......
I dunno, around here in the New Orleans area we have some pretty active repeaters here and it seems just the opposite for the digital modes. However, we do have some repeaters in the state and the metro area that are D-Star and Fusion capable. I myself have a Yaesu FT-3200DR and have only talked on the Fusion mode only twice since I bought the rig in December.
I have a FT-1XDR, there is a fusion capable repeater in Alexandria but I haven't talked on it in that mode. I would like to try it.
This reminds me one time I called on a system, managed by Kelty here in SF bay area, that uses four repeaters on same in and out freq but different tones on the input. I said "Breaker, breaker, Tone 2! This here is the Video Man, K6MFW." Bob responded, "ok Mike you made your point." Getting back to dead repeaters, at least N6NFI is active. If I have a late start then joining in on the 9 AM TalkNet takes away the dreariness of traffic jams. I wonder if we are now in a culture where nobody uses LMR type 2-way radios except public safety. For many a 2-way is very mysterious (give someone a walkie talkie and they wouldn't know what to do with it, "where do I enter a phone number or webpage address?").
I agree completely – I hear it all the time, and it happens to me all the time. I suspect it's because OP #2 just turned on the radio and announced themselves, without waiting a minute or three, or they would have heard OP #1. When it happens to me, I'm thinking "What am I, chopped liver?" One quibble " ...the ARRL-mandated 'Announce your call and monitoring, ONLY!'" I literally wrote the book on that for the ARRL (the Operating Manual). I wrote the chapter on FM and Repeaters, and while I did say you'd become notorious, I did suggest calling CQ if mumbling kn4aqlistening wasn't doing the trick. Just for the record. They let it stand! So yeah, you hear it all the time, but not from the ARRL. At least not from their official resource.
Other people might ask whats the world coming to when some writers have stopped using punctuation I mean I really makes it hard to understand what you're trying to say Im one of those people and it occurs to me that one time when I was going to write a review for a radio it took a few minutes to figure out how to turn it on it wasnt obvious yes I was embarrassed but it told me something
Is repeater usage not what it used to be? It's a 'product life cycle' issue. I studied the concept with the Professor who invented the term. Marketing students have textbooks that explain "The Bass Model" Tom, N5GAR, Dallas, Texas
Good question. I have heard DX stations call CQ on local repeaters when they are “ going in “ on All Star, Echolink, exc. Sounds a little weird and foreign to me, but I will get over it. Not all Hams operate the same way. I will tell you guys that I have been know to sound stilted and regimented on the repeaters and HF phone, So I am told..... This might be due to having been in the military. This is a carry over from Military, First Responders, exc. We have 2 meter and 440 repeaters that are fairly active in my area. Well I must clarify, no pun intended lol. Only one 440 machine in this area sees activity.
As far as I'm concerned DMR is no different than repeaters when calling for any station. Usually people go "[Callsign], Monitoring" or something similar.
