Invasion of the Control Freaks

Dallas is on a distance link system. It is in the 70 cm band.

73

 

I believe that there are at least one or two 440 MHz repeaters that are in the Armadillo net which links repeaters. Can't remember if there are any 2 meter repeaters in the Dallas / Fort Worth area that do.

Glen, K9STH

 

I guess I`m alittle suprised that all repeaters aren`t linked. amateur radio would be able to provide a better service in time of disaster if repeaters were linked. My opinion of course.

 

Well I can think of at least one reason not to link repeaters, esp repeaters in close proximity to each other. Several years ago, I want to say 1994, I was on vacation and staying in a motel in the Glenwood Springs area of Colorado. I had my dual band hand help and a repeater directory with me so after supper I was playing around with the radio in my room. Granted the elevation is high there but still there were quite a few peaks in that area most directions. Not being familiar with that area's repeaters, I have no clue where I was in relation to the repeaters involved or where they are in relation to each other. I put in 2 2M and 2 70CM repeaters that seemed to be in the area, pretty soon 2 gentlemen started talking on one of the repeater freqs that I had in the radio. I was not real interested in their conversation so I moved to the other freq in that band and there the same 2 guys are, so I went to the other band and checked one of the freqs and sure enuf there were the same 2 guys and of course they were also on the other freq. I am sitting in a motel, with a short rubber duck on my handheld and able to get 4 repeaters on 2 bands and all the repeaters were linked together so that 2 locals could tie up 4 repeaters for who knows how long, after 20 minutes, I have up and shut the radio off. This was at the time of the forest fires in the Glenwood Springs area where so many firefighters lost their lives. By the time we entered the area the fires were either out or under control, but it was still fire season. I guess I can't understand the purpose of linking all the area repeaters that are close enough to be able to hear with a handheld with a rubber duck. Granted linking is great for hitting distant repeaters, I was awestruck the first time, when going through New Mexico when I heard people in Texas, thru links talk to California. Things like that are great, but why so many in one area linked together?

73

Gary N0KLT

 

I recently had the same problem:

I was in Birch Bay WA on a trip and had to use a Victoria BC Repeater to utilize the IRLP and check in back home.
There was a bunch of locals on the linked system who got all angry at me for asking them to bring down the link, and they didn't and even walked right over my conversation!!! VERY ANNOYING!!!

Then they proceeded to complain about me while I was listening! First BAD experience in ham radio EVER!

Everyone else I have met were courteous and everything. I was upset.

VA7KBH