ONE-WAY PROPAGATION

It heartened me to hear AE9ZH check into the WVRA 75 meter discussion net last night.  I only wish that I could have checked in sooner to join in the discussion.  Glad we could be there for you, Billy!  Come back often.  

Bill, WB2TLQ

Speaking on my own behalf since, I don't know, 1966 or so....  

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">It heartened me to hear AE9ZH check into the WVRA 75 meter discussion net last night. [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

Aw, what the heck ... it's Christmas ... and I'm just glad I'm not getting COAL this year.


Billy AE9ZH/m IA

 

W6UQZ mentioned experiencing a closed repeater in San Jose, CA. I lived there for many years myself, and there were a few VERY private systems where non-members were unwelcome. But, there were repeaters on every possible repeater frequency pair for 2, 222, and 440 Mhz, with other repeaters on other bands, too. So, while being told to leave the 'private' frequency was unsettling, it did not interfere with my ability to find a QSO anytime I wanted one.

On my last trip to San Jose, I found it harder to find a QSO. The high level repeaters have been compomised by overcrowding and the use of PL, which makes it difficult for travelling hams to announce that they are on frequency. It would be nice if all repeaters would ID with their PL frequency or retransmit the PL tone, so that users could figure out how to achieve access.

Open, closed, private, whatever, everybody has an obligation to handle emergency traffic when needed. I had a problem with one of the members-only repeaters in San Jose once because it was the only repeater I could access at the time, and the members would not leave a break between their transmissions long enough to break in. I ended up driving to a spot where I could access an open machine in order to report the accident.
But, I think this was more ignorance and poor procedure than an attempt to keep out non-members. That repeater was actually pretty courteous most of the time to newcomers.

 

Yeh, I see it all the time where I live. Repeaters around where I live are pretty much nothing but electronic cliques & gossip machines. We have quite a few hams in my area that look down on anyone who became a ham after restructuring. It's a shame! We even have hams ripping other hams off. You hear talk about CB being in the sewer. Well, it ain't alone!

 

Agree wholeheartedly with K0RGR's response and observations. I found a few---very few---"non-exclusive" hams to talk to on South Bay repeaters (North Bay ops were more friendly, I think) in the early 90s. Not enough to add 2 meters to the "like it!" list ---a condition which persists to the present.

Just picked up an IC 746, and hoisted my old Ringo Ranger out of storage. Central Coast folks are friendly enough, and San Jose has had its collective ego trimmed of late, so I think I might lurk on a few repeaters and see what the attitude reading is post-Millenium...73, JH

 

After reading the first 20 posts to this topic, I'm wondering why us hams are all here on the internet discussing things that could be discussed on the air?  Now I know why 2-meters is dead in this area and others. Everybody wants to be protected behind the keyboard. I sometimes wish the only posts allowed on this site were of the technical "I need you help" type, and announcement about special events & hamfests, but alas, that would be called censorship by some.
  I'm sure others will point out the irony to my post, but I don't care, because I'm utilizing my first amendment rights. What a country!
  Now, everybody, turn off the computer and turn on those 2-meter rigs!

 

I'd just like to take a moment to say that I'm proud to be a 5WPM Extra, and while I greatly respect my elders in this hobby, whatever license class, I don't feel the new guys should be looked down on because of new licensing requirements.

I earned my privileges by doing what was required of me, and I don't feel it makes me better or worse than anyone.

I still have goals like improving my code, etc. that I hope to acheive over time. I don't consider the Extra license as a indication that I know everything and couldn't possibly learn any more.

73 and Merry Christmas and a Happy Chanukah to all. Look me up on the 146.82 repeater (by far the best 2 meter machine in the area) if you're passing through, or 146.52 if you see me mobile (call letters displayed on screwdriver antenna.)


Billy AE9ZH

 

oh yes, and the 146.960 repeater between Russellville and Decatur Alabama is a fine machine...sure it wont hear a 300 mw hand held with weak batteries from 200 miles away from the site, but it IS a decent repeater, with rather FRIENDLY folks, so if you can muster up the mobile, give it a try when going through northern Alabama, say your call sign CLEARLY, and ask if any one is listening, and 9 times out of 10, you will get an GREAT answer.... dont just sit there and mumble a half way undistinguishable mumble of letters while holding the ht horizontal with weak batteries and expect a reply. Speak clearly and distinctly and you will get an answer on almost any repeater ( if it is open to the general public )... 3 days till christmas...kd4amg

 

Perhaps the repeater directories on the web and in print should show a friendliness rating that indicates whether visitors/newbies/non-members of the club owning an "open" repeater are welcome or not. I once thought since closed meant "private" that open meant "visitors welcome", but apparently I was wrong. Open must mean something else in other parts of the country. Or maybe some "open" repeaters need to be redesignated as "closed". The FCC does allow for closed repeaters in 97.205(e).

I hope some of you who have been made to feel unwelcome can get a group together to put up your own repeaters. Roll out the welcome mat and show the others how you feel hams should treat hams on the air. (Maybe someone could start a new thread suggesting how to interact with the repeater coordinator, etc. to get a new repeater up.) And be sure to come visit some of the friendly places we've mentioned here.

73, Pat

 

This thread displays one of the reasons why I don't post here very often. After reading several if not twenty replies, everything becomes redundant and repetitive. Then, we have hams attacking other hams because of differing opinions. Well, whatever. It's your world; we're just living in it. Personally I prefer to spend my time more constructively.

Truthfully, I have heard new hams; and I say this loosely because they sound like new hams; calling cq or saying their call sign in an effort to make a contact on a repeater. If I'm not busy; or not involved in something else, I will answer them. Typically though, it takes way more patience and effort to communicate with a new ham than it does to communicate with someone you've known for awhile that knows your idiosyncracies and won't be offended if you disappear off the air for a second to make a left hand turn or change gears. New hams lack the experience that gives them good operating practice; and unless I'm at home tuning the dial and looking for a QSO, or driving down a long highway on cruise control, I generally won't answer them. Emergencies at any rate, I will answer regardless of any situation; and should not be ignored or placed aside whatsoever.

When I was a new ham; I flew to 2 meters and had so many questions about the hobby that I knew it annoyed some of the older hams who were more prone to ragchewing conversations with their HF buddies. I could tell that talking to me wasn't their favorite thing to do from their short; somewhat patronizing answers. Well, I moved on; began talking to the guys that were more encouraging, and since then have had no problems. And, it didn't take using different frequencies either. I too, am a member of a clique; but we do not treat others not involved with us as outsiders. We welcome them to the hobby, and do our best to try to get them involved as we are. We try to interest them in traffic handling, SkyWarn, and upgrading their license (which is something I need to do eventually.)

Every repeater is going to have its "home" group. Every repeater is going to expect different operating practice. This whole "don't call cq on repeaters" is just nit-picky crap. I know everyone that uses my home repeater. If I go to another repeater, I expect to be greeted by a stranger, so I treat the conversation differently as I would one from my home machine. I don't expect him to be nice or welcoming; as he dosen't know me! How can we just expect anyone to be our best friend on the air if they don't know who we are from Adam? We say, "in ham radio, all hams should be friendly to all hams." In today's world, cops aren't nice to all cops, postal employees aren't nice to all postal employees, real estate agents aren't nice to all real estate agents, so on and so forth. And, I'm quite sure some of them even have a code of conduct despite this.

Get over it. People are always complaining after their feelings get hurt. Easy way to fix this? Don't let your feelings get hurt. Be yourself, and don't take any crap. There's always going to be people out there who are willing to treat you badly because it makes them feel more important. Don't give them the satisfaction.

 

NTL:
If I'm not in the can... or the xyl hasn't got me by the short ...never mind...

try me on 146.46 simplex
or the 146.91
or the 146.94
or the 145.21

Don't be shy... I won't bite...at least over the radio...

I take it you're a long hauler... If we hit it just right maybe we can have lunch up on 70 somewhere...

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">To the guy who wasn't allowed to pass emergency traffic over the closed repeater he should contact the FCC and tell them the guys call sign, that's pretty rough. [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

I agree. I think that is illegal, if I am not mistaken. He was obstructing emergency traffic by running him off the frequency.

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">dont just sit there and mumble a half way undistinguishable mumble of letters  while holding the ht horizontal with weak batteries and expect a reply. Speak clearly and distinctly and you will get an answer on almost any repeater [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

Exactly-

That's the number one reason why people occasionally don't get answers from me.  Either I can't understand them and don't want to go into a 10-minute conversation with static and white noise, or they mumble their CQ.  

I don't like answering in a "Who goes there?" tone because they might think I am trying to run them off.

If I have the time, I will normally let someone know if they are not making the repeater, but I don't want to sound like the repeater cop, either, so I don't do it every time.

 

Apparently I have not had the same experiences that others here have. I nearly did, however.

The other day, I got home and switched on my 2M rig. There was a conversation in progress and near the end, I heard one ham mention that he lived in an area near me. After their conversation, I called him.... and got no reply. At first, I thought he was ignoring me. I called him a second time, and he came back to me. Turns out, he had just stepped out of the shack to use the restroom or something like that . When I have my rig on, I try to answer EVERY call I hear on my club's machine. Even if it's only long enough to say "you're making the repeater, but I can't really talk right now." I don't want anyone to think their equipment has died on them or anything. Anyway, I'm about to go check in on the local net. Maybe I should bring this up and see if anyone else thinks our local repeater is like that.

73s de KF4MDV