Getting close

[JimmyG]

I got everything in finally. I was out working on my mast mount for the house, getting it all set up, freezing my patootie off in the wind, My fingers got to wear I could not feel the parts I was trying to fasten, so I finally decided to come in and let them thaw out a little. Now it's time to go get the grand kids, so looks like tomarrow may be the day for everthing to go together and test out. It is supposed to be all the way up to 40 degrees tomarrow, so I should fair well with that warm of a day. I'll post back when I get er done.

 

[JimmyG]

OK, got everything put together , antenna up, coax run, radio hooked up and I spent the afternoon getting things tweaked out. Looked up some repeater locations around these parts and bam, picked up a conversation from Columbia, Tennessee, some 60 miles away. It was a little broken, but I heard em. I failed to try a contact with them, because I did not quite have my stuff together quite yet, but today picked up some other repeaters loud and clear. Everything seems to be working fine, just need to get involved now. My friend invited me to the next local club meeting and has offered any help I may need.

 

[Robb]

Congrats!

Now you will need to learn how to program in the repeater offset and pl/ctcss tone to get access to your local repeaters. Your club can show you how.

Then next, you might even branch out with your PC/Laptop/cell phone with Echolink:

Introducing EchoLink

This will link your computer mic/speaker to many repeaters all over the world; very cool.

 

[JimmyG]

Thanks Robb. Yeah, I've programmed my radio and I am receiving from some repeaters. I cannot hit the closest one to me, I think I'm just to low and blocked by this hill to the east. I did make contact with the furthest repeater away a little while ago. It was directly south of me and there are no obstructions to my south for a good half mile. I was dropping out a little on him but we still had a conversation. I think I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and go up on the hill and get the antenna up above the hills to do any good. If I do that, I will get the antenna up another 50 to 60 feet, and clear the hill on my east side. That should do it for me. I'll just have to buy more coax and have a lot longer run. May even build a directional to shoot to the south.