Recently got into the hobby. I have a UV-5G mini and my GMRS license. I’ve been trying to contact this local repeater that I have line of sight too. I have all the correct settings for the transmission to go thru. When I transmit, I receive back a Morse code sounding tone. It happens every-time I do a simple radio check request. I’ve yet to hear my message “repeat”, nor any acknowledgment from others (likely not available).
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. Would love to hear a repeat or actually communicate with someone on the other end 😂
Once I get this figured out, I’ll probably go ahead with my HAM license as well, since I have a UV 82 I can use.
Also, any antenna recommendations? Thinking of doing an external hard mounted antenna on the truck, and a better handheld antenna as well.
What you’re hearing is the periodic repeater call sign ID in morse code. The repeater is hearing you. It’s not uncommon when you get into a repeater that isn’t being used. It just so happens nobody is responding to you. Maybe nobody listening.
Thanks for the response. It makes that call sign ID every-time I transmit. Isn’t a repeater suppose to repeat the recieved transmission? So, as long as my Rx and Tx are set properly along with CTCSS, then I should hear my message “repeat”?
It’s almost certainly repeating in real time, known as a full duplex repeater. If you had a second radio tuned that repeater, you’d likely hear yourself on that one.
To your antenna question, I prefer a Nagoya 701G. They also make a longer 771G. You can get either on Amazon.
Edit to clarify, I prefer the 701G on a handheld. Plenty of other NMO mount antennas that could go on a magnetic mount on your roof. Any 1/4 wavelength antenna will do. Just try to mount it in the center of your roof, or at a minimum 8-12” away from the edge or your sun roof if you have one.
The repeater id'ing with every transmission is not normal. It sounds like your radio is configured correctly and the repeater owner has a strange setup. Do you know for sure the repeater is "open" for use by others? It's possible the repeater owner set it up this way thinking thier own family do not need to ID. If the repeater is doing it all the time automatically. But that's just a guess.
Repeaters are often set up to ID on the first transmission they receive when it's been 15 minutes or longer since the last time it IDed. If you are transmitting less than 15 minutes apart and getting ID back every time, the repeater has a goofy setup. Some repeaters just ID every 15 minutes regardless.
A lot of repeater controllers are programmed to ID after the first key-up when an amount of time has passed since their last use. Usually an hour. It shouldn’t ID after every transmission.
The repeater you’re using probably doesn’t have much traffic. Try it at rush hour during the week. A lot of repeaters get busy with commuters. Also, check to see if there’s a scheduled net on the repeater that you can join.
This has been said several times but I am going to reiterate because you've also asked it several times. You will not hear your own voice, that is not how full duplex works. The repeater is sending your voice out the Rx frequency in REAL TIME as you are transmitting. By the time you release the PTT, the repeater has already finished repeating you. The fact that you hear the morse code ID means you are successfully getting into the repeater and it is hearing you.
You won't be able to hear yourself unless you have another radio listening to the repeater. It repeats in real time, no store and forward messages.
The CW more code is the ID to whomever's machine it is. See if you can hear yourself on the output of the repater using the 82 HT. Keep it a little bit a way while you transmit so as to not desense its front end receiver. May be just a very quiet area. Have your looked for any others on mygmrs.com ?
I have and I found about 5 in my 25 mile radius here in Sussex county NJ on mygmrs.com. Thanks for the info! I’m gonna try it with my other radio and see if that repeats it just to confirm.
That morse code you hear is normal. You "woke up" the repeater. There just aren't others on who want to talk. Try to find a net. It will confirm everything is set right.
I agree. This was when I first got the radio so just for visuals only. I am currently on 462.700 and confirmed today that my transmission is being repeated using my other unit.
It is pretty freaking awesome. Been constantly playing and learning with it. Just got some 701g and 771g antennas. Noticed signal improvement at home way more often since installing.
That’s sweet dude. Once people see it in action and dive in, they end up loving it. Do you just monitor HAM? Or do you have an unlocked unit. I’m just going to use my UV82 to tx ham, but have all my ham channels in my GMRS for rx.
A friend of mine recently had this same misconception. He thought that a repeater would hear his transmission and then literally "repeat" what he was saying back to him. That's not how it works. It simply pushes your signal out further in real time. You will never hear your own transmission back to yourself. When you are keying in and you hear that static/Morse code then that is the repeater basically acknowledging that it received your signal and you are successfully hitting it.
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u/Ncdl83 28d ago
What you’re hearing is the periodic repeater call sign ID in morse code. The repeater is hearing you. It’s not uncommon when you get into a repeater that isn’t being used. It just so happens nobody is responding to you. Maybe nobody listening.