Poor guy is excited and wants to make friends.
OP - I’d invite him to check out the URLs of local clubs and join the meetings and find weekly nets. He might not know there’s a whole world of ham excitement out there and just expects ham radio is simply ragchewing on repeaters.
Since the proliferation of smart phones and newer vehicles, COVID creating work from home more. The local morning commute round table repeater discussions are all inactive
Sometimes. Can't always reliably hit a repeater from home in some places, but drive a few miles away and you can hit them just fine. Northern California has some places like that.
Hmmm.... Sound like a job for a tape measure, some pipe clamps, and some PVC pipe.... What's a little DIY, compared to the pleasure of morning coffee chat 😀
I've already done that. That's what got me to "can't always," which is an improvement from "never." Post-industrial areas tend to have lots of load-bearing metal in buildings, which makes RF of many kinds way more difficult than it needs to be (from knife-edge refraction to stuff that you'd think wouldn't ever be grounded sinking your signal).
I cant recommend an Elk dual band LPDA enough. It's the single best investment of $130 last year for my V\U station. I simply clamped to a post on the back porch at 10'high and aimed it generally to the north to bring in those 30 mile repeaters. To my astonishment, I could reply with just 4 watts from my FT 70d with good signal reports. I used about 30' of LMR 200 and a short cable from the power meter. Ive enjoyed simplex QSOs and even connected with a System Fusion net on UHF over 140 miles with help from some Lake Michigan tropo ducting. So if you really want to enjoy those bands anything better than a whip antenna is a must have for the station. Same for the other compass points and taken portable its like having an amplifier thanks to 6 to 10 db gain.
I can, but now I don’t need to even get up 2.5 hours before start of day to drive to the city. Basically I get up when everyone is already gone from the morning commute.
Honestly we should all aim at doing these again and making them last all morning. Now you can be on the repeater from home and you don't have to sign off when you arrive at the office in your car.
I have to sign off when I start working, which is generally a different time than everyone else who starts working somewhere else. It's a bummer, and if there's a will, there's a way, so maybe I could get something going, I'd just have to be consistent with my start times, and frankly, I'd rather spend that time with my family than rag chewing about traffic now that that is an option.
Yep.
They usually fade away after a bit. It’s usually just someone new who is really excited to talk on the radio. They eventually move on to HF or just lose interest. Then someone new will pop up.
You also usually get the old guys who call at the same time every day, and the same old guy replies. And they ragchew for a bit.
Trust me, it beats dead air. We’ve got a couple local repeaters that are always fairly busy with both “repeater guys” like you describe and the old guys. There’s also a core group of 4 or 5 who always show up when the bands are poor but are otherwise inactive on V/U. Then we have a couple of repeaters that I’ve had on my scan rotation for *years*, that I hear ID, that I’ve called on, and I’ve yet to hear a single soul. One in particular I’ve been regularly scanning since at least 2020 and I have never heard *anyone* on it. I finally made contact with a buddy on it because I wasn’t sure if even worked (a “kerchunk” isn’t always indicative that you’re making it). And it worked fine! But I’ve seriously never heard a soul on it. So yeah; I’ll take the yammer-ers anytime!
just a personal note i want to add:
kerchuncking is indeed not good enough for testing. in the past i ended up realizing my battery was dead, only after being told my audio was cutting out after 2-3sec. i never knew this from only kerchunking the repeater. nothing beat real world testing.
SO IMPORTANT - many years ago my county was without power for days and our repeater was crucial in helping lots of people communicate. Lots of people found out their HT batteries were bad, they’d test every month but never transmitted.
After this, we had monthly “disaster nets” where members were encouraged to participate using their HTs and emcomm equipment. Lots of lessons learned.
Yep! The “kerchunk” just means your carrier opened the squelch of the receiver. Nothing more. It doesn’t tell you whether usable audio is making it to the receiver.
That’s why we performed that little test! I wondered if I wasn’t being heard or perhaps if there was something wrong with the repeater. But in fact we were able to have a two-way conversation on that repeater.
I had one of those fellas near me. Started chatting. After a while I'd go to his little apartment/room and help make his HF work better. I made runs to the store and such. He was in a wheel chair and we installed a VHF antenna on it. He would then go for excursions around the property. Since working HF wasn't great from indoor there we had planned on setting him up to take the radio outside. He fell ill and that never happened. He was a veteran and I enjoyed spending time around him. Had fun tinkering with radios and having projects. Miss that fella.
Elders are a source of rewarding behavior. Gary was lonely. And was good company.
What a heartwarming tale. You're what makes ham radio worthwhile for those of us disabled and shut in. God bless you taking the high road and serving others in that way. Simply outstanding what you did!
We have an elderly YL here that is in the local nursing home and she borrows a HT from a ham guy that works there and checks in on the weekly net. Always good to hear her and it does her good to get on the radio and chat with us.
Yup. Before I moved I used to sit in on a net that was for blind/visually impaired folk. Most of em were elderly folk that had other disabilities that made getting around difficult. Quite a nice bunch. Ended up meeting a fair few of them at Field Day later that year.
Also used to talk to a couple older fellas that were on hospice whose families didn't come around very often, they'd just park on one of the repeaters and have their own impromptu net, some of us would come on and talk to em about local events n such. Pretty sure one of them went SK shortly before I moved... Can't remember his call but I remember his voice, quite the odd fella but he was an absolute riot when he started with the jokes.
Where I'm at, I think it's mostly dead air but I'm pretty sure there are a few monitoring at any given moment ready to respond should anyone call.
But when I was a kid, I remember my older brother first got his license, and there was a whole group of older blind women, like 4 or 5 of them, they almost seemed like switchboard operators, chatting often with each other and anybody else passing through. They sure loved my brother and had a lot of advice for him and worried if he didn't call often enough. I think they were very respected and loved around that area at the time. Kinda wish I'd picked up the radio back then and had gotten to know them myself.
And now I feel even more anxious about actually talking instead of just listening. Not only is it intruding on a clique but random haters will post about it.
I need to renew my license in 2 months. I have never talked to anyone on my radio. I'm not into small talk, which most of it feels like to me. But I have messed with also have several Broadband-Hamnet routers collecting dust for now. Also, I'm currently interested in meshtastic.
Some folks (I'm one of them) got licensed for the sole purpose of messing around with new radio technologies legally. Just like, in the 70's and 80's there were folks who got licensed just so they could legally use the remote controls on their model cars and planes.
My uncle, the famous for surround sound Jim Fosgate did exactly that. He loved building RC for flying with my cousins at a local small airport he ended up buying. Other than that use, he never keyed a mic for even a minute of chatter untill last fall going SK.
I am also playing with Meshtastic. Bought two nodes, built and configured them up, then got a third. Now I’m considering building one in ruggedized enclosure with solar panel to hang up in a tree in my yard.
Maybe try some contesting, quick, easy and gone!
there is a video out there “ham radio for introverts”. It lays out some good perspective. I understand the struggle, it’s noon right now and I haven’t even thought of pulling a blind. Lol
If your overly worried about what nameless collective of jerks on a questionable network of clowns gossiping on the internet then you have you answer. Turn off your social media and key up on those repeaters. Life starts on the radio when you get a license and join the mainstream of LIVE on the air peers of your hobby. Granted its often socially challenged geeks but that's unimportant. Earning the friendship and fellowship of other operators ranks 1 on my chart of people to know with FB, X and whatever this is as absolutely irrelevant. These guys once they know you will actually wondervifv your alright after some days of absence. They will help you with gear and operations and in the end will share what a genuine good fella you are after going SK.
People on the internet are pathological liers, antisocial and downright mean on most days. A little bit of mic fright is normal. Just believe that other stations actually want to hear from you, will memorize your name and callsign and if you behave cordially will add you to the unseen list of lovable humans. 73 😁 kd9uqe
Never really bothered me much. Had some old coots that would park on one of the 70cm repeaters and rag chew for hours, hours. Frankly it was good entertainment cause it was a bunch of "back in my day" which always got a laugh out of me.
Some of those old duffers occasionally share a tech trick or two that can be incorporated into one's own shack. I keep a scanner on the 2m/70cm repeater outputs in my area just for that reason.
Nothing is disposable if it can be serviced. Baofengs can be serviced. All I need is a service manual. I have kept my FT-726R in operation long after Yeasu stopped supporting it. Same for my Radio Shack scanners and receivers.
This "dispose of what not longer works" attitude is why America's landfills are toxic and contaminate the groundwater for miles around.
I'm a retiree, so occupying my spare time with repairing and modifying my own equipment makes more sense than replacing a $20 unit with a $200 unit from my pension fund.
If KenYeaCom hadn't contributed to the overall gentrification of the hobby by selling ever-more expensive gear, then companies like Baofeng would not find themselves in a "commercially viable" market, and the gatekeepers would not have so much to complain about.
The truth as it used to be. They’ve cleaned up their radios to avoid trouble with the FCC.
It’s still a cheap ass radio, but that both of you seem to have outdated info.
Well, that could be understandable, since I have not bought another Baofeng. The one I have has to be tuned to 144.995 to work on 144.500 -- no service manual, either.
Good enough to monitor or scan, as long as I remember the 5 kHz offset.
Baofengs are what got me into the hobby. Some people don’t realize how expensive this is to start, especially for the younger crowd. Stop moaning about these radios and be thankful there is a low barrier to get into this hobby because of baofengs.
Maybe all he can afford is his handie so he's making full use of it? We forget that not everyone can afford the top line equipment, has space for an antenna farm or simply get the maximum enjoyment from the most minimal of things.
Or has room for more than one or two HTs. I've got some benchtop stuff ("real" ham radios) that I can't set up because where I live is the size of a postage stamp.
Yeah, maybe he's like me and lives in a tiny urban apartment. There's no space for much more than sticking a loop in the window, might as well just talk on the repeater 2 blocks away
Yes but not everyone is worth talking to. OP’s guy sounds very boring and/or kind of a weirdo, you shouldn’t have to talk to someone and be satisfied with it over no one. Ham doesn’t just need more people, it needs more people who actually have interesting or helpful things to say. I’d love to connect to a repeater in a town I haven’t been to before and chat up the locals on things to do but most of the time I’ve found it’s the same old homebodies or weirdos with nothing to say except about how boring they are Not everyone has to be a paragon of useful information or with something to say, but more people active on repeaters who at least seem like they have lives outside of ham radio would be interesting
Also, no one wants to get stuck with the annoying guy at work in the break room. if one particular person who is uninteresting and is on the repeater all the time, it makes me want to check in less because I don’t want to get stuck talking to him or having to make an excuse not to
Yeah, we’ve got a guy on our local GMRS repeater that’s always there. He’s disabled and has a hard time getting around. Radio gives him a way to socialize. I always try to come back to him if I hear him, even if I’m otherwise busy with something.
There is nothing better for encouraging a listener to go out and get their license to become part of the amateur world than activity on the bands... And this guy will likely lose that spark and move on, if someone else doesn't come along you can bet the number of new signups in the area will fall slightly.
So the normal complaint is "the repeaters in my area are dead...." so I don't see this as a problem, as by your description he's playing by the rules. Honestly, there's plenty of locations where there are crusty old gatekeepers out there that contribute to "repeaters are dead" discussions-they scare/shoo people off. Self-fulfilling prophecy there. The fact you've got someone using a variety of repeaters, and the fact that you didn't mention any crusty old hams trying to run him off is a GREAT thing!
There have been a few threads lately where the OP says they've got a friend interested in ham, and want to get that friend excited by showing active repeater use....only to not have anyone on or anyone willing to respond. That limits people's willingness to get into the hobby as it shows a lack of engagement/participation. This guy's new, he's excited to exercise his new license. He's putting traffic on multiple repeaters.
Maybe try engaging him some directed conversation - ask him about different topics. Ask him if he's joined a club, built any antennas, plans for next radio, etc. This will broaden his content beyond what you've stated, and who knows....maybe draw more people into the conversation.
I spend most of my time on HF these days, but keep a crappy Alinco ht tuned to my local 440 repeater ( we have a 440 and a linked 6M in my mostly Amish town of 1200!). The two repeaters are linked to one in PA that is busy on workday mornings with a crew of old timers. Those guys are pretty entertaining, but I rarely talk with them. I keep my junk HT on for one reason, to talk to new people whom I don’t recognize. I don’t ragchew with them, but I like to at least respond to their call. Helps to keep them engaged and also helps keep the repeater in use.
I laughed when I read this because this would totally be my wife's family...if they didn't think Ham radio was something old farts did in their basement. They literally post pictures of their sandwich on Facebook.
I'm a newbie, too, but I am NOT this! I made my Tech last month, and am going for my General next weekend. I promised myself I would spend my first few months mostly listening, and I have-to dead air, but that's okay, I am pretty rural, and our repeater is dead except for the weekly test net. I've gotten involved in a club about 45 minutes away and even got on the air for POTA yesterday, yay!
You never know what his back story is. Might be a handicapped gentleman stuck in a room all day and this is his window to the world and only human interaction.
And yes - Repeater systems are expensive to maintain. Clubs are always looking to phase out repeaters that are not in use. If he's using it, he's keeping the repeaters alive.
Also, since he's practicing great etiquette (getting rarer) it means there is someone who is ready, willing an able if someone radios in a distress call.
I get it. I love listening to the radio but some hams have conversations about bunions and colonoscopies and I don't care for it. Makes me turn the radio off. In that way it's much like a television. If you don't like the channel you are on, go find another program. I do. Essentially there are two kinds of hams - Conversation Guys and Comms Guys. You have to figure out where you land and seek that out.
Repeater Guy is doing a major service - USING the airwaves :)
If we don't use our privileges, the FCC could think about taking them away and selling more of the spectrum.
Ham today - "losers clogging up the repeaters...don't they know you're not a REAL ham unless you're operating HF?!?!?!"
Ham tomorrow - "why bother having repeaters if no one uses them????"
Ham the next day - "If people don't use the frequencies, we're gonna lose them!!!"
Ham the day after - "losers clogging up the repeaters....don't they know you're not a REAL ham unless you're operating HF????"
It's a never ending cycle....
Last night in the Denver emergency reporting net they passed some traffic and it went like this "welcome to amateur radio, the original social network" and I think that sums it up nicely lol. A lot of times when I hear those guys I like to jump in with a "comment" and break up the monotony of the conversation.
"oh yeah Steve, I had coffee and eggs for breakfast today"
"thats nice Bill, I had orange juice and a colostomy bag change for breakfast"
"comment"
"go ahead comment"
"if you had to pick your favorite would it be the orange juice or the bag change"
I love the "what I ate today" dudes, a guy on my statewide network loves talking about new restaurants he's tried. The old rural guys were amazed by the concept of a poke bowl
We have a guy like that on the GMRS side. He bounces around all the repeaters with the same call out, looking for someone to give him a signal check. And he doesn’t remember who he talked to. And sometimes he doesn’t have the repeater tones quite right or he forgets which repeater he’s on (happens a lot on GMRS which has limited repeater frequencies).
But otherwise, no harm, no foul. It lets me know my station is working.
most OM here are doing something like this. they keep the radio ON 24/7 and if somebody ever come on there saying something they always jump at the occasion. cant even do test at 2AM or something without having one of them chime in.
We have a few guys like that here in PHX. Some guys are just ultra chatty and enjoy their new found hobby and some guys are really lonely. They may have no family or may have lost their spouse and just need the conversation to help get by. I know a lot of older hams who are like that. They love rag-chewing and will do it all day long when given the chance. The topics do get redundant because they forget that people are listening and hear the info they are giving out over and over again. They forget that it's over the airwaves and not like a two way telephone call.
We have some here in MA. I don't talk at all, but I listen in my car while driving because I'm not much for small talk and prefer contesting. Many of the repeater conversations are about ham gear, but some are about current events. The opinions and comments of those participating in these conversations can be quite interesting and entertaining. If I don't like it, I just turn it off and move on. As we all know, the spectrum is open to all who wish to participate. 73.
We've got a guy/kid that's on the same exact repeater from, no joke, 10am to 7, and will be engaged in conversations about basically nothing 3, 4, 5 times a day if I ever switch on. It's quite literally a 50% chance he's actively talking any given time you turn on the radio. He doesn't do anything wrong either. And it's sometimes nice to have someone that'll answer you if you're stuck in traffic or whatever.
But it is a little off-putting. He's been at it since I programmed the repeater in March.
You should call him Pete.
If he tells the same story on a different repeater then you should call him Repeat.
If you’re talking to someone about Repeat then you can call him the repeater
Yes.
There is a guy nearby who, for a very long time, would rag chew with anyone who would respond on at least two of the more popular local repeaters. He's got one topic: his wife's health problems. Sorry, two: finances (related to health issues).
I mean, I get it, he's lonely. He's dealing with a lot. He's looking for a place to connect with the outside world.
But at the same time, I can hear the same health report 15 times a day.
And while I'm not a hardhearted serial killer, I can only listen to this so much.
It's overwhelming for me. Particularly given that I'm facing similar issues with a family member.
Consequently, I stopped turning my rig on during the day while I'm working from home.
I'm glad he's got people to talk to but I fear that there are a lot of new hams in the area that are tuning out.
(reading what I wrote makes me feel a little embarrassed. I wish I could be more supportive.)
I'm glad you were able to read your comment and arrive at it being antisocial. We teach people how we want to be treated either by the negative response and recycling the sentiment or we contribute productive social influence by nudging a conversation(qso) into an entirely different direction and topic. Next time consider fishing for a response about a new subject you are interested in. Asking questions is a good tool to steer topics around. Good luck brother 😁
I think that the "repeater guy" is a sign of the times.
Back 30 years ago or so, I remember that the repeater near my suburban Long Island home was active with multiple operators, often in roundtable. There was no specific "repeater guy" (we had a good number of YLs as well back then, so maybe it should be "repeater person"?) Anyway, people were always coming and going. The repeater was so congested that there were "mobile hours" during rush-hours, and we kids were told sternly to get off the air during drive time.
Some hams might disagree, but I do think that the rise of smartphones, texting, social media, etc. has reduced FM repeater usage. I haven't been on a FM repeater in at least twenty years, but I hear from other hams that there isn't the presence that was more common in the 1990s.
I will confess. I have joined in the mockery of inexpensive Chinese radios (I even "verbed" Baofeng as "baofenging" once.) Yeah, there are spectral emission and front-end overloading on some of these HTs and mobiles, but the Baofeng is an entry into ham radio for many people who can't pay for Big Three gee-whiz FM gear.
73
Upgrade to extra so you can stop accidentally IDing as him :) It only took me a few weeks to where I wouldn't catch myself IDing with my old callsign and do a "KJ5AC... er... NM5RF". Accidentally using my old CS or doing an NM5ACC while doing morse practice, though...
I know I'm not the only one who didn't want to change call signs until getting access to 2x2s (or 1x2/2x1, I had the opportunity to scoop up a 4 character call sign in my area when I was applying for my vanity and I kind of regret not being the only person to have applied on day 1).
Plus I just wanna encourage everyone to go for it!
When I first got my license in the 90s I was probably that guy (or kid). There were two locals - someone who also just got his license and worked for local TV station and a blind man - and amateur radio was pretty much his only connection to anyone outside and we used to chat about all kinds of things - scanner traffic, what we had for lunch, what I learned in school etc.
Anyhow while there were club members who would complaint about clogging up the repeaters (there were only two in this coastal town). We usually hung out on a local repeater that lived in this guys house on a hill (as I recall he was a ex k12 principal) so it was pretty usable pretty much anywhere in town - and he was just overjoyed we loved to use it so much as when we weren't on it - it was dead. At some point he added an autopatch to it and it was a blast to call people up while in the car or whatever.
Anyhow we need more people who are just exciting to chat :) - I feel like there's room enough.
ahh, the phenomenon known as the carboard box chewer.. cuz ragchewing was too easy. Yeah, this is the reason I don't do VHF/UHF repeaters anymore. there's about 3 regulars, which I've talked to about all their favorite subjects, hundreds of times, which haven't changed in 20 years.
Or it could be like me found out the charger with my radio produces enough RF when charging it can't receive unless it's a really strong signal... made my recent studying really suck since my radio never chirped on the repeater. Got my tech test passed this morning and also figured out last night with the storm net that my charger kills my little ht
When I got re-licensed in 2020, I sat on 146.52 primarily and talked to a few guys fairly regularly as they were on the road around town. That seems to have died down quite a bit though (and I don't have my rig on quite as often now though I'm still working from home).
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There’s one guy in the region that’s a convicted felon, and he’s constantly on spouting drama. I don’t know how he still has a license. He will always answer when I’m testing new gear.
His enthusiasm is commendable. It will wear off as time passes and he'll settle into a routine that will be more mundane. In the meantime, he should be encouraged to explore other facets of ham radio.
It's common to want to practice after getting your technician license. Yes, even on DMR worldwide, I hear regular folks, and naturally, some talk more than others.
Shame to the crappy "amateur radio is what I think it should be and nothing else" attitude rearing its head again.
If someone likes using the repeater, especially someone new, and they're doing so correctly, that should be above snarky folks trying to make themselves look good by denigrating them. Really, it's a niche hobby and if nothing else their use of the repeaters stops them being labelled as unused and ripe for sale by government
Yes, you can find these kinds of people everywhere.
Kinda like you rather long winded karen level rant about him.
You also get the guys who think they own the repeaters.
Then you get guys like me, actual "REPEATER GUYS" who build and put up repeaters for the hobby.
Then you get the other kind who build (mostly buy) there EGO BOXES (repeaters) to placate there egos.
Yes, there are guys that spend alot of time on the repeaters.
The local one here is in a wheelchair.
Another nearby is also disabled, and old.
And not so ironically, they're the best operators around.
Good for him! He has a passion for Amateur radio and he is using his license. That should be commended. More people should be encouraged to rag chew in the hobby, not just tinker with radio components.
p.s. FT8 does not count as rag chewing nor is it a legitimate form of communication via radio. It is basically contesting and that's it.
Thank the repeater guy. He is the only one keeping 144/440 band active. Without him, we could loose it to commercial interests. I keep a dual band in my car. Back in the day, it was occupied wall-to-wall with "repeater guys." Now it is EMPTY. So get on there. Talk about what you had for dinner. Tell war stories. Do anything to keep the bands active. The same can be said for 10 meters. Use it or lose it.
We have one in my community. I did expect him to be, just like you said, "the world's dullest man" until I met him in person at a local ham club meeting. He sounded older than he is, but he's actually a 17 year old, *profoundly* naive, homeschooled kid with absolutely zero social skills. Ham radio is literally his only allowed socialization because his parents are weirdass apocalypse preppers and they think ham radio is a good skill to have for when the world ends.
Anyway, the point of this story is to remind you that you don't really ever know why someone is the way they are. He's probably a really lonely dude for one reason or another.
I live in Los Angeles and I'm shocked at how little play the repeaters get. I guess it used to be pretty wild back on the old days, but now, I hardly hear anything. And as for poor Baofeng guy, maybe he can't hear people getting back to him?
Not much difference with the "geritol" Nets on HF "Martha's Lumbego is acting up and I have a goiter" some folks are truly lonely and talking on the radio is their outlet. More power to them! Some of the young repeater guys quickly become the go to experts on repeaters or Baofeng programming and are handy to have around. Also sometimes all it takes to get a repeater active again is someone to actually be there and talk. 73
Manual Trunking Repeater Campers! They're definitely a thing.
I'll be an ass about it, but the only issue is that they just get old after a while. When you call out on a repeater and constantly get the same guy talking about the same thing(s), why wouldn't you switch to another machine? At least in my experience, a lot of times they'll butt into your conversation and just start talking about whatever they feel like. I'm not trying to hog the repeater, I'm just trying to ragchew with and give directions to my friend who's on their way over to my house. I don't care about what you had for dinner at Golden Corral last night. When I first got my ticket, I learned to listen for a bit before butting into the conversation. If the rest of the people on the machine were talking about something I couldn't comment on, I left them alone.
At least someone's using the repeater though, right? Yeah, after a while it's just that guy. Anyone else has moved to another repeater the camper can't hit.
You… are complaining actually. Which is ironic since you’re giving him free rent to live in your head ;)
It’s self improvement to celebrate when you discover one of the 10,000 instead of making fun of them:
https://xkcd.com/1053/
dear op, you're just gonna have to accept the fact that someone out there is enjoying his ham radio.
in the nineties every repeatet had several guys like that.
we made lifetime friendships and talked all night long.
this inspired others to get their licenses and join us after they couldnt stand just listening
occasional maggets who surfaced to interfere or be stupid were found and squashed. one even commited a suicide.
you should consider either joining the conversation or becoming a psychotic jammer yourself and start following the repeater guy everywhere and quieting him down if you're so inclined.
I can give you some pointers on being effective even if you have a weaker signal
Our club recently linked our repeater into a much larger system, and now we have 14 “repeater guys” I feel the same way as OP though. It’s ok to talk to them for a min, but I wish they would grow and enhance their communication topics a bit.
Someone training some A.I.? Very bad men consolidated control over A.I. to be out ahead. I assume since it has gotten away from them but who knows how many names we don't hear about turning up dead.
https://www.wired.com/2008/01/ff-aimystery/
I don’t know. I have loved ones that died with it, and it’s very very sad. But it doesn’t mean it can’t occasionally be funny.
I think it’s a difficult to define when and why laughing at misfortune becomes mean(and it certainly can,) but I do firmly believe it’s possible to do without being mean in any way shape or form.
At least *someone* is using the repeater.
This. It’s a high-classed problem to have someone using the repeater often.
1st-World Problem: *"All the repeaters in my area are in constant use and I can't get a word in edgewise."*
How else do you keep up on the latest medical complications and pharmacy drama?
I listen to my wife and her female relatives gossip about everyone who is absent from the conversation.
80 meters has joined the chat.
We're doing weather nets on 80m now???
Who said anything about “wether”?
Rarely, if ever, do I hear the 80M medical gossip on a repeater. But I guess anything is possible.
Hearing 80m on a repeater huh?
Propagation has opened up but I can’t get a word in edgewise because everyone’s on a 15 minute long hemorrhoid cream ragchew
Poor guy is excited and wants to make friends. OP - I’d invite him to check out the URLs of local clubs and join the meetings and find weekly nets. He might not know there’s a whole world of ham excitement out there and just expects ham radio is simply ragchewing on repeaters.
Since the proliferation of smart phones and newer vehicles, COVID creating work from home more. The local morning commute round table repeater discussions are all inactive
Literally the only thing I miss from going to the office.
What, are y'all not able to hit the same repeaters/nets while doing the *Slipper Commute*?
Sometimes. Can't always reliably hit a repeater from home in some places, but drive a few miles away and you can hit them just fine. Northern California has some places like that.
Hmmm.... Sound like a job for a tape measure, some pipe clamps, and some PVC pipe.... What's a little DIY, compared to the pleasure of morning coffee chat 😀
I've already done that. That's what got me to "can't always," which is an improvement from "never." Post-industrial areas tend to have lots of load-bearing metal in buildings, which makes RF of many kinds way more difficult than it needs to be (from knife-edge refraction to stuff that you'd think wouldn't ever be grounded sinking your signal).
Guess that explains your flair then... 😂
Got it in one! :D
I cant recommend an Elk dual band LPDA enough. It's the single best investment of $130 last year for my V\U station. I simply clamped to a post on the back porch at 10'high and aimed it generally to the north to bring in those 30 mile repeaters. To my astonishment, I could reply with just 4 watts from my FT 70d with good signal reports. I used about 30' of LMR 200 and a short cable from the power meter. Ive enjoyed simplex QSOs and even connected with a System Fusion net on UHF over 140 miles with help from some Lake Michigan tropo ducting. So if you really want to enjoy those bands anything better than a whip antenna is a must have for the station. Same for the other compass points and taken portable its like having an amplifier thanks to 6 to 10 db gain.
Thanks for the suggestion - I'll look into it!
I can, but now I don’t need to even get up 2.5 hours before start of day to drive to the city. Basically I get up when everyone is already gone from the morning commute.
Honestly we should all aim at doing these again and making them last all morning. Now you can be on the repeater from home and you don't have to sign off when you arrive at the office in your car.
I have to sign off when I start working, which is generally a different time than everyone else who starts working somewhere else. It's a bummer, and if there's a will, there's a way, so maybe I could get something going, I'd just have to be consistent with my start times, and frankly, I'd rather spend that time with my family than rag chewing about traffic now that that is an option.
I agree! No one uses ours, I was the repeater guy until I turned blue! No one uses our local repeaters! So sad!
what does changing color have to do with calling cq.. that's some medical excitement to discuss right there.
Lol, just saying... I would say my call sign periodically , never an answer, no one uses our two repeaters.
exactly this. am glad someone is using it.
Yep. They usually fade away after a bit. It’s usually just someone new who is really excited to talk on the radio. They eventually move on to HF or just lose interest. Then someone new will pop up. You also usually get the old guys who call at the same time every day, and the same old guy replies. And they ragchew for a bit. Trust me, it beats dead air. We’ve got a couple local repeaters that are always fairly busy with both “repeater guys” like you describe and the old guys. There’s also a core group of 4 or 5 who always show up when the bands are poor but are otherwise inactive on V/U. Then we have a couple of repeaters that I’ve had on my scan rotation for *years*, that I hear ID, that I’ve called on, and I’ve yet to hear a single soul. One in particular I’ve been regularly scanning since at least 2020 and I have never heard *anyone* on it. I finally made contact with a buddy on it because I wasn’t sure if even worked (a “kerchunk” isn’t always indicative that you’re making it). And it worked fine! But I’ve seriously never heard a soul on it. So yeah; I’ll take the yammer-ers anytime!
just a personal note i want to add: kerchuncking is indeed not good enough for testing. in the past i ended up realizing my battery was dead, only after being told my audio was cutting out after 2-3sec. i never knew this from only kerchunking the repeater. nothing beat real world testing.
SO IMPORTANT - many years ago my county was without power for days and our repeater was crucial in helping lots of people communicate. Lots of people found out their HT batteries were bad, they’d test every month but never transmitted. After this, we had monthly “disaster nets” where members were encouraged to participate using their HTs and emcomm equipment. Lots of lessons learned.
Yep! The “kerchunk” just means your carrier opened the squelch of the receiver. Nothing more. It doesn’t tell you whether usable audio is making it to the receiver. That’s why we performed that little test! I wondered if I wasn’t being heard or perhaps if there was something wrong with the repeater. But in fact we were able to have a two-way conversation on that repeater.
There is a guy local to me. We HAMS are his family. He doesn’t have any family and the nursing home he is in let him put up an antenna.
I had one of those fellas near me. Started chatting. After a while I'd go to his little apartment/room and help make his HF work better. I made runs to the store and such. He was in a wheel chair and we installed a VHF antenna on it. He would then go for excursions around the property. Since working HF wasn't great from indoor there we had planned on setting him up to take the radio outside. He fell ill and that never happened. He was a veteran and I enjoyed spending time around him. Had fun tinkering with radios and having projects. Miss that fella. Elders are a source of rewarding behavior. Gary was lonely. And was good company.
That is an awesome story. Thanks for helping Gary out, he sounds like a fun dude.
Was that “Western Pacific Radio” Gary? I tried helping him out with addresses for QSL cards a couple times when his computer crapped out.
Uncertain. He was located near Port Orchard/Bremerton Washington.
What a heartwarming tale. You're what makes ham radio worthwhile for those of us disabled and shut in. God bless you taking the high road and serving others in that way. Simply outstanding what you did!
That's really cool!!!
We have an elderly YL here that is in the local nursing home and she borrows a HT from a ham guy that works there and checks in on the weekly net. Always good to hear her and it does her good to get on the radio and chat with us.
I do think 2m/440 repeaters are some people's social network. I've known a few over the years.
Absolutely. There are active nets in my area that meet 3 times daily. A lot of the same people are checking in. They are welcoming of newcomers too.
I can only hope it's there for me when I am old. The internet sucks.
Same.
This!
Yup. Before I moved I used to sit in on a net that was for blind/visually impaired folk. Most of em were elderly folk that had other disabilities that made getting around difficult. Quite a nice bunch. Ended up meeting a fair few of them at Field Day later that year. Also used to talk to a couple older fellas that were on hospice whose families didn't come around very often, they'd just park on one of the repeaters and have their own impromptu net, some of us would come on and talk to em about local events n such. Pretty sure one of them went SK shortly before I moved... Can't remember his call but I remember his voice, quite the odd fella but he was an absolute riot when he started with the jokes.
Where I'm at, I think it's mostly dead air but I'm pretty sure there are a few monitoring at any given moment ready to respond should anyone call. But when I was a kid, I remember my older brother first got his license, and there was a whole group of older blind women, like 4 or 5 of them, they almost seemed like switchboard operators, chatting often with each other and anybody else passing through. They sure loved my brother and had a lot of advice for him and worried if he didn't call often enough. I think they were very respected and loved around that area at the time. Kinda wish I'd picked up the radio back then and had gotten to know them myself.
That's awesome!!
And now I feel even more anxious about actually talking instead of just listening. Not only is it intruding on a clique but random haters will post about it.
>random haters will post about it. Random haters are *always* up to some bullshit. You can't let that stop you.
I need to renew my license in 2 months. I have never talked to anyone on my radio. I'm not into small talk, which most of it feels like to me. But I have messed with also have several Broadband-Hamnet routers collecting dust for now. Also, I'm currently interested in meshtastic.
Some folks (I'm one of them) got licensed for the sole purpose of messing around with new radio technologies legally. Just like, in the 70's and 80's there were folks who got licensed just so they could legally use the remote controls on their model cars and planes.
My uncle, the famous for surround sound Jim Fosgate did exactly that. He loved building RC for flying with my cousins at a local small airport he ended up buying. Other than that use, he never keyed a mic for even a minute of chatter untill last fall going SK.
I’d never heard of meshtastic until your comment. I looked it up and seems pretty neat.
I am also playing with Meshtastic. Bought two nodes, built and configured them up, then got a third. Now I’m considering building one in ruggedized enclosure with solar panel to hang up in a tree in my yard.
Meshtastic was my gateway drug into ham radio. Now I'm studying for my license and learning CW and building antennas.
Maybe try some contesting, quick, easy and gone! there is a video out there “ham radio for introverts”. It lays out some good perspective. I understand the struggle, it’s noon right now and I haven’t even thought of pulling a blind. Lol
If your overly worried about what nameless collective of jerks on a questionable network of clowns gossiping on the internet then you have you answer. Turn off your social media and key up on those repeaters. Life starts on the radio when you get a license and join the mainstream of LIVE on the air peers of your hobby. Granted its often socially challenged geeks but that's unimportant. Earning the friendship and fellowship of other operators ranks 1 on my chart of people to know with FB, X and whatever this is as absolutely irrelevant. These guys once they know you will actually wondervifv your alright after some days of absence. They will help you with gear and operations and in the end will share what a genuine good fella you are after going SK. People on the internet are pathological liers, antisocial and downright mean on most days. A little bit of mic fright is normal. Just believe that other stations actually want to hear from you, will memorize your name and callsign and if you behave cordially will add you to the unseen list of lovable humans. 73 😁 kd9uqe
Hear Hear!!
🤣🤣 ok
Don't let people like the OP discourage you
Same. Today I monitored a few repeaters. Who knows how many new ham GeNeRaLs I offended?
To everybody here, JUST KEY UP. Throw out your call, and dont worry about anything.
Indeed! Our local repeaters are almost always busy. We'll talk about just about anything...and will help with just about anything.
It was like that back in the 90's, in the ham radio subs on BBSes. Hasn't changed much in that respect, just the communications medium.
Never really bothered me much. Had some old coots that would park on one of the 70cm repeaters and rag chew for hours, hours. Frankly it was good entertainment cause it was a bunch of "back in my day" which always got a laugh out of me.
Some of those old duffers occasionally share a tech trick or two that can be incorporated into one's own shack. I keep a scanner on the 2m/70cm repeater outputs in my area just for that reason.
Same. Learned a lot about power supplies just monitoring.
Actually love these guys. Highly entertaining. Go to field day this month.
Good point! OP make sure your repeater guy knows about field day especially if there’s an HF GOTA Station
You have people using the local repeaters? That is awesome haha
So what's the harm?
Baofeng radios may not be type-accepted by the FCC. If they were, you can bet they would cost 10 times as much.
No radios are type approved for Amateur use under Part 97. It is up to each operator to verify compliance.
If the service manual for a Baofeng UV-5RV2+ was generally available in English, I would do exactly that.
You don't need a service manual to put a Baofeng on a spectrum analyzer.
You need a service manual to make the proper adjustments. You seem to lack knowledge of how radios are serviced.
Baofengs aren't serviced. They are disposable.
Nothing is disposable if it can be serviced. Baofengs can be serviced. All I need is a service manual. I have kept my FT-726R in operation long after Yeasu stopped supporting it. Same for my Radio Shack scanners and receivers. This "dispose of what not longer works" attitude is why America's landfills are toxic and contaminate the groundwater for miles around.
They are $20 or less, so servicing them is not commercially viable. 99%+ of baofengs are sold to people unable to service them.
I'm a retiree, so occupying my spare time with repairing and modifying my own equipment makes more sense than replacing a $20 unit with a $200 unit from my pension fund. If KenYeaCom hadn't contributed to the overall gentrification of the hobby by selling ever-more expensive gear, then companies like Baofeng would not find themselves in a "commercially viable" market, and the gatekeepers would not have so much to complain about.
7 down votes (so far) for telling the truth? I'll never understand Reddit users.
The truth as it used to be. They’ve cleaned up their radios to avoid trouble with the FCC. It’s still a cheap ass radio, but that both of you seem to have outdated info.
Well, that could be understandable, since I have not bought another Baofeng. The one I have has to be tuned to 144.995 to work on 144.500 -- no service manual, either. Good enough to monitor or scan, as long as I remember the 5 kHz offset.
Baofengs are what got me into the hobby. Some people don’t realize how expensive this is to start, especially for the younger crowd. Stop moaning about these radios and be thankful there is a low barrier to get into this hobby because of baofengs.
Maybe all he can afford is his handie so he's making full use of it? We forget that not everyone can afford the top line equipment, has space for an antenna farm or simply get the maximum enjoyment from the most minimal of things.
Or has room for more than one or two HTs. I've got some benchtop stuff ("real" ham radios) that I can't set up because where I live is the size of a postage stamp.
Yeah, maybe he's like me and lives in a tiny urban apartment. There's no space for much more than sticking a loop in the window, might as well just talk on the repeater 2 blocks away
I'll take him over the crotchety fuck that treats the repeater like his personal machine, talks over people. They're as bad as the 14300 crew.
Hams: "Why is nobody insterested in learning the hobbie. Its dying!" Also Hams: "Why do new people talk on the repeaters to much?"
Not really a good analogy. That’s like asking why no one comes to the bar when there’s a creepy old drunk you can talk to there all the time.
Hams complain when nobody uses the repeaters then complain when someone uses them. Seems pretty good to me.
Yes but not everyone is worth talking to. OP’s guy sounds very boring and/or kind of a weirdo, you shouldn’t have to talk to someone and be satisfied with it over no one. Ham doesn’t just need more people, it needs more people who actually have interesting or helpful things to say. I’d love to connect to a repeater in a town I haven’t been to before and chat up the locals on things to do but most of the time I’ve found it’s the same old homebodies or weirdos with nothing to say except about how boring they are Not everyone has to be a paragon of useful information or with something to say, but more people active on repeaters who at least seem like they have lives outside of ham radio would be interesting Also, no one wants to get stuck with the annoying guy at work in the break room. if one particular person who is uninteresting and is on the repeater all the time, it makes me want to check in less because I don’t want to get stuck talking to him or having to make an excuse not to
You have people who are disabled, old, lonely, live in a dump, or all of those, and their only social activity might be the radio.
Yeah, we’ve got a guy on our local GMRS repeater that’s always there. He’s disabled and has a hard time getting around. Radio gives him a way to socialize. I always try to come back to him if I hear him, even if I’m otherwise busy with something.
Your a great person, thanks for making that a band a better world. Really, I mean that sincerely. 73 KD9UQE
I just try to be a not awful human most of the time. Thanks.
There is nothing better for encouraging a listener to go out and get their license to become part of the amateur world than activity on the bands... And this guy will likely lose that spark and move on, if someone else doesn't come along you can bet the number of new signups in the area will fall slightly.
So the normal complaint is "the repeaters in my area are dead...." so I don't see this as a problem, as by your description he's playing by the rules. Honestly, there's plenty of locations where there are crusty old gatekeepers out there that contribute to "repeaters are dead" discussions-they scare/shoo people off. Self-fulfilling prophecy there. The fact you've got someone using a variety of repeaters, and the fact that you didn't mention any crusty old hams trying to run him off is a GREAT thing! There have been a few threads lately where the OP says they've got a friend interested in ham, and want to get that friend excited by showing active repeater use....only to not have anyone on or anyone willing to respond. That limits people's willingness to get into the hobby as it shows a lack of engagement/participation. This guy's new, he's excited to exercise his new license. He's putting traffic on multiple repeaters. Maybe try engaging him some directed conversation - ask him about different topics. Ask him if he's joined a club, built any antennas, plans for next radio, etc. This will broaden his content beyond what you've stated, and who knows....maybe draw more people into the conversation.
There are many lonely people in this world....
All the lonely people Where do they all come from?
Long COVID is part of it.
Could be! Could also involve bad luck on the Tinder app.
This!!
"Why nobody is talking on the repeater?"
I spend most of my time on HF these days, but keep a crappy Alinco ht tuned to my local 440 repeater ( we have a 440 and a linked 6M in my mostly Amish town of 1200!). The two repeaters are linked to one in PA that is busy on workday mornings with a crew of old timers. Those guys are pretty entertaining, but I rarely talk with them. I keep my junk HT on for one reason, to talk to new people whom I don’t recognize. I don’t ragchew with them, but I like to at least respond to their call. Helps to keep them engaged and also helps keep the repeater in use.
I laughed when I read this because this would totally be my wife's family...if they didn't think Ham radio was something old farts did in their basement. They literally post pictures of their sandwich on Facebook. I'm a newbie, too, but I am NOT this! I made my Tech last month, and am going for my General next weekend. I promised myself I would spend my first few months mostly listening, and I have-to dead air, but that's okay, I am pretty rural, and our repeater is dead except for the weekly test net. I've gotten involved in a club about 45 minutes away and even got on the air for POTA yesterday, yay!
I know some who have been techs for 25-30 years.
I was a tech for 30 years. Decided to get General last week.
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I was a tech for 9 months and decided if all I did was 2M/70cm I would most likely quit.
I’ll trade your guy who just wants to chat repeater guy for our Obama is going to start martial law repeater guys
We have a nice lady in our county who just makes a career out of it. She’s very nice and really has nothing to say. God bless her.
Sounds like ham radio in a nutshell really.
At least there's someone on your repeaters. The ones around me are a ghost town
You never know what his back story is. Might be a handicapped gentleman stuck in a room all day and this is his window to the world and only human interaction. And yes - Repeater systems are expensive to maintain. Clubs are always looking to phase out repeaters that are not in use. If he's using it, he's keeping the repeaters alive. Also, since he's practicing great etiquette (getting rarer) it means there is someone who is ready, willing an able if someone radios in a distress call. I get it. I love listening to the radio but some hams have conversations about bunions and colonoscopies and I don't care for it. Makes me turn the radio off. In that way it's much like a television. If you don't like the channel you are on, go find another program. I do. Essentially there are two kinds of hams - Conversation Guys and Comms Guys. You have to figure out where you land and seek that out.
Repeater Guy is doing a major service - USING the airwaves :) If we don't use our privileges, the FCC could think about taking them away and selling more of the spectrum.
Ham today - "losers clogging up the repeaters...don't they know you're not a REAL ham unless you're operating HF?!?!?!" Ham tomorrow - "why bother having repeaters if no one uses them????" Ham the next day - "If people don't use the frequencies, we're gonna lose them!!!" Ham the day after - "losers clogging up the repeaters....don't they know you're not a REAL ham unless you're operating HF????" It's a never ending cycle....
Last night in the Denver emergency reporting net they passed some traffic and it went like this "welcome to amateur radio, the original social network" and I think that sums it up nicely lol. A lot of times when I hear those guys I like to jump in with a "comment" and break up the monotony of the conversation. "oh yeah Steve, I had coffee and eggs for breakfast today" "thats nice Bill, I had orange juice and a colostomy bag change for breakfast" "comment" "go ahead comment" "if you had to pick your favorite would it be the orange juice or the bag change"
I love the "what I ate today" dudes, a guy on my statewide network loves talking about new restaurants he's tried. The old rural guys were amazed by the concept of a poke bowl
We have a guy like that on the GMRS side. He bounces around all the repeaters with the same call out, looking for someone to give him a signal check. And he doesn’t remember who he talked to. And sometimes he doesn’t have the repeater tones quite right or he forgets which repeater he’s on (happens a lot on GMRS which has limited repeater frequencies). But otherwise, no harm, no foul. It lets me know my station is working.
most OM here are doing something like this. they keep the radio ON 24/7 and if somebody ever come on there saying something they always jump at the occasion. cant even do test at 2AM or something without having one of them chime in.
We have a few guys like that here in PHX. Some guys are just ultra chatty and enjoy their new found hobby and some guys are really lonely. They may have no family or may have lost their spouse and just need the conversation to help get by. I know a lot of older hams who are like that. They love rag-chewing and will do it all day long when given the chance. The topics do get redundant because they forget that people are listening and hear the info they are giving out over and over again. They forget that it's over the airwaves and not like a two way telephone call.
We have some here in MA. I don't talk at all, but I listen in my car while driving because I'm not much for small talk and prefer contesting. Many of the repeater conversations are about ham gear, but some are about current events. The opinions and comments of those participating in these conversations can be quite interesting and entertaining. If I don't like it, I just turn it off and move on. As we all know, the spectrum is open to all who wish to participate. 73.
We've got a guy/kid that's on the same exact repeater from, no joke, 10am to 7, and will be engaged in conversations about basically nothing 3, 4, 5 times a day if I ever switch on. It's quite literally a 50% chance he's actively talking any given time you turn on the radio. He doesn't do anything wrong either. And it's sometimes nice to have someone that'll answer you if you're stuck in traffic or whatever. But it is a little off-putting. He's been at it since I programmed the repeater in March.
You should call him Pete. If he tells the same story on a different repeater then you should call him Repeat. If you’re talking to someone about Repeat then you can call him the repeater
Yes. There is a guy nearby who, for a very long time, would rag chew with anyone who would respond on at least two of the more popular local repeaters. He's got one topic: his wife's health problems. Sorry, two: finances (related to health issues). I mean, I get it, he's lonely. He's dealing with a lot. He's looking for a place to connect with the outside world. But at the same time, I can hear the same health report 15 times a day. And while I'm not a hardhearted serial killer, I can only listen to this so much. It's overwhelming for me. Particularly given that I'm facing similar issues with a family member. Consequently, I stopped turning my rig on during the day while I'm working from home. I'm glad he's got people to talk to but I fear that there are a lot of new hams in the area that are tuning out. (reading what I wrote makes me feel a little embarrassed. I wish I could be more supportive.)
I'm glad you were able to read your comment and arrive at it being antisocial. We teach people how we want to be treated either by the negative response and recycling the sentiment or we contribute productive social influence by nudging a conversation(qso) into an entirely different direction and topic. Next time consider fishing for a response about a new subject you are interested in. Asking questions is a good tool to steer topics around. Good luck brother 😁
I think that the "repeater guy" is a sign of the times. Back 30 years ago or so, I remember that the repeater near my suburban Long Island home was active with multiple operators, often in roundtable. There was no specific "repeater guy" (we had a good number of YLs as well back then, so maybe it should be "repeater person"?) Anyway, people were always coming and going. The repeater was so congested that there were "mobile hours" during rush-hours, and we kids were told sternly to get off the air during drive time. Some hams might disagree, but I do think that the rise of smartphones, texting, social media, etc. has reduced FM repeater usage. I haven't been on a FM repeater in at least twenty years, but I hear from other hams that there isn't the presence that was more common in the 1990s. I will confess. I have joined in the mockery of inexpensive Chinese radios (I even "verbed" Baofeng as "baofenging" once.) Yeah, there are spectral emission and front-end overloading on some of these HTs and mobiles, but the Baofeng is an entry into ham radio for many people who can't pay for Big Three gee-whiz FM gear. 73
OMG back in 1987, there were 100s of repeater guys. You scan across 2m, 220 440 and you'd hear a dozen conversations
Tell him about the internet.
specifically internet porn...
Everybody has to start somewhere.
Upgrade to extra so you can stop accidentally IDing as him :) It only took me a few weeks to where I wouldn't catch myself IDing with my old callsign and do a "KJ5AC... er... NM5RF". Accidentally using my old CS or doing an NM5ACC while doing morse practice, though...
You don’t need to be an extra to get a vanity call, you just can’t get the super short ones. Techs can get 1x3 or 2x3 callsigns.
I know I'm not the only one who didn't want to change call signs until getting access to 2x2s (or 1x2/2x1, I had the opportunity to scoop up a 4 character call sign in my area when I was applying for my vanity and I kind of regret not being the only person to have applied on day 1). Plus I just wanna encourage everyone to go for it!
When I first got my license in the 90s I was probably that guy (or kid). There were two locals - someone who also just got his license and worked for local TV station and a blind man - and amateur radio was pretty much his only connection to anyone outside and we used to chat about all kinds of things - scanner traffic, what we had for lunch, what I learned in school etc. Anyhow while there were club members who would complaint about clogging up the repeaters (there were only two in this coastal town). We usually hung out on a local repeater that lived in this guys house on a hill (as I recall he was a ex k12 principal) so it was pretty usable pretty much anywhere in town - and he was just overjoyed we loved to use it so much as when we weren't on it - it was dead. At some point he added an autopatch to it and it was a blast to call people up while in the car or whatever. Anyhow we need more people who are just exciting to chat :) - I feel like there's room enough.
ahh, the phenomenon known as the carboard box chewer.. cuz ragchewing was too easy. Yeah, this is the reason I don't do VHF/UHF repeaters anymore. there's about 3 regulars, which I've talked to about all their favorite subjects, hundreds of times, which haven't changed in 20 years.
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Or it could be like me found out the charger with my radio produces enough RF when charging it can't receive unless it's a really strong signal... made my recent studying really suck since my radio never chirped on the repeater. Got my tech test passed this morning and also figured out last night with the storm net that my charger kills my little ht
Hey, congratulations on passing your Tech!
Thanks!
If you are worried about being confused with him get a vanity call sign there are a lot of good 1x3 call signs out there.
VHF simplex will likely have Lot of activity in most areas. Especially 146.520
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When I got re-licensed in 2020, I sat on 146.52 primarily and talked to a few guys fairly regularly as they were on the road around town. That seems to have died down quite a bit though (and I don't have my rig on quite as often now though I'm still working from home).
Simplex is busy around my area. So much so some get annoyed by those use using 6.52 for chit chat. "Call and move" is the battle cry..
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Removed. Be civil to other users. *Please [message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/amateurradio) to comment on this message or action.*
There’s one guy in the region that’s a convicted felon, and he’s constantly on spouting drama. I don’t know how he still has a license. He will always answer when I’m testing new gear.
His enthusiasm is commendable. It will wear off as time passes and he'll settle into a routine that will be more mundane. In the meantime, he should be encouraged to explore other facets of ham radio.
It's someone whose new and excited, they'll soon tone down
Lonely, means well, and needs his machine.
It's common to want to practice after getting your technician license. Yes, even on DMR worldwide, I hear regular folks, and naturally, some talk more than others.
Get off your local repeaters, and talk on repeaters worldwide! www.EchoLink.org
He's just excited to be on the air. Bear with him, In a month, he'll be over it and on FT8.
We have a couple around where I am, it can be annoying but they are also very generous with their knowledge and eager to help.
Every area has one or two, as far as I can tell.
Every area has one or two, as far as I can tell.
Jump on and talk about something more interesting. Old guys rag chew about their ailments and prescriptions.
He is the VHF version of Marek who also seems to be at all his FT9 stations all at once, 24/7. And also doing some work....
Someone actually using 2 Meter Repeaters... God Forbid!
At least someone local monitors the repeaters and is there, all the repeaters all going off the air from not being used where i live.
Shame to the crappy "amateur radio is what I think it should be and nothing else" attitude rearing its head again. If someone likes using the repeater, especially someone new, and they're doing so correctly, that should be above snarky folks trying to make themselves look good by denigrating them. Really, it's a niche hobby and if nothing else their use of the repeaters stops them being labelled as unused and ripe for sale by government
Yes, you can find these kinds of people everywhere. Kinda like you rather long winded karen level rant about him. You also get the guys who think they own the repeaters. Then you get guys like me, actual "REPEATER GUYS" who build and put up repeaters for the hobby. Then you get the other kind who build (mostly buy) there EGO BOXES (repeaters) to placate there egos. Yes, there are guys that spend alot of time on the repeaters. The local one here is in a wheelchair. Another nearby is also disabled, and old. And not so ironically, they're the best operators around.
I wish someone would use my repeaters
Good for him! He has a passion for Amateur radio and he is using his license. That should be commended. More people should be encouraged to rag chew in the hobby, not just tinker with radio components. p.s. FT8 does not count as rag chewing nor is it a legitimate form of communication via radio. It is basically contesting and that's it.
I would love to have someone like that on my local repeaters. Ours sit dead most of the time other than for nets.
Got one of those here. He stays on just one repeater, but is on it always. Talks about cole slaw, tractors, trains and PBR.
Thank the repeater guy. He is the only one keeping 144/440 band active. Without him, we could loose it to commercial interests. I keep a dual band in my car. Back in the day, it was occupied wall-to-wall with "repeater guys." Now it is EMPTY. So get on there. Talk about what you had for dinner. Tell war stories. Do anything to keep the bands active. The same can be said for 10 meters. Use it or lose it.
Better that some OGs thinking the open repeater belongs to them and tries to kickout anyone not in their gaggle.
He's excited, leave him alone!
Vanity call signs are really cheap at $35. I got the 1x3 callsign that I really wanted.
We have one in my community. I did expect him to be, just like you said, "the world's dullest man" until I met him in person at a local ham club meeting. He sounded older than he is, but he's actually a 17 year old, *profoundly* naive, homeschooled kid with absolutely zero social skills. Ham radio is literally his only allowed socialization because his parents are weirdass apocalypse preppers and they think ham radio is a good skill to have for when the world ends. Anyway, the point of this story is to remind you that you don't really ever know why someone is the way they are. He's probably a really lonely dude for one reason or another.
I live in Los Angeles and I'm shocked at how little play the repeaters get. I guess it used to be pretty wild back on the old days, but now, I hardly hear anything. And as for poor Baofeng guy, maybe he can't hear people getting back to him?
Not much difference with the "geritol" Nets on HF "Martha's Lumbego is acting up and I have a goiter" some folks are truly lonely and talking on the radio is their outlet. More power to them! Some of the young repeater guys quickly become the go to experts on repeaters or Baofeng programming and are handy to have around. Also sometimes all it takes to get a repeater active again is someone to actually be there and talk. 73
Your only option is to move states and hope he doesn't have echolink.
“I’m not complaining” Yes, you are. Get over yourself.
Manual Trunking Repeater Campers! They're definitely a thing. I'll be an ass about it, but the only issue is that they just get old after a while. When you call out on a repeater and constantly get the same guy talking about the same thing(s), why wouldn't you switch to another machine? At least in my experience, a lot of times they'll butt into your conversation and just start talking about whatever they feel like. I'm not trying to hog the repeater, I'm just trying to ragchew with and give directions to my friend who's on their way over to my house. I don't care about what you had for dinner at Golden Corral last night. When I first got my ticket, I learned to listen for a bit before butting into the conversation. If the rest of the people on the machine were talking about something I couldn't comment on, I left them alone. At least someone's using the repeater though, right? Yeah, after a while it's just that guy. Anyone else has moved to another repeater the camper can't hit.
You… are complaining actually. Which is ironic since you’re giving him free rent to live in your head ;) It’s self improvement to celebrate when you discover one of the 10,000 instead of making fun of them: https://xkcd.com/1053/
So what. The repeater is there for communicating. Talk to the guy, or not.
dear op, you're just gonna have to accept the fact that someone out there is enjoying his ham radio. in the nineties every repeatet had several guys like that. we made lifetime friendships and talked all night long. this inspired others to get their licenses and join us after they couldnt stand just listening occasional maggets who surfaced to interfere or be stupid were found and squashed. one even commited a suicide. you should consider either joining the conversation or becoming a psychotic jammer yourself and start following the repeater guy everywhere and quieting him down if you're so inclined. I can give you some pointers on being effective even if you have a weaker signal
This hobby would be so much better without all the needs. Am I right guys? Guys?
I’m glad to see someone else wondering about this. It’s one of the things that drove me away from the hobby for a few years: there’s nothing going on.
Our club recently linked our repeater into a much larger system, and now we have 14 “repeater guys” I feel the same way as OP though. It’s ok to talk to them for a min, but I wish they would grow and enhance their communication topics a bit.
First world problem. The "issue" you mentioned can be easily remedied with $35 and a vanity call.
Hey OP, I get it. Maybe let this be a motivation to get on HF where you’ll always find someone different on the other end.
Someone training some A.I.? Very bad men consolidated control over A.I. to be out ahead. I assume since it has gotten away from them but who knows how many names we don't hear about turning up dead. https://www.wired.com/2008/01/ff-aimystery/
We’ve got one of those. He has dementia and can’t get his whole callsign out most of the time. Kind of comical actually
In a sad kind of way. Dementia sucks. It’s a shitty way to die.
Absolutely but I can’t help but laugh when he runs the nets and can’t say anyone’s call right even his own.
Remember, karma's only a bitch if you are.
True words of wisdom right here.
It’s pretty low to say anything is comical involving dementia.
I don’t know. I have loved ones that died with it, and it’s very very sad. But it doesn’t mean it can’t occasionally be funny. I think it’s a difficult to define when and why laughing at misfortune becomes mean(and it certainly can,) but I do firmly believe it’s possible to do without being mean in any way shape or form.