Complete the sentence

[VK3ALB]

If nobody used repeaters . . . . . . . .

[VK5ACY]

....I would - and could - notice no difference in my world !

[VK5LA]

oh wait...nobody does...

[VK5PJ]

Oh, you must have been monitoring the Barossa repeater twins then Andy

oh wait...nobody does...

The story goes, they set up the repeaters and were all happy discussing some technical aspect of a project on the repeaters, then some "know it all" from the city broke in and told them "your doing it all wrong". Apparently after that, none of the Barossa locals will even use the repeaters in fear of being bullied by that "know it all"

So each day I travel to work in silence, except for the occasional LIPD triggering the 70cm input after I have given my "vk5pj mobile listening Barossa"

[VK4CZ]

Keeeeeeeeeeeerchunck!

[VK4GHZ]

I'm sure Lou gets frustrated seeing the direction some topics seems to go.

If nobody used repeaters . . . . . . . .

Then my mobile range would be severely limited.
Repeaters can be a great tool.
Without them, I would have to question the true value of having $$$ tied up in 2m and 70cm transceivers in the car.

They also make useful "on-demand beacons" for checks!

Anyone who has shifted from one area to another, will observe different ham radio cultures that exist in the various locales.
Coming from Melbourne (in the late 90's), activity there on 2m and 70cm (and even 23cm) was vibrant.
Moving to QLD, and there was an noticeable reduction in activity.
It's like someone flicked a switch.

If Melbourne was a nominal 100% benchmark of a healthy vibrant ham radio scene, I would have rated Brisbane at 5% or lower.
The difference was chalk and cheese.
Up here, there appears to be an unhealthy culture of "anti-repeaters" and "anti FM".
It's quite bizarre.
Repeaters are too CB? Good grief. Ham repeaters have been around long before CB started... so that one doesn't fly.

2m FM has always been the perfect telephone band.
It's also never been cheaper to purchase a 2m FM box these days.
There's no excuse not to have one in the shack/car... and use it.
Learn how to use the priority scan to check between your groups simplex channel, and the (are you sitting down?) local repeater.

I've always thought something is fundamentally wrong if primary contact with other local hams is by telephone or email.

I would have to say, it's seriously hard to justify 4 MHz of VHF hi-band and what remains of 430- 440 MHz here in the state of Queensland.
Use it or loose it.
... or whinge about it, after you've lost it?

[VK3ALB]

Strangely, most of the replies so far have come from call areas where repeaters are less popular. You hit the nail on the head in part of your reply Adam. I think some of us use the repeaters all the time without considering the distance between stations.

If nobody used repeaters . . . . . . . . they might discover that their transmission footprint is quite large and would easily allow simplex operation in a majority of cases.

[VK2XQ]

Deathly silence is what greets the radio amateur in Sydney concerning the 53MHz six metre band FM repeaters, you can listen to Dural on 53.850MHz for days on end and not here a voice or anyone triggering it. Likewise the Blue Mountains and Maddens Plains ones are usually quiet too. Terry Hills died years ago and has never came back on air.

You have more chance in rustling up a contact on 52.525MHz FM than on the repeaters, many folk in Sydney have 53MHz capabilities too, judging by the number of check-ins after the VK2WI Sunday Broadcast on 52.525MHz FM simplex. As for the others on 2m and 70cm, sorry, not active there only HF/6m this way.

Surprisingly, when six is open to New Zealand I usually work someone on the Auckland 53MHz repeater without fail, but never worked anyone on Christchurch or Wellington though.

Ron VK2GO once mentioned to me that on his country travels he finds a "reluctance" exhibited by locals in answering a general "CQ" on country town repeaters placed by outsiders, the Brisbane factor? Ron said you can hear a local conversation on a country repeater, be courteous and wait for them to finish, then place a call only to be ignored.

[VK2KRR]

Repeaters are great beacons for monitoring propagation. Although I'd prefer to see a beacon in place of a number of repeaters some times.

Repeaters can also be useful for exposing those who are unaware of how far a 2m or 70cm FM signal can travel directly.
Sometimes people may not be able to have big antenna systems, but when a DX station can access their local repeater they can still take part in making a contact to a station a long way away, and although it may only be for them a contact to the local repeater, its still a thrill for some to be able to say hello to a station accessing the repeater from hundreds or thousands of km away. Ive had small orderly pile ups on some repeaters of stations who just want to say hello to the DX station. Particularly VK5RAD.

And just for a sample, lets remember boxing day 2003
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPXzhNZfCg0

[VK2XSO]

If nobody used repeaters . . . . . . . .

You would be listening to 23cm !

[VK2JH]

....... you would know that you were in south east Queensland....

Unfortunately clubs seem to think that they all must have a repeater, so they spend a lot of time and money installing one, only for it to be silent most of the time. The neighbouring club also has one or two and they also remain silent, except for the voice indents every now and then, or some ham actually calling and hoping for an answer... the cheek!!

They used to be great mediums of regular chatter once, but now???


John
VK4JHC/VK2JH
Mount Hallen Qld

[VK4GHZ]

I'm a visual person.
The following tends to suggest we might have more repeaters than what we really might need.

[VK3MEG]

well I'm, glad I'm in Victoria there is quite bit of activity on repeaters even rural ones but the further you get from Melbourne the quieter they are. as vk2krr says they are a great way of measuring propagation. 2m seems the most popular with 70 cm very quiet unless close to town. with out repeaters my interest in the higher bands would be nonexistant.

[VK3HY]

"If nobody used repeaters"...........it would be harder to justify the existence of our hobby.

I rarely use repeaters but respect and appreciate tthose who establish and use them. Amateur radio caters for a diverse range of interests and repeater users contribute to the numbers in our ranks.

de VK3HY

[VK2AVR]

Keeeeeeeeeeeerchunck!

it's just not the same when you kerchunk on simplex.

In Sydney, repeaters are vital for short range mobile comms because of how hilly the terrain is. I enjoy the drive-time rag chew with local club members.

Deathly silence is what greets the radio amateur in Sydney concerning the 53MHz six metre band FM repeaters, you can listen to Dural on 53.850MHz for days on end and not here a voice or anyone triggering it. Likewise the Blue Mountains and Maddens Plains ones are usually quiet too. Terry Hills died years ago and has never came back on air.

We're considering how to revive the 6m Terrey Hills repeater.. there is some interest from club members but various issues to overcome (lack of cavities for one, and working out how to link a separate Tx and Rx is the other possibility but a difficulty in erecting new antennas at our repeater site). Would be great to get it back on air but the culture of 6m repeaters being deathly quiet does need to be overcome - if nobody uses it then it's pointless activating it again!!

Ron VK2GO once mentioned to me that on his country travels he finds a "reluctance" exhibited by locals in answering a general "CQ" on country town repeaters placed by outsiders, the Brisbane factor? Ron said you can hear a local conversation on a country repeater, be courteous and wait for them to finish, then place a call only to be ignored.

Going against the general consensus of "Queenslanders hate repeaters" my first and only 6m contact was into the Sunshine Coast on a 6m repeater, to a VK4 member local to the repeater. Maybe it just takes extraordinary circumstances for the banana benders to talk to us

[VK7DB]

We're considering how to revive the 6m Terrey Hills repeater.. there is some interest from club members but various issues to overcome (lack of cavities for one, and working out how to link a separate Tx and Rx is the other possibility but a difficulty in erecting new antennas at our repeater site). Would be great to get it back on air but the culture of 6m repeaters being deathly quiet does need to be overcome - if nobody uses it then it's pointless activating it again!!

I have a set of 6m cans I would consider selling for the right price..

[VK7DB]

And to play the game..

If nobody used repeaters . . . . . . . .

I would have nothing to fix..

[VK3HJ]

If nobody used repeaters . . . . . . . .

There would be no "Repeater Wallys".

One thing that has driven people away from utilising the great resource of repeater systems, is the existence of the bloody wallys who think they "own" the repeater and cause disruption when someone uses "their" repeater.

I use HF much more, and if there were no repeaters I'd probably not miss them. But there are also plenty of wallys on HF. You'd be amazed how many frequencies are "owned" by this net or that, or some yanks who use such and such a frequency for their morning chat despite the frequency being in use.

Luke VK3HJ

[VK2JDH]

If nobody used repeaters . . . . . . . .

... and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

[VK2ZRH]

Ah ! Zen and the art of repeater maintenance.

73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH