[FCARC] Simplex Net this Sunday

[Adam T. Cately]

Hello all -

As most of you are aware, we will be having a simplex net this coming 
Sunday, the 30th, at 8 p.m., on 146.460.  I'd like to posit a few 
thoughts to the group on how we can make this work to everyone's 
advantage.  I apologize if this is already part of your knowledge base, 
so please bear with me.

Simplex, or radio-to-radio, is different from using the local repeater 
in that you don't have the repeater antenna height to make up for your 
mobile or portable signal - my antenna height here is about 60' and 
that's way less than the repeater at 200'+. If you want to check in from 
your mobile or portable you can, but there may have to be relays from 
base stations to get the weaker mobile or portable stations on the 
list.  Mobile multi-path plays a part in whether you will have a good 
signal to someone else, or can hear that someone else at your location - 
on VHF (2m) if you are parked and can't hear well, move ahead or back a 
foot or two or three and you may see a big difference in how your signal 
gets out, or how that weak signal coming in now gets improved.  Same 
thing with using a portable, try moving around a bit to see where the 
best signal is coming from, and that will probably be your best spot for 
communicating too.  Hold your portable up straight - DO NOT do like they 
do on TV and in the movies, hold it sideways or upside down or whatever 
- it might make you look cool but is DEFINITELY NOT conducive to quality 
communications.

The lower signal strength coming from being on simplex can be overcome 
by also lowering your squelch level on your radio, so that you can hear 
a weaker signal to your radio - please try to check to see where your 
squelch level is at so that you won't miss anything (or as much of 
anything) - I run my squelch on the base rig here at threshold, so that 
I can hear all of the weak stuff. Use the high power setting on transmit 
on your radio, so that you get the best performance on the net, unless 
you are a base station and know the range of your station on low or mid 
power, then you should be OK.  We can always do radio tests during the 
net, too, as that is part of the concept of having this net.

Doubling on simplex is a little worse than doubling on the repeater, in 
that a closer station will totally cover up the weaker signal, and 
there's no repeater to play back both so that you would know if someone 
was doubling or not - other stations away from me may be able to help 
with this - for this matter I will announce at the top of the net that 
we will take check-ins from the cardinal directions, North, East, South, 
and then West, from my location here, and we will ask frequently for 
relays to make sure no one gets missed.  The repeater will be available 
to use for anyone that cannot or does not get checked in on simplex, I 
will be monitoring both.

I believe that covers most of what I wanted to say for now, thanks to 
all for your support.


73 de KB8MDF


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     Adam T. Cately
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