[MCARC] 147.285--to tone or not to tone, that is the question!

[Nate Bargmann]

For a few days I had the TKR-750 repeater and the CAT-250 controller
powered up but not connected to the duplexer or antenna though the
transmitter was connected to a dummy load.  A couple of nights ago I
found the repeater being keyed by local noise.  In the past the repeater
has been carrier access only with no CTCSS tone required.  Mostly this
was due to technical reasons as the RF hard didn't have tone capability.

Since I have left just the TKR-750 on with the volume to the local
speaker turned up a bit and the noise has come and gone infrequently.
I'm sure it is local even though I don't hear it on the 2m frequencies I
monitor.  This has gotten me to thinking that it would be a good idea to
require a CTCSS tone just like the UHF repeater.

A common drawback of doing so would cause owners of older gear to have
to install a CTCSS board or buy a newer radio.  How many members have
such a radio?  Is it the only 2m radio you have?

Benefits would include being a good RF neighbor by not having the
repeater keyed up by random noise or stations working another 147.284
repeater elsewhere.  Also, as digital becomes more prominent, running
with only carrier squelch will lead to digital QRM in the future.  Use
of a CTCSS tone can help minimize these issues.

The next question is what tone to use.  Years back the Kansas Repeater
Council drew up some guidelines for tones to use in various parts of the
state.  In this area 88.5 Hz is the assigned tone and that is why the 70
cm repeater uses it (plus the previous radios had those tone reeds in
them already!).  Looking at RepeaterBook the closest 147.285 repeater
with an 88.5 Hz tone is located in Tulsa, OK.  There are two more in
Colorado, one at Salida and the other at Winter Park, both of which, I
suspect, would not be a problem for us.  I don't ever recall hearing the
Tulsa repeater so the choice of 88.5 Hz for us should be safe.

What are the thoughts of the group?  Would anyone have a hardship if the
147.285 repeater requires CTCSS access in the future?  That is, a
hardship other than reprogramming memories!

73, Nate

-- 

"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all
possible worlds.  The pessimist fears this is true."

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