[RadioShack] Repeater Question

[W8OKN]

More than happy to help.

Some repeaters, probably about 1/2 to 2/3 of them, have what is known as a
tone.  It is a PL tone.  This means private line, I believe.

It is also known as CTCSS tone.  This is done to prevent interference from
other repeaters.  For example, suppose you have a repeater in northern
Michigan on the same freq. as a repeater in the Detroit area.  They could
interfere with each other.  When someone in northern Michigan keys up the
northern repeater, there is a chance, when the band is open, for that person
to also key up the Detroit repeater.  When this happens, it is really
obnoxious.  Often you end up hearing half of a bunch of conversations.

So, the repeater coordinators started requiring a PL tone on many repeaters.
This is a tone that the human ear does not hear.  It is SUB audible.  It
cannot be heard.

The repeaters up north usually have a different PL tone freq. than the
repeaters down state.  The PL tones are registered and coordinated just like
frequencies for repeaters are.  Many of the northern PL tones are around
110.9 hertz.  Many of the southern ones are 100 or 103.5, and it varies.
There are some in the state that are 141.2, etc.    It all depends.  As you
move from state to state traveling, the tone frequencies change so that Iowa
does not interfere with Illinois, etc.

The PL tones are listed on the internet and in the repeater directories.
You can also ask the local hams what the tone freq. is.  They will tell you
in most cases, as long as it is not a closed repeater, which I detest.

Does this help?  The PL tones are programmable from the menu system on your
HT or mobile radio.

Sean
W8OKN



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Neil Kollipara, KC8YFF" <kc8yff at yahoo.com>
To: <radioshack at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 8:56 AM
Subject: RE: [RadioShack] Repeater Question


> Ok, I have no idea what that means. Can you tell me?
>
> Tnx,
> Neil KC8YFF
>
> PS-- I've only been a ham for 3 mos. :-)
>
> "M. Walton" <wmwalton3 at comcast.net> wrote:
> Neil,
>
> Do you have the proper PL tone set in your radio?
>
> Mark
> K3MRK
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: radioshack-admin at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:radioshack-admin at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Neil Kollipara,
> KC8YFF
> Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 8:17 AM
> To: radioshack at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [RadioShack] Repeater Question
>
>
> TO ALL:
>
> Hi this is Neil, KC8YFF, owner of the Radio Shack reflector. I have a
> quick question. Whenever I try to get into this one specific repeater I
> can't get into it. Once I did, but now I can't. I can't even talk on the
> repeater, although I can hear people talking on the repeater. Whenever I
> push the PTT button I don't hear the repeater tone after I release the
> key. This also happens on my HT.
>
> Thx and 73,
> Neil KC8YFF
> radioshack-owner at mailman.qth.net
> kc8yff at yahoo.com
>
>
>
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