[TNham] Commentary: SERA's "All Tone All The Time" Policy HighlyQuestionable

[Ed Dial]

I just can't even believe this is an issue in the 21st century.

In most other parts of the country, one has to look long and hard for a 
carrier squelch repeater, if one can be found at all. Technically, the 
sensitivity of the repeater is compromised by tightening the squelch up 
tight enough that the system doesn't cycle with noise peaks. I would go one 
step further and require the repeater to generate a CTCSS tone on transmit 
so I can utilize tone squelch on my mobile radio. This would go a LONG way 
in reducing that heart-starting burst of noise every time I drive near a 
collection of transmitters or anything that will drive noise above the 
squelch threshold. Unless your repeater is built from old Motorola T-Power 
strips, this should be a simple issue. Well, if your repeater is built from 
old T-Power strips, this would STILL be a simple issue. Communications 
Specialists ( http://www.com-spec.com ) is ready when you are.

Every radio manufactured for the amateur service in the last 20 years has 
CTCSS capability. If your radio is 30 years old, treat yourself to one of 
the new slick designs that can be purchased for less than $100 
brand-spanking new. If you can't afford that, a used 10-20 year old radio 
would have to be pretty dirt-cheap. If you just can't part with your 
classic, a tone board can be added for $28 (see URL above). There's really 
no excuse in 2004 not to be able to generate a sub-audible tone.

The way a lot of communities deal with the "what tone do I use" problem is 
to standardize on a common tone for the area. For example, all repeaters 
that served Knoxville would use 107.2 Hz. For the wayward traveler blowing 
through town that doesn't own a copy of the repeater guide, he repeater ID 
is an excellent way to convey the information as to which tone to use to 
access a given machine.

I think you'll find that SERA is a late-comer to this policy, and I applaud 
their efforts to incorporate sixties technology into amateur radio repeater 
systems. It's long past due.


Ed Dial - WA4RYW



At 05:29 PM 8/28/2004, Perry Ogletree wrote:
>This is a typical "overkill" solution used by authorities to "solve"
>difficult problems they are too lazy to deal with.  The SERA President's
>remarks that radios are "cheap" and everyone can afford a new one proves the
>disconnect with reality that plagues this group.
>
>Another alternative would be to separate TN from SERA.
>
>Perry - K4PWO
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Greg Williams" <k4hsm at lock-net.com>
>To: <tnham at mailman.qth.net>
>Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2004 2:45 PM
>Subject: [TNham] Commentary: SERA's "All Tone All The Time" Policy
>HighlyQuestionable
>
>
>I posted the following commentary on my web site at ETSKYWARN.net.  I
>welcome comments and feedback to the issue.
>Greg