Hi Rick, Yes, I'm in Tombstone.?
We use the EAARS LINKED repeater system in the area.?
I've talked on the EAARS repeaters from Tombstone to Phoenix.?
Actually they installed a new Repeater near Truth or Consequences that is linked in as well.?
This is the EAARS website:
On the website, you'll see a map of the repeater locations.
You'll just have to try with your HT and see if you can hit a repeater, maybe the one in Globe on Pinal Peak. Depending on your line of sight you might hit it with your HT.?
Ref my FT-60, I'm running a Diamond SRH77CA antenna which gives much better performance than it's stock antenna.?
FT-60 I can hit the Heliograph repeater:
It's a little scratchy but I talked to a Ham in Tucson using the Heliograph repeater.?
The Heliograph repeater is 65.18 miles from Tombstone. It's definitely on the outer limits for the FT-60, but I tell you this so you'll get a feel for what these HT's can do depending on your geography.?
Typically I'll use the Mule Mountain EAARS repeater which is 18.3 miles from Tombstone.?
One time I made contact with a Phoenix Ham operator all the way from Tombstone, but he was on a mobile rig. I'm guessing he was hitting the EAARS Globe repeater or MT Lemon repeater in Tucson.?
The EAARS system carries a big foot print in SE Arizona, reaching all the way to EL Paso.?
Might be good to put the frequencies into your radio, just in case you ever get over this way, then you'll be linked into a very large area with lots of Ham activity.?
I'm new to Ham radio also, only a little over a year now.?
Also, if you can find an IRLP node in your area, you could easily connect to the Tombstone IRLP Node: 7515
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Ron,
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Do you live in Tombstone? Is there some arrangement of repeaters that would let me go from south of South Mountain down to Tombstone?
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73,
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Rick
KG7MQL
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The hard part is out of the way. ?Welcome to the hobby.
-------- Original message --------
From "'Rick - yahoo' rgsparber.ya@... [FT-60]" <FT-60@...>
Date: 2014/06/18 6:23 PM (GMT-07:00)
To FT-60@...
Subject [FT-60] my first contact!
Thanks to all for your advise. I just make my first contact using a repeater on South Mountain. This repeater is 2.5 miles from my home with a clear line of sight. When I was sitting down outside, the signal was poor. Just by standing up, it was good. My contact was in a town south of me about 30 miles away. I did remember to say my call sign every 10 minutes (or sooner) and at the end. Great fun and I learned a few things!
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73
Rick
KG7MQL