All about the HAMs

[Jkgene]

So how would it ( or could it ) work for Indy and I to talk with each from the South Bay to the North Bay?

[89YJBuilder]

You could use linked or unlinked repeaters or IRLP or depending on the band conditions, radios and distance you may actually be able to talk simplex.

Simplex simply means that you are talking radio to radio with no repeating system involved.

IRLP is a system that links "nodes" which are basically repeaters through the internet all over the world.

A repeater does exactly what it sounds like. It receives a signal and rebroadcasts it. So if you link several you have a repeater that then rebroadcasts the signal to another repeater and that one does it as well and it continues through however many repeaters are linked and there by you could talk for a very long distance. There is a set of repeaters that are linked as such that spread from the bay area to Cressent City. So it links the entire N. coast. I have talked to my wife from S.F. back here to Clearlake on that system. I have also talked to my daughter when she was here at the house and I was fishing in Klamath last year.

At times simplex works great. I talked to my wife from a hill top while we were in Hollister this spring while she was here in Clearlake on simplex.

How you would do it depends on your equipment and conditions as well as availability of repeaters. I hope this helps. I know that it isn't real cut and dry however it isn't just that easy to give a direct answer. I can dig some for you to try to find out if there is a known set of repeaters that you can use if you would like.

[89YJBuilder]

Try searching www.sonomacountyradioamateurs.com there is info on classes, tests, repeaters ect. ect.

Hope this helps.

[fast540]

I'd suggest cell phone

[lowranger]

[bobthetj03]

Does anybody even have a land line anymore, lol!

[kg6mov]

2.4ghz moonbounce.

Good day with the right repeater it should be possible. With the right antenna you might be able to hit the N6NFI repeater. Indy should be gangbusters into that machine from fremont.

You could try both hitting the mt tamalpais machine K6GWE or the machine in richmond WD6EZC.

Don't light up a bay area machine without a callsign though, the local stuff is actually monitored.

[Indy - KK6ONP]

Gene .. get your license as soon as you can. Not only it is the law but it also gives you a lot of information to get started. It is not that hard to do. Start the practice test and do them as many times as you can. Also, watch some youtube videos on the repeaters work and how to set them up on your handheld.

By law, you are supposed to say your call sign every 10 mins and at the end of the conversation. From what I have been hearing on the air, people start the conversation with their call sign, repeat it every now and then (less than 10 mins) and end the conversation with it again. So, if you don't have a call sign and start talking over the air, everyone will know right away that you are not licensed.

[Jkgene]

I'm trying to just to much going on right now. Lol

[Indy - KK6ONP]

Try tuning in to 145.2300 ... see if you can pick it up. It's busy in the morning with their 9AM Daily Talk. More info here:
http://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/d ... 9TjRu.dpbs

You might not be able to talk on it due to handheld/distance but should be able to listen to it.