Local band plans strict or flexible?

Ink

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As a new ham, i am curious about the 2 meter band plan for this area. Can a frequency set aside for a repeater be used for a simplex net if it doesn't cause issues? I noticed this while programming in a repeater and accidentally stumbling upon net control for a road race.
The frequency used was very close to where simplex frequencys start in the band plan. Does it matter because nearly every repeater uses some form of tone squelch?
I don't know how strict the band plans are followed or if it is just a rough guide as long as it doesn't cause issues?

thanks!

oh while i have your attention......
why do some repeaters use different tones on input and output? sometimes a repeaters output tone is listed in red but no explanation is given?
73
 
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Well, my understanding is that the repeaters are assigned frequencies so that they don't interfere with each other. This isn't always 100% successful, i.e, Westford and Paxton sometimes cause interference with each other even though are technically far enough apart that they shouldn't interfere.

The big question in your scenario is this: Were you hearing the repeater's input or output. If you transmit on the repeater's output, you can still cause interference for anyone around you who is listening to that repeater. regardless of the tone setting on the repeater. In most cases, the tone squelch is sent by the ham TO the repeater to open its squelch to allow it to receive the transmission. A few repeaters will also SEND a tone squelch. If you have that enabled on your radio, your squelch will only open on receipt of the tone...thus eliminating interference.
 
I did not hear anyone keying up the repeater and this particular one has tones in and out so it's probably a non issue. They were transmitting on the input signal. I was programming in the repeater when i heard the broadcast. As soon as i programed the squelch, the broadcast dropped off.

as soon as i built my first antenna, i came across repeaters walking all over each other.... i learned about tone squelch quickly lol.

It was probably a non issue, but i don't know any experienced hams so i figured i would ask here
paxton is always busy..... its prob 150 miles from me so i can't hit it with my 5 watt HT....trying to exhaust every option on the HT to learn before i go on to something better
 
Band plans are "gentlemans agreements" you can pretty much do whatever you want as long as you're not causing interference, although there are certain courtesies like not running FM in the weak signal parts of the band, DX windows, that kind of thing... or on open packet channels, etc.

That said, I would avoid most repeater pairs if you possibly can, because on 2M most of them have -something- on them. There are usually a few channels around 146.520 you can squeeze into without much issue. The only way I would use a pair is if there was a machine on it but the machine is known to be dead... then I doubt anyone is going to bitch about it, although they might be confused if they hear people on the input or output and no machine is in play. [rofl] With the current lack of use of most ham bands it shouldn't be that hard to
find a machine in the book that's "local, but inoperative".

-Mike
 
Band plans are "gentlemans agreements" you can pretty much do whatever you want as long as you're not causing interference, although there are certain courtesies like not running FM in the weak signal parts of the band, DX windows, that kind of thing... or on open packet channels, etc.

That said, I would avoid most repeater pairs if you possibly can, because on 2M most of them have -something- on them. There are usually a few channels around 146.520 you can squeeze into without much issue. The only way I would use a pair is if there was a machine on it but the machine is known to be dead... then I doubt anyone is going to bitch about it, although they might be confused if they hear people on the input or output and no machine is in play. [rofl] With the current lack of use of most ham bands it shouldn't be that hard to
find a machine in the book that's "local, but inoperative".

-Mike

It gets weird when you have two repeaters on the same pair and are supposed to be far enough apart, geographically speaking. The Harvard MA repeater is on the same pair as a repeater down in RI. The PL tones are different. Harvard is basically dead with the exception of some commuter traffic. So, I was shocked one night when I tuned by and heard a traffic net coming in with a bunch of noise. My first thought was, "Wow...Harvard sounds like shit tonight." When people started checking in, I quickly realized it was a RI repeater. I looked up the repeaters with the frequency and found it. I changed the PL and checked into the net! Too funny.

What drgrant said is pretty spot on. There are plenty of places on 2M to hang out and as long as you're not stepping on someone, usually, no one will say anything. Some people to get pretty butt hurt when you start up a rag chew on 146.520 and don't move off to another frequency. 146.520 is the calling channel where you make contact and then QSY to another freq. I saw this a lot at the Spring HAMFEST in Deerfield, NH. Should have heard some of the guys losing their freakin' minds.
 
You mention that you are about 150 from Paxton. Can you hear it and just not reach it? Just curious because I think that machine has the biggest single footprint in New England. Though, I hear that it has some dead zones to the north-northeast. The antenna is on the southwest side of the tower and so it drops off to the north east.

Mt. Tom is supposed to be huge too, but I can't hear it due to hills between me and it.
 
You mention that you are about 150 from Paxton. Can you hear it and just not reach it? Just curious because I think that machine has the biggest single footprint in New England. Though, I hear that it has some dead zones to the north-northeast. The antenna is on the southwest side of the tower and so it drops off to the north east.

Mt. Tom is supposed to be huge too, but I can't hear it due to hills between me and it.

I can hear it very strong, but i cannot reach it with 5 watts. im going to setup a mobile for my jeep in the next couple weeks so i should be good with that. I can reach out pretty well with a HT because i live on one of the highest points in town and i have about 100 miles visibility to the west unobstructed.

thanks for all the answers everyone. You have confirmed what i suspected was the case. im just trying to make sure i start off right.
 
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