Two users?! I hate to be the one to say this on Repeater-Builder, but ... Cell phone? Free calling between "family" members? Can you hear me now? Good.
Dollar estimates below (you can replace the numbers with your real ones to do your own homework on this, but...): Assume: * The cost of building the commercial repeater with radio, duplexer, hardline, antenna, isolator, and NOT including tower space/site rent is $1000. * The cost of a monthly two-person cellular bill with two phones that you can probably get for free is approximately $35/month. You're looking at 28 months to hit break-even and get any economic benefit from your investment in that commercial repeater if the area is serviced with cellular coverage. This also assumes no failures or maintenance bills on the repeater for at least two years. I'd say that estimate of $1000 for a first time repeater builder is not unreasonable if you have none of the parts. You can get that cost down by finding surplus commercial radios and things, but you'd have to factor in the true cost of your time to hunt down the gear, test/tune it, etc. Then you have to compare the coverage area. The truth is that a 2-way radio repeater for two people doesn't ever make economic sense... (or cents)... unless there's no cellular coverage where you live at all. However, it's hard to measure the "fun" factor. If you think your wife would actually carry her radio and use it to call you, knowing that you're the only person she can reach on it and that it's not a secured or private communications medium... and you just want to do it for fun, go for it. Build the repeater, by all means! -- Nate WY0X p.s. No licensing or coordination expenses were factored into this what-if scenario above either. Those would add in and make the ROI even later. [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >Given your situation and only two users on the system, you may want to >consider something in the family radio services or other none licensed radio >services, I think they are called something like FMRS and GMRS. You will >never get a commercial license for a repeater with only 2 users; remember >commercial 2-way is for business use only, not ham type of chit-chat. >Unless your in an extremely remote location commercial 2-way licenses are >almost assured to be sharing a commercial freq pair with other users, >exclusive use of a freq. went away 20 years ago unless your a governmental >or life safety agency. > >-----Original Message----- >From: Dakota Summerhawk [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2004 1:51 PM >To: [email protected] >Subject: RE: [Repeater-Builder] Getting frequencies for UHF repeater >either commercial or ham? > > >OK, I do have a ham license and the repeater is going to be for just two >users me and my wife who doesn't have a license for ham right now. >Thinking about Commercial service and the upkeep would be done by me so >its not really going be making any money per se. >Dakota >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2004 12:23 PM >To: [email protected] >Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] Getting frequencies for UHF repeater >either commercial or ham? >Well having an understanding of repeaters is one thing. Being licensed >within a service that allows you to put up a repeater is something else. >Unless you are a ham radio operator putting up your own repeater (and >you have the funds to support this) or a club repeater which the club >will support you may want to think about the business end of this. >Supply and Demand. What is in your area and Who's going to use it? How >much will it cost to provide the service ? >How much income will it provide ? >(can it pay for it's self ? and your efforts?.) >and then just the rest of the usual business questions how to build the >business and keep it operating. >hope this helps .....bob > >________________________________________________________________ >The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the >Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to >sign up today! > >Yahoo! Groups Links > >--- >Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. >Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). >Version: 6.0.726 / Virus Database: 481 - Release Date: 7/22/2004 > > > > > > >Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Repeater-Builder/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
