Probably because it's true.
There are things you can skimp on in a repeater and get lesser
performance, and there are things which if messed up cause
all sorts of problems, for both the repeater users and others.
A crystal is definitely one of the latter. Getting cheaper coax
means degraded performance, but it isn't going to affect others.
Sadly, you can't really experiment much on the lower repeater
bands. Mess up a repeater on 6, 2, 222 or 440 frequency wise
and you're likely to find out.
This happened to a system in west Michigan once. We were
driving around and I tried getting into the local repeater and
found I couldn't. I heard someone on but sounding off freq,
so I started hunting around and found that the input had drifted
more than 10KHz high. Once there I was able to get in, but not
sounding great.
Talking with the owner on a 440 system, he'd gotten new
crystals, not from ICM because he thought he couldn't afford
it. This was during the 15 to 20KHz changeover for repeaters.
I'm sure he learned something from that experience, and I did
as well. What I'd been taught from the repeater folks I'd been
hanging around proved right in reality.
Running a repeater is a certain amount of pain. I'm willing to see
what I can get away with too, but there are things that I won't try
to skimp on and this is one of them.
--STeve Andre'
wb8wsf
On Tuesday 10 May 2005 23:40, Steve Rodgers wrote:
> Why is it a common theme for some in this group make a statement such as
>
> this?:
> > If you cannot afford International, you cannot afford to put a repeater
> > on the air.
>
> What a fine piece if discouragement this is for the people just learning to
> put a repeater together. Ham radio is all about experimenting to see what
> you can get away with. It is not a commercial endeavour where crystals have
> to meet 2.5ppm! If the crystals don't perform to your expectations from one
> vendor, try someone else.
>
> Steve
> WA6ZFT
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
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