Thread: DIY UHF repeater?

Hi guys

Wandering if any of you have access to a UHF repeater that you can lend or instructions on building one.

At times I am involved with outdoor camps and activities which we used uhf hand helds for teams, but in steeps terrain signal can be a bit hit and miss.
I have access to high points normally and keen to see about setting up a UHF repeater that will work on standard hand held units.

Any tips tricks or even a unit I could loan?

Side point: can any one help me reprogram baufeng 888 hand helds to NZ frequencies… I have the cable but having issues trying to program. ( fyi not using them till reprogrammed)

Thanks

Waldo

i wouldnt attempt to make one, you will end up with a knock at the door.
but if you really want to good luck with these guys: https://www.rsm.govt.nz/

I have a few Beofengs, Uv55r style 5w + 8w

And programmed mine without a cable, it is a bit of a f__k around from memory but is doable and i'm sure there was a youtube vid that helped me do it....

Most Search and rescue groups have at least one home made repeater as until a few years ago commercial ones were not available at a reasonable cost

I have made a couple for forestry users a few years ago but both were using frequencies they owned.

Neither was very cheap.
This would likely do what you want but as suggested you would need to check with Radio Spectrum Managements on requirements for UHF PRS private Repeaters.
Cheap versitile repeater adapter

Slightly off topic but as this thread has attracted some knowledgeable people its a good place to start..... There is a repeater on the top of North Kaweka (one of the high points of the Kaweka forest park on the main range)

I believe its a doc transmitter although i'm not 100% sure as i have used it with one of doc's handheld radios doing work with the back country trust from about as far west as you can get in the Kaweka fp and communicated all the way back to the doc base in Napier (about as far east as you can get before you get wet) my question is would this frequency be available only to doc? Or could anyone use it?
I'm assuming it would give reach to and from anywhere in the kawekas and would be bloody handy.

Originally Posted by mikee

I have made a couple for forestry users a few years ago but both were using frequencies they owned.

Neither was very cheap.
This would likely do what you want but as suggested you would need to check with Radio Spectrum Managements on requirements for UHF PRS private Repeaters.
Cheap versitile repeater adapter

I've bought one. They don't work. Heaps of feedback. Their uselessness is covered on several prepper comms Youtubes. You are far better (and simpler) to just program in a rx and tx miles apart. Or jump from UHF to VHF and back again. Baofengs are very easy to do this with. Just go onto the RSM website and ENSURE you are not messing with someone's freq that they have paid a lot of money for.

Originally Posted by Sika 8

Slightly off topic but as this thread has attracted some knowledgeable people its a good place to start..... There is a repeater on the top of North Kaweka (one of the high points of the Kaweka forest park on the main range)

I believe its a doc transmitter although i'm not 100% sure as i have used it with one of doc's handheld radios doing work with the back country trust from about as far west as you can get in the Kaweka fp and communicated all the way back to the doc base in Napier (about as far east as you can get before you get wet) my question is would this frequency be available only to doc? Or could anyone use it?
I'm assuming it would give reach to and from anywhere in the kawekas and would be bloody handy.

Its a Govt allocated VHF repeater. Available only to DoC and other Govt emergency services. But a hand held scanner will pick up the communications. Mundane stuff like hut bookings, chainsaw is broken, that sort of thing.

So a locked channel / frequency i take it?

Nope. Just standard VHF freqs with a 600hz offset between tx and rx. Anyone with an analogue VHF radio or scanner can listen in. Some Govt depts have moved to digital which is far harder to evesdrop on. But the change is quite an expensive exercise, so many Govt departments have not done so.

600Hz ???

Decimal point stuffup

600 khz

Originally Posted by XR500

Nope. Just standard VHF freqs with a 600hz offset between tx and rx. Anyone with an analogue VHF radio or scanner can listen in. Some Govt depts have moved to digital which is far harder to evesdrop on. But the change is quite an expensive exercise, so many Govt departments have not done so.

So can listen in, but can't broadcast over it?