You will find that most of the "digital" mode radios also include the conventional analog features allowing these repeaters to be the most popular for local operations
Expanding on the basic analog... by adding a digital board and a Raspberry-Pi computer, you can now connect your analog radio to the internet! This allows you to connect to other "nodes" and talk to other amateurs around the world. Many repeaters have done this making this mode very popular in some areas.
What do you need to join this new mode in Gainesville? Just your regular handheld or mobile radio tuned to our repeater! See how our 444.9875 or 146.850 repeaters has done this by joining the East Coast Reflector and Southeast Link, a collection of repeaters and nodes across the US...and even a few in other countries!
DMR or Digital Mobile Radio, has quickly become the most popular of the digital formats. Available as inexpensive (Chinese) handhelds and mobile radios, these radios make digital radio affordable. See the DMR link to learn more about how DMR works and about the two DMR repeaters (one VHF and one UHF) that are available for your use.
DMR repeaters and hotspots, connected to one of the many networks, provide worldwide communications with only a handheld radio.
A proprietary format, YSF provides a digital mode that is also capable of transmitting other data such as photos and GPS data. Like DMR, many of the repeaters have affiliated themselves with various reflectors and "rooms" such as America Link.
Visit our 444.050 repeater (default is linked to AmericaLink) with full WiresX capability.
We presently do not have a working D-Star in Gainesville (it is very hopeful that the Alachua County Sheriff's Amateur Radio Club will soon have their "stack" on the air), there are two Ocala repeaters.
Check out the KG4NXO repeater on 145.170 (PL of 123.0) and the KK4DFC repeater on 146.790.
Even though we do not have one in Gainesville, there is a P25 repeater located in The Villages. WN4AMO operates on 146.850 using NAC 293 and a PL of 103.5.
Although not amateur radio, it is still very popular with many of the local hams, allowing them to still communicate with their families without the need for them to also obtain a ham license. Operating on channels in the 462 and 467 Mhz frequencies, many of the channels are also shared with the license-free FRS (Family Radio Service) channels. GMRS is permitted to use up to 50 watts and has several channels available to operate repeaters. Gainesville has a repeater operating on 462.550 with a tone of 141.3. You can get a GMRS license for $35 which covers your entire family for the next 10 years.
Needless to say, obtaining, installing and maintaining a repeater system is very expensive. Repeaters can run anywhere from $1500 to $8000 and this does not count the antennas (including paying someone to climb the tower), hardline cable, combiners, duplexers, isolators, power supplies and the monthly charges including internet service.
Donating to this site assures continued maintenance of the multiple repeaters, continued access to commercial internet (I have to pay the monthly Cox bill!), and ongoing purchases of new repeaters, controllers, interfaces and computers to run them. Ongoing projects will be to add a PA Amplifier to the Yaesu Fusion repeater (it is presently at 20 watts - my goal is to be at 50 watts) and replace the aging 146.850 homebrew Motorola repeater (UPDATE: This was replaced with a Yaesu VXR-9000 on August 10, 2022, as a result of a lightning strike on this and the GMRS repeaters). Future possibilities include a possible UHF P25 repeater.
Just click on either of the Donate! buttons and click "SEND"
