TCNRW Squawk Box

What is line of sight? Higher radio frequencies tend to travel in a straight line. If you can see the other station you can talk to them. For instance one radio near the Fire Station in Cedar Ridge will find it easy to communicate with another radio at the bottom of Kewin Mill Rd near the bridge in lower Cedar Ridge. This is line of sight, well if there were no trees obstructing the view. The radio near the Fire Station can also communicate with a station at Belview School. This is line of sight.
The radio at the bridge in lower Cedar Ridge can not communicate with the radio at Belview School directly. They are not light of sight. In my radio checks the lower Cedar Ridge radio could communicate with a radio at Comstock and no further. Not exactly line of sight. Is a gray area. As they say your mileage may very.
What to do? A radio at the top of the hill near the Fire Station can relay messages between stations.
Enter the Repeater. What is a repeater? It is like the station at the top of the hill that relays messages. But it does the relaying automatically. It has no operator and is available day or night.
So far there are three GMRS repeaters available in the area.