Ron Wright wrote:
When running only 4 cavities this often happens even with 100 W better commercial rigs. Running higher power does not make the repeater hear better, often hear less, *and if you have users running typical 50W rigs why would one need 350 W?*
It isn't impossible to have a well designed repeater with a good preamp that has a 6 to 10 dB of advantage over a mobile radio in a mobile environment, especially on 220. Most would agree that the 'commercial standard' of .35 uV sensitivity and 50 or 100 watts of power from a repeater is balanced to most mobile situations running similar power, and having similar receiver sensitivity. Now, add a good preamp (something that gives a real 6 to 10 dB of receiver sensitivity) to a well designed repeater system and you have the need to run 200 to 400 watts to regain being balanced. A well designed repeater system will allow the desired system power level to be run without desensing the receiver, and would hopefully have a few dB of additional isolation for times that upset the system like when the repeater antenna ices over.
Kevin Custer
