Kerchunking repeaters

[Wayne Bowyer]

It’s about 3 pm Saturday afternoon. I just got back from running an errand to my hardware store. I noticed on my ride over there someone continually was kerchunking the 075 repeater. On my way back to my shop in the space of 80-90 seconds someone again keyed up the machine at least 5 times maybe 6! I then identified and asked if whoever that was needed some help? Of course there was no response and the machine was dead quiet for the remainder of my trip. No surprise.

I will sometimes key the machine to see if I’m in a solid reception area but then I will sign with my call. To continuously key the machine and not give your call is an extremely poor operating procedure(not to mention it’s frowned upon by the FCC). We all benefit from the many repeaters we have here in the valley. The bad habit of “kerchunking” only serves to shorten the life of the machines we are blessed with. So please remember that the next time you reach for the microphone.

Respectfully
Wayne
N4eyz
Sent from my iPhone

[Jeff Rinehart]

Great comments Wayne. I blame the training folks are getting - Everyone was supposed to learn that you MUST identify your transmissions within 10 minutes. Not necessarily at the start but at least every 10 min. Some Never identify their “Kerchhnks”.  

Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

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[Tom Whitehurst]

I noticed the same kerchunking thing on the 146.85, former Hermitage (now Verona) repeater a little earlier in the afternoon.

Tom

KC5UN/4

[Wayne Bowyer]

I'm inclined to agree with you Jeff. I don't think there is any malicious intent, but more a lack of instruction and training. 

Wayne

n4eyz

[Anne Underwood]

Could it be a child that got a hold of a ht?

Anne Underwood, KA1LSK

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From: valle...@googlegroups.com <valle...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Wayne Bowyer <wayne....@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 27, 2025 5:18:29 PM
To: Jeff Rinehart <jmrin...@yahoo.com>
Cc: valle...@googlegroups.com <valle...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [Valley Hams] Kerchunking repeaters

 

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[Matt Huffman]

Well I'll tell you a funny story.

Many years ago (early 90's) the 147.045 repeater had no squelch tail and no PL tone. As a new ham I did not know this. In fact, I'd probably never heard of a repeater with no squelch tail. I kept trying to get into the repeater announcing "KD4UPL testing" but since there was no squelch tail I thought I wasn't making it. I naturally assumed there must be a PL tone I didn't know about. (This was all long before repeater book.) I decided to try each PL tone one at a time until I could bring up the repeater. I started at the bottom (88.5 I think?) and would transmit "KD4UPL testing." No squelch tail was heard so I'd try the next PL frequency. After probably 10 or more tries Tiny came on the repeater (I know some of you remember him) and asked what I was doing. I told him I was trying to find the PL tone and I must have just found it since he answered me. "There is no PL tone." he told me. "And there's no squelch tail either." I felt rather silly after than realizing I had probably just transmitted my testing message across the repeater probably 15 or more times in a row.

Matthew Huffman

KD4UPL

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[Elijah]

It could have been one of my siblings 

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