Thread: Will a 2 meter handheld ham pickup a repeater 25 miles away?

These are the two radios I'm looking at purchasing.

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/0170.html

Or

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/3187.html

Also, how do repeaters work? My state is mostly filled with 2 meter repeaters. So if I can pick up on a repeater 25 miles away or 10 miles away will I be able to talk to people across my whole state? Thanks.
I'm not licensed yet so right now I'm just doing some research to see if this is something that I want to do. Thanks for answering.

It depends on your terrain, your antenna elevation and lack of obstacles. The horizon is an obstacle. Repeaters are usually on a tower.The power of the transmitting station is also a factor in how far awat it will activate repeaters. You might want to look through QST magazine. Consult "Current Contents" in your library (probably online) to find articles written on your subject. You must have studied about radio propagation to get your license, which you'll need to purchase the radio, and access repeaters. Try and remember.

5 miles, shouldn't be a problem with the 5 watts Yaesu handheld, as long as you have a reasonably clear path. The compact antenna may limit you a bit, but don't go switching antennas without tuning it for low SWR. With a better antenna, 20 miles may not be impossible. You might want to walk into Ham Radio Outlet and talk to the guy in the plaid shirt, crew cut and horn-rimmed glasses. He will tell you everything if you take time to listen to him.