I've been making AutoPatch calls for fun out of the Del Webb repeater in the West Valley (Sun City Amateur Radio Club machine on 147.300). That repeater isn't used much outside of their club nets, so it's usually available for AutoPatch. I even made a long distance call to a cellphone located in Denver, CO a few weeks back and talked to my mom for a few minutes; there was a minor glitch in that the 'hops' were causing interference and missing a word here or there.
Along with LCP's instructions, I always start the AutoPatch communication once the # has been dialed with the following;
1. "Hey, it's me! (followed by my call)
2. "You're talking to me on 2m HAM radio out of the XXXXXX repeater."
3. "This is a simplex communication, so we'll need to take turns talking."
4. "This is an AutoPatch call, so anyone listening can hear both sides of our conversation."
This ensures you don't get sideways on a topic that the other person doesn't realize isn't private. Also, I lucked out when talking to my mom, as she heard the 2m HAM and simplex and immediately ended her replies with 'over...', which worked nicely. While taking advantage of the free connectivity to cell, extending your radio communication 'range', and trying out new things - it also gives you the experience that if you ever NEEDED to call someone's landline or cell from your 2m rig, you could.
At the end of the AutoPatch call, someone who was listening called for me and asked me how I got that all to work; he didn't even realize they'd had it hooked up on their machine!
Along with LCP's instructions, I always start the AutoPatch communication once the # has been dialed with the following;
1. "Hey, it's me! (followed by my call)
2. "You're talking to me on 2m HAM radio out of the XXXXXX repeater."
3. "This is a simplex communication, so we'll need to take turns talking."
4. "This is an AutoPatch call, so anyone listening can hear both sides of our conversation."
This ensures you don't get sideways on a topic that the other person doesn't realize isn't private. Also, I lucked out when talking to my mom, as she heard the 2m HAM and simplex and immediately ended her replies with 'over...', which worked nicely. While taking advantage of the free connectivity to cell, extending your radio communication 'range', and trying out new things - it also gives you the experience that if you ever NEEDED to call someone's landline or cell from your 2m rig, you could.
At the end of the AutoPatch call, someone who was listening called for me and asked me how I got that all to work; he didn't even realize they'd had it hooked up on their machine!
