Amateur Radio, ARRL Ohio Section, Ohio Section Journal

Ohio Section Journal – The Technical Coordinator – May 2025 edition

One of the responsibilities of the Technical Coordinator in the Ohio Section is to submit something for the Section Journal. The Section Journal covers Amateur Radio related things happening in and around the ARRL Ohio Section. It is published by the Section Manager Tom – WB8LCD and articles are submitted by cabinet members.

Once my article is published in the Journal, I will also make it available on my site with a link to the published edition.

You can receive the ARRL Ohio Section Newsletter and other Ohio Section news by joining the mailing list. Anyone can join and do not need to be a member of the ARRL, Ohio Section, or even a ham to join the mailing list. Please sign up!  NOTE: If you do not see the Mailchimp “Subscribe to the ARRL Ohio Section Newsletter” signup form just below the page heading, disable cosmetic filtering in uBlock Origin or check browser plugins for similar blocking.

If you are an ARRL member and reside in the Ohio Section, update your mailing preferences to receive Ohio Section news in your inbox. Those residing outside the Ohio section will need to use the mailing list link above.  Updating your ARRL profile will deliver news from the section where you reside (if the leadership chooses to use this method).

  • Go to www.arrl.org and click the Login button.
  • Login
  • When logged in successfully, it will say “Hello <Name>” in place of the Login button where <Name> is your name.  Click your Name.  This will take you to the “My Account” page.
  • On the left hand side, under the “Communication” heading (second from the bottom), click Opt In/Out (or direct link)
  • To the right of the “Opt In/Out” heading, click Edit
  • Check the box next to “Division and Section News.”  If it is already checked, you are already receiving the Ohio Section Journal.
  • Click Save
  • There should now be a green check mark next to “Division and Section News.”  You’re all set!

Now without further ado…

Read the full edition at:

Archive index: https://arrl-ohio.org/ohio-section-newsletter/

THE TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
Jeff Kopcak – TC
k8jtk@arrl.net

Hey gang,

What happened to RFinder? That is the question. Recent findings indicate it’s not going well. RFinder World Wide Repeater Directory (WWRD) was the ARRL’s pick for the online Repeater Directory and data source for the printed edition. That partnership was announced in early 2016. Back in August (2024), it was announced that two LLC’s (limited liability company) acquired majority ownership of RFinder, LLC, essentially taking it over.

I liked features of RFinder and the Android app but it suffered from “paper repeaters” – repeaters that only exist on paper (coordinated) but haven’t been on the air in some time or were never on the air. In addition, there were outdated repeater records that were decades old stale data. I had submitted many corrections multiple times yet old data remained. That kept me from regularly using the service as my source for radio programming information. The subscription price seemed steep for the quality of data, too. I had a lifetime subscription, which was later removed as an option.

It got overly confusing when RFinder started selling Android cell phone devices with built in FM and DMR transmitters integrated with their WWRD app. With a few taps, the radio would be programmed for a nearby DMR repeater or use Brandmeister over the cell network or WiFi network connection. Though the RFinder Shop heavily promoted their radio products, it was obvious they were not pushing RFinder WWRD subscriptions. I have been getting newsletters from company name variations like Network-Radios[dot]com, RFinder[dot]shop, Inrico[dot]shop – promoting different radio products.

Should have known something was up when I opened a ticket at the end of May last year (2024), then their Help Desk system disappeared. After a few clicks on old RFinder URLs, a new directory branded “Unified Radios Directory” appears though it doesn’t seem to work. After accepting prompts to allow geolocation: “Error getting location. Unable to determine your location.” Guess the focus on “on innovation, customer trust, and enhanced product offerings” hasn’t yet happened. Recent announcements indicate the ARRL is no longer expecting much from the RFinder WWRD partnership.

Within the last few months or so, a Unified Radios site indicates pending legal action with accusations of “willful violation of a binding settlement agreement” and intellectual property accusations against Bob Greenberg and RFinder, LLC. Unified Radios suggests canceling existing RFinder active subscriptions through PayPal and disputing charges made since September 2024. More information at the Unified Radios link above.

2025 Repeater Directory powered by RepeaterBook (repeaterbook)

Recent ARRL mailings and ads show the 2025 edition of the Repeater Directory now has RepeaterBook on the front cover! I’m very happy to hear of this change. I’ve long relied on and submitted information to RepeaterBook. Their data is mostly crowdsourced – users provide new repeaters or updates to existing repeaters for things such as offsets, PL tones, location, sponsor, highway converge, digital mode, and Internet linking configurations. I know the Ohio administrator will verify certain submission data with the repeater trustee and validates repeaters are still on-air every few years. Most effort I’ve seen put into accurate repeater records since I’ve been licensed.

I wish the site looked more unified because different features of the website look “bolted on” (have a different look/functionally different from the rest of the site). The RepeaterBook app is pretty basic. No maps showing current position and nearby repeaters, for example, which is a must-have feature for me. It’s useful to me seeing repeaters in the direction I’m headed and not care so much about the ones I’ve already passed. These are minor issues knowing there are like two guys coding the site. Both the site and app are otherwise functional. The few times I’ve found issues with the site, I message KD6KPC (RepeaterBook owner) and he fixes it quick.

RepeaterBook is free to use though an account is required to submit information and export data (to a radio programmer, for example). I welcome this change and hope this results in a more accurate Repeater Directory with minimal stale data and minimal paper repeaters. The 2025 ARRL Repeater Directory using RepeaterBook is available now in the ARRL Store.

Thanks for reading and 73… de Jeff – K8JTK