In rec.radio.scanner KB9WFK wrote:
(snip)
: How do you define, "a couple of miles"? My Icom T2H (a 7 Watt hand
: held) can make it from my house to the repeater 18 miles away. If I
: can hit that repeater then I can talk to anyone between it and me on
: simplex, and that is with the rubber duck antenna. Using a home made
: twin-lead J-Pole antenna I talked on the repeater from downtown
: Chicago which is a 36 miles trip.
: On 2 Meters, get your antenna high and you can really reach out.
: Height is Might.
(snip)

Yes, but ... not everyone has a "high" antenna .. and many of those will
be closer to you than that "repeater 18 miles away" and yet, you *won't*
be able to talk with them. Because they won't hear you and/or you won't
hear them.

Richard in Boston, MA, USA