What is this "repeater not found" message on my AnyTone?

If you are receiving a “repeater not found” message, it is most likely going to be for the following reasons:

1. An invalid color code or time slot has been entered for the repeater. Please note that even if a web page like repeaterbook.com gives a specific color code and time slot, the listing may not be correct. Repeater operators have been known to change these periodically to eliminate traffic from non club members.
2. Mind your distance from the repeater. Unlike analog repeaters, there is no such thing as a faint signal or being half in / half out.  With digital, you are either hitting it or you're not.  If your color code and time slot are correct, and you are still getting this message, then you are not putting out a sufficient signal to activate the repeater.
3. When in doubt, use or purchase a hotspot for access to various talk groups from your own home. If you are out of range of your local repeater, you can still verify that your radio is working by testing it out on a hot spot. 
4. Your local digital repeater club will likely be distributing a code plug for their repeater and other area repeaters which share the area network. This is the code plug that you will ultimately want to load to your radio for local access.

Troubleshooting:  When accessing a repeater, be sure your power levels are set to TURBO for 7w output.  When accessing a repeater from within a vehicle, use a mag mount antenna on the vehicle.  If you are over 3 or 4 miles from a repeater, use a high gain antenna like a Nagoya 771.  

If you are using the 578 Mobile, you will want to be sure to use an outdoor base station antenna if your radio is located within your home, and a good mobile antenna of at least ¼ wave length on all bands if using the radio from your vehicle.  I have successfully maintained contact with a local digital repeater from as far away as 8 miles using a ¼ wave mobile antenna on my vehicle, however, this was when I was is in the suburbs.  If you are a ways out in the country, typical range can be between 8 and 20 miles to a digital repeater under good conditions (possibly farther) when running 45 watts on UHF.