Hi Linda, I don't know if I am awake enough to make sense yet this
morning, but let me see if I can clearify things for you a bit!  GRIN! 

When you are browsing by location, any callsign with a dash R after it,
is linked to a repeater.  Depending on how the sysop has things set up,
you may not always hear the repeater come back to you when you stop
transmitting,  so you have to assume you are being heard, at least by the
system, even if noone comes back to you.  Some repeaters will have an
announcement when you connect, but many don't.  

On the other hand, when you connect to a station with a dash L after the
callsign, such as mine, you could still be connected to a repeater, as
dash L means link and you may infact be linked to a repeater.  For
example, during my local net on Wednesday night, I am linked to the local
repeater that hosts my net, though normally my link is on a simplex
frequency.  Actually, my link is always on the simplex frequency of
446.525 MHz, because my friend Steve, KB7KWK is the one who moves his
echo link radio from his simplex frequency of 146.44 MHz over to the club
repeater on 147.12.  Since Steve and I are connected 99.9 percent of the
time, when you connect to me, you are also connected to Steve and during
the net, you are on the repeater.

By the way, in case anyone would like to join us, the net for the
Superstition Amateur Radio Club in Mesa Arizona is every Wednesday  at
8:00 Mountain Standard time, wich is 11:00 PM Eastern Daylight wasting
time!  GRIN!

I can't wait until sometime after next Thursday, when my beloved will be
able to check in!  GRIN!

73:
John

John Jacques
Amateur Radio Station: KD8PC
"Where Cat Is,  Is Civilization!"