I'm going to try this post again... I sent a ping out from Sumter Hosp (1)-> Oswego(2)->StCharles(3)->Oswego(4)->Sumter Hosp(5).

Note that Oswego and St Charles report hearing each other equally well (-0.5db vs 0.2db). Sumter Hosp and Oswego did not hear each other the same by a WIDE margin (8.5db vs -7.5db).

All stations have the same antenna, a 5db antenna.

Sumter Hosp has a Heltech T096 1w transmitter so it is "booming" in to Oswego but struggles by a margin of 15db to hear Oswego. The other repeaters here are using Xaio Seed Studio radios.

In a separate test, I sent a packet from Sumter Hosp to St Charles directly and it heard +7.5db but I could not hear it's answer because the Heltec T096 at Sumter Hosp is stone deaf.