Oddly abandoned repairs before attempt to find range of sound (7)
I believe the answer is:
earshot
'range of sound' is the definition.
(someone's range of hearing)
'oddly abandoned repairs before attempt' is the wordplay.
'oddly abandoned' indicates alternate letters (letters in odd-numbered positions removed).
'before' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'attempt' becomes 'shot' (shot is a kind of attempt).
The alternate letters of 'repairs' are 'ear'.
'ear'+'shot'='EARSHOT'
'to find' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for earshot that I've seen before include "Hot ears (anag.)" , "To share (anag)" , "Hearing distance" , "Distance within which a sound can be heard" , "catching distance?" .)