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A New Ham's
Guide
How to Use Amateur (Ham Radio) Repeaters by
N4UJW
Simple
enough for even me to understand!
This article will help the New Ham
to be more at home on repeaters and understand the operation and
procedures on Ham Radio Repeaters.
It contains a basic description of a
ham radio repeater, how to use it properly and is written with the NEW
HAM in mind for one of the most popular ham bands....2
meters.
What is a Repeater and
Why is it Needed, and How Does It Work?
What: It's a two-way radio system that receives on one
frequency, then re-transmits what it receives on another frequency;
at exactly the same time. It's nothing more than a "dumb electronic
machine" with some smart people behind
it.
Why it's
needed: Your mobile or handleld
transceiver, has a limited range due to it's antenna height with respect
to the radio horizon and rf attenuating surroundings. Repeater
systems are used to "transfer" your transmitted and received signals to
much higher levels electronically using large, very efficient high
gain antennas, low loss feedlines and a transmitter and receiver that is
rated for heavy or continuous duty. A repeater "gets out" your signal and
receives the station you are talking to with a far greater range and
coverage area! You take advantage of the repeater's higher elevation to
increase your effective transmitting and receiving coverage versus your
mobile or hand held transceiver!
How does a
Repeater work?
Here's a simple block diagram of a repeater
below:
More about Repeaters. See these
very informative videos below from K7AGE, Randy.
A video is worth
a thousand words! 3 Parts and a must see! (About 10 to 11 minutes
each)
Part 1 -
Part 2 -
Part 3 -
The Basic Repeater
Components:
Antenna
Most repeaters
use only one antenna. The antenna is used on transmit and receive signals
that are going into and out of the repeater. It usually is a high
performance, high gain, heavy duty, and very efficient antenna located as
high on a tower or structure as we can get it above the surrounding
terrain.
Lots of repeater system antennas are located on a high hill
or mountain.
Antenna systems for repeater use are usually very costly
and have an omni-directional
pattern.
Feed
line
The feed line used on most repeaters is not just a piece of
standard 50 ohm coax cable. A type of specialized feed line called "hard
line" is usually used. It is very similar to cable tv line that you
see strung between power poles around town. Look just above the telephone
lines and you will see much larger "aluminum" cable. The signal loss with
hard line versus regular coax is much lower than in standard coax, so more
power gets to the antenna and weaker signals can be received due to
the very low loss of the "hard
line".
Duplexer
This device serves a major role in a repeater. The duplexer
separates and isolates the incoming signal from the outgoing and vice
versa. It prevents the receiver and transmitter from hearing one another
by the isolation it provides. A duplexer has the shape of large tall cans
and is designed to pass a very narrow range of frequencies and to reject
others. It helps to reject very strong nearby frequencies from other
repeaters or rf producers from getting into the repeater system.
Receiver
Receives the incoming signal. This receiver is generally a
very sensitive and selective one which helps weaker stations to be heard
better by the repeater. It is set to receive the input frequency. It's
also where CTCSS (Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System) or "PL" decoding
takes place.
Transmitter
Most "machines", as
repeaters are sometimes called, have a transmitter composed of an exciter
and a power amplifier. The exciter modulates the audio coming from the
receiver which is tuned to the transmitting stations's frequency at
the proper transmit frequency, and the power amplifier simply boosts its
level so the signal will travel further. Lots of repeaters use 100 watts
or more. It simply takes the weaker received frequency from say a
mobile or ht and re-transmits it (repeats) at a higher power level on
a different frequency. On the 2 meter
band, this separation between transmit and receive frequency is usually
600kHz either positive or negative in relation to the transmit frequency.
On the 440 (70cm) band it is usually 5mHz positive or negative in relation
to the transmit frequency.
The "transmit" frequency is the frequency you tune your radio to and is usually listed in various sources. For instance, if you see a repeater listing that says:
146.90mHz, minus or negative offset, Pl tone,
100....then you would program your radio to 146.90mHz , minus 600kHz with
a PL tone of 100 into the memory for that specific
repeater.
NOTE that most newer radios automatically set the offset
(your actual transmit frequency) so you won't have
to.
Controller
This is the brain of the repeater. It handles repeater
station ID using either CW or voice, activates the transmitter at the
appropriate times, and sometimes performs many other functions
depending on the sophistication of the repeater. Some also have a DVR
(Digital Voice Recorder) for announcements and messages. The controller is
a small computer that's programmed to control a repeater.
What is
Offset?
You may have
seen the word "offset" mentioned in the Tramsmitter section
above. So exactly what is a repeater offset you may
ask?
In order to listen and transmit at the same time, repeaters
use two different frequencies. One for it's transmit frequency and another
for it's receive frequency. On the 2 meter ham band these frequencies
are 600 kHz (or 600 kilohertz) apart. On other bands, the offsets are
different. As a general rule, if the output frequency (transmit) of the
repeater is below 147 mHz, then the input frequency (listening) is 600
kilohertz lower. This is referred to as a negative offset. If the output
is 147 Mhz or above, then the input is 600 kilohertz above. This is
referred to as a positive offset.
Virtually all ham radios sold today
set the offset once you have chosen the operating frequency automatically.
Example: If the repeater output is 146.840 Mhz. The input, or the
frequency the repeater receiver listens on is 146.240 Mhz ( 600 kilohertz
below 146.840mHz).
If you have your radio tuned to 146.840 Mhz, (the
repeater's output frequency), when you push the mic button, your radio
automatically transmits on 146.240 Mhz, 600kHz down from 146.840. When you
release the mic button to listen, your radio switches back to 146.840 mHz
to listen on the repeater's output frequency. Note: There are exceptions
to the rule so check your local repeater listings.
Standard Repeater Input/Output Offsets
Band Offset
6 meters 1 MHz
2 meters 600 kHz
1.25 meters 1.6 MHz
70 cm 5 MHz
33 cm 12 MHz
23 cm 20 MHz
Why do Repeaters use an
Offset?
Without having an offset
between the transmit signal and the receive signal frequency, the repeater
would simply hear itself when it was transmitting on the same frequency it
was listening on!
Therefore, to use a repeater a user must use a
different transmit frequency than receive frequency. Your actual transmit
frequency is the exact same one that the repeater receiver is listening
on. This is a form of duplex, or two frequency operation. It is known as
half-duplex as you do not receive and transmit at the same time but
normally use the push-to-talk button on your microphone to switch between
the two. Cell phones use full duplex so each party can hear the other
while the he/she is talking.
Even with the offset, the two
frequencies are close enough that some isolation is required. Again, this
isolation is done by the Duplexer. So you can see why some repeater
components interact with each other and without the basic system
components....nothing would work.
What's all
those tones about?
What is a PL or CTCSS Tone?
PL, an acronym for Private
Line, is Motorola's proprietary name for a communications industry
signaling scheme called the Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System, or
CTCSS. It is used to prevent a repeater from responding to unwanted
signals or interference. Tone Squelch is an electronic
means of allowing a repeater to respond only to stations that encode or
send the proper tone. In other words, if a repeater is set up to
operate only when a PL tone of say, 136.5Hz is heard by it's receiver,
then it will allow the transmitting station access. If your station, (your
mobile, base or handheld) does not transmit the tone that the repeater
receiver has been programmed for, when you key up, then the
receiver of the repeater does not hear you and will not be usable by your
station until you set the proper tone in your radio to be transmitted when
you key your mic. Any modern station may be set up to transmit this unique
low frequency tone that allows the repeater to
operate. If a repeater is "In PL mode" that means it requires a CTCSS tone
(PL tone) to activate the repeater. Due to severe congestion of ham
repeaters in some areas, most repeaters are "PL'ed".
These repeaters
were once called closed repeaters.
TABLE OF COMMON PL TONES (in
Hz)
67.0 94.8
131.8 171.3 203.5
69.3 97.4 136.5
173.8 206.5
71.9 100.0
141.3 177.3 210.7
74.4 103.5 146.2 179.9
218.1
77.0 107.2 151.4
183.5 225.7
79.7 110.9
156.7 186.2 229.1
82.5 114.8 159.8 189.9
233.6
85.4 118.8 162.2
192.8 241.8
88.5 123.0
165.5 196.6 250.3
91.5 127.3 167.9 199.5
254.1
What
Happens When You Key Your mic?
Let's "key up" a repeater and see what sequence of events
are created within the repeater equipment when someone makes a
transmission:
You set your transceiver controls for the 146.84
"machine" and listen to see if it is in use...nothing heard.
You key
your mic and throw out your callsign...."This is KE5??? (insert your call
sign) listening on the 146.84 machine". Then you release the mic
button.
Assuming your station is within range of the
repeater....The repeater antenna which is uaually very high on a tall
building, tower, water tank, or even a mountain top, picked up your
signal with its antenna on 146.24 (your transmit frequency set to
the standard offset for this part of the 2 meter band of -600Khz, and
the repeater's receive frequency) and sent it down the feedline to
the duplexer.
From there it was sent to the repeater
receiver and converted to an audio signal (just like the sounds
coming from your speaker)....sent to the controller (the brains of the
repeater), then sent to the repeater transmitter and turned back into
a much greater amplified radio signal on 146.84mhz (the output of the
repeater)....sent to the duplexer....then thru the feedline to the antenna
and out over the air. So your little pip squeak ht running only 1 watt may
be increased to 20, 30, 50 or 100 watts or sometimes more using the
repeater transmitter and its much higher gain antenna and high
location!
A mobile, ht or base station that happened to be
within range and monitoring the ".84' machine heard your transmission on
146.84mhz (the repeater output frequency).
Since radio waves travel at about the speed of light....at
the split second that you first keyed your mic, the above events took
place and the repeater was receiving your signal on one frequency
and re-transmitting your signal on a different frequency at the same
time!
The mobile station that was listening
on the output frequency of the repeater heard your callsign....keyed
his mic and came back to you starting the process all over again!
A simple way of demonstrating what is going on with a
repeater is to set a scanner or a second receiver tuned to the input
frequency of a LOCAL active repeater...in the case above...146.24mhz
and you can monitor its input (and the stations using it if they are
local).
Then with your transceiver, monitor the output on 146.84mhz!
You should be able to hear both the input signals and the output of the
repeater as all this takes place on the air. You may notice some differene
in the audio quality between the input and the output frequencies. This is
normal.
How do you make a call on an
Amateur Repeater?
First, LISTEN AND LISTEN SOME MORE...... to make sure that the
repeater is not already in use. When you are satisfied that the repeater
is not in use, set your transmitter power to the
minimum and increase only as needed to make contact with the
repeater, begin with the callsign of the station you are trying to
contact followed by your callsign. e.g. " N4??? this is N3???". (The N3???
is your callsign). If you don't establish contact with the station you are
looking for, wait a minute or two and repeat your call.
If you are
just announcing your presence on the repeater it is helpful to others that
may be listening if you identify the repeater you are using AND your
callsign. e.g. " This is N3??? listening on the 84 machine or you could
also say This is N3??? listening on 146.84 Dallas or the location of the
repeater if known. This allows people that are listening on radios
that scan several repeaters to identify which repeater you are using.
If the repeater you are using is a busy repeater you may
consider moving to a simplex frequency (transmit and receive on the same
frequency..... see more below), once you have made contact with the
station you were calling. Repeaters are designed to enhance communications
between stations that normally wouldn't be able to communicate because of
terrain or power limitations.
If you can maintain your conversation
without using the repeater, going "simplex" (both stations on same
frequency in a different part of the band) will leave the repeater free
for other stations to use that can't establish simplex
communications!
Repeater Etiquette and Reporting Emergencies
The first and most important rule before using a repeater
is to LISTEN FIRST. Nothing is more annoying than someone that "keys up"
or DOUBLES in the middle of another conversation without first checking to
make sure the repeater is free. If the repeater is in use, wait for a
pause in the conversation (watch your S meter and wait for it to drop
indicating the repeater is listening) and simply say "Emergency,
Emergency, Emergency", and wait for one of the other stations to
acknowledge your call. If for some reason you are not heard, then repeat
the 3 "Emergencies" again...then if you are still not heard, try another
nearby repeater.
This is not
CB radio!
Don't use CB lingo on any ham band such as 10-4, what's
your 20, etc.....don't say BREAKER!
Using the words
BREAK, or BREAK, BREAK or BREAK, BREAK, BREAK or any
combination of them on Ham radio can be misunderstood by an operator
depending on his experience.
The word "break" or combinations of
it carries many different meanings in the ham community and in the
English language.
According to THE EMERGENCY COORDINATOR'S MANUAL
Edited by Steven Ewald, WV1X and Published by The
American Radio Relay League, Inc.,
Quote from the "General
Procedures section....http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%2520Service/ECMANUAL.PDF
"16) The word "break" is never used UNLESS there is an emergency."
Then further down in the manual, it appears to contradict or discourage the use of the word/s BREAK in the above statement:
"Note: The practice of using "BREAK" or "BREAK
BREAK" to announce distress traffic should be strongly
discouraged; it has no universally understood
meaning.
So rather than have
confusion...use plain language!
SO HOW DO YOU REPORT
or ACT ON AN EMERGENCY ON A HAM BAND?
Many hams use the wording, "BREAK, BREAK, BREAK", (the word
"break" repeated 3 times in a row). This is accepted practice on the hf
bands where noise may be a problem but on repeaters, usually noise is not
a problem, so using "plain" language such as "EMERGENCY", REPEATED 2 OR
MORE TIMES can be used to announce that there is an emergency and the
frequency is needed to relay vital information....if you hear an
"Emergency" call during your conversation with another station....stop transmitting, listen....and then
acknowledge the station calling the emergency and let them have
the frequency immediately! Don't delay
them by saying something on the order of "Stand by breaker" and
then carry on your conversation with your contact. Seconds wasted doing this may COST a
life! Listen to them carefully and write down the
details of their emergency. They will give you the details of the
emergency. Then pause for a moment and wait before you go back to
him.......many other hams who heard the emergency call may be
responding ALL at the same time.
If someone "beats" you to
getting back to him, let him take over. Do not break into the
conversations UNLESS there is a need for a relay. Under certain
situations due to distances involved with mobiles and repeaters, you may
be able to hear a mobile BETTER than the repeater on the input frequency
of the repeater. It is a good idea to monitor the input if possible if the
station reporting the emergency is having trouble getting into the
repeater. You may be closer to him than the repeater and can hear him
better!
Whether or not the station reporting the emergency is a base
station OR mobile, try to monitor the input of the repeater if there is
difficulty in the emergency transmission.
IF
YOU ARE REPORTING AN EMERGENCY:
When using VOICE, use the
international standard "MAYDAY" or universally understood
"EMERGENCY" to announce traffic of life-or-death importance.
The procedure
should be:
1.Select the repeater frequency.
2. Wait for a space
between transmissions if the repeater is busy.
3. Key your mic and
state..."Emergency, Emergency, Emergency" unkey.
4. Wait for a response
from the repeater users. If you get no response, try another
repeater.
When you do make contact, state your call sign and give as
many details as to the emergency as possible. Don't
panic, speak slowly and clearly so the
details will be understood the first time! Always give details as
exact and specific. Give the details of the exact LOCATION of the
emergency using enough description of the location so it can be found
easily by first responders. Don't say....on highway 60 and leave it at
that. The emergency vehicles need exact locations if at all possible.
Remember, seconds or minutes saved equal lives in many cases!
Give
number of "victims" if possible. Is there is fire involved, downed power
lines, immediate road blockage due to wreckage creating further dangers?
DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS.
The person on the other end of your
transmission is most likely copying the info to paper so he can relay it
to the appropriate authorities. Help him help you!
If by some chance you have to use Morse code when reporting
an emergency, then:
The standard CW signal is "SOS," sent as a
single character--not spaced as three letters."
EXAMPLE: DIT DIT DIT DAH DAH DAH DIT DIT DIT and NOT, dit dit
dit SPACE dah dah dah SPACE dit dit
dit.
NOTE: Many repeater systems allow touch
tone key pad entry of "911" DIRECT TO the 911 operators and the emergency
reporting system. Check with your repeater system owners or trustees for
info BEFORE YOU NEED TO KNOW.
When making a 911 call direct from your
station, make sure the 911 operator understands that you are calling via
ham radio and she/he can not talk or (be heard by you) until you have
unkeyed your radio. Use of the term "over" is very helpful between
you and the 911 operator. It is not like using cell phones. It is a one
way (half duplex) transmission using a repeater and not simplex
as with regular cell phones or land lines. Both parties CAN NOT talk at
the same time!
Use plain
language on a repeater. If you want to know someone's location, say
"Where are you.... or what's your location?" If you want to know
whether someone you're talking with is using a mobile rig or a hand-held
radio, just ask: "What kind of radio are you using?" You get the idea.
Most repeater use is of a "local" nature so signals will be usually of
very high quality. The use of the phonetic alphabet is very helpful at
times.
Don't call CQ to initiate a
conversation on a repeater. Just simply listen to make certain the
repeater is not in use and then key your mic and say your call sign and
"listening".
If someone happens to be listening and they want to talk
to you they will respond.
When you are using the repeater leave a
couple of seconds between exchanges to allow other stations to join in or
make a quick call. Most repeaters have a "Courtesy Tone" (a short...beep
or series of beeps) that will help in determining how long to pause. The
courtesy tone serves two purposes. Repeaters have a time out function that
will shut down the transmitter if the repeater is held on for a preset
length of time (normally three or four minutes). This ensures that if
someone's transmitter is stuck on for any reason, it won't hold the
repeater's transmitter on indefinitely. (Don't laugh, many microphones get
lodged in the fold of car seats and keep a repeater busy until it times
out. Of course if it is not noticed soon by the mobile operator.....the
control operator of the repeater may have to shut down the repeater until
the problem is corrected.) When a ham is talking and releases the
push-to-talk switch on their radio, the controller in the repeater detects
the loss of carrier and resets the time-out timer. When the timer is
reset, the repeater sends out the courtesy tone. If you wait until you
hear this beep (normally a couple of seconds), before you respond, you can
be sure that you are pausing a suitable length of time. After you hear the
beep, the repeater's transmitter will stay on for a few more seconds
before turning off. This is referred to as the "tail". The length of the
tail will vary from repeater to repeater but the average is about 2 or 3
seconds.
You don't HAVE to wait for the "tail to drop" before keying
up again, but make sure that you hear the courtesy tone (if
used) before going ahead. Note: If you don't wait for the beep, the
time-out timer may not reset. If you time-out the repeater, YOUR
conversation AFTER the time-out will not be heard. The repeater time-out
function does not care if you are still talking or not; and the station on
the other end may rib you about hogging the machine and you will have
wasted all those words! What is Doubling? When two stations try to talk at
the same time on the same repeater, the signals mix in the repeater's
receiver and results in a buzzing sound, squeal, distorted sound or
severely jumbled and broken words.
When you are involved in a
roundtable discussion with several other stations it is always best to
pass off the repeater to a specific person (station) rather than leave it
up it the air. e.g. "W3??? to take it, this is N3???", then unkey;
or.......
"Do you have any comments Fred?, this is N3???"; un key.
You could also say "OK...that's all I have.....back to you Fred" or
the next person in rotation... (un key)....
Failing to use this or
other techniques is an invitation to total confusion.
As a point of
interest, a repeater will usually lock into the strongest of two FM
signals. This is the nature of FM. The strongest signal usually
wins.
Signal Reports on a Repeater
Lots of new hams
don't understand that the S meter on their radio is only reporting
the relative strength of the repeater system and NOT the signal strength of the station they are
talking to unless they are in the simplex mode. When the repeater is
transmitting, it may have an output greatly exceeding that of the station
IT is listening to. Remember the station it hears on the input frequency
of it's receiver may be on a hand held radio and only a few
blocks from the "machine" or it could be a mobile radio in a vehicle
out on the fringes of the repeater coverage area or a base station running
a high gain antenna and 100 watts from the next county or in some cases,
the next state. To a third party, (another ham), listening to the machine
on the repeater output, all of these stations would have the same S
meter reading on his S meter! As long as the repeater can detect the
signals and is working properly as it is setup, then all stations, (to the
third ham), will "appear" to have the same signal strength on the S meter.
Remember, the S meter is only reporting the relative
strength of the repeater when it is transmitting and not the
individual stations! So all that being said, how do you give an accurate
signal report to the station you are talking to?
JUST USE PLAIN ENGLISH!
Listen to the background sounds of his
AUDIO coming from your speaker in between words and sentences. Don't even look at your S meter. (Assuming the
repeater has a good strong signal into your location).
If there is
no noise other than room background, road, passenger or other sounds that
could be picked up by his microphone, then he would be said to have a FULL
QUIETING signal into the repeater.....receiver. NOT 50 OVER S9,
S9, OR ANY COMBINATION on your S meter. The term "Quieting" refers to
the carrier level of the transmitter being strong enough to "quiet" the
background hiss on the frequency. If some background noise such as the
hiss that is commonly heard in an FM receiver is heard on the transmitter
signal, then it would not be considered "FULL QUIETING". There are
times when either station using a repeater may be getting into the
repeater receiver with very little signal and the repeated signal
will have lots of noise on it. Although the repeater signal may be full
quieting when the weak station stops transmitting, the weak station can
not be considered to be full quieting into the repeater so you would give
the other station a report on his signal and not the repeater. Don't get
confused with this. If his audio is perfectly understandable with 100 %
copy and there is NO "noise" in the background other than the above, then
an accurate report for him would be, "You're full quieting and 100 % copy
into the repeater. Anything less than the above is usually given in
various ways using an exact as possible description of his
signal. "Audio" reports are a matter of interpretation by individual ears.
We as hams are in the "business" of communications , not HI FI broadcast
FM! We can only sound as good as the FCC will allow our
transmitters to sound! If you are having extreme difficulty copying the
other station, he may also be having the same problem with you, but
remember he is hearing the repeater signal, not yours direct and so are
you. Try to get him to go "simplex" if he is coming closer to you in a few
minutes. See hint below. If the transmissions get so ruff that
neither can copy the other, then just give your call sign and clear off
the repeater for others to use while he gets closer or higher or
changes his transmitting setup. Not all conversations are completed to the
end under adverse conditions or operating situations....be
patient.
HINT....If the station is
in and out of range of the repeater you and he were using and is
coming in your direction...try him on a simplex frequency! He may be loud
and clear direct on simplex and only a few miles away and getting stronger
all the time but he is getting farther from the repeater! Another
situation that can happen during a new contact is that you and he did
not exchange locations at the first of the contact. Both you and
he are using a repeater 50 miles away. Then after several minutes you
discover in your conversation with the other station that he is in the
same town as you and only a couple of miles away! Time for simplex! Don't
hog the repeater.
Simplex operation
generally means station to station or direct communication
on the same frequency between two stations and not using a repeater. Use the least amount of output
power needed to carry on the contact. Simplex should be used when the two
stations are close enough to carry on a conversation without the use of a
repeater and will help in congested metro areas with a limited number of
repeaters.
Simplex should always be used if
possible rather than a repeater.
See chart
below for suggested simplex frequencies. (Highlighted in
gray)
Repeater input and output frequencies highlighted in yellow.
2 Meter Band Plan as suggested by the ARRL (144-148
MHz):
|
144.00-144.05 |
EME (CW) |
|
144.05-144.10 |
General CW and weak signals |
|
144.10-144.20 |
EME and weak-signal SSB |
|
144.200 |
SSB National calling frequency |
|
144.200-144.275 |
General SSB operation |
|
144.275-144.300 |
Propagation beacons |
|
144.30-144.50 |
New OSCAR subband |
|
144.50-144.60 |
Linear translator inputs |
|
144.60-144.90 |
FM repeater inputs |
|
144.90-145.10 |
Weak signal and FM simplex (145.01,03,05,07,09 are widely used for packet) |
|
145.10-145.20 |
Linear translator outputs |
|
145.20-145.50 |
FM repeater outputs |
|
145.50-145.80 |
Miscellaneous and experimental modes |
|
145.80-146.00 |
OSCAR subband |
|
146.01-146.37 |
Repeater inputs |
|
146.40-146.58 |
Simplex |
|
146.52 |
National FM Simplex Calling Frequency |
|
146.61-146.97 |
Repeater outputs |
|
147.00-147.39 |
Repeater outputs |
|
147.42-147.57 |
Simplex |
|
147.60-147.99 |
Repeater inputs |
YOUR FIRST CONVERSATION
AND CONTACT ON A REPEATER!
That most exciting day just arrived!
You now have passed your Technician Class exam and have been issued your
first call sign by the FCC.
You have your station
all set up and you are ready for your first contact on a repeater! You
chose a local repeater frequency and dial it up on your rig. You just
keyed your mic, gave out your call sign and now you hear........your call
sign and someone coming back to you with his call sign.....he un keys and
the repeater is waiting for YOU!
BRAIN LOCK SETS IN! "What do I
do? What do I talk about? Will I remember all those rules, regulations,
theory and all that other stuff I had to study?
The simple answer
is.......probably not......but don't
worry!
First thing....try to write his call sign down
and if he gives his name, that too. Lots of good operators recognize a new
ham instantly on the air and they will guide you with patience,
understanding, maybe some fun prodding and picking at you to get you to
relax and have fun with your new license.
He will WELCOME you!
A good operator will never make you feel unwanted on the air. He may
ask you to repeat your call sign just to make certain he understood who he
is talking to and if you forget to give your name, he will ask for it.
Most hams don't like to talk to a "call sign", so getting names and also
locations helps to start the conversation.
If you make mistakes....he
will most likely let you know what you did wrong and inform you as to the
correct way in a friendly manor.
Don't be surprised if he asks you
all the questions instead of the other way around. He is just trying to
get you to feel relaxed on the air. As your experience grows in ham radio,
aways try to remember your first contact and how excited and nervous
you were. Now it's your turn and you are the one responding to a new ham
and his first contact! Make him feel at home and.......be a good
operator.....like your first contact was! Repeater ID.....you and
it!
You must transmit your call sign at the end of
a contact and at least every 10 minutes during the course of any
communication. You do not have to transmit the call sign of the station to
whom you are transmitting. Never transmit without identifying. For
example, keying your microphone to turn on the repeater without saying
your station call sign is illegal. If you do not want to engage in
conversation, but simply want to check if you are able to access a
particular repeater, simply say "(your call sign...... testing)."
CONTROL OPERATORS
All ham radio stations, including repeaters AND YOUR STATION are required by the FCC to have a control operator monitoring the station while it is on the air. You are the control operator of your station.
Control operators are usually the owners, trustees or other designated licensed operators of a repeater system. They sometimes stay quietly in the background just listening to the every day operation of the "machine" for technical problems, proper use, FCC rule breaking, etc on a particular repeater.
They have complete control of whether a repeater is on the air or off and have the ability to stop it's operation at any time! Use the repeater to the best of your ability and within the FCC rules.
Report any
un-authorized use of a repeater to the repeater owner or person
responsible for the operation of the repeater.
One last
thought....SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL REPEATER/S.
It takes LOTS of money to maintain a repeater and
the money has to come from somewhere. If you can't donate funds, then
donate your time, assistance, equipment, knowledge, labor or anything of
value to the repeater owner to help keep it on the air. It will be
appreciated! Even simple things like mowing the grass around the repeater
area is certainly appreciated. If the repeater is on a mountain top, enjoy
the view while you are there. All repeaters need some kind of care from
time so volunteer your time when others
don't.
WARNING TO NON-LICENSED STATIONS!
Only licensed Amateur Radio Operators are authorized use of
ANY Amateur Radio transceiver including repeaters in the transmit
function.
SEVERE PENALTIES ARE ENFORCED BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION!
LICENSED HAMS HAVE WAYS TO DETECT BOGUS CALL SIGNS!
DON'T TRY IT!
DON'T FORGET .....ID YOUR
STATION
THE REPEATER
WILL NOT ID FOR YOU....IT ONLY ID'S ITSELF!
After all......it's only a
dumb "machine"!
HAVE FUN....73, N4UJW !
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