FM And Repeaters

Get started the right way on the most popular mode among new American ham radio operators.

By Brian Battles, WS1O

Everyone is new to something. As a licensed Amateur Radio operator, you're probably familiar with (and eager to use) local FM repeaters. Don't grab that mike and start talking just yet, though. Because many hams don't have proficient, seasoned "Elmers" to help them learn the ropes, we'll try to help you start off on the right foot with this article.

Most radio amateurs don't make a fuss over issues of "etiquette and protocol," but hams are protective and proud of the courteous operating procedures that have become standards. You may bump into an occasional ill-mannered character who appears inclined to criticize or ridicule a newcomer, but take it in stride. The most skillful radio amateurs are those who display tolerance and encourage the efforts of newcomers. As with any established pursuit, it's best to avoid the embarrassment of making gross faux pas in public by simply taking the time to learn the customs and practices accepted and expected by more experienced participants.

Your License is an Opportunity

Once upon a time, it was traditional for most hams to start out in Amateur Radio as Novices. They were limited to operating with low-power CW on a few small slivers of the HF bands below 30 MHz. As the FCC rules have evolved, however, new hams have been granted authorization to operate on more frequencies. using a wide variety of modes. The most popular entry level license today is the Technician class, which includes full amateur privileges above 30 MHz. In addition to their HF privileges. Novices may operate FM simplex at 222-225 MHz and FM simplex, or through repeaters at 222.15-225.0 MHz and 1270-1295 MHz.

Your new amateur license is a great opportunity for getting involved with VHF and UHF FM repeaters. Unprecedented numbers of friends and family members now enjoy being able to get in on the excitement and rewards of Amateur Radio. Many have become involved in public service, emergency communication support, traffic handling or just keeping in touch with their ham friends. New hams are welcome to join repeater clubs and support their activities.

In Amateur Radio, the most popular communication activity across the US is using VHF/UHF FM repeaters. American hams are in good company; many other countries also offer codeless VHF/UHF only licenses and have thousands of active FM operators.

Getting Acquainted with the "Machines"  

American hams often call a repeater a "machine." A repeater is an Amateur Radio station designed to receive signals on one frequency and simultaneously retransmit them on another. Because they receive and transmit on different frequencies, they can do so simultaneously. To use a repeater, you operate your transceiver in the "split" mode. You listen to the repeater's output frequency and transmit on its input. Because its receiver is separate from its transmitter, a repeater is a duplex device. That means signals go into and out of it at the same time.

Another term you'll hear is simplex, which just means direct, two-way ham-to-ham communication. It's always better to operate simplex than to use a repeater, if possible. The ideal practice is for repeaters to be used only as a secondary means of communicating if your equipment isn't able to maintain direct contact with another station. The agreed-upon national simplex frequencies are 146.52, 223.50, 446.0, 906.5 and 1294.5 MHz.

A repeater is usually located in a high place where it can be easily heard by users over a wide area. The idea is to extend the reach of hand-held and mobile transceivers that normally have limited, line-of-sight range.

Nearly every active amateur has used an FM repeater. The US is liberally dotted with machines. The largest number by far is on the 2-meter band, but don't limit yourself: Novices can operate on 222 and1270 MHz, while Technicians, can also use 50, 222, 440, 902, 1240 MHz and above. As a licensed ham you can join the fun on a variety of bands.

To use FM repeaters. you need to know the frequencies of the machines in your area. Local hams can provide information about repeater activity. Check with members of a local club. Ask the Volunteer Examiners who administered your license test. Once you find a repeater to use, resist the urge to transmit immediately. Listen to it for a while and familiarize yourself with its operating procedures and etiquette.

Courtesy is the Key  

The key to success on the air is described by one word: Courtesy. There's no other way to explain how hundreds of thousands of ladies and gentlemen can share the same radio frequencies worldwide with a minimum of interference and conflict. An attentive. courteous operator is welcome anywhere. If you keep courtesy at the front of your mind. you'll rarely have difficulty on the air. Before making your first transmission in the world of FM and repeater communication, however, you should also be aware of basic operating techniques. These vary slightly with local custom, but here are some general suggested procedures:

There are no laws or national rules regarding the details of appropriate procedures for seeking a contact on an FM repeater. Depending on your location, different local customs dictate the preferred method to initiate a two-way radio contact via a local machine. In most areas, if the repeater is quiet, press the switch on your mike and transmit your call sign as,"WS1O standing by," "WSlO listening," "WS1O monitoring" or simply "WS1O." After you stop transmitting, the repeater may send an unmodulated carrier for a couple of seconds to let you know it's working. If anyone is interested in talking to you, they'll call you after your initial transmission. Some repeaters have specific rules for making yourself heard, but usually your call sign is all you need. In a few areas, users may call CQ to initiate a conversation on a repeater, but most hams use the term "CQ" only on HF or on VHF/UHF simplex frequencies, and don't call CQ on a local FM machine. Ask a ham neighbor (off the air) or listen to the repeater to hear how others do it.

If you want to join a conversation in progress, transmit your call sign between the other stations' transmissions. The station that transmits next should acknowledge you. As with calling CQ, local customs determine appropriate operating procedures. In most areas, don't use the word "break" to join a routine conversation. In most parts of the country, "break" usually suggests an emergency and "break, break" or "break, break, break" indicates a serious emergency. In any case, all stations should stand by for a station with emergency traffic.

If you want to call a station and the repeater is inactive, simply call the other station. (For example, "WB8IMY, this is WS 10." If the repeater is active, but the conversation in progress sounds as though it's about to end, be patient and wait until it's over before calling another station. If the conversation sounds like it's going to continue for a while, transmit your call sign between transmissions. After one of the other hams acknowledges you, politely ask to make a quick call. Usually, the other stations will yield to you. Make your call short. If your friend responds to your call, ask him to move to a simplex frequency or another repeater, or to stand by until the present conversation is over. Thank the other users for letting you interrupt them to place your call.

Likewise, if you're in the midst of a conversation and another ham transmits his call sign between transmissions, the next station in the queue to transmit should acknowledge that station and permit the newcomer to make a call or join the conversation. It's discourteous not to acknowledge him and it's impolite to acknowledge him but not let him speak. You never know; the calling station may need to use the repeater immediately. The other operator may have an emergency on his hands. so let him make a transmission promptly.

Some hams can't keep their thumbs off the push-to-talk (PTT) switch. It's been suggested that this button be renamed Release To Listen (RTL}! A brief pause before you begin each transmission allows other stations to participate in the conversation. Don't key your microphone as soon as someone else releases his. If your exchanges are too quick. you'll block other stations from getting in.

The "courtesy beeps" on some repeaters compel users to leave spaces between transmissions. The beep sounds a second or two after each transmission to permit new stations to transmit their call signs in the intervening time period. The conversation may continue only after the beep sounds. If a station is too quick and begins a long transmission before the beep, the repeater may respond to the violation by temporarily shutting down!

Keep each transmission as short as possible. Short transmissions permit more people to use the repeater. All repeaters promote this practice by having timers that "time-out," temporarily shutting down the repeater whenever the length of a transmission exceeds the preset time limit. Learn the length of the repeater's timer and stay well within its limits. The length may vary with each repeater; some are as short as 15 seconds and others are as long as three minutes. Some repeaters automatically vary their timer length depending on the amount of traffic on frequency; the heavier the traffic, the shorter the timer.

If two hams try to talk on a repeater at once, the resulting noise is known as a "double." If you're in a roundtable conversation. it's easy to lose track of which station is next in line to talk. There's one simple solution to eradicate this problem: Always pass off to another ham by name or call sign. Saying. "What do you think, Jennifer?" or "Go ahead, 'YUA" eliminates confusion and avoids doubling. Try to hand off to whoever is next in the queue, although picking out anyone in the roundtable is better than just tossing the repeater up for grabs and inviting chaos.

The key to skillful, courteous FM repeater operation is to be brisk and to the point, and to leave plenty of room for others. Keep it moving. Don't drone; dart in and out. Don't hem and haw or be reluctant to "yield the floor." Your turn will come again in a moment. Turn it over, pause for others, get things rolling. Snappy, clearheaded exchanges sound sharp and are more enjoyable for your QSO partners.

Following the Rules  

You must communicate your call sign at the end of each transmission or series of transmissions and at least every 10 minutes during the course of a contact. You don't have to transmit the call sign of any other station, including the one you're contacting. Sometimes it's a good idea to identify a bit more often during a long conversation or roundtable chat, so that others can figure out who you are without waiting 10 minutes. It's illegal to transmit without identification. Aside from breaking FCC rules, it's poor operating practice to key your microphone to turn on a repeater without identifying your station. This is called "kerchunking" the repeater. If you don't want to have a conversation, but simply want to check whether your radio works or if you're able to access a particular repeater, simply say, "WSIO testing." This way you accomplish what you want to do legally.

Simplex is a fancy-sounding word for a direct contact on a single frequency. After you've made a contact on a repeater, move the conversation to a simplex frequency, if possible. The function of a repeater is to provide communications between stations not able to communicate directly because of terrain or equipment limitations. If stations are able to communicate without a repeater, they shouldn't use a repeater. Always use simplex whenever possible so that the repeater will be available for stations that need its facilities. Simplex communication offers a degree of privacy impossible to achieve on a repeater. There's also no timer to worry about or courtesy beep to wait for. When selecting a frequency, make sure it's designated for FM simplex operation. There are frequencies specifically set aside for simplex. To help you choose an appropriate frequency, consult the complete list in The ARRL Repeater Director", an indispensable book for VHF/UHF operators. If you select a simplex frequency indiscriminately, you may interfere with other repeaters or stations operating in other modes (and you may not be aware of it).

Repeater facilities must not be used for (he broadcasting of information of interest to the general public. If a repeater can transmit information of interest to the general public, such as weather reports, those transmissions must occur only when requested by a licensed amateur and must not conform to a specific time schedule. The retransmission of radio signals from other services is not permitted in the amateur service except with special permission, as specified in Part (e). (For example, you can retransmit a NOAA weather broadcast under certain circumstances.) The retransmission of taped material from other sources is permitted. You could play back a tape recording of a friend reading instructions for wiring a TNC, provided you follow accepted amateur practices and identify your station appropriately. The idea is that an amateur station is not a broadcasting facility and its intended audience is other licensed amateur stations, not the general public.

Support Your Local Repeater  

How often do you stop to think of what goes into the machine you conveniently use any time, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year?
It takes time, money, knowledge and energy to operate a reliable repeater system. Nobody should feel compelled to join any group, and you can use thousands of repeaters across the US without joining any clubs. If you frequent a system, however, or just want to contribute to the cost of its upkeep so it can be counted on in an emergency, support your local repeater.

Make it a habit to run your transceiver on a low-power setting. There's usually no need to pump out heavy watts on VHF or UHF FM if you're within a reasonable range of a repeater or other station operating simplex. High power can also interfere
with distant repeaters on the same frequency.

Helpful Tips

Inspect your station regularly for loose connections, broken wires, antenna problems, intermittent grounds and other potential weak spots. Mobile installations are most prone to wear and damage. Using minimum power is not only a courtesy to the distant repeaters, but an FCC requirement.

The following guidelines are worth remembering to help promote efficient communication.

DOs:
Speak clearly and don't key or unkey your microphone as you start or finish talking. Give your rig and the repeater a moment to come on. This ensures that listeners won't miss any part of your transmission. Repeated transmissions take up unnecessary air time.

If the repeater has a courtesy tone, wait until you hear it before transmitting. This allows time for other stations to break in if necessary, and allow the system to reset. If you don't hear a courtesy tone, wait 2-3 seconds after the previous user has finished before making a transmission.

If you hear a jammer, ignore him. Resist the temptation to "set the jammer straight." Don 't acknowledge his presence in any way. Anything you might say about it probably doesn't belong on the band and may contribute to the problem. If the jammer has no audience, he won't have any fun and will soon be gone. If repeater jamming becomes a persistent problem, get in touch with your ARRL Section Official Observer Coordinator (OOC) to ask for advice. You can find out who your OOC is by reading the Section News column in QST, or by contacting your Section Manager (SM). You'll find your SM's address and telephone number in any recent QST or you can call ARRL Headquarters.

Repeater traffic priorities:
1) Emergency and priority.
2) System test or maintenance transmissions by control operators or system owners.
3) Public service.
4) Fixed (base) stations should ensure that mobile and portable stations have priority, especially at 6-8 AM and 4-6 PM. The weekday commute hours are the only time many hams can get on the air.
5) Fixed (base) station communications.

Follow the FCC's requirement to identify your station once every 10 minutes and at the end of a QSO. But don't "over identify" by sending your call sign after every transmission.

Ask somebody for a signal report if you're using a hand-held transceiver with a "rubber ducky" antenna. Little rigs can't always capture the repeater's receiver adequately. The excessive noise of partial quieting made by weak signals may make your transmissions uncopiable and is irritating to those who monitor for extended periods.

There are always other operators and people with scanners listening. Don't say anything that should be "private," and do your best to sound friendly, professional and courteous.

DON'Ts:
Don't use radio jargon. Talk as you would over the telephone. Listen and learn from the examples of experienced users. Don't say things like "QSL," "Roger that," "10-4," "What's your QTH?" and "The handle here is...". Such terminology is often a misused habit carried over from HF, Citizens Band or public safety services, and on Amateur Radio repeaters it confuses more than it communicates. There are probably hundreds of other hams listening to the machine and nonhams monitoring with scanners. You may not hear them, but they hear you. Ensure that they get the best impression of your operating skill and of the Amateur Radio service.

Don't break an ongoing conversation unless you have emergency or priority traffic or something valuable to add.

Don't use the repeater to shoot the breeze endlessly with a local station. Make your contact and move to a simplex frequency. The system is designed for mobile and long-distance QSOs, not for local ragchewing.

Don't drag out a conversation longer than necessary. Allow others to use and enjoy the system. Limit your ragchews to a reasonable length, especially during commuting hours.

Don't use excessive or insufficient microphone gain. Your transceiver's microphone input circuitry is technically advanced, but it isn't fool proof. Distorted voices and background noise make it difficult to carry on an enjoyable contact. Speak across, rather than directly into, the mike element and talk at a reasonable volume level. Nothing's more frustrating than operating a mobile station and trying to copy someone who mumbles. It's also irritating to have one person in a roundtable whose voice is extraordinarily loud. If in doubt, ask other users for an audio report.

Don't "think out loud." If you have nothing to say, release the push-to-talk button. If you forget what you were going to say next, drop it.

Operating VHF and UHF FM, on simplex or via repeaters, is a pleasure almost every ham has experienced. Don't be in so much of a hurry to get on the air that you forget the basics. Aside from the tips and suggestions covered here, there's another important element: You must know your equipment thoroughly. If you just acquired a transceiver, read the owner's manual before you start pushing buttons. Learn how to tune it, what the buttons and knobs do and how to tell if you're on the right frequency. If you have a brand-new rig, it may take you some time to learn what all the dozens of functions are for and how they work, but it's worthwhile to learn. If something is unclear, ask a more experienced ham, or contact the dealer or manufacturer.

Although serious technical problems are uncommon on the air, most of them are caused because a ham doesn't know the proper way to operate or maintain his radio gear. You don't have to be able to disassemble a hand-held transceiver in the dark using only tweezers and a safety pin. Most new radios are masterpieces of miniaturization. Even the equipment needed to test and check out the newest gear isn't on most hams' workbenches. You do, however, need to know how to keep the batteries charged, how to change frequencies, switch between simplex and duplex (for repeaters), set the output power level, adjust the volume and squelch, program the memories and even how far or close your mouth should be to the microphone.

It might seem like a lot of "homework" to do before you start operating, but it's worth it. Consider it the final "element" of your license exam, the "real life" portion! If you take the time to listen, get to know the proper etiquette and operating procedures, and make yourself familiar with your equipment first, your on-the-air debut should be the thrill you've been expecting.

Because you worked to earn your amateur license, you'll want to preserve the privileges you've earned. The best way to do so is to take care to operate in a professional manner and show others that you respect the high standards of the Amateur Radio service. As a ham, you've become a member of one of the proudest and most exciting services in the world. It's a hobby you can enjoy for the rest of your life, and share with your family and friends. When you use the information you've learned here to operate on FM and repeaters, you'll meet many hams who may become close friends. The best thing you can do for your friends is treat them as you'd like them to treat you: with courtesy, consideration and respect. And in this case, that means to do your best to be a top-notch radio operator as a service to your community and to help preserve the proud tradition of Amateur Radio.