REPEATER ETTIQUETTE & OPERATING PROCEDURES
The KB1AEV & Linked
Repeater System is owned by
The Linked Repeater System
operates radio repeater systems on several high locations around
The Linked Repeaters are
licensed by the Federal Communications Commission and the users of our
repeaters MUST comply with ALL FCC mandated rules and regulations. Repeaters are part of
amateur radio, and ham radio is a hobby and should be FUN, however, common
sense requires that some basic guidelines be followed.
Remember,
repeaters are not a direct line. They are a “party line” over which your words
are heard from the
IN ADDITION to the FCC
Regulations, the Linked Repeater System has established operating procedures
beyond the minimum required by law, to optimize the use of the repeaters and to
define a level of quality representative of the club.
While not all-inclusive,
the following procedures establish a baseline for all repeater users to follow.
If you
follow these few guidelines, you will be acting as a responsible member of the
amateur community, and you will sound like you have been using repeaters for
years!!
Listen Before You Talk:
When
preparing to use the repeater, be sure to listen before you press the PTT.
Please remember to key your microphone and pause for a second or two to insure
that ALL the links come up and your transmission is not cut off at the
beginning. When you turn on your rig, check your volume setting to be sure you can
hear any activity on the repeater. It is also good practice to ask if the
repeater is in use, there may be a net in progress or someone may be waiting
for another party to return to the air shortly. Simply ask, “Is the repeater in
use? This is <your callsign>”.
With the
proliferation of dual band/dual display radios, be sure you are set up to
transmit on the desired band and/or frequency.
Admit to Your Mistakes!
Accidents are
bound to happen – you may inadvertently transmit into an ongoing conversation
because you forgot one of the points above. The best way to handle this is to
apologize for your error! Be a responsible adult- you will gain more respect
through your regret, in spite of your mistake!
Station Identification:
All stations
should identify themselves using their FCC assigned callsign upon:
Initially transmitting on the repeater (strongly suggested);
Every ten minutes thereafter (required);
When they end their conversation or “sign off” (required).
In addition, when
operating in a net or “roundtable” your callsign should be announced more
frequently if needed to facilitate efficient communication. If you are
participating in a large group (4 people or more), identifying with every
transmission may be warranted so that you do not exceed the 10-minute FCC
requirement. Assume that every other individual will talk for 3 minutes each.
By the time you get your turn again, you will be over the 10-minute limit.
Otherwise, use the
repeater identifier (in voice or CW) as a benchmark for when you should
identify, and do so on your next transmission.
Any transmission
on the repeater which is not either indicating you are listening, or calling
another station or stations before communication is established is considered
“Broadcasting” and is not allowed on Amateur Radio and on the repeater.
When initially
coming on a repeater, (which is not previously in use verified by LISTENING for
a reasonable time or, if you’re not sure ask, “Is the repeater in use?” PRIOR
to transmitting), it is only necessary to announce your call. If you would like
to solicit a conversation, you can announce your presence on the repeater by
stating, “<your callsign> listening”.
Testing:
To test repeater
access, DON’T just kerchunk the repeater without identifying! Instead, use the term “testing”. Example:
"<your callsign> testing".
If
you want a signal report from another amateur, state that in plain English.
Example: “This is <your callsign>, can someone give me a signal report?”
Do
not use the repeater frequency to check antenna SWR or to do other equipment
checks. Move to simplex if possible and use a dummy load.
Demonstrations:
From
time to time, an amateur may want to demonstrate the capabilities of amateur
radio to another non-amateur. The typical way to do this is to ask for a
"demo" such as, "<Your
Call sign> for a demonstration." Anyone who is listening to the
repeater can answer them back. If you answer such a call, give the calling
party your name, callsign, and location, not a lengthy conversation. Someone
doing a demo may ask for stations in a particular area to show the range of
amateur radio communications, such as, if the calling station is in
If you are trying to contact a specific station, you should announce,
… "<Callsign of station being called> - this is - <your
callsign>". Your callsign is stated AFTER the station you want to
call. If you do not get an answer after
a couple calls, announce “<your callsign> - clear”. This lets everyone
else listening know that you have released the repeater for others to use.
If the repeater is
already in use, please wait for a pause between transmissions to announce your
call. If you want to contact another station not in the current conversation,
ask if you can make a call in plain English. Simply announce Call Please or state, “<your callsign> for a
call”.
Make your call
when the parties using the repeater turn the repeater over to you. If you
contact the party you are seeking, turn the repeater back to the person who turned
it over to you, thank them for letting you in, and move to another frequency to
hold your conversation no matter how short you think it might take.
If you do not get
a response from the party you are seeking, turn the repeater back to the person
who turned it over to you, and thank them for letting you in.
When a new station
enters the roundtable, those stations using the repeater, and the next station
in rotation should acknowledge the new station AND turn it over to them, or let
them know what their place is in the rotation. Also indicate who they should
turn it over to in order to keep the rotation intact. Remember to give your
name as a matter of introduction so everyone becomes familiar with you!
Being a courteous ‘guest’:
Whenever you use a
repeater that belongs to a group to which you are not a member, or belongs to
an individual and you do not support the repeater (especially when you are
traveling in an area not frequented), it is always common courtesy to thank the
group for allowing you to use the system, similar to what you would do if you
borrowed someone’s cell phone to make a call. Simply state, “This is <your
callsign> clear – Thank you for the use of the repeater” when signing off.
It is likely that no one will say “your welcome”, but rest assured that someone
heard you, and accepted your gratitude.
If you frequently
use a repeater, it is courteous to join the organization that is responsible
for maintaining the system, or in the case of a system under single party
ownership, asking the owner if he accepts donations towards the upkeep of the
system. Repeaters are expensive to maintain, and keeping them on the air and
running efficiently takes a lot of time and capital. Even if a repeater is
considered “open”, that does not make it a public utility- your support is
important.
A guest is
considered to be someone who uses a system on an infrequent basis. The term
guest has its limits however…. If your mother in law asked you if she could
stay at your house for a while, and proceeded to stay for several months, at
what point would the term ‘guest’ no longer apply? The same rationale applies
to the use of a repeater!
Emergency Calls:
ONLY USE THE TERM "BREAK" OR "BREAK
BREAK" in an emergency or life-threatening situation.
All
stations using the repeater should pause after the previous station drops the
carrier (releases the PTT) to minimize inadvertent "doubling"
(simultaneous transmission) and to allow time for new stations to identify.
If an incoming
station announces an emergency with a single or double "break", the
repeater is to be given to them IMMEDIATELY for their traffic.
Communication
should be in plain language, as if you were communicating over the telephone.
Although you may hear many others using them, "Q" codes are not
required and their use should be minimized (“Q” codes were established for CW
communications then extended to HF voice to facilitate quick and easy
intelligibility- on VHF or UHF this is not necessary).
"10"
codes should not be used, and avoid using CB "handles" in place of
your name! Many hams can trace their radio roots to CB, but if you are a
current or former CB’er, please leave your CB lingo behind. Ham radio is a
whole different country from CB. Using your CB ways on the repeater is the
fastest way to be labeled a LID (a bad operator).
Similarly,
phonetics should be reserved for those instances when they are required or
where ambiguity should be avoided (minimal signal / emergency traffic for
example).
Interjecting a Comment:
If listening to a
conversation and you want to make a “comment” you should come into the
conversation between transmissions by first identifying with your call sign and
then state your intention. Example: “<your callsign> with a comment”. If
you are not able to join in the conversation due to time or other constraints,
make your comment when the participants turn it over to you, sign out, and turn
the repeater back to the individual who turned it over to you or to the next
person in the rotation, depending upon circumstance. Remember to thank the
participants for letting you in, and remember to clear with your callsign.
Extraneous Tones and
Identifiers:
Except when
required for control or identification purposes, extraneous audible content
should NOT be transmitted before, during or at the completion of a
transmission. This includes DTMF tones, your background TV or music on the car
stereo.
Content:
While certain
topics and vocabulary are not “illegal” for commercial broadcasting, the
owner/operator of the repeaters, DOES prohibit those communications.
These topics are in poor taste and a waste of the repeater facility.
While
the following should not be considered all-inclusive, it will establish a baseline
for behavior that is NOT PERMITTED on the Linked System Repeaters:
“Off Color”
comments, sexual innuendo and ANY double interpretation of words. Remember, use
of codes and ciphers is NOT permitted by FCC regulations. If it can't be said
in plain English, it should not be transmitted on the repeater.
Commercial
communication: you can, certainly, identify your occupation and describe what
you do, however, if you are for example, a salesman, you CANNOT try to sell
your wares on the repeater.
Derogatory
remarks directed at any group (ethnic, racial, religious, sexual etc).
“Bathroom Humor”:
If you wouldn't tell the joke to your ten-year-old child, don't tell it on the
repeater. This includes conversation pertaining to bodily functions.
Any activity in
violation of FCC rules and / or any other Federal, state or local laws or
ordinances (including, but not limited to: jamming, “stepping on”, broadcasting
of music, unidentified carrier, etc.) is prohibited. Note: intentionally
transmitting simultaneously with another station (“stepping on”) is prohibited
by FCC regulation… even if the intent is good natured kidding among friends… it
is still illegal.
Proper and legal
operating etiquette is 95% common sense. While the above limits on content are not all inclusive, they
should make clear the type of communication that is NOT appropriate.
The
FCC requires the Control Operators to monitor the repeaters to insure
compliance with the rules. We would not like to hear illegal or sloppy
operating habits on our repeaters, because such problems could cause FCC
actions against us. We should all be mindful
of our operating procedures- Newer
users of the repeater will copy our poor practices, purely out of the ignorance
of proper procedures, and likely will add their own errant ways into the mix.
Let’s avoid this downward spiral!
Users who violate the
above will be warned after the first offense. The
policy is to act first and ask question later. In most cases, we will try to
contact stations off the air, rather than discuss any difficulties over the
repeaters.
If the behavior recurs,
steps will be taken, including revocation of the person's privilege of using the repeater systems.
Additional steps will be taken as necessary.
The repeater Trustee and
Control Operators have the right and the duty to shut the repeater down should
a warning of an FCC rule violation go unheeded. Remember that they have the
responsibility of preserving the trustee’s license and any activity on the
repeater results in the de-facto involvement of the trustee.
From the Linked Repeater
System Trustees.