How to Use a Repeater
Repeaters let handheld and mobile radios communicate over a wider area. Learning repeater operation is one of the fastest ways to become active on the air.
What a repeater does
A repeater receives your signal on one frequency and retransmits it on another. Your radio must be programmed with the correct frequency, offset direction, offset amount, and access tone.
Frequency
The channel you select on your radio.
Offset
The transmit/receive frequency split used by the repeater.
Tone
A subaudible tone that opens the repeater receiver.
Listen first
Make sure the frequency is clear before transmitting.
Keep it simple and clear
Listen before transmitting, identify with your call sign, leave pauses between transmissions, and keep conversations clear enough for other stations to join or pass priority traffic if needed.
Avoid quick key-ups without identifying. If you are testing, identify and say that you are testing.
Sample first call
“This is [your callsign] monitoring.”
For a radio check: “This is [your callsign], radio check please.”
Practice during a net
Nets are a friendly way to practice repeater use because net control gives structure and keeps the pace organized.