A Reminder to all on Repeater usage and Control:
Repeater Etiquette:
The following information is a simple guide to courteous operation on repeaters. If you operate using these simple
guidelines, you will make it more enjoyable for everyone operating on repeaters, and you will also set a good
example for others. It never hurts to review the guidelines (and new hams may not be familiar with these
guidelines) to make sure you are being a responsible amateur radio operator. Remember, repeaters are a public
service, and general courtesy is expected of all amateur radio operators.
- Take the time to listen to a repeater before you talk.
- Transmit your call sign when you first come on the air. Make sure you ID once every 10 minutes, but there
is no need to identify too often. (47CFR § 97.119.a) - Do not inject a comment into a conversation without saying your call sign. Part 97 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, which governs our operations as amateur radio operators, requires that you identify with your
callsign. (47 CFR § 97.119.a) Transmitting comments without identifying yourself is
prohibited. Interrupting is no more polite on the radio than in the real world. - Do not monopolize the repeater. Simplex may be more appropriate for lengthy conversations. Keep in
mind that repeaters are a shared resource and are to be available to a large community of users. A good
operating practice is to use simplex for long conversations (rag chewing) if possible. - Our repeaters normally have a 3 minute “timeout” setting. The 3-minute length is meant as a maximum
length, not a suggested length. It is considered good etiquette to keep your transmission length shorter than
this. - Some topics are like land mines – Religion, Politics, Sex, etc. Do not discuss these subjects over the air! It
can be more interesting than discussing what you ate for lunch last Wednesday, or the weather conditions
you experienced two days ago, or how bad your bunions are troubling you, but “land mine” conversations
can sometimes descend into a shouting match and can cause people to become upset (even those listening
and not part of the conversation). - Do not belittle, berate, defame or speak ill of others….period. This includes individuals, groups, nations,
aspect of the hobby, etc. Using words such as idiot, stupid, hate monger, etc. in reference to any person,
entity or group should not be tolerated. - Even ‘mild’ obscenities are not good operating practice. This includes suggestive phrases, and suggestive
phonetics. (47 CFR §97.113.a.4). - Give a pause before keying the mic and speaking. Don’t start speaking as you key the mic. Repeaters have a
short delay before transmitting. If you start speaking too soon, your first few words may not be
heard. Make sure you have finished speaking before you un-key the mic. - Pause periodically to see if anyone else would either like to join the conversation or use the repeater for a
quick call that is not part of the ongoing conversation. - When identifying, please say your call sign slowly and clearly. Call signs that are rattled off too fast can
make the call sign totally unintelligible. - Don’t forget that the FCC prohibits the transmission or retransmission of music (and almost anything else
that is received over the airwaves; for specifics, see (47 CFR § 97.113.a.4). If you have a radio turned on (this
is especially common for many mobile stations), make sure that it’s turned down before you transmit. - When using “comment” or “break” to be recognized and you are acknowledged by net control or the folks
using the frequency, then be sure to identify with your call sign.
§97.119 Station identification.
(a) Each amateur station, except a space station or telecommand station, must transmit its assigned
call sign on its transmitting channel at the end of each communication, and at least every 10 minutes
during a communication, for the purpose of clearly making the source of the transmissions from the
station known to those receiving the transmissions. No station may transmit unidentified communications
or signals, or transmit as the station call sign, any call sign not authorized to the station.
(b) The call sign must be transmitted with an emission authorized for the transmitting channel in one
of the following ways:
(1) By a CW emission. When keyed by an automatic device used only for identification, the speed
must not exceed 20 words per minute;
(2) By a phone emission in the English language. Use of a phonetic alphabet as an aid for correct
station identification is encouraged;
(3) By a RTTY emission using a specified digital code when all or part of the communications are
transmitted by a RTTY or data emission;
(4) By an image emission conforming to the applicable transmission standards, either color or
monochrome, of §73.682(a) of the FCC Rules when all or part of the communications are transmitted in
the same image emission
(c) One or more indicators may be included with the call sign. Each indicator must be separated
from the call sign by the slant mark (/) or by any suitable word that denotes the slant mark. If an indicator
is self-assigned, it must be included before, after, or both before and after, the call sign. No self-assigned
indicator may conflict with any other indicator specified by the FCC Rules or with any prefix assigned to
another country.
(d) When transmitting in conjunction with an event of special significance, a station may substitute
for its assigned call sign a special event call sign as shown for that station for that period of time on the
common data base coordinated, maintained and disseminated by the special event call sign data base
coordinators. Additionally, the station must transmit its assigned call sign at least once per hour during
such transmissions.
(e) When the operator license class held by the control operator exceeds that of the station licensee,
an indicator consisting of the call sign assigned to the control operator’s station must be included after the
call sign.
(f) When the control operator is a person who is exercising the rights and privileges authorized by
§97.9(b) of this part, an indicator must be included after the call sign as follows:
(1) For a control operator who has requested a license modification from Novice Class to Technical
Class: KT;
(2) For a control operator who has requested a license modification from Novice or Technician to
General Class: AG;
(3) For a control operator who has requested a license modification from Novice, Technician,
General, or Advanced Class to Amateur Extra Class: AE.
(g) When the station is transmitting under the authority of §97.107 of this part, an indicator
consisting of the appropriate letter-numeral designating the station location must be included before the
call sign that was issued to the station by the country granting the license. For an amateur service license
granted by the Government of Canada, however, the indicator must be included after the call sign. At
least once during each intercommunication, the identification announcement must include the
geographical location as nearly as possible by city and state, commonwealth or possession.
[54 FR 25857, June 20, 1989, as amended at 54 FR 39535, Sept. 27, 1989; 55 FR 30457, July 26, 1990; 56 FR 28,
Jan. 2, 1991; 62 FR 17567, Apr. 10, 1997; 63 FR 68980, Dec. 14, 1998; 64 FR 51471, Sept. 23, 1999; 66 FR 20752,
Apr. 25, 2001; 75 FR 78171, Dec. 15, 2010]
A repeater trustee is responsible for the proper operation of their assigned repeaters. A repeater trustee is also
responsible for:
Ensuring that the club station license is operated in the club’s best interests
Following all FCC rules
Designating control operators
Determining who can use the club license