Repeater Etiquette

By Daniel Gomez-Ibanez, W9DGI

Most of us are familiar and comfortable with repeater operations and yet, to judge from what we hear on the air, we can all use a few reminders now and then on the finer points. Here’s what I’ve culled from listening to the old timers...

Don’t forget to ID at least every ten minutes. I certainly have been guilty of this. Maybe it’s the traffic, an interesting conversation, interruptions, etc. Whatever, the time just flies when you’re having fun! Most of us do remember to ID at the beginning of a contact and at the end, though you are not required to ID at the beginning of your QSO -- just at the end and at least every ten minutes.

Please don’t "kerchunk" (key up the repeater without identifying).

After you key your mike, WAIT a second or two before you speak, especially when you are first announcing your presence on the repeater (as in "W9DGI listening.") This is essential if you want to be understood because there are delays in the system that will cause your first syllables to be dropped when you speak immediately after keying the mike. This is due to the repeater’s receiver and transmitter turn-on delays and, to a lesser degree, to your transmitter’s turn-on delay. Also many handi-talkies have battery-saving circuits that shut down some receiver stages when there is no signal, so just like the repeater, your listeners’ handi-talkies may need time to "wake up" to your signal. It is extremely common to hear only the last letter or two of a call when someone brings up the repeater by announcing his or her call. That won’t happen if you pause before speaking! A second or two is usually enough.

Have a preference for plain English when you speak (or German, Spanish, French, Swahili, or whatever you find easiest, though you do need to ID in English!). Abbreviations and codes that are used in public service communications or on CB radio can sound out of place on an amateur repeater and are usually unnecessary because most of the time FM transmissions are clear and free from interference. Oh, if you want to use some ham jargon, like a Q-signal, I say go ahead. The purists will argue that Q-signals are for CW, but, after all, we’re probably the only radio service left using these relics -- or even understanding them -- so I think they can add a certain legitimate spice to our QSOs! If you do sprinkle a few Q-signals into your conversation, though, use them correctly. Perhaps the most frequent mistake is to use "QSL" as if it meant "yes." It doesn’t. It means "I acknowledge receipt of your transmission" or, if it’s a question, it means "did you receive my transmission?"

If your call can be confusing don’t hesitate to use phonetics. I used to be W9NXE, which could easily sound like W9NXZ or W9MXC or anything in-between. You might as well get into the habit of using the standard amateur phonetic alphabet (actually, it was devised by the International Civil Aviation Organization). When you want to communicate clearly, there’s nothing better. These standard phonetics are easily understood and they were carefully chosen for their international intelligibility. The words are distinct from one another and they are difficult to mis-pronounce or misunderstand no matter what your native language is.

Check your transmitted audio quality. It’s best if two fellow hams can join you on the air. Each of you will have two signals to compare, which makes things easier. Your main concern should be your audio level as you speak into the mike. You want to be loud, but NOT so loud that your voice peaks are distorted. Learn how far from the mouth to hold the mike (perhaps at an angle, if breath pops are a problem) and how loud to speak. Too loud means you over-deviate your FM transmitter – the most frequent cause of distortion. You may want to do this test on a simplex frequency. Some repeaters’ receivers will simply refuse to pass over-deviated signals, which results in lost syllables.

If there is an emergency and you need to interrupt a QSO, say "Break" or "Mayday." Drop it in right over the courtesy beep. Use "Mayday" repeated three times if you are putting out a general distress call. These are the recognized distress signals on voice. And of course if you hear either of these calls on the repeater, yield immediately or respond, so the emergency can be reported without delay. (Never use "break" just to join a conversation. Slip your call in instead, and do this only if you’re pretty sure your interruption won’t be considered rude.)

The above also should be a reminder to pause between transmissions (that’s one purpose of the courtesy beep) and to keep your transmissions short. Not only do you want to avoid timing-out the repeater (BIG embarrassment!), you never know when someone else will need to report an emergency.

When you are into a long conversation, especially during prime "drive" time in the morning or late afternoon, consider pausing occasionally to ask if anyone else wants to use the repeater or join in. There may be dozens of other hams waiting patiently. Give everyone a chance!

If someone tells you that your signal is noisy or marginal into the repeater, and you can’t improve it by changing position or increasing power, don’t prolong the QSO. Wait until you are in a better spot, or move to a more suitable repeater. Unless there’s an emergency, it’s discourteous and tiresome to subject listeners to a noisy and difficult-to-copy signal that drops in and out of the repeater.

Fortunately, instances of vulgar language, jamming, or malicious interference on our repeaters are relatively rare. But if you should hear something like this, don’t respond. It only encourages the boors.

When you transmit, remember that many people are listening. Some are hams, some are not. There are a lot of monitors and scanners out there. Give them a good impression of our amateur service.

And finally, do keep up the friendly reputations of our repeaters by welcoming newcomers or strangers when you hear them announce themselves. Remember the times you put out your call, hoping for a chat, and heard only silence? Well, the only cure for that is our willingness to respond!

73

Daniel Gomez-Ibanez W9DGI
Official Observer Coordinator
4010 Hanover St.
Madison, WI 53704
(608)249-4810
w9dgi@arrl.net