Repeater Etiquette? ...

[hcpholder]

Wonderful information! I listened to ham bands using a scanner for around a year before I got my ticket. Even now I do most of my listening on the scanner, and then join in with my HT. I've learned in my area which repeaters are active, open to everyone, and restricted. I've also learned who's the easiest to talk with and where not to get inbetween conversations. And I joined a local club hoping to learn from the more experienced, but at times it seems that everyone is either too busy to take on a newbee or really not interested. I even came close once to giving it up, but that's not going to happen. 73's

 

[GroundLoop]

I probably shouldn't jump into this, but a large part of the reason my ham gear collects dust is that it wasn't all that fun getting schooled on etiquette and rules. At times, there were more repeater police than actual people to talk to.. completely drained any joy out of what might have been a fun mobile hobby.

It seems no matter how polite and well-meaning you are, there's always someone out there with their own fundamentalist interpretation of the FCC rules, club rules, or whatever willing to lecture.

 

[JeremyB]

On a repeater, talk like you are face to face with someone you don't know or are on the telephone. When you turn it back over to the other op, say back to you(name or callsign) this is (your call). I hear a lot of people using their callsign and then saying for ID. There isn't any need to ask for a signal report(at least on my local repeaters), if you are barely making it into the repeater or have some noise, they will tell you- and not trying to be mean about it. Saying roger, roger instead of I understand bugs me as well as Hi, Hi instead of saying "that's funny" or "that's a good one". Hi, Hi is used on CW to replace a laugh, in CW it actually sounds like a chuckle of sorts.

But I am not one to bash someone on the air for it. It depends on how the club is that owns the repeater whether they are a strict bunch or some guys that got licenses to have fun on the radio, the W6NUT repeater has gotten a bad reputation for what is discussed but as long as the FCC rules are followed, nothing will happen.

And then there is a repeater in Canada where it seems that the club members are just trying to get the other amateurs upset. Somebody even posted a bunch of audio on youtube and it can be amuzing when you figure out what's really going on.

You're not going to like everyone you meet on a repeater, like real life. It's ok to laugh on a repeater, if someone doesn't like it, tell them to pound brass

 

[vsp5151]

My pet peeve:

If you have to cough, unkey the microphone. We don't need to hear that especially the 20 second ones.

 

[wyomingmedic]

Most of the problems I have with folks, have already been listed. But they are missing 1 of them.

Folks who CONTINUALLY have crap signals into the repeater, and will do nothing about it. We have a few local folks who just INSIST on using their HTs while mobile. They have them on their belt and use a speakermic. They are never into the repeater well enough to work, and no matter how many times you tell them, they just keep trying. Because of that, these folks don't make too many contacts as people refuse to work them.

Don't get me wrong, I use HTs sometimes and I spend time away from repeaters. But, if somebody tells me I am not making the machine, I don't play "how about now" for 30 minutes and tie the repeater up with static crap. If you can bump the power or switch antennas, sure, go for it. But if you are at your limit, kindly bow out and don't keep pushing it.

And don't take it personally when somebody tells you they can't understand you. Don't act like it is THEIR equipment. Don't tell them, "I can hear you fine so it must be your problem". Just suck it up and know the limitations of your gear.

WM

 

[Cowthief]

Hello.

It took me a while to figure things out.
First, I almost always speak in anything BUT English on a repeater.
Second, closed repeater? what is that?
Although I am an Amateur Radio operator, KA5PIU, I am a translator who works for the DoD.
440 is government primary so there is no such thing as a closed machine.

 

[zz0468]

...440 is government primary so there is no such thing as a closed machine.

Fail 01/90

 

[canav844]

Heres some recent ones that have been getting under my skin lately...

Amateur Radio is NOT broadcast radio. Acting on behalf of skywarn does not make you a deity. Repeating everything the weather radio says over and over does not constitute a "net". Berating operators for five minutes on the air for checking into the "net" instead of just giving you emergency traffic because you need to keep the airwaves clear is counter productive.

More people are always listening than talking and professionalism or lack there of speaks volumes to the quality of operator and any organization they claim to represent. Remember people are listening to you and act accordingly. I'm not trying to give anyone mic fright, but a lot can be said for think before you speak.

 

[N4JKD]

Heres some recent ones that have been getting under my skin lately...

Amateur Radio is NOT broadcast radio. Acting on behalf of skywarn does not make you a deity. Repeating everything the weather radio says over and over does not constitute a "net". Berating operators for five minutes on the air for checking into the "net" instead of just giving you emergency traffic because you need to keep the airwaves clear is counter productive.

More people are always listening than talking and professionalism or lack there of speaks volumes to the quality of operator and any organization they claim to represent. Remember people are listening to you and act accordingly. I'm not trying to give anyone mic fright, but a lot can be said for think before you speak.

I agree. Our FORMER net control for skywarn (yes, she got ran off by older hams) felt the need to get on and start a net for when 2 drops of rain fell, and all she did was talk, talk talk.....some hams at the local club and trustees of the repeaters stopped the net, and offered to help her with ARES training, but she got mad because the net couldn't be held her way, so they stopped it completely until a new net control took over, and now we have a good net control and all is well. Our former net control wont even get on the radio now because of what has happened.

Mind you, if someone gets onto you, it is usually constructive criticism, to learn from. Some are not good at taking constructive critisim, so if someone says something, just say thank you and go on

 

[canav844]

Our net went for 8 hours today, and at one point I believe had 5 concurrent net control operators; too many egos on the radio at the same time. I firmly remained listen only as I have other equally if not more effective methods of reporting my spottings to the NWS.,

 

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

My biggest ones:

People (other than the repeater trustee) who act like drill sergeants, busting new hams chops over minor transgressions and driving them away from a hobby (that needs as much new blood as possible) by giving them too cold a reception.

People who think that they know best as to what acceptable conversation is on a frequency/repeater that hasn't had a conversation in nearly two weeks time. Ragchews, conversations that wouldn't be welcome in the most fundy of Baptist churches, etc... I once had a new user on a system admonish me for "adult conversation" when I was discussing going to a bar for a couple beers after we'd gotten done at the local firing range. What a tosser.

People who hold all the information about their repeaters from active club members and discourage experimentation. "You don't need to know what those functions are/what those frequencies are/what those tones do." Such elitest behavior only encourages function hacking.

People who, in times when there's NOT an emergency, take their HOBBY wayyy too seriously. Yeah, we offer a public service in times of need. Yeah, when TSHTF, we're gonna be needed in a major way, but if we drive everyone away with the above mentioned behaviors, there won't be anyone left to "man the EOC" once all the cranky old guard operators who got their beginnings in the days of spark have died off.

So, RELAX. Have fun! Enjoy your hobby! Go to the meetings and the events and ask questions! If the holders of the sacred frequency appear to be too aloof, take your membership dollars to a more friendly machine. The cranky old fart net will eventually go away to make room for the new blood.

Very well said!!

 

[kayn1n32008]

I agree. Our FORMER net control for skywarn (yes, she got ran off by older hams) felt the need to get on and start a net for when 2 drops of rain fell, and all she did was talk, talk talk.....some hams at the local club and trustees of the repeaters stopped the net, and offered to help her with ARES training, but she got mad because the net couldn't be held her way, so they stopped it completely until a new net control took over, and now we have a good net control and all is well. Our former net control wont even get on the radio now because of what has happened.

Mind you, if someone gets onto you, it is usually constructive criticism, to learn from. Some are not good at taking constructive critisim, so if someone says something, just say thank you and go on

No real loss then, some people take stuff too personal.

Where I live there is 'the operator' that has earned himself a bad rep, I cannot talk to him for any length of time, he usully spends 2 minutes transmitting, saying absolutly nothing, just humming and hawing. That is probably my one pet peeve: transmitting just to transmit. He also will jump on EVERYONE when they either call mobile, or call someone else. The problem is that this operator seems to think operating on a repeater is like CB, and does not have the maturity to be able to talk to him and try to politely correct his behavoir. The only solution I know is, when he calls mobile or monitoring, is to "leave my mic in its hanger"

 

[GSPD]

My biggest pet peeve as mentioned earlier is the "ker-chunking" or mic keying! I swear some ops just sit there and go through each channel and key up.

Also, as mentioned in other posts, just identify yourself every so often, leave a short pause to listen for other stations and have a normal conversation. You'll find the folks you like to converse with and enjoy and those you don't. I have a lot of the local repeaters locked out and really only monitor one.

In the Rochester area we have some great repeaters and a couple get a lot of use. Every Sunday, the .88 repeater hosts a net called the "newbie net" where new operators can ask questions and meet people.

In my area I have not encountered those so called "know-it-alls", only other operators willing to help. The same holds true for me on HF. I listen and decide who I'd like to have a conversation with. Heck, just like real face to face conversation!

Don't be mic shy!

 

[lbfd09]

I don't have any pert peeves per say. I do have one advise that if not spelled out has been an undertone over many of the posts - LISTEN. With many repeaters in an area each one will have a personality of it's own. Sometimes they can even change this personality for different times of the day.

Listening will also give you a feel for how the repeater functions and what operating practices are generally accepted by others who use the repeater. While the "10-code", "Q-signals", and calling "CQ" are discouraged to varying degrees within the US repeaters, those that have EchoLink will have hams form other countries where such practices are common. So there is no hard and fast set of rules, just a loose set of etiquette.

Anoth place to become more knowledgeable about area repeaters is to attend the sponsoring club's meetings or your local Field Day activities.

All in all - Have Fun!

 

[Daniel_Boone]

I get a real hoot out of reading what you people have posted on this topic.

I can see that there is some real hams here.

I have gone through everything that everyone here has described - more then once and at times I actually yell at my radio to tell the damn guy to leave off the mic when you don't have anything to say.
The HF guys will come from time to time - just to see if their old 2 meter rig still works - or someone told them to check out the X repeater system because they heard there was some activity there.

It all boils down to a bunch of new hams - trying out their walkie talkies and a bunch of old hams that doesn't want to share the repeater and a bunch of hams that doesn't understand that there is 40 or 50 repeaters all tied together at any one time.

Nothing irks me more then some repeater owner who thinks he owns the whole system - that will get on and just start talking right in the middle of your conversation and take over the frequencies - because he feels that he owns the whole system - just because he is involved with one repeater.

There is no way to explain to these morons - that Hey - I was here first and I was having a conversation. If you want to join in on the conversation - great. If not - then wait until I am finished and you can have the frequency.
If it is a emergency - by all means - say break or break break and I will give you the frequency.
But don't just snow plow me aside.

The funny thing is - the repeater system was built with money from the Home Land Security - and from what I can remember - they are funded by money from our tax payer dollars.
So if the part 97 says that no one owns the frequency and if it says standard operating procedure is to ask if the frequency is being used - if you hear chatter - then people ought to take turns using the repeater system and that would lessen the chances of fights taking place over the radio.

I can't explain to people - to use high power when you talk on the repeater.
You aren't saving anything on a base or a mobile radio talking low power.
Nothing irks me more then someone that isn't getting into the machine that just talks and talks and you can''t hear but every 3rd or 4th word they say.

Or they will tell me that there is something wrong with my radio - because theirs works perfectly - when they are mobile and my house has not moved in 125 years.
I'm only 3 miles from the repeater and they are 30 - go figure.

The worst people are the ones that comes in via the Echolink and the cell phones.
Echolink isn't bad - if they have it set up right.
But the cell phones - those people gets confused and they don't use their call signs and VOX sucks when it comes to ham radio.
I say if you won't buy a ham radio and persist in using your cell phone to talk to the 2 meters repeater - then you probably aren't really interested in becoming a ham and talking on the HF because you can get on the 2 meters side for a investment of around $500 - $1000.00

A HF you could easily spend thousands of dollars.
Even just on antenna's.