Building a Repeater

[Crocker_B]

Hey all! So I am looking into building a small repeater at my home, just as a hobby or really a thing to do. But I would like to go about this the proper way, I do understand the equipment I will need but the one thing I am not sure of is how to go about getting the frequencies. I am looking for information on what is the proper route to request a frequency set. I'm still debating if I want to go VHF or UHF. Any tips or pointers for along the way or if someone could point me in the right direction!

Yes I do understand the headaches that come with building a repeater (i.e cost, upkeep, the occasional lightning strike that kills most of your equipment) but its something I have just wanted to do for a while now.

 

[mastr]

How to Coordinate a Repeater – SERA

 

[WA0CBW]

Since you have a ham call sign I will assume you want to put up a ham repeater. Contact your local repeater coordinating group. They can be found on the ARRL web site.

 

[AK9R]

They can be found on the ARRL web site.

Actually, they can't. At one time, the ARRL volunteered to host the National Frequency Coordinators Council on the ARRL website and had a page for the NFCC to list coordinators around the country. The NFCC seems to have vanished and I'm not aware of any nationwide organization that represents amateur radio frequency coordinators. The ARRL specifically has stayed away from frequency coordination and says "The ARRL is not a Frequency Coordinator, nor does the ARRL 'certify' coordinators."

The best that the OP can do is track down who the frequency coordinator is for their area. The Southeastern Repeater Association (SERA) is the coordinator for North Carolina.

 

[WA0CBW]

Well I went to the ARRL web site and searched for state repeater coordinators and pulled up a list of state coordinators. I knew the ARRL did not do any repeater coordination.

-Update- Apparently I was directed to a different web site listing of repeater coordinators.

BB

 

[vagrant]

1. An amateur repeater pair does not require coordination.
a. Find a pair not being used and listen, listen, listen with no tone squelch.
b. If you are unable to raise a repeater on a that pair with their tone, use it but with a different squelch tone for TX/RX.
2. A UHF pair is typically easier to obtain than VHF if you really need a coordinated pair.
3. Each state typically has one or more coordinating bodies that handle repeater pair assignments. This could potentially take a year or more to get a pair coordinated. ( See #1 )
4. Each coordinating body typically has band plan assignments. This is not a hard rule, but a way to get operators to remain gentleman and go-with-the-flow. ( Using a freq typically meant for satellites for one's repeater will be a problem. Using a pair that is meant for repeaters, but using a different tone, not so much a problem even if uncoordinated. )

The links others provided above look to be the coordinating body for your area. Anyways, I would not worry about getting coordinated for a repeater system that does not exist. If you're going to host the repeater at your home, you may not need to worry about coordination due to the line of sight you may have. If you're on a higher elevation, you'll want to map that out and much will depend on your system, antenna height above ground and HAAT (Height Above Average Terrain) Basically, you would still want to submit your up and running repeater, but as uncoordinated.

 

[AK9R]

If you're going to host the repeater at your home, you may not need to worry about coordination due to the line of sight you may have.

Some coordinators have set aside "shared, non-protected pairs". These are repeater pairs that you can use for low-profile or experimental repeaters without coordination. The pairs are shared and the repeater operators should have no expectation that someone else nearby won't use the same pair.

 

[MTS2000des]

Repeater coordination in part 97 is voluntary. The FCC however, usually gives precedence to coordinated systems vs. non-coordinated ones when it comes to interference complaints between repeater stations, if it ever gets to that.

Bottom line: monitor your pair for 30 days. If no listings are in any database within 50-75 miles, a backyard repeater should not be a nuisance to anyone. Make sure it's identifying per part 97 rules and you should be good. Unless your on top of a mountain, you shouldn't have any issues.

Now the fun part is all the stuff that make repeaters work: quality repeater hardware, controllers, feedline, duplexers/circulators, surge suppression, and of course the antenna. Remember what they say about BMW...Bring Money With (you)- same applies to repeater ownership!
It's like owning a BOAT- Bust Out Another Thousand to keep em running!

Technical Information Index

 

[paulears]

The thing that makes repeaters rewarding are users. I've got a business repeater and one by one the clients dropped off, leaving just one who never seems to use it anymore - I could use it with my small crew, but we use phones. Getting them to work can be quite fun, but unless there are people who will use it to chat when they cannot without it, it will be a drain on your finances for little real benefit. Tuning filters involves that list above, but also the test gear - at least an analyser with tracking generator or vector analyser, with a decent display.

 

[xmo]

There are several amateur repeaters listed in your community with call signs like: K4JDR, K4CYP, WA4DAN, and KB4CTS. Why not contact one of them?

Maybe you could learn repeater basics by helping to support an existing system. You might also learn if there is local interest in a new repeater on a different mode such as P25, NXDN, or M17.

 

[rescuecomm]

SERA is one of the coordinating groups that doesn't have a low power/backyard repeater pair set aside.

 

[jeepsandradios]

As said just find a pair and use it as long as your not bothering folks. I tried for 2 years to get a frequency from SERA and all I got was push back. Pick something and enjoy the hobby.

 

[GlobalNorth]

The haunted band™ [1.25 meters] is wide open in many areas. Setting up a repeater there would bother few, if anyone.