Hi Chromics,
Like Ermin said, we all started by asking the beginner's questions, too. We still ask questions hoping someone knows more than we do and will share what they have learned. Learning is a good thing, and this can be a good place for it.
Using a random example from the RR database, let's consider the listing for Walker County, Georgia.
RRDB: Walker County, GA
If you click on this link, you will notice that the "Input" frequencies are "shown", because I selected that option from the pull-down box just above the first frequency table. This helps you see an example of the listings that correspond to repeaters -- the ones which have an input-frequency different than the output-frequency.
In this example, and consistently throughout the RR database,
- the "Frequency" column lists the frequency the repeaters transmit on and the field units receive. This is the frequency you would program into your scanner.
- the "Input" column lists the frequency the field-units transmit on and the repeaters receive. This frequency is typically not of any practical use for scanner users, unless you are "very" close to the field unit, because the field unit only needs to use enough power to reach the repeater's antenna.
If you download the .csv file that corresponds to the above link,and then widen each column sufficiently, you will notice that the file has these column-titles in the first row:
- Frequency Output
- Frequency Input
- FCC Callsign
- Agency/Category
- Description
- Alpha Tag
- PL Tone
- Mode
- Class Station Code
The "Frequency Output" column in the .csv file is the same as "Frequency" column in the RR database, and is the repeater's output frequency that you would want to enter into your scanner.
In the .csv file, when the "Frequency Input" is zero, that means that the record on that row is simplex, not a repeater. This matches the RR DB where no input frequency is listed on that corresponding row.
Hope this helps,