|
|
 Four Repeaters
on Four Bands! |
|
|
|
|
 |
Introduction
First of all, the member-supported TCRC repeaters operate 24-hours a day and are there to be used! Please use them! But remember there are a couple of hundred other supporting members out there that might like to use them too; so wait for the courtesy beep, allow time for others to throw in their callsign to enter the conversation, and don’t monopolize the repeaters.
Supporting your repeater
The members of the Twin Cities Repeater Club support the TCRC repeater systems. The principal purpose of the repeaters is to provide local area communications between club members. The basic functions on the two-meter repeater are available for occasional usage by non-members, but they are primarily there to serve our club membership. If you hear non-members who regularly use any of our repeater systems, politely invite them to join the club. Encourage them to help pay their fair share for the services the club provides.
There is a feeling among some hams that if they pay dues to one repeater club, they are automatically entitled to use all the repeaters sponsored by every other club! Unfortunately, that does not help pay the bills for the clubs not supported. A better method is to join and help support all of the clubs of whose services you make regular use. Most amateur club dues are a bargain when you consider the services they provide to you.
Members are urged to invite other hams who are not TCRC members, but who use the club repeaters regularly, to join the Twin Cities Repeater Club. The TCRC repeaters are member-supported, and the more members, the better the support. Every member should conduct himself or herself as an ambassador of the club. Non-members should be treated courteously as guests, but regular guests should be firmly urged to become supporting members.
Taking your turn in a QSO
Don’t interrupt an on-going QSO unnecessarily. If you must interrupt, have a good reason, have something to contribute to the present topic or conversation, or else stand by and let the people talking finish their conversation in peace! You can always jump in after the QSO is finished to talk to one of the people about something completely different or just to shoot the breeze. One QSO was interrupted for almost 20 minutes straight by unnecessary breaks, because the breakers didn’t have the courtesy to let the two people who began the conversation talk to each other! This kind of rude conduct does not belong on amateur bands or on the TCRC repeaters!
The word “BREAK” is an indication you have emergency traffic on the TCRC repeaters. Do not use this word to enter an on-going conversation unless you have emergency traffic! You will be considered a first class “lid” for breaking this rule!
If you simply wish to enter a conversation, wait until one of the others unkeys, then quickly throw in your callsign. Wait for the other parties to acknowledge you and bring you in, don’t jump in rudely!
Autopatch use
The TCRC two-meter repeater is, first and foremost, a RADIO system that happens to have a telephone attached; sometimes people get that idea turned around! Local radio communications, except in the event of an emergency, have priority over telephone calls! You should wait until the radio conversation is over before attempting to use the autopatch. When finished with your call, sign off by identifying your station again.
If you must interrupt a conversation to use the autopatch, throw in your callsign first. When acknowledged by one of the other operators, ask permission to interrupt their conversation long enough to make your phone call. Wait until one of the other operators says to go ahead with your call ... don’t just assume you have the OK and start your call until you get the OK from one of the people you are interrupting! It’s rude, and automatically will qualify you for an award: “Lid of the month."
Rarely do we hear a ham asking if he is “patch quality” anymore before attempting to use the autopatch. A weak signal may be good enough to carry on a normal conversation with another ham, but you need to be nearly full quieting to activate, control and deactivate the phone patch. Noisy signals or swishing in and out of the repeater are definitely not patch quality signals. If in doubt, ask another operator if you are patch quality. If yes, proceed with your call; but if not, wait until you get to a better location or closer to a receiver site.
Keep your transmissions as short as possible. The time-out timer is set for 3 minutes on the repeaters, and 3 minutes on the autopatch, which is enough time to say what you have to say without rambling. When you are involved in a conversation and hear someone’s callsign thrown in, acknowledge him or her to see what’s up. If you hear the word “BREAK”, acknowledge the caller immediately without delay so they can quickly conduct their emergency traffic.
Don’t interrupt an ongoing QSO to make a routine autopatch, especially not for the purpose of letting someone on the phone know they were being called on an amateur band! That is not an emergency; it’s trivial. It certainly isn’t important enough to interrupt someone else’s QSO over! If the person had wanted to be on the radio, he’d have his radio on already!
Profanity
Profanity and four-letter words are not welcome on the TCRC repeaters. While the rules prohibiting the use of some common four-letter words are fuzzy at best, good taste dictates you refrain from using them on the air. Many listeners have family members and children with them while listening, and do not want their wife or kids exposed to profane language on amateur radio while monitoring. Let’s keep it a “family repeater!”
Common courtesy
Turn OFF Test Functions when finished: when using the 520-test feature, remember to turn it off with #50 before beginning another conversation with another operator, or worse, signing off and leaving the function enabled for the next unsuspecting user.. If you don’t clear, the readout will pop up each time someone unkeys for more than a second, and you’ll be getting readbacks when you don’t really want them!
Identification
Identify BEFORE Using Autopatch: Many users have fallen into the poor operating practice of keying up the microphone, punching up the autopatch, and never identifying their station on the first transmission as they are supposed to do when operating the TCRC autopatch. If you access the autopatch without first identifying yourself over the air, the Control Operators are perfectly within their rights to disconnect your call. With repeater hackers occasionally abusing the repeater, how is a Control Operator to know if your call is legitimate or just another hacker pushing buttons playing with the patch? By identifying yourself first, you give the Control Operator the message that your call is legitimate. The rule is: Identify first, dial second!
Identify BEFORE Using Test Functions: Accessing the repeater test functions without first identifying your station is not allowed. Control Operators will cut you off immediately for the same reasons as above for accessing repeater functions without identifying your station with your callsign first.
Conclusion
Use common sense when operating all repeaters. Remember the golden rule and you won’t go wrong. Treat others as you would like to be treated. A repeater is a great big party line, and it is most efficient when all the users play by the same rules. |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 The TCRC is an ARRL
affiliated club.
|
|
|
|
