Repeater output channel

[racebannon]

I just got my license, and believe it or not, I have a stupid question.
So I know you're not supposed to use someone's repeater without permission. Does that mean if someone has a repeater nearby you're not supposed to use that output channel to talk?

[marcspaz]

The repeater outputs are on the simplex frequencies.  You can talk on any frequency your license covers, regardless of if a repeater nearby shares that frequency.

 

Additionally, you don't 'always' need the owner's permission to use a repeater.  While all repeaters are privately owned, many owners will allow any licensed user to use it.  I would recommend making a best effort to contact the owner and ask.  Sometimes, I have actually hailed the owner on the repeater.

[Lscott]

Additionally, you don't 'always' need the owner's permission to use a repeater.

If the repeater is listed as "open" that would be true. If it isn't then you do need to ask first. Ignoring the argument about the repeater being private property is the one about identification.

 

As along as the owner, and their immediate family, use the repeater it will be properly identified every time a family member uses it and ID's per the FCC rules since everyone is using the same call sign. That may not be the case when others are allowed to use it. For instant if a simple controller is used with no builtin ID function.

 

There are a number of cheap repeater controllers out there that do not have an ID function. A lot of these get sold where everything from a couple of handheld radios to high power mobile radios are used with them along with cheap Chinese duplexers to build a repeater.

 

https://radio-tone.com/product/rt-crc1-repater-controller-full-duplex/

 

https://www.surecom.com.hk/surecom01_product.php?id=114919

 

If the repeater owner allows users outside of his immediate family to use the machine it needs to ID with the owner's call sign. This by the way is the same problem with Ham full duplex cross band repeaters, getting the machine's transmitter to ID when relaying the signal back to the owner's radio.

 

So if you don't ask first you have no idea how the repeater is setup. The owner may not want people to use it since it lacks the ability to self identify and if the owner allows others to use it they could end up with a problem with the FCC.