Our Repeater WA4AEC

Wilson County, NC AuxComm./ARES UHF 444.900 (179.9) Repeater.    

Usage

1. 1. Wilson County, NC Auxiliary Emergency Communication/ARES Team, (WA4AEC) do not believe that it is necessary to establish a rigid set of rules, regulations, and policies for the use of the repeater since this would tend to minimize the enjoyment derived from amateur radio in general. As licensed operators you are already aware of the required FCC Rules and Regulations.
   2. If you desire to have a general conversation with other amateurs through the repeater and the repeater is not being used, the suggested calling technique is recommended. Please recognize that there are no rigid procedures. The most important thing to remember is to give your call-sign followed by the reason you are accessing the repeater.
   3. After you key the microphone, wait a second before speaking. All radios have a slight delay, some more than others, you may have the first few syllables cut from your transmission. If you hear someone on the repeater and you both know each other, you could call him/her and give your call-sign 10 minutes later, assuming the station you are calling recognizes your voice characteristics and acknowledges who you are.
   4. While the FCC regulations state that the call-sign can be given within a 10-minute period, in reality, under most operating situations it is totally unrealistic, (Sec 97.119).If you want to join a conversation already in progress wait for the period immediately following the completion of one of the transmissions. Usually, when an amateur un-keys the microphone and turns it over to another amateur, (pause), the other amateur should wait for the repeater’s reset tone, (about 1-2 seconds). During this interval, quickly key your microphone and announce, “This is (your call-sign) joining in”. An invitation to join the conversation should normally follow.
   5. If you have an emergency situation warranting immediate use of the repeater, announce that you have an emergency giving your call-sign. If a conversation is in progress, it would be prudent to have the other stations acknowledge that they hear you, so there is no interference to your communications. You may be in a marginal area and not heard or only partially understood.
   6. Although the repeater is owned and maintained by the WA4AEC team, by FCC regulation, the repeater must have a designated Trustee. The Trustee’s call-sign is assigned to the repeater and it is his responsibility for the proper operation. To assist the Trustee in the performance of his responsibilities, control stations have been selected to monitor the repeater and advise users of prohibited transmissions or illegal operating procedures. The primary purpose of a control station is to assist; not criticize nor censor exchanges.
   7. If necessary, and only under extreme circumstances, control operators have the authority to turn-off the repeater. This is usually reserved for the re-broadcasting of music or talk radio from commercial radio stations or a serious willful and malicious situation. Should it become necessary to turn-off the repeater, an announcement will be made by the control station prior to the action. The action will be completely documented by the control station reflecting the date, time, and reason for the action, and forwarded to the Trustee.

Management and Control

Owners:  Wilson County, NC AuxComm/ARES Team
Trustee: W3GJD
Control Operators:  KK4CT, KA4DST