Repeater etiquette

From Carc-wiki

Operations

The Amateur's Code

The Radio Amateur is...
Considerate ...never knowingly operates in such a way as to lesson the pleasure of others.
Loyal ...offers loyalty, encouragement and support to other amateurs, local clubs, and the American Radio Relay League, through with Amateur RAdio in the United States is represented nationally and internationally.
Progressive ...with knowledge abreast of science, a well-built and efficient station and operation above reproach.
Friendly ... slow and patient operating when requested; friendly advice and counsel to the beginner; kindly assistance, cooperation and consideration for the intersts of others. These are the hallmarks of the amateur spirit.
Balanced ...radio is an avocation, never interfering with duties owed to family, job, school or community.
Patriotic ...station and skill always ready for service to country and community

Paul M. Segal, W9EEA 1928

Repeater Etiquette

One of the most exciting things we as Amateur Radio Operators get to do on a regular basis is converse with other fellow "hams" on repeaters; repeaters have done to amateur radio what the chat room did to the internet. And for any ham, a repeater can be a very fascinating and painless way to get information and make a whole host of contacts without touching your VFO knob!

But with that capability comes a lot of responsibility, to always treat other operators with respect and present our hobby (some might call it a "way of life") in a positive light to ANYONE that might be listening in, whether it's another ham, someone with a scanner, or even those really nice guys that give us Call Signs!

It's in this spirit that we've assembled here a list of commonly-accepted "repeater etiquette" rules to help take some of the headache out of operating on any repeater you might stumble across. Keep in mind, this list is certainly not all-inclusive, nor is it absolute, but follow these few simple rules and you'll be well on your way to being the operator YOU want to be!

Be sure you listen to a repeater before "keying it up" to make sure it's not already in use.

Per FCC Rules & Regs, you must ALWAYS allow a distressed station to have priority access to a repeater and it is your DUTY to assist that station in any and every way you can.

Don't intentionally "kerchunk" a repeater; if you're pressing that PTT switch, it's good practice to toss out your call sign with it. And if you're having problems operating the repeater, you can probably get help from another station simply by calling on the designated "call" frequency for your band.

Always remember to use clear and concise English, free of any jargon, slang or "CB-Talk" when you're communicating in phone.

Just like any other conversation, remember to use your best judgement and be respectful when involving yourself in an in-progress QSO.

Remember to ID your station every 10 minutes during your QSO, and at the end of your communication. Though not required in the rules, it is considered a courtesy to ID when you start a QSO on a repeater as well.

Let the repeater "drop" completely before keying it up again: Not only is this the proper way to carry on a QSO, it gives others a chance to "break" in to the conversation, and that "breaking" station may be in distress. Most repeaters have a 'time out' timer. If you keep the machine keyed longer than a certain amount of time, it'll shut down for awhile. You may find yourself talking to dead air!

Keep all conversation, whether on a repeater or off, free and clear of any controversial and/or profane speech. Remember, ANYONE could be listening at ANY time, and one person's inflammatory, derogatory or profane statements can put an entirely different light to our hobby. Let's prove our excellence in all we do!

Keep in mind that some conversations are best held in private. It's tacky to complain about someone or something in a public, and perhaps even more so on the airwaves. Let's keep that kind of discussion where it belongs: behind closed doors or on the telephone.

Repeaters and their associated radio systems are very costly to purchase and maintain and these costs are always absorbed by someone. As such, always be respectful of another person's equipment: don't access or attempt to access "restricted" repeater functions (such as an Autopatch, EchoLink/IRLP or other system) without prior permission from the machine's owner. The "Golden Rule" applies here perhaps more than anywhere.