SARA REPEATER ETIQUETTE
Newcomers to the hobby, and old-timers alike, should take the time to read this section. This not only applies to our repeater system, but is good advice for use on any repeater. Some repeaters have different personalities, so take time to listen when a stranger in a strange land -then, "do as the Romans do. "
1. To initiate a contact, simply indicate that you are on frequency or give a short call to the station you wish to speak to. "K3EP Listening" is the usual sort of message if you aren't calling a specific station. If no one comes back to you, no further transmission on your part is necessary. Phrases like "negative contact" or "nothing heard" serve no purpose and should be avoided. When you're done with your QSO, sign off with "K3EP clear and listening" or just ''K3EP. "
2. Identify legally. FCC requires that you identify your station at least once each 10 minutes during the contact, and at the end of the contact.
3. Pause between transmissions. Listen for others who may need to use the repeater. There are a lot of us who are guilty of this one.
4. Keep your transmissions short and thoughtful. A long monologue may prevent someone with emergency traffic from using the repeater, especially during rush hour. Remember that repeaters have timers that will cut your transmission short if you talk too long (ours is set for 2.5/3 minutes).
5. Roundtable's. When 3 or more hams are in a QSO, amateur A should turn the conversation over to amateur B, who should turn it over to amateur C, and so on until it gets back to amateur A to complete the roundtable and start over. If you don't turn it over to someone, there could be a long period of dead silence or several stations talking at once (usually it's the latter).
6. Don't break into a QSO unless you have something to add. Interrupting is just as impolite on the air as it is in person. The exception here on our repeaters is our morning and evening commutes, where commuting hams are encouraged to join in.
7. Leave your CB lingo next to your old 11 Meter rig. You worked hard for your amateur license, so listen a lot and learn how to sound like the licensed amateur that you now are. Some examples of 11 meter phrases you should not use include ''we'll be on the side" (hams listen), ''I'm going to back on out" (hams "sign'?, and we don't have "handles" (hams have names).
8. Signal reports and Kerchunking. If you are unsure how well you are making it into the repeater, DO NOT kerchunk the repeater. Anytime you key up the repeater you must identify, even if you are testing to see if you can get into the machine (see etiquette rule #2, above). ''K3EP testing" or simply "K3EP" is sufficient. Ask for a signal report if needed.
9. Don't be a repeater hog. The dues of all SARA members support the repeaters, and everyone should have equal access to them. If you have that much to say, you should use some other frequencies, too. Remember that even your mother wouldn't want to hear your voice all day long.
10. Don't bring up more than one repeater. Normally this is not a problem within Stafford, however, during times of excellent propagation and when transmitting from the fringe areas of the repeater your transmissions might key up more than one repeater. Lower your power; it's inconsiderate to tie up multiple repeaters at the same time (although at certain times of the year, we can't help it, even on 5 watts). Nearby repeaters using the same frequency on 145.270 MHz are in Central Pennsylvania and West Virginia and Baltimore on 147.375 (Baltimore does not use a PL, but the others do or at least list a PLY).
11. Keep communications short during an emergency net. Our repeater system is the NWS designated host for the Fredericksburg area Skywarn sub-net. It is also the official repeaters for the Stafford County Office of Emergency Management when ARES/RACES is activated. Other QSOs are sometimes permitted during these nets, but keep them short and go through net control if the net is using one.
12. Support your repeaters. All of our repeaters are open. However, if a non-member is a regular user, he or she should join to help support the repeater. Invite your friends who use the repeaters regularly to send in a check and help support our excellent repeater system. Remember, it costs almost a thousand dollars a year to run the repeater system we enjoy.
13. Don't acknowledge or encourage any station causing malicious interference. If necessary, telephone or email a Control Operator.
14. Never argue with a Control Operator over the air. Control Operators have a thankless job. They must police the association's repeaters as they deem necessary in order to protect the Trustee's license. If you disagree with the actions of a Control Operator, you should write down your grievance and contact the Board and/or Trustee. The most common two statements you'll hear from us over the air is "Kerchunking Station, Please ID yourself' or "Please pause between transmissions."