North Florida Amateur Radio Society
North Florida Amateur Radio Society
3342 Pickwick Drive South
Jacksonville, FL 32257-5413
W4IZ 146.7/ 444.4 MHZ REPEATER SYSTEM
127.3 HZ CTCSS
The North Florida Amateur Radio Society W4IZ Repeater System allows operators, especially those using mobile and low-powered handheld transceivers, to communicate reliably over longer distances.
The W4IZ Repeater System is for use by:
(1) Participants during nets, relief efforts and projects of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and its served agencies.
(2) The Jacksonville Skywarn Association.
(3) Members of the North Florida Amateur Radio Society. Users are expected to be NOFARS members. Membership is available for only $5 per year.
(4) Mobile operators passing through and short-term visitors to Northeast Florida.
(5) Participants in other activities approved by the W4IZ Repeater Trustee. To contact the trustee send an e-mail to n4uf@nofars.net
The W4IZ Repeater System is intended to be a meeting point for NOFARS members and to provide a public service. W4IZ is associated with Florida Crown and Duval County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and the Jacksonville Skywarn Assn.
ARES provides communications to agencies including Northeast Florida American Red Cross, Hospital Disaster Council, Jacksonville Emergency Operations Center and Jacksonville Fire & Rescue.
W4IZ REPEATER OPERATING RULES
FCC Part 97.205 (e) states "limiting the use of a repeater to only certain user stations is permissible." There is no rule which requires a repeater sponsor to let everyone use it. Those who do not follow FCC rules and the rules set forth by the W4IZ Trustee will be disqualified from using the system and may be subject to FCC enforcement action.
(1) Each operator must provide station identification near the beginning of a communication or series of communications. In addition, FCC rules require station identification at least every ten minutes and at the end of a communication.
(2) No communications are permitted with persons not holding a valid Amateur Radio license except for transmissions in compliance with FCC rules on third party traffic and control operator supervision. For an unlicensed person to key a transmitter on Amateur Radio bands, the immediate presence of a properly-licensed operator is required. This means that the control (licensed) operator is within a few feet.
FCC Part 97.111(a)1 does not authorize communications with unlicensed operators.
If an operator fails to identify with his or her Amateur Radio call, consider that person to be unlicensed. After a request for their call sign, do not communicate with or acknowledge any transmissions made by unidentified/unlicensed operators. If you hear someone with a questionable call, you can verify via http://www.qrz.com
(3) Do not discuss any details about jammers or jamming on the air at any time and do not acknowledge jammers in any manner.
Use procedures shown further down this page to assist in determining the location of an unidentified/unlicensed operator. When input from observers is sufficient to identify a source of illegal transmissions, details will be filed with the Federal Communications Commission and other agencies for enforcement action. Penalties for malicious transmissions can total thousands of dollars in fines and legal costs plus several years in prison.
(4) Communications must be non-commercial. Prohibitions have been relaxed by the FCC. One may order fast food or conduct some personal business. But an operator is not allowed to benefit financially from using Amateur Radio. One could not use ham radio to dispatch employees of a profit-making business or to solicit customers. A non-routine call to one’s employer to convey that the operator will be late for work is probably okay but most other calls to an employer should be avoided. It is permissible to disseminate information on personal gear for sale or trade on nets and during conversations.
REPEATER INTERFERENCE REPORTS
Follow these steps when you note interference:
(2) If your station includes a rotatable beam, determine the direction of maximum signal strength on 146.100 MHz.
(6) If jamming consists of very short transmissions (under five seconds or so), using a second radio to monitor the repeater input frequency simultaneously may help you prepare a more accurate report. Remember that reports of "no input signal heard" are very valuable in narrowing down the location of the source.
(7) Do not communicate with a person believed to be unlicensed.
As reports from users in various parts of the coverage area increase, the likelihood of locating the source also increases.
OPERATING TIPS
To facilitate cross band operation, the W4IZ Repeater System has only a very short delay (hang time) at the end of each transmission and no “roger beep."
It is good procedure to pause between transmissions for a second or two so that other stations may call.
Allow a second or two of lead time when you key your microphone before speaking. This allows equipment to engage at remote receiver sites.
To join a conversation, simply announce your complete call or suffix of your call during a break. You also may use the word “break” to join in.
Copyright 2011 North Florida Amateur Radio Society. All rights reserved.
North Florida Amateur Radio Society
3342 Pickwick Drive South
Jacksonville, FL 32257-5413
