You must identify your station according to the FCC rules at least every ten minutes. before issuing any Touch tone commands, you must also identify your station, by announcing your call sign.

2. Avoid lengthy conversations

Please limit conversations to 15 or 20 minutes. Then take a good long break or move to another frequency. Other hams probably want to use the repeater but might not be interested in the subject your group is discussing. None of us should monopolize the repeater, even unintentionally.

It's not enough to pause now and then and invite others to join in. They may just not be interested in the topic. Be polite, and don't be a "repeater hog."

In addition, great time and expense was put into adding the IRLP function on this repeater. In order for stations from across the world to check in from time to time, the repeater must be free. If you are monopolizing the repeater these folks can't get in, and receive a busy response. Since these calls are unpredictable, and random you never know when they are coming in, so plenty of free time needs to be reserved to allow this function to work. Since these calls can be from friends, acquaintances, members on vacation, and future friends, these calls are to be given a priority. Think of them as company, and extend a strong welcome to them.

Of course, good amateur practice is to use Simplex, where possible, or switch to other repeaters so as to free up this repeater for other uses.

3. Do not engage in political soap boxing.

Soap boxing, which goes hand-in-hand with overly long conversations, is when people carry on a conversation on the repeater that is a thinly disguised broadcast. The subject is generally to “put down” an institution, group, or an individual for as wide as possible an audience. Of course it can be to gain support for a cause, person, or group as well. Both can be very objectionable to other repeater users and listeners. Using the K9WZ repeater as a platform for soap boxing is unacceptable.

Conversations on the repeaters should be friendly ones. Do not make them negative commentaries on institutions, groups, or people. Avoid discussions on inappropriate subjects including politics, sex and religion! Don't use the repeaters to “put people down.” Amateur Radio is not a broadcast medium – 97.113(5)(b).

Are we talking about censorship? No, not exactly. A person may have the right to stand on the street and say bad things about someone. They don't have the same right when they are a guest in that person’s house. When using the K9WZ repeater, you are a guest operator of his station. No one has any right to use the repeaters in ways that K9WZ feels are objectionable.

4. Do not routinely circumvent the time-out timer.

The repeater's time-out timer serves two purposes. The first purpose is to satisfy regulation 97.213(b) requiring us to limit repeater transmissions to a maximum of three minutes under automatic control. 

Like many repeater owners, we also use the time-out timer as a way to encourage users to limit the length of individual transmissions. This gives everyone a chance to speak. Under normal conditions, it is rude to get around the time-out timer by momentarily dropping carrier to reset the timer or saying “Stand by, let me reset” and continuing. Always remember there may be an emergency, someone may need the repeater. Please listen for the beep, wait a few seconds then continue!

We have actually heard repeater conversations in which the average individual transmission was six to seven minutes. Even with only two stations talking, that would require each station to identify both at the beginning and the end of every transmission just to meet the 10-minute rule!

Resetting the time-out timer should only be done as absolutely required and infrequently. Learn to speak concisely and limit the length of your individual transmissions.

5. CB Lingo, “Q” codes and excessive phonetics.

Amateur Radio operators find the sound of CB lingo worse than fingernails on a blackboard. The main thing to remember is to just talk normal. Talk just like you would to someone in person. There’s nothing different about talking over the radio. Using slang jargon just labels a person as an ex-CBer. The use of "10-4", "roger", "Good Buddy", "the handle is" and such have no place here.

Using any of the “Q” codes is just about as bad, but is generally overlooked. QSY, QRT, QSL, QTH. Please don’t use phonetics for every letter you need to say.  For example: “The name here is Hollingsworth, Hotel, Oscar, Lima, Lima, India, November, George, Sierra, Whiskey, Oscar, Romeo, Tango, Hotel, QSL?, the home QTH is in Manchester, Mike, Alpha, November…….”

You are talking on an FM repeater not a station in Europeon 80 Meter sideband. Just talk normal.

6.  Yield the frequency to a breaking station

When attempting to break into a conversation on the repeater, please follow this procedure. If you have an Emergency interrupt the conversation by saying "BREAK BREAK". The talking stations should immediately recognize this as an Emergency, and turn the repeater over to you. If you just desire to join the conversation or make a comment, interrupt by giving your call. Regardless,whencalling or breaking stations interrupt, yield quickly since you never know if they have an emergency or not.

7. Selling other items OTHER than ham related equipment

Obviously selling any ham equipment is allowed as long as its not done on a regular basis as a business.  But  conversations  advertising, or selling vehicles, toys, other non ham related equipment and discussing prices  is absolutely unacceptable on the repeater and will not be tolerated.

8. Our repeaters are “G-Rated” 24 hours a day.

You never know who may be listening. Even late at night, there are generally people listening to the repeater, including non-hams. This is important to understand for several reasons.

Our repeaters serve many purposes. One of the most important is the exposure it gives the hobby to the community. Any scanner can be used to listen to our repeaters. That’s good – It’s actually the most visible aspect of our hobby. It’s one of our most effective forms of publicity.

We want non-hams to know that Amateur Radio is an interesting hobby and a good group of people to get to know - something clean and educational - something they would want their kids to get involved in. Kids may or may not listen late at night, but their parents do.

Think about CB. The government tolerates the language on CB partly because they only use a few kilohertz of spectrum. It’s not a huge waste. Amateur Radio, on the other hand, uses a lot of valuable spectrum. There needs to be a noticeable difference between Amateur Radio and CB. Don’t let our activities on the air become a weapon in the hands of people who want to discredit us. Let’s all do our part to give Amateur Radio a positive image.

We want any ham that listens to us to think of us as good operators, not idiots. Any time we talk on the repeater, we are ambassadors for the hobby. Have you ever noticed how you like to listen to some repeaters, but sometimes you find a repeater that makes you roll your eyes and twist the knob? We lose good people because of what they hear on our repeaters.

Our rule is simple: absolutely no obscene, indecent or profane language at any time.

9) Do not cause intentional interferrence, to the repeater, or conversations on the repeater

What gives the K9WZ repeater the right to tell someone how to operate?

All repeaters have rules. These rules often go beyond Part 97. And, users who refuse to comply with the repeater’s rules can be told to stop using the repeaters. This is entirely at the judgment of the repeater trustees.

Rule 97.205(e) says, “…Limiting the use of a repeater to only certain user stations is permissible.” There are no qualifications – ifs, ands, or buts – to this rule. This isn’t just the right to close a repeater. In fact, the ARRL says, “…a repeater does not have to be listed as being “closed” in The ARRL Repeater Directory in order to have a limited access.” (Source: The ARRL’s FCC Rule Book) The terms “open” and “closed” don’t appear in the regulations at all! Listing a repeater as “open” means you don’t have to be a member in order to use it. But, you still must follow the rules of the repeater.

The FCC supports a trustee’s right to control the use of their repeaters. The letter reproduced below is an example. On Dec. 13, 2001, FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth wrote to a Mr. Banks because he had not stopped using a repeater when asked. (Reading between the lines it seems that Mr. Banks must have argued that the repeater was “open”.) Mr. Hollingsworth explained that a repeater doesn’t need to be “closed” for a trustee to require compliance among the users. Banks had to comply or expect FCC enforcement action. Please take time read this letter. Mr. Hollingsworth can be reached at 717-338-2502 if you wish to discuss this.

Here is our policy: the K9WZ repeater is open for all to use for conversation, provided you follow the rules in using it. IRLP and EchoIRLP (EchoLink) is available and open to all who receive prior permission and will be given those codes upon request and approval.We however reserve all other functions that require touch tone control to supporting members.

Nothing could be fairer. The ARRL says it clearest of all.

“A repeater is not a public utility - you don’t have a “right” to use it! When you are using someone else’s repeater you are, in effect, a visitor in the owner’s station. So, you should conduct yourself accordingly. If you use that station in a manner that the owner finds objectionable, that person has every right to revoke your privilege of using it!”(Source: The ARRL’s FCC Rule Book)

Again,  to use the K9WZ repeater you must follow our rules. There are repeaters with more lenient rules than ours are and some which are much more restrictive. Beyond the FCC minimum requirements, it’s up to each repeater owner to set their own operating rules. A repeater user needs to try to fit in. If the rules for K9WZ’s repeater are uncomfortable for you and do not suit your personal needs or style we encourage you to try other repeaters or even try talking on simplex.

We wish for everyone willing to abide by these simple rules to freely use our repeaters. We welcome you and hope you have many enjoyable conversations on the K9WZ repeater. 73!

---- Adapted with permission, in part, from an copyrighted article of the Interstate Repeater Society   http://www.irs.nhradio.org/rules.html

Interstate Repeater Society, Derry, New Hampshirehttp://www.irs.nhradio.org/

These additional rules apply to members using the features reserved for their exclusive use.

While the K9WZ Repeater is an OPEN repeater, as far as the basic Voice Repeating is concerned, the other features activated by Touch Tone Commands listed on the User Command Pages are for the EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE SUPPORTING MEMBERS! Therefore, keeping these codes to yourself is mandatory! It is okay to demonstrate to non- members, without revealing the codes, the benefits of joining the group. In addition, it is okay occasionally to help a non-member by bringing up a feature, such as the Remote Bases, or AutoPatch especially in an Emergency, or for Amateurs who are not from our area. BUT to continually allow non-supporting stations to benefit from the repeater's features, is not fair to all the loyal members who support this repeater, including yourself, and therefore should not be done!

Reminder!

 In order to access the repeater or any of it's features your radio must transmit a P.L. Tone of 131.8. This P.L. Tone helps us to eliminate interference from other repeaters on the same frequency as this one. It also helps stop some of the intermod problems that exist at the main site.

 To those members with PL Decode capability, the repeater normally transmits the PL tone of 131.8. This means your radio when set up for PL tone squelch using this frequency, you will hear only this repeater, and not the other ones that may be on this same frequency.