What is a Repeater?
Repeaters are automatic relay stations positioned at high spots on towers, hills, mountains, and/or buildings. They pick up the weaker signals from portables and mobiles and re-transmit them at a higher transmitter power simultaneously for better communications range. General Communications and Electronics, LLC. has 3 towers strategically located in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area.
A repeater is a term for a device often used in amateur radio as well as commercial and emergency radio communications. It typically consists of a transmitter, a receiver, a controller (the “brains” of the system) and a duplexer (so you can use one antenna for simultaneous transmit and receive operations). A repeater receives signals and rebroadcasts them on a different frequency. A repeater is used for increasing the distance that stations can communicate.
A normal radio conversation takes place from one unit to the next. This is usually accomplished with both stations being on the same channel or frequency. This is known as simplex, or single frequency operation. A repeater is a special radio station set up with the sole purpose of relaying the radio signals of other stations. It is normally set up in a high location. A repeater works by recieving a signal on one frequency and retransmitting it instantaneously on another frequency. To use a repeater a user station must use a different transmit frequency than recieve frequency. This is a form of duplex, or two frequency operation. It is known as half-duplex as you do not recieve and transmit at the same time but normally use the push-to-talk button on your microphone to switch between the two. WHY USE A REPEATER? Repeaters in the amatuer radio service are used on all bands above 28 megahertz. By far the most repeaters are used in the 144 to 148 megahertz band, known as two meters, with u
Repeaters are located across the country, mainly on bands between 50MHz and 23cm. A repeater is an un-manned station that will re-transmit any signal heard on its input frequency. There may also be tone squelch which requires that a subaudible tone be sent so the repeater only retransmits audio that contains this tone. Repeaters are most commonly found on 2 meters (144 – 146 MHz) and 70 cm (432 – 440MHz). The signal heard on the input of the repeater is re-transmitted on a different frequency to avoid interference. This is known as the repeater shift. This is most commonly -600kHz for 2 meters, and +1.6MHz for 70cms.
Related Questions
- I know that my Icom dual band handheld, or a mobile radio can do crossband repeat. Can I use them as a repeater with both receive and transmit frequencies on the same band?
- Can I use a PL-259 or UHF connector with a cellular amplifier or amplifier/repeater?
- Can a cell phone repeater be used to cover more than one floor?
