An amateur radio repeater is an electronic device that receives a weak or low-level amateur radio signal and retransmits it at a higher level or higher power, so that the signal can cover longer distances without degradation. Many repeaters are located on hilltops or on tall buildings as the higher location increases their coverage area, sometimes referred to as the radio horizon , or "footprint". Amateur radio repeaters are similar in concept to those used by public safety entities police, fire department, etc. Amateur radio repeaters may even use commercially packaged repeater systems that have been adjusted to operate within amateur radio frequency bands, but more often amateur repeaters are assembled from receivers, transmitters, controllers, power supplies, antennas, and other components, from various sources. In amateur radio , repeaters are typically maintained by individual hobbyists or local groups of amateur radio operators. Many repeaters are provided openly to other amateur radio operators and typically not used as a remote base station by a single user or group.
The $50 Ham: Checking Out The Local Repeater Scene
Amateur radio repeater - Wikipedia
The phone network is down and the internet is inaccessible. Power is out. How do you communicate when all else fails? Ham radio. As recent disasters have shown, you simply cannot rely on mobile phones or the internet to communicate in an emergency, because these communication channels depend on the electrical and data grid. You can think of countless situations where communication could make the difference between life and death on an individual level, too. What if disaster strikes when someone in your family is 10 miles away at work?
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While listening to the 2-meter ham band you can expect to hear normal conversations or "rag chew" as the hams call it. You may also hear a ham operator on his way home from work asking his wife if she needs anything from the store. You may hear a ham operator reporting a traffic accident and requesting emergency services. You may also hear ham radio operators providing on the scene emergency communications during times of disaster. Often you will hear a ham operator reporting on conditions long before the general public has been advised of the situation via the normal news media.