How a repeater works
The things a repeater list assumes you already know: what a shift is, why your radio needs a tone, and what separates the three digital modes.
- What a repeater is, and how to work oneA repeater listens on one frequency and retransmits on another, turning a handheld with a few watts into a station heard across a region. How offsets, shifts and access tones fit together.
- CTCSS and DCS tones explainedA sub-audible tone your radio sends under your voice, telling the repeater you meant to be there. What CTCSS and DCS are, why they exist, and why transmit and receive tones can differ.
- DMR, C4FM and D-STAR comparedThree digital voice modes on the same bands, none of them compatible with the others. What separates them, what each needs from your radio, and how to choose.
- EchoLink, AllStar and IRLP: repeaters over the internetThree systems that carry analogue audio between repeaters over the internet, so a handheld can reach across the world. How they differ and what each asks of you.
- How to read a Maidenhead grid locatorJN54tu is a place on Earth, written in six characters. How the grid works, how precise each pair is, and why amateurs use it instead of latitude and longitude.