Setting up a repeater

From idea to on the air: VHF, UHF and HF, and the FCC, ARRL and local steps in between.

Building a repeater: the roadmapThe whole process in order, from planning to a coordinated repeater on the air.Planning a repeaterPurpose, coverage goal, band, budget, and who will own and look after it.VHF repeatersBuilding on 6 m, 2 m or 1.25 m: coverage, pairs, antennas and what to expect.UHF repeatersBuilding on 70 cm and up: building penetration, smaller antennas, tighter duplexers.HF and 10-meter repeatersWhy HF has almost no repeaters, what the rules allow, and what people do instead.Remote bases and HF linksBringing HF to VHF users with a remotely controlled station.Frequency coordination and the ARRLWho coordinates repeater pairs, what ARRL does and does not do, and how to apply.FCC rules for repeatersWhat Part 97 says about repeater licensing, control, identification and responsibility.Sites, permits and local approvalsLandlords, zoning, tower rules, aviation and RF-exposure checks, and neighbours.Repeater hardware and duplexersRadios, controller, duplexer, antenna and power: what each does and how they fit.Repeater antennas and coverageHeight, gain, link budget and why the handheld usually limits the range.Digital-voice repeatersDMR, D-STAR and Fusion repeaters: what changes and what coordination still means.Running and maintaining a repeaterTrustees, control operators, policy, monitoring and keeping it healthy for years.