South Texas Amateur Radio Club

You are welcome to use the clubs repeaters provided that you adhere to Part 97 of the FCC Rules and Regulations and any and all rules and guidelines presented as follows by the club and its net control operators.  The repeaters are located in Corpus Christi, TX and are normally available 24 hours per day.  During a regular scheduled training net, special events activity or during emergency conditions, the repeaters will be under the direction of a net control operator.  

REPEATERS

• The main VHF 2 Meter repeater N5CRP on 146.820 output frequency has a – negative offset. The CTCSS tone (PL Tone) of 107.2 is required to access the repeater.  The input frequency is 146.220. This repeater is located in Central Corpus Christi at 435 feet.

• This 2 Meter repeater is will be in Petronilla area at 600 FT N5CRP on 146.880 output frequency has a – negative offset. The CTCSS tone (PL Tone) of 107.2 is required to access the repeater.  The input frequency is 146.280. This repeater has both FM and Fusion capability and is RF Linked to the SADRC Network – YSF US SADRC #84398 or WIRES X Texas SADRC 40324.  

• This 2 Meter repeater will be in downtown bayfront Corpus Christi N5CRP on 147.100 output frequency has a + positive offset. The CTCSS tone (PL Tone) of 107.2 is required to access the repeater.  The input frequency is 147.700. This repeater also has NWS Weather Alerts.

• This UHF Meter repeater is located near Petronilla Texas at 600 FT N5CRP on 442.250 output frequency has a + positive offset. The CTCSS tone (PL Tone) of 107.2 is required to access the repeater.  The input frequency is 447.250.

• This UHF repeater is on the USS Lexington W5LEX on 444.850 output frequency has a + positive offset. The CTCSS tone (PL Tone) of 103.5 is required to access the repeater. The input frequency is 449.850. The repeater is linked to IRLP (4216) and Echolink (907637) .

AUTHORIZED USERS 

The repeaters are available for access to all licensed amateur radio operators.  Malicious interferences with the repeaters is a violation of FCC rules and regulations and are subject to sanctions. The following guidelines are for common courtesy and common procedures.  Adhering to these practices will help make the repeater an enjoyable experience for all ages.

Always be courteous and respectful of others.  FCC rules apply at all times.  See section 97.205(e) of the FCC rules.

REPEATERS OPERATION PRACTICES 

STARC Repeater Rules of Conduct

Date: 01/07/2023                   

The STARC Board of Directors shall be responsible for making these Rules of Conduct for its repeaters. Further they empower the trustee and/or control operators to enforce them.

Ownership Statement

South Texas Amateur Radio Club (STARC) has been assigned the Amateur radio call sign N5CRP by the Federal Communications Commission.

The N5CRP repeaters, coordinated thru the Texas VHF FM Society are owned solely by STARC and shall remain the property of STARC. The Club from time to time may be provided technical, financial, equipment, or other support by the repeater users or other persons. Such support is understood and deemed by STARC and any such party to be a gift and does not create nor transfer any property interest of any kind to any such person with respect to any aspect of repeater property. Also, the repeater users by virtue of their use of the repeater, shall not be deemed to have been conveyed or transferred in any form any property interest in the repeater under applicable Texas or federal laws related to property ownership. All rights to the repeater at all times shall remain solely with STARC.

Why do we need rules at all for repeater conduct or etiquette? 

No one likes a bunch of arbitrary rules, but when you have a shared resource, like a wide coverage range repeater they become necessary.

The rules are pretty basic:

1. Always identify yourself according to the regulations. This means every ten (10) minutes and at the end of your transmission. This is not only STARC’s rule; it is also required by the FCC. It never hurts to give your station’s call sign more than less. It helps other users know you are there if they are listening.
2. Avoid lengthy conversations, pause between transmissions. This in no way means keep the repeaters quiet. On the contrary STARC put the repeaters on the air to be used and we are very happy when they are busy.
3. Yield existing conversations to recognized activities: Weekly nets, RACES, ARES, Skywarn, etc.
4. Do not engage in political soap boxing. Do not engage in any personal antagonisms. STARC is firm on this rule. Violate it and you will be warned and if you continue you may be asked to leave the repeater.
5. Do not use CB lingo/slanguage. Do not use “Q” codes and phonetics excessively. This is FM, not like HF so we all can hear you loud and clear, nor is it a general practice to speak in this way.
6. Always yield the frequency to a breaking station (any station with emergency traffic). The pro sign “break” has a very specific meaning on ham radio. So if you hear it, then give them the frequency. If you use it, remember the importance of its use. Ham radio has saved many lives and you never know when it may need to save yours.
7. Selling items OTHER than ham related equipment is not allowed, nor is conducting any business. This is not only a STARC rule but is also prohibited by the FCC. As Amateur Radio operators, we are prohibited from gaining any pecuniary benefit from our operation of our amateur radio stations. When in doubt take it off the air.
8. Watch your language; the repeater is “G Rated” 24 hours a day. Sometimes slips happen. That said there is a complete difference between an inadvertent slip and an intentional act. Most times all transmissions of the STARC repeaters are being monitored and violations may be turned over to the FCC enforcement office, if necessary.
9. If you hear stations jamming or interfering do not make any comment, ignore them. Do not antagonize those interfering! This is not going to make them stop; it also puts your license at risk as well.

STARC’s policy: the N5CRP repeaters are open for all to use, provided you follow the rules in using it.

Part 97, officially called Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 97 (47 CFR Part 97), is the body of rules which governs the Amateur Radio Service.

What gives the owners and trustees the right to tell someone how to operate?

All repeaters have rules. These rules often go beyond Part 97. 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 owners or trustees. FCC 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 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! All repeater users must follow the rules of the repeater.

Here is STARC’s policy: the N5CRP repeaters are open for all to use, provided you follow the rules in using it.

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 FCC Amateur Service Enforcement Officer)

Each station owner is responsible for the operation of their equipment. They must always meet the FCC defined rules and may also implement a more stringent set of rules for the operation of their equipment. To use the STARC repeaters you must follow the rules. 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 the STARC repeaters 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 the STARC repeaters. They will help us all get along and enjoy this wonderful hobby.

Please report interference and flagrant violations on the repeater to the trustee or a STARC Board member.

The following guidelines will assist you in using the repeaters.

• Monitor the repeater (sometime called “the machine”) to become familiar with any peculiarity with the repeater.  Listen and listen again before making a call to see if the repeater is in use.  Remember repeaters are like party-lines for all to hear.

• To initiate a contact simply verify that you are on frequency.  Give your call sign and say “listening” or “monitoring.”

• Please don’t “ker-chunk” (key up without identifying yourself) the repeater to see if your radio and/or the repeater is working.  That is an illegal transmission per the FCC.  To verify it is working and the frequency is clear, give your call sign and say “testing”.

• Identify legally; you must identify at the end of a transmissions or series of transmission and at least once every 10 minutes during communication.  Just simply say you’re ID and nothing else.

• Pause between transmissions.  Wait until the signal drops (your Smeter will show you when there is no signal from the repeater, sometimes called hang time) before responding. This will keep transmissions clear and not cut off part of what is being said.  It will also give opportunity for others to have access to the repeater. 

• Should you want access to the repeater say your call sign and wait to be recognized. It is poor etiquette to break into a conversation unless you have an emergency or you can add substance to the conversation.

• Keep transmission short and thoughtful.  Your long comments may prevent someone with an emergency from using the repeater. Give other hams an opportunity to use the repeater.  Move long conversations to a simplex frequency if possible.

• When you hear “BREAK, BREAK” always yield to emergency communications.  See Emergency Situation below.

• With access to mobile phones we no longer offer auto patch.

• Conducting or promoting commercial business is prohibited by FCC Part 97 of the FCC Rules and Regulations.

• STARC repeaters are maintained at considerable expense and regular users should contribute to the support, care and upkeep of the repeaters.  You’re certainly welcomed to join our club and participate fully in all our amateur radio activities.

NETS

The STARC net meets each Tuesday evening at 8:00PM on the 146.820 repeater, except on specific holidays.  This net is directed by a control operator who will give specific instructions on how the net is conducted.  The purpose of the net is to learn and practice net procedures and to share general items of interest and information to STARC amateur operators.  All stations licensed to operate on the 2 meter amateur radio band are welcomed to check into our net. 

SKYWARN

During severe weather outbreaks an formal NET may convene to provide urgent weather observation information to the National Weather Service at their station WX5CRP.  SKYWARN certification is not required but is recommended.  

“SKYWARN is a registered trade mark of the NWS”

updated 04-18-2024