AC6V's GUIDE TO FM REPEATERS

  

Price $12.95 Plus Shipping

Click Here to Buy at Amazon

ALSO AVAILABLE:

 DX101x - A Guide For Beginning DXers

For Great Programming Accessories  
See Nifty Accessories

See FM101x Up Live And Personal
At These Ham Stores, Conventions, Swap Meets.
Or By Mail Order

STORES

MAIL ORDER/CONVENTIONS

 BURGHARDT AMATEUR CENTER

 AC6V PUBLICATIONS
 GIGAPARTS  MANUAL MAN
 HAM RADIO OUTLET   NIFTY ACCESSORIES - N6FN
 UNIVERSAL RADIO

 W5YI GROUP

 

 WBØW INC

     AC6V E-MAIL ADDRESS   

This book is six months in the writing and features the advice of several noted Amateurs and technical gurus.

It is intended for those entering the world of FM Repeaters and Amateur Radio. The guide is written for new users with or without a technical background 

88 Pages
All Chapter Text In 12 Point Times Roman For EZ Reading
Book Is Copyrighted © With United States Library Of Congress
(Author Qualifications -- The Brag Tape -- Hewlett-Packard Tech Writer - 21 years,
Amateur - 24 years)

MANUAL UPDATES

  SEE E-HAM REVIEWS

TESTIMONIALS (UNSOLICITED)

Universal Radio comments: Many new hams find repeater operation intimidating. This book lets you skip that awkward early stage. It provides the knowledge and confidence you need to enjoy repeater operation immediately.


A new Tech enters the hobby with an HT and little else. This is the place to pick up the rest of what he or she needs to know. I do a lot of coaching and I will be recommending this book from now on. Two years of experience packed into one weekend of easy, pleasurable reading.

73 NE5EE


I would like to send a thanx to you for your book on repeaters. Just starting out in the hobby. I could not have asked for a better guide to the world of fm repeaters. I have now started working 2 m ssb and have logged over 17 grid squares in 4 months. Thanx again for a great start in the hobby. 73 George KG6TVC, San Leandro, CA


KF6HBJ writes -- I purchased the FM101x Guide last week and have gone through the material relating to my HT. Basically I purchased it to bring me up to date as I had dropped off from using my radio quite awhile ago. Being a computer guy, I found the material easy to follow and found the essentials pointing me to further readings on web links for increased knowledge and detail. From the first page to the last page, I never felt slighted because I wasn't a seasoned Ham Radio Operator. Rod's vernacular clearly expresses what I needed to get accustomed to without the academia sort of information that I have read in other technical types of volumes. Thanks Dave KF6HBJ, Temecula CA


Excellent Book. I recently taught a one day ham class for new technician hams. I purchased a copy of the FM101X book for each student. All the students had many compliments for the contents of the books. One comment "including the book in the course was a very good idea" Another comment"FM101X answered all my questions about repeater operation as a new ham - great book"
The new hams loved it! For new hams this is the book!      Dick Decker K6SUU,  Turlock CA


N5ACM comments on eHam reviews: Get up to Speed Quickly with this Guide. This book is well worth the price. You get current, practical information on topics of interest to both new and old HAMs. Information is presented in a straightforward, succinct and readable manner, the illustrations are basic, but adequate. You don't need or pay for glossy fluff here- the book provides a well thought out treatise on FM ops in one place, from simplex, repeaters, digital and the vagaries of Echolink. Lots of links for further information too. A great place to get up to speed quickly. New HAMS will feel completely comfortable on VHF/UHF after perusing this book. Well Done. N5ACM,   Arlington TX


AB7NI Wrote: Rod, Received the book today. I read it, and was impressed. Great minds must think alike. Your comments were EXACTLY what I have been telling new hams for years. Very much interested in buying in volume for the next class I teach. Meanwhile this copy is getting some yellow highlighted sections. Great job! Thanks -- Gary AB7NI Colbert, WA


KG6JPX Wrote  -- Bravo on AC6V'S FM101x. Also, the internet website references are great. However I think it would help a lot if you repeated them in the back of the book, grouped according to their purpose. That would help locate them later on when the reader has forgotten the context, chapter and page number where it was first seen.

Author note -- this will be added --see MANUAL UPDATES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Introduction - Click Here For Sample
Covers an introduction to the book as well as an example of the bewildering jargon that one will encounter on Amateur Radio Repeaters and where in the book to decipher the alphabet soup and jargon. CTCSS, PL, Offset, Desense, Alligator, Machine, Picket-Fencing, Quieting, Q-Signals, beeps, hang-time, protocol, OM, capturing, etc.  
 

Chapter 2. Your First FM Radio - Click Here For Sample
Information on what to select as your first FM radio. Discusses advantages of Handi-Talkies vs Mobiles, antennas, batteries, features to consider. All mode radios and multi-banders are discussed.
Mobile installation, Mobile Antennas, DC power supplies, Noise Abatement, Mobile Power considerations, Coax Considerations, and VSWR checks.

Chapter 3. Operating Simplex- Click Here For Sample
Discusses how to operate simplex (without a repeater). Range to be expected, antennas, cross polarization, and protocol. Includes a complete list of simplex frequencies from 2 meters thru 1.2 GHz including the recommended National Calling frequencies.
VHF/UHF DXing techniques.

Chapter 4. How Repeaters Works - Click Here For Sample
Simplified pictorial of a repeater. Covers simplex, half duplex, full duplex operation. Explains offsets, splits, input and output frequencies. Lists the standard offsets for USA repeaters - 10 meters thru 2.4 GHz. Thoroughly covered are CTCSS, PL, SUBAUDIBLE TONES | TONE SQUELCH | DCS, DTCS |TONE BURST | DTMF | BEEPS & BE-BOPS.

Chapter 5. Programming a Rig - Click Here For Sample
Covers the nightmare of programming a radio. How to make a cheat sheet. Using programming cables. A source for a handy wallet size programming accessory. Generic outline for programming any radio.  

Chapter 6. Antennas, Power Sources, VSWR, and DeciBels - Click Here For Sample
Covers rubber duck antennas, better antennas such as ¼ wave, ½ wave, ¾ wave and 5/8 wave, Yagis, and J-Poles. Gives numerous URL's and tips for building your own antennas. The battery paragraphs cover Sealed Lead Acid (SLA), Lithium,  NICAD and NIMH Batteries. Power Supplies, VSWR, and dB are covered in a non-technical approach.

Chapter 7. Using Repeaters - Click Here For Sample
This chapter covers how to find repeaters, repeater guides on the internet, complete rundown on repeater protocol, soliciting a conversation, asking for information, jargon heard, radio checks and signal reports, what to say, breaking in, multiple conversations - rotations, nets, roll calls and demos, autopatching. Also listed is a complete listing of 2 Meter repeater pairs, packet simplex, and voice simplex frequencies.
 

Chapter 8. Phonetics, Q-Signals, and Callsigns - Click Here For Sample
All about Q-Signals used on repeaters. Recommended Phonetics are covered (Alpha, Bravo, etc). A list of all USA callsign districts and classes of license callsigns are explained.

Chapter 9. Funny Repeater Sounds and Myths - Click Here For Sample
Covers the many sounds heard on a repeater, path noise, distortions, alternator whine, ignition noise, capturing,
picket fencing, Morse characters, hum, over and under deviation, kerchunk, desense, motor boating, Station is Calling - But No Beep, Q-Signals, CB talk & ten codes (a no no) etc. 

Chapter 10. Cops and Jammers- Click Here For Sample
When and when not to play repeater policeperson. How to deal with jammers and interlopers
.

Chapter 11. Inside A Repeater - Click Here For Sample
Detailed block diagrams of the elements of a repeater, receivers, transmitters. Plain language non- technical discussions of duplexers, limiters, discriminators, deviation, bandwidth, channel spacing, modulation index, FM modulation .  

Chapter 12. IRLP, ILINK,ECHOLINK, WIRES IITM, CrossBand Repeating, Long Range Intertie Systems, - Click Here For Sample

Glossary and Jargon -- 16 pages of terms, slang, repeater speak - Click Here For Sample


GO BACK TO THE BIG INDEX

Updated January 08, 2010