Repeaters

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   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 in use by public safety (police, fire, etc.), business, government, military, and more. Amateur radio repeaters may even use commercially-packaged repeater systems tuned into an amateur radio frequency allocation, but more usually amateur repeaters are assembled from various sources for receivers, transmitters, controllers, power supplies, antennas, and other components.

   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. In some areas multiple repeaters are linked together to form a wide-coverage network, such as the linked system provided by the Independent Repeater Association[1] which covers most of western Michigan, or the Western Intertie Network System ("WINsystem") that now covers a great deal of California, and is in 17 other states, including Hawaii, along with parts of four other countries, Australia, Canada, Great Britain and Japan.[2]

 

 A modern Repeater setup.

 

 Repeater networks

   Repeaters may be linked together in order to form what is known as a linked repeater system or linked repeater network. In such a system, when one repeater is keyed-up by receiving a signal, all the other repeaters in the network are also activated and will transmit the same signal. The connections between the repeaters are made via radio (usually on a different frequency from the published transmitting frequency) for maximum reliability. Such a system allows coverage over a wide area, enabling communication between amateurs often hundreds of miles (several hundred km) apart. All the user has to know is which channel to use in which area.

   In order to get better receive coverage over a wide area, a similar linked setup can also be done with what is known as a voted receiver system. In a voted receiver, there are several satellite receivers set up to receive on the same frequency (the one that the users transmit on). All of the satellite receivers are linked to a voting selector panel that switches from receiver to receiver based on the best quieting (strongest) signal, and the output of the selector will actually trigger the central repeater transmitter. A properly adjusted voting system can switch many times a second and can actually "assemble" a multi-syllable word using a different satellite receiver for each syllable. Such a system can be used to widen coverage to low power mobile radios or handheld radios that otherwise would not be able to key up the central location, but can receive the signal from the central location without an issue. Voting systems require no knowledge or effort on the part of the user - the system just seems to have better-than-average handheld coverage.

   Repeaters may also be connected to over the Internet using voice over IP (VoIP) techniques. VoIP links are a convenient way to connecting distant repeaters that would otherwise be unreachable by VHF/UHF radio propagation. Popular VoIP amateur radio network protocols include D-STAR, Echolink, IRLP, WIRES and eQSO

Repeater antennas 

   VE6HRA        Gladys Ridge         147.000 

VE6HRB       Nanton                    145.170 

   VE6HRC         Millerville             145.190

   VE6HRL         Longview              145.370

   VE6HRK         Burton Creek        145.430 

   VE6HRP         Burmis                  145.390

   VA6CTV          Calgary                145.290 

   VE6CNP          Crowsnest Pass    145.490 

   VE6UP            Lethbridge           147.150

Foothills Emergency Radio Network 

(tcs 156.7 Hz)

   VE6FIL          Calgary                  444.675 

   VE6HRD         Black Diamond       146.700 

   VE6TPA          Crossfield             147.135 

 C.A.R.A. Repeater System 

(ctcss 110.9 Hz)

   VE6RYC          Calgary                  53.030 

   VE6RBC          Carbon                 146.715 

   VE6NOV          Calgary                146.760

   VE6RYC           Calgary               146.850 

   VE6AUY           Wildcat Hills       147.060 

    VE6AQA          Fortress  Mt        147.120

   VE6REC           Calgary                147.180 

   VE6RPC           Calgary                147.210 

   VE6RY             Calgary                147.270 

   VE6HWY          Lake Louise          147.330 

   VE6RMT           Canmore              147.360 

   VE6RYC           Calgary                224.850 

   VE6RYC           Calgary                444.000 

   VE6EHX           Calgary                444.350 

   VE6NOV           Calgary                444.400 

   VE6RY             Calgary                444.575 

      VE6OIL              Calgary             146.100      

         VE6MTR             Sundre                 145.270        

   VE6REP              Red Deer             145.330

   VE6NHB             Sherwood Park    145.410 

   VE6BOX             Athabasca           146.730

   VE6PP               Whitecourt          146.820

   VE6HM              Edmonton             147.060

   VE6QE               Red Deer              147.150 

   VE6REP             Red Deer              443.575 

   VE6YHB            Innisfree               444.225 

   VE6NHB            Sherwood Park      444.950

     VE6AAP              Vulcan                     444.975 

    VE6SSM               Smokey Lake        446.975