Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any available Frequencies in the 2-meter band?

In most areas of the state, there are no available frequencies in the 2-meter band.  Contact the appropriate frequency coordinator for specifics in your area.

Can I move my repeater to a different tower for better coverage?

Each repeater is coordinated to a specific location and any move must be reviewed by the frequency coordinator for interference to and interference from other systems.

What are the codes/abbreviations/notes that appear in the Repeater Directory?

The codes refer to features of each repeater system and can be found under the Coordination tab.

How can I change the Trustee of a repeater?

Instructions on how to change the Trustee of a repeater under differing situations can be found in a link at the bottom of the Home Page.

How do I log into the Missouri Repeater Council’s online database to update a repeater’s information?

Browse to https://database.missourirepeater.org/MissouriRepeater/login.aspx and use your callsign (in all capital letters) as your username and the password you have previously set.  If you have forgotten your password, simply click on the “I forgot my password” link to the right of the “login” button and a temporary password will be emailed to the last email address we have received from you.

Why am I not receiving my temporary password reset from the Missouri Repeater Council when I click on “I forgot my password”

 First, make sure you have info@missourirepeater.org listed as a contact in your email provider address book.  You can also add that email into your email provider’s “white list” to ensure you receive emails from the Missouri Repeater Council.  You should also check your “junk” or “spam” folder to see if the email from the Missouri Repeater Council was sent there by your provider.

You may also want to check old email address(es) that you may have used when you set up your Missouri Repeater Council account.  The temporary password could have been delivered to that account instead of your current account.  Again, check your “junk” and “spam” folders there as well.

Who can make changes to repeater information on the Missouri Repeater Council website?

 Anyone that is listed as a “contact” or a “trustee” for a repeater is allowed to log in and make changes to one of the repeaters assigned to them.  In addition, a Missouri Repeater Council coordinator can also make changes to any repeater in the database.

 What should I do if I notice data for a repeater that I am not a contact or trustee for is incorrect?

 The Missouri Repeater Council recommends you email the trustee of the repeater as well as the Missouri Repeater Council coordinator for the area of the repeater in question with the incorrect data so that it can be corrected if need be.

How often should I update the information about my repeater with the Missouri Repeater Council?

 Anytime you make a change to your repeater you should immediately log into the Missouri Repeater Council database and make the appropriate changes.  Some fields are protected.  This doesn’t mean that you can’t make the change, it just means a coordinator will have to review the change before it can be completed.  The most important changes that MUST be approved before completed at a repeater site are repeater moves or power increases when increasing to more than 100-Watts out of the duplexer.

Each year, usually in December, every trustee and contact is emailed from info@missourirepeater.org with a request to “Verify Repeater Data”.  If you follow the link in the email, it takes you to the repeater record.  If nothing has changed, simply click on the “Verify Repeater Data” and you are caught up for another calendar year.  Failure to verify repeater data and update coordination information will make your repeater(s) subject to de-coordination.

Our club or Emergency Management agency has changed the trustee for our repeater operating under the club or OEM callsign.  How do we update that with the Missouri Repeater Council?

 The Missouri Repeater Council ONLY changes the trustee of the repeater operating under a club or OEM callsign when the new person is shown as the trustee for that callsign in the FCC’s database.

To change the trustee of a club license, click on the link below.

https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/licManager/login.jsp

The link takes you directly to the FCC’s website and you will need your FRN number (a 10-digit number that should be printed on your license) and your CORES password.  You should have received a letter from the FCC shortly after you were licensed with your CORES password.  If you don’t have the password, see the line below that says “Forgot your password?  Contact Tech Support”.  Click on that link and usually within 24 to 48 hours you will have a new CORES password e-mailed to you.  I would suggest that you change it to something you can remember easily.

If you have your CORES password, it’s as simple as entering the FRN # and CORES Password and hitting “submit” and you will be able to update anything on your FCC Ham ticket or renew your license when that comes due

I want to operate a repeater, where do I start?

 The Missouri Repeater Council is the central repository for repeater coordination in Missouri.  Once you have a location secured, you should then apply for coordination via the application found at http://www.missourirepeater.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Application-for-Coordination-Fill-Form-12-14-18.pdf

This is a fillable PDF that you can save and then email to the Repeater Coordinator.  A coordinator will then search the Missouri Repeater Council database for any open frequencies.  If any are found, and coordination is required with an adjoining state, the coordinator will then submit the request to the adjoining state for approval.  As a courtesy, we allow other states 30 days to respond to our requests before a coordination can be issued.

Once a coordination is issued the repeater owner has (6) months to have it operational at its coordinated location and reported as operational to the Missouri Repeater Council coordinators via email.  Once reported as online the operation will be independently verified by the Coordinator to confirm the repeater’s operation.

I’m filling out my repeater coordination application and I don’t know how to determine my GPS coordinates in decimal degrees.  How can I do that?

 Visit https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/dms-decimal to convert degrees-minutes-seconds to decimal degrees for your repeater application

 How do I figure the HAAT (Height Above Average Terrain) for my repeater application?

 Visit https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/dms-decimal to determine your repeater antenna’s HAAT.  The default selections (bubble selections) will work for your application.  For the “Enter the height (in meters) of the antenna radiation center above mean sea level (RACMSL)” field, add the antenna height above ground level to your repeater site’s elevation above sea level and convert to meters then select “Send Data” and the HAAT will be displayed on your computer screen.

How do I convert English to Metric, or specifically, feet to meters?

 Visit http://www.worldwidemetric.com/measurements.html for all your conversion needs.

How do I determine the ERP for my repeater?

 Visit http://www.csgnetwork.com/antennaecalc.html to determine your ERP.  In the first field, “Actual Transmitter Output Power”, enter your repeater’s transmit power AFTER your duplexer.

In the “Antenna Gain” field, start with your repeater antenna’s gain in dBd (NOT dBi) and subtract your feedline loss and place this figure into the “Antenna Gain” field then change dBi to dBd and hit “Calculate”

 How do I figure coax loss so I can subtract it from my antenna gain in my repeater application?

 Different sizes of coax have different loss characteristics.  Generally, larger diameter coax has less loss per foot.  Also, the higher the frequency the more loss per foot.  For a good general purpose chart, visit https://rfconnection.com/coaxial-cable-attenuation-rating/

Common Commscope coax cables used could be –

LDF4-50A – 1/2″ heliax 

https://www.commscope.com/globalassets/digizuite/115611-p360-ldf4-50a-external.pdf

LDF5-50 or AVA5-50 – 7/8″ heliax

https://www.commscope.com/globalassets/digizuite/115611-p360-ldf4-50a-external.pdf

https://www.commscope.com/globalassets/digizuite/115359-p360-ava5-50-external.pdf

LDF6-50 or AVA6-50 – 1-1/4″ heliax

https://www.commscope.com/globalassets/digizuite/115706-p360-ldf6-50-external.pdf?r=1

https://www.commscope.com/globalassets/digizuite/115393-p360-ava6-50-external.pdf

LDF7-50 or AVAV7-50 – 1-5/8″ heliax

https://www.commscope.com/globalassets/digizuite/115712-p360-ldf7-50a-external.pdf

https://www.commscope.com/globalassets/digizuite/115405-p360-ava7-50-external.pdf

 What are some other neat RF tools I can experiment with?

https://www.commscope.com/resources/calculators/

What are some good websites to visit to determine what equipment is usable for amateur repeaters?

 http://repeater-builder.com/rbtip/

http://repeater-builder.com/tech-info/techindex.html

http://www.batlabs.com/

What type of coax should I use to run from my antenna to my duplexer?

 50-Ohm heliax cables, such as those from Commscope and RFS, are good alternatives for this purpose.  Do NOT use any LMR type cables as they are not designed for full duplex operation and over time your receive will be degraded due to dissimilar metals between the ground braid and the ground foil.  For more information on why NOT to use LMR type cable, visit http://www.repeater-builder.com/antenna/ant-sys-coax.html