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Code of Ethics

ON THE REPEATERS

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Always Say Your Call Sign and First Name

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Remember GMRS repeaters are privately owned

Respect the rules the repeater owner sets

No religion, politics or foul language on the repeaters

Do not use our repeaters for illegal activities

Do not share repeater PL tones

No music (including in the background)... turn off the tunes

No Roger Beeps

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  • Repeaters primarily serve to extend the operating range of portable and mobile stations on VHF/UHF.
     

  • If you want to talk via the repeater while it is already in use, wait for a pause between transmissions to announce your call.
     

  • Only use the term ‘break’ or even better ‘break break break’ in an emergency or life-threatening situation. Better is to say ‘break break break with emergency traffic’.
     

  • Stations using the repeater should pause until its carrier drops out or a beep appears, to avoid inadvertent doubling (simultaneous transmission) and to allow time for new stations to identify. Pausing 2-3 seconds usually also allows the timer to reset, avoiding a time-out. Please turn on BCL (Busy Channel Lockout). Make sure you turn off the (Roger Beeps) and any type of alarm.
     

  • Do not monopolize the repeater. Repeaters are there not only for you and your friends. Be conscious that others may want to use the repeater as well; be obliging.
     

  • Don’t break into a contact unless you have something significant to add. Interrupting is no more polite on the air than it is in person.
     

  • Interrupting a conversation without identification is not correct and in principle it constitutes illegal interference.
     

  • If you PTT and you get a beep back from the repeater, then your radio works. It is OK to do a radio check when you get a new piece of equipment. I believe most of the problems are because we purchase an HT and expect to use it as a mobile unit and for it to perform beyond its capabilities, therefore we have nothing but radio checks. 5 watts from an HT inside a building will not get you far. If you are checking modulation, you should send out your call sign and ask for a modulation check. Understand that when you finally contact someone, if they cannot hear you correctly or your modulation is not enough, they will let you know. It's very annoying when all you hear is radio check, radio check, radio check. Please let's move on from the radio checks. Let's have some conversations.
     

  • If you frequently use a particular repeater, consider supporting those that keep that repeater on the air.

Calling a Specific Station

 

  • Let us assume that you want to call DL1ZZZ

    Here’s how you do this: ‘DL1ZZZ, DL1ZZZ this is G3ZZZ calling on .725 and listening for you’.
     

  • If, despite your directive call someone else calls you, remain polite. Give him/her a quick report and say ‘sorry, I was calling for DL1ZZZ…’. If there's no response and you wish to acknowledge the other person you may do so, then. 

AMATEUR RADIO CODE OF CONDUCT

 

Social feeling, feeling of brotherhood, brotherly spirit:

Large numbers of us are all playing radio on the same airwaves (our playing field). We are never alone. All other radio users are our colleagues, our brothers and sisters, our friends. Act accordingly. Always be considerate.

 

Tolerance: not all radio users necessarily share your opinions, and your opinions may also not be the best ones. Understand there are other people with different opinions on a given subject. Be tolerant. This world is not for you exclusively."!"

 

Politeness: never use rude language or abusive words on the bands. Such behavior says nothing about the person it is addressed to, but a lot about the person behaving that way. Keep yourself under control at all times.

 

Comprehension: please understand that not everyone is as smart, as professional or as much an expert as you. If you want to do something about it, act positively (how can I help, how can I correct, how can I teach) rather than negatively (cursing, insulting etc.).

 

How to avoid conflicts?

By explaining to all players what the rules are, and by motivating them to apply these rules. Most of the actual conflicts are caused by ignorance: many radio users don’t know the rules well enough.

 

In addition, many conflicts are handled in a poor way, once again through ignorance.

 

Never use abusive terms, stay polite, courteous and gentle, under all circumstances.

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