Speaking of membership renewal, we have had a number of new members (and new hams) join the club in recent months. Welcome to the club! We are glad you have joined and I would like to use this space to provide some club/ham radio info. This may be new to you or just a reminder but either way please keep reading.
EARS operates two FM repeaters: 147.135 2m and 443.425 70cm. Both repeaters are open and can be used by anyone. All amateurs are welcome! The offset and tone details for both repeaters are available on the Repeater Information page of the website.
One document you will also find on the Repeater Information page is the Repeater Policies and Procedures document. This document covers how to make calls on the repeater, FCC rules such as identification, how to handle an open mike situation and how to deal with unlicensed or malicious operators. I recommend that everyone takes a couple of minutes to read this document. Even if you are a seasoned operator this information is a great reminder!
In addition to this document, the blog “On All Bands”, has a really good post on repeater etiquette and best practices. You will probably notice that much of the information contained in the EARS policies and procedures document is also in this blog post. The post can be found here: https://www.onallbands.com/repeater-etiquette-best-practices-dos-and-donts/.
Again, please take a look at these resources. They contain some great info especially if you are just starting out!
As you work to get your radios programmed, you can always key your microphone on a repeater, give your callsign and ask for a radio check. Most of us, if we hear you, are happy to come back to your call and give you a report.
If you have any questions about the above info or about anything radio (or EARS) related, feel free to contact us at k5eok@k5eok.org and we will do our best to help.
