What a repeater does
- Your radio transmitsOn a 467 MHz input channel (shown as 15R–22R)
- The tower hears youIts antenna sits high, often 100 feet or more
- It retransmits instantlyOn the matching 462 MHz channel, with more power
- Everyone in range hears itEven family members miles beyond your handheld's reach
Why it works
Height is everything in radio. A repeater lends you its height.
The numbers
5 MHzgap between what you send and what you hear
8repeater channels (15R–22R)
20–50miles of typical coverage
50 Wmaximum repeater power
Repeater inputs are for licensed GMRS users only; plain FRS walkie-talkies can't use them.
Sources: Wikipedia: General Mobile Radio Service; FCC GMRS rules, 47 CFR Part 95
Finding and using one
Look it up
Search myGMRS.com or RepeaterBook for towers near you and the ranch
Ask permission
Most repeaters are privately owned; the owner decides who may use them
Set the tone
Repeaters need a specific access tone; the listing gives it
Keep it short
Others share it; pause between messages so someone can break in
The catch
Great for everyday
- Family checks in across the county
- Works from inside a car or house
- No gear on your roof needed
Don't count on it in a disaster
- Many towers lose power when the grid goes down
- Some are shut down or full of traffic
- Have a direct radio-to-radio plan too
Remember
Use repeaters for range, but always have a radio-to-radio plan that works without one.
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Answer key
- What does a GMRS repeater do?Receives your signal and rebroadcasts it from a high antennaA repeater hears you on an input channel and instantly rebroadcasts on a matching output channel from its high antenna.
- How far apart are a repeater's input and output frequencies?5 MHzRepeaters listen on 467 MHz and transmit on 462 MHz, a 5 MHz gap.
- Which channels are repeater inputs?15R–22RThe eight repeater inputs are shown as 15R–22R.
- Before using a privately owned repeater, you should:Ask the owner's permission and set the access toneOwners decide who may use their repeater, and most require a specific access tone.
- Why shouldn't your family rely only on a repeater in a disaster?Many repeaters lose power or get overloaded when the grid failsKeep a radio-to-radio plan, because many towers go down with the grid.