K4BV Repeater Users Information Guide 

The Daytona Beach Amateur Radio Association, Inc.

Post Office Box 9852

Daytona Beach, Florida 32120-9852

Amateur Radio Station K4BV “The Big Voice of Florida”

75/15 Repeater User’s Guide

November 2009 – v111109

The 147.150/147.750 two-meter repeater is operated by the Daytona Beach Amateur Radio Association. The repeater first went on the air in May 1975 thanks to the efforts of Chuck Brossier WB4EQT and Frank N. Haas, then WB4HKP, now KB4T. The repeater first operated from the roof of the Regency Plaza Condominium in Ormond by the Sea but was later moved to the roof of Halifax Hospital where it remains today.

In the early 1980’s, ownership of the 75/15 repeater was transferred to the Daytona Beach Amateur Radio Association and the callsign was changed to K4BV. The basic operating policies of the repeater remained unchanged and the repeater has served the greater Daytona Beach area ever since. Today, the repeater covers Volusia County and remains an OPEN repeater dedicated to serving the resident and visiting Amateur Radio population.

This guide is meant to provide you with basic policies, coverage and usage information. Your comments are always welcome and should be directed to the club at wb4omm@arrl.net or by calling 386-566-2085.

The repeater is located 2.5 miles east of the intersection of I-95 and I-4 on U.S. 92 – Coordinates are 29 degrees – 12.07 minutes North by 81 degrees 03.20 minutes West. The system runs 12 watts to a 200-foot, 6-db gain antenna with a north/south, figure eight pattern. Mobile coverage includes most of Volusia County. Handheld coverage includes most of greater Daytona Beach. Tone is not required to access the repeater.

Generally speaking, a 50-watt mobile can access the repeater from Edgewater, east of Deland, most of Volusia  County, and the adjacent counties surrounding Volusia County. Operators who can find the “sweet spot” or have an enhanced antenna for their handheld can do better.

Basic Operating Philosophy

Everyone is welcome on the 75/15 repeater. The system has a long tradition of being the flagship repeater system in the greater Daytona Beach area. With its coverage and informational qualities, the system continues that fine tradition.

Those who use the repeater are reminded to welcome visitors and respond to calls for “local information.” Be ready to help when help is needed.

Please identify yourself before entering any touchtone codes into the repeater system. Control operators monitoring the system will appreciate your identifying first.

Report any problems, issues or violations immediately to the club at 386-566-2085. Your comments on how the system can be improved or be of greater service to the ham community are always welcome. Email your suggestions to wb4omm@arrl.net.

Features of the System

Members of the Daytona Beach Amateur Radio Association are entitled to use all of the following features of the 75/15 Repeater.

AUTOPATCH: The repeater is equipped with an Autopatch that allows users to make local calls through the repeater. To make phone calls through the repeater follow these steps:

Identify yourself and Touchtone   * 8   and unkey.

Listen for dial tone. If you don’t hear dial tone, try * 8  and unkey again.

When you hear dial tone, touchtone the number you wish to dial.

If your signal is good into the repeater, your call should go through.

Have your conversation (please limit to 5 minutes max.)

Touchtone  #  to hang up the call.  When prompted, identify yourself again.

Only local calls are permitted. Long distance calls are blocked. Calls to the Operator or Directory Assistance are also blocked. Calls made using a credit card are also not permitted.

Remember that calls must be of a personal and non-commercial nature. Control Operators will terminate calls that violate FCC regulations.

911 AUTODIALER: The repeater is equipped with a 911 auto dialer. This feature should be used only for emergencies. Simply touchtone 911 and the repeater will connect you with the Volusia County Sheriff’s dispatch center. Even if you are in a municipality, you will still get the Sheriff’s office. When the Comm Center answers, identify yourself as a ham operator using a mobile simplex radio auto patch.  Be prepared to describe the situation and your location. It may also be necessary to explain that you are using a ham radio repeater system and are not located at Halifax Medical Center where the repeater and its phone line are located.

INFORMATIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: The repeater is capable of providing information about the club and local amateur activities. The system includes synthesized voice and digital voice recording (DVR) capabilities. The primary announcement of system information and local ham activity information ( What we call “The Commercial” ) is always available using touchtone code 8*8. (Due to abuse this feature may be disabled.)

The Repeater’s DVR can record a short transmission and then play it back so a user can check his signal quality into the repeater. This feature can also be used to help describe a signal problem to a user. Check the summary below for the 51, 52 and 53 codes.

If you have a suggestion about an activity or net that warrants being announced on the DBARA Repeater, please send an email to wb4omm@arrl.net or call 386-566-2085.

All of the repeater’s various informational announcements can be played individually. See the summary for the list of codes to use for a specific announcement.

REMEMBER! You must identify before sending tones to the repeater!

Here is a summary of the current speech features of the repeater:

TT Code    What it does

#                Talking Clock (often used to check signal into the repeater. Please ID first!)

51                            Configures DVR to record next transmission

52              Plays back the transmission recorded

53              Deletes the recorded transmission.

8*8            Plays The Commercial.

The commercial currently includes several parts and changes from time to time. It may include: Description of repeater, Upcoming DBARA Meeting Info as well as info about upcoming test sessions and operating events. Usually about 3 minutes long.

881            Plays the Clean Up ID (DVR) "This is K4BV Repeater in Daytona Beach FL" (This announcement plays 9 minutes after the last use of the repeater.)

882            Plays the Ice Cream Social promo (DVR) announcement

883            Plays the DBARA Sunday Net (DVR) announcement

884            Plays the synthesized voice version of "This is K4BV Repeater in D.A.B. ID

885            Plays the "Club Meeting Tonight" synthesized voice announcement

886            Plays the "VARECS Net tonight" synthesized voice announcement

887            Plays the "V C Traffic Net tonight" synthesized voice announcement

888            Plays the "ATV Net Tonight at 8" synthesized voice announcement

89                            Stops the playback of any announcement.

The repeater does not currently play The Commercial automatically. It must be manually brought up. This is a good thing to do for visitors. Automatic reminders about the daily Volusia County Traffic Net, the Wednesday evening VARECS Net, Thursday evening ATV Net and Sunday evening DBARA Net start around 1500 the day of the net and end at the start time of the net.

The Future

One avenue of expansion that is currently being considered is to add EchoLink to the repeater. EchoLink is an Internet based computer program and related hardware that allows the repeater to be accessed from anywhere in the world via the Internet. Allowing unlimited access to the repeater is one aspect of EchoLink operation. Another is the ability to tie 2 or more repeaters together to create a network of linked systems. We are currently considering the possibility of linking repeaters in Flagler, Deland, Debary and South Volusia together to create a wide area coverage system. We invite your comments on this idea. Do you think it would be good or bad, useful or non-productive?  Please share your thoughts with us.

Control Operators

The repeater is monitored and controlled by the following control operators:

Steve Szabo WB4OMM         License Trustee           Port Orange

Bob Straughn                          Control Operator         Holly Hill

Frank N. Haas KB4T              Control Operator         Holly Hill

Darryl Peterson AB8GU        Control Operator         Daytona Beach

Bill Schwartz                          Control Operator         Daytona Beach

If you have an interest in becoming a control operator for the DBARA 75/15 repeater, send an email to wb4omm@arrl.net.  Control Operators must be experienced VHF operators who are familiar with the FCC regulations and are able to monitor the system at least a few hours a day.

            Control Operators are authorized to “knock down, turn on, turn off” the repeater as necessary.  Inappropriate language, unacceptable behavior, and any use that is not in the best interest of DBARA, Amateur Radio, or in violation of any FCC rule will invoke the following actions: 

Ø      The transmission will be “knocked down” (interrupted), and the repeater disabled (turned off) immediately without warning. 

Ø      The offending user will receive a letter of warning from the license trustee; if the violation is a deliberate, malicious act, or if after the warning is issued,  the behavior continues, the offending user will receive a letter “banning” use of the repeater for:

o       “quiet hours”, or non-use during specific times, days or a combination;

o       a specified period of time in days/weeks/months;

o       or an indeterminate time, including a permanent sanction banning any use of the repeater system. 

Ø      Continuing abuse will also result in:

o        reporting the violations to the FCC for administrative license action;

o       a civil injunction prohibiting use of the equipment; or, criminal prosecution for “theft of services” or “trespass”. 

o       Criminal stalking or harassment using electronic means may also apply.

The License Trustee has ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY of repeater use, and FINAL DETERMINATION of actions to resolve the issues. The current FCC License Trustee is Steve Szabo WB4OMM.  You can contact him at 386-566-2085 or wb4omm@arrl.net.

User Guide in Word format   User Guide in Adobe Portable Document Format

2009.11.12                                                                                                                      

All logos and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owner. 
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest © 1957-2010 by the Daytona Beach Amateur Radio Association, Inc.
A special thanks goes to Arthur J. Byrnes for hosting the DBARA Website. Please report all web site errors or problems to the webmaster@dbara.org