There are many search options on Repeaterbook.com. This particular post will describe how to use the pre-formatted "Quick" searches.
The default search type on this site is the Quick Search. When entering the site, the easiest way to get there is to click on the map of the USA and Canada. Clicking on a state or province will direct you immediately to the Quick Search for that state or province.
The page now displays several categories of searches. Each one is described in detail below:
Band
Band is the frequency band. Simply choose the band you want to view and all the repeaters on the band will be returned to you in a list sorted by frequency. All the popular VHF and UHF bands are included. But, not all states have repeaters on those bands.
Feature
A Feature Search is coded into the site and this search taps it's power with some pre-formatted search for some popular features, including
- Autopatch
- EchoLink
- IRLP
- WIRES
- MOTOTRBO
- NXDN
- Linked
- D-Star
- P25
- AllStar
- Wide Area coverage
- ATX
There are many other features that could be listed for a repeater, and there are additional features that can be searched on from the Feature Search and Free Text Searches. Again, this is just a quick search that will show you all repeaters on all bands with that feature.
Linking systems
Using a linked system can dramatically increase the range of your radio and increase the number of potential contact you can make. When traveling away from the QTH, linked systems may help you talk back to home from great distances. There are a number of advantages to using a linked system. Repeaterbook.com tags all repeaters within a system and can present the full list of the repeaters that are members of that system. Just choose the system name. There are a variety of features on the Search Results page, including an option to map the location and coverage of the repeaters. This can be very beneficial for those traveling on vacation.
Emergency Repeaters
Isn't the backbone of HAM radio providing communications when all else fails? No repeater directory would be complete without a quich search option for repeaters designated for emergency use:
- ARES
- RACES
- Weather Nets
- SKYWARN
- Emergency power equipped
Route coverage
We have been working hard to help travelers with trying to locate a good repeater when you are out of your home area and you want to make a contact. Sometimes you just want to chat to make the miles go faster or look for a good local restaurant to eat at. You may need directions or help with reporting an accident or other dangerous condition. When you are out of your area, what repeater should you try first? We try to do research here in advance for you. These repeaters have bene confirmed as on-air and have wide area coverage. When we get a good grouping of repeaters covering the same area, we begin to filter down further to the repeaters that are most likely monitored (heavier traffic repeaters). Every metro area seems to have their favorite repeaters. We'll try to guide you there.
To seach, just pick the icon of hte route you are traveling on and a list of repeaters will appear for you to choose from.
Location
This is a simple search for repeaters that are located at or near the listed location. All the locations listed will have at least one repeater assigned to it.
County (USA only)
Listing of all the repeaters within a particular county. All counties listed have a repeater assigned to it. If the county is not listed, there are no repeaters there.
Last updated date
We add the date the repeater was last updated so you know how fresh the data is. If you would like to keep up-to-date on changes to repeaters in your area, check this area. You can get a list of the repeaters that we updated in the last 30, 180, or 365 days. You can even get a list of the repeaters since the last time you logged in to the site.
Top 25 highest quality rated
If you are a registered user, you can rate a repeater on several criteria. We highly encourage this as it provides visitors from out of the area some local knowledge on the repeater. This may help you choose which repeater you would like to start a QSO on.
Top 25 highest travel rated
Travel ratings are also provided by our registered users. A future enhancement to the site will be to map these top repeaters. If one is near you, put your call out.