The Advanced Search is where the power is. Since the website is database-driven, we can basically create a search on any one of the database fields. This particular form should be seen as a series of filters. Look at it as starting with the entire database, some 20,000 repeaters, and entering criteria to slice away repeaters until you get the result you are looking for. A note to remember, all the fields are optional. You can enter as much or as little data as you choose to get the result.
The first slice is the choice of the state(s) and/or province(s) you wish to search. You can choose just one or many by holding down the Control button on your keyboard as you click additional state(s) and/or province(s). This is an inclusion filter, which means only the states or provinces you select are included in the search.
The next filter is by band or frequency. You would never select both! This field is completely optional, but entering something will filter down the results. An example is when you live in a Tri-state area, and you hear a repeater on a particular frequency. You may want to do a reverse search based on the frequency to determine which repeater it was. Just select the states you want to query along with the frequency with the repeater, and your answer will be within the results!
You could stop here, for example, if you just wanted to retrieve all of the 900 MHz repeaters out of Arizona, but there is still a lot more filtering you can do!
If you want to search for all the repeaters with a particular call sign, you can enter it here. If you leave all the fields blank, you will get all of the repeaters in the database with that call sign no matter what band or state/province they are in. Use the filters to narrow the search, if needed.
The features filter is minimal, by design. If you want to search for just repeaters with autopatch or emergency power, select one. If you want to search nationwide for repeaters with digital modes, use the Nationwide Search.
If you want to search only for repeaters that are known to have wide-area coverage, select the appropriate bullet under the Coverage category.
If you want to search only for repeaters that someone has confirmed as "on-air," select the appropriate bullet under the Operational Status category.
Finally, you can sort the results by frequency, state, or update date.
Happy Searching!