Table of Contents
GMRS Administration
The RepeaterBook GMRS pages are designed to be self-maintained by the repeater owner or designee. They complete the add and edit forms and submit the live data directly to the database for immediate display. RepeaterBook understands that not all repeater owners want their repeaters listed. RepeaterBook discourages the entering of any repeater data without the permission of the owner. Though no documentation is required, a complaint from a repeater owner that the repeater was added without consent could cause the termination of membership rights by a RepeaterBook user. RepeaterBook is only interested in the voluntary addition of repeaters. Admins are encouraged to reach out to repeater owners either directly or through social media and other means to encourage publishing repeater data on RepeaterBook. However, admins should refrain from adding data to the site without the consent of the owner.
Efforts have been made to use scripted validation to prevent unauthorized adding or editing of the repeaters. These validation efforts also attempt to drive the entries towards uniformity. However, sometimes these efforts are not enough, and intervention by a RepeaterBook Admin may be necessary.
RepeaterBook admins that are both amateur radio licensed and GMRS licensed may participate in curating the data. They may act as a concierge service and assist repeater owners and their designees with adding and editing a repeater. Sometimes, data may need to be corrected for clarity.
Adding a Repeater
The GMRS module limits who can add a repeater to the database. When navigating to the page to add a repeater, you must be logged on. We encourage members with both a GMRS and an amateur radio call sign to register with only their amateur radio call sign. Members with an amateur radio call sign are permitted to add a GMRS repeater to the database.
The module will query the live FCC database before permitting the user to add a repeater. If the user has a VALID amateur radio or GMRS call sign, they will be permitted to continue with the entry process. The call sign of the person who adds the repeater is recorded automatically. That person will also be permitted to return and edit the repeater so long as they are logged on under the same call sign they used to add the repeater.
Only users and admins who have the repeater owner's permission should add a repeater to the database. No person should add a repeater to the database they discovered without the repeater owner or designee's consent.
Admins who are authorized to edit a GMRS repeater are noted in the admin database. When they enter the page to add a repeater, their amateur radio call sign automatically swaps for their GMRS call sign. The module will perform a check against the FCC database to confirm the GMRS license is still valid. If an admin's GMRS license expires or is canceled, they will no longer be authorized to administrate GMRS repeaters and must notify the site admin immediately.
Editing a Repeater
A user with the same call sign as the repeater, the user who added the repeater, or a RepeaterBook GMRS Admin may edit a repeater. Admins can make any edits to assist a repeater owner or designee with their entries. Otherwise, they should only make small changes that clarify the data.
If a GMRS admin discovers a repeater that, for some reason, needs to be deleted from the database, let the site admin know.
Recent Developments
2019-12-19: Admin Support enabled. RepeaterBook Admins that hold both a valid amateur radio license and a GMRS license may be added as a GMRS Admin. This permits the ability to add and edit GMRS repeaters.
2019-12-18: GMRS call signs are now searchable using the call sign search module, including the search box on the upper menu bar.
Future Developments
- The ability to delete a repeater is not currently available but will be made available soon. If a repeater is set to an operational status of “archive” it will be hidden from the public and cannot be undone without directly navigating to the repeater by using its Repeater ID.
- Mapping all repeaters within a state. As more repeaters are added to the database, adding the ability to map the repeaters will become more useful.