SCARA Repeater Guidelines

Southern Counties Amateur Radio Association (SCARA) K2BR/R Repeater Guidelines

The following guidelines were established by the K2BR/R Repeater Committee and approved by the SCARA Board of Directors, P.O. Box 121, Linwood, NJ 08221. All operators are expected to use the repeater courteously and in accordance with legal standards. Failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in restricted access to the K2BR/R repeater.

• Emergency Use: Emergency transmissions always take priority over any other communication.
• Priority Activities: Organized events such as nets or training exercises have precedence over casual conversations.
• Listen Before Transmitting: Always check for existing activity before transmitting.
• Keep Individual Transmissions Brief: Keeping transmissions shorter allows for emergencies or other users to access the repeater. If you intend to have an extended conversation, see if you can hear each other on the repeater input frequency, and consider using a simplex frequency.
• Wait for the Courtesy Tone: After someone finishes transmitting, wait for the courtesy tone before speaking. This ensures ample time for others to join or for emergencies to be addressed.
• Respect Ongoing Conversations: Avoid interrupting unless you have an emergency or meaningful input.
• Use of "BREAK": On this repeater, the pro-word "BREAK" is reserved for urgent matters, not routine interruptions.
• Call-Sign Identification: Identify your station with your call-sign every 10 minutes and at the end of your conversation. Although it is not required by the FCC, identifying at the beginning of your transmission is standard practice.
• No "Kerchunking": Always identify your station when transmitting, even for tests. Short, unidentified transmissions ("kerchunking") are illegal and discouraged.
• Maintain Courtesy: Keep discussions respectful. Off-color or inappropriate remarks have no place on the repeater.
• Avoid Personal Grievances: Do not use the repeater to air grievances about other operators or groups. Handle such matters privately, off the air.
• Control Operator Authority: A SCARA repeater control operator may disable the repeater if necessary. A verbal warning maybe issued on air first. If the offending behavior continues, the repeater will be shut down immediately.
• No Business Transmissions: Transmissions for business purposes are illegal, and therefore prohibited on the repeater.
• Support SCARA: Regular users are encouraged to support the repeater's operation by becoming SCARA members.

Violations and Enforcement

• First Violation: A written warning will be issued.
• Second Violation: A second letter will instruct the violator to cease using the repeater.
• Continued Violations: The matter will be escalated to the FCC for intervention.

Note: All repeater usage is recorded and can be reviewed in cases of repeated violations. These recordings may be provided to the FCC as evidence during any investigations of misconduct or rule violations.

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