1. What is frequency coordination?
Basically, it is a form of voluntary participation in an organized program
intended to keep interference between repeaters and their users to a minimum.
To do this, repeater sponsors work with their local frequency coordinator
who maintains a database of repeater frequencies in active use (as well
as new repeaters which are under construction but may not yet be in operation).
The frequency coordinator assists the repeater sponsor in selecting operating
frequencies (and perhaps other technical details) which will, hopefully,
be compatible with other existing repeaters.
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2. Who is a frequency coordinator?
Your Amateur Radio frequency coordinator is, first, a volunteer. In the
Florida Repeater Council, he is an individual who lives in your community
or region of the state. Your coordinator in other areas of the country may
be an organization of volunteers who are recognized by the Amateur Radio
community as their "coordinator". He/they might participate in
the program because they are interested in either the technical or the political
aspects of coordination, but they all do it as a way of putting something
back into Amateur Radio. These days, no coordinator worth his salt is in
it for the ego! It's too much work! But all coordinators do get some form
of self satisfaction out of doing the job, or they wouldn't bother.
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3. Who benefits from frequency
coordination?
In a nutshell, everyone does. Sponsors of existing coordinated repeaters
are assured that the frequency coordinator will attempt to protect their
repeaters and their users from interference caused by new repeaters. Likewise,
sponsors of proposed new machines will get knowledgeable assistance from
the frequency coordinator in selecting frequencies for their machines, so
that they and their users can feel confident that their new operation will
not adversely affect any existing repeaters, and they should experience
little interference on their new machines.
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4. How does frequency coordination
work?
In order to make a recommendation, the frequency coordinator needs some
data about the proposed new repeater, such as its location, antenna height,
ground elevation above sea level, transmit power, etc. These items all affect,
to one degree or another, the repeater's area of coverage. The frequency
coordinator will review the data on the new repeater. Then in conjunction
with the data in his database, he assists the applicant in finding an
optimum frequency pair.
Frequency coordinators may consult with the sponsors of nearby co-channel
(same frequency) and adjacent-channel repeaters if the proposed location does not
meet the minimum requirements according to Coordination Policy, and with
adjacent-area Coordinating Agencies, to determine if there any valid objections
to the new repeater. Once a new coordination is issued, there is a six month
construction period to get the new machine on the air. If it's not active by
this deadline, the coordination is allowed one additional two-month period (upon
written request), after which the coordination is subject to cancellation. This
keeps the coordinator's database from filling up with "paper"
repeaters.
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5. Is frequency coordination
required?
No. Participation in a frequency coordination program is strictly voluntary.
No Amateur Radio frequency coordinator has any "authority" to
tell a repeater sponsor what he can, or cannot do. However, the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) and the amateur community has recognized
that participation in a frequency coordination program by repeater sponsors
is in the best interests of all Amateurs. Therefore, FCC rules (Part 97.205c)
have been adopted which state that the sponsor of an uncoordinated repeater
bears the primary responsibility for curing any interference between his
repeater and another repeater which is coordinated. Likewise, the sponsor
of an uncoordinated machine cannot expect much help from his area frequency
coordinator.
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6. How can a coordination be
canceled?
1. If a proposed new repeater never gets on the air or if an existing repeater
goes off the air, the coordination may be subject to cancellation after
a limited amount of time (not in operation after 6 months from date of coordination
or 2 months after it goes off the air).
2. If any of the primary parameters which affect a repeater's coverage
area are changed by the sponsor, the coordination can be voided. For instance
if it gets moved to a different location, of if the antenna height or transmitter
power are changed, the changes would affect the coverage area, possibly
creating new interference problems for the repeater's neighbors.
3. The repeater sponsors fail to file the required bi-annual coordination updates.
4. If the repeater is ordered off the air by the FCC.
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7. Are other Amateur Radio stations
also coordinated?
No. The FRC frequency coordinator does not coordinate repeater links or
control receivers. They can assist in your understanding of the many interrelated
frequency rules that apply to repeaters, remote-bases, links, remote control,
auto-patches, cross-band operation, and so forth.
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8. What kind of problems do
frequency coordinators have?
Nowadays there are probably two main problem areas.
1. First, are problems created by uncoordinated machines which pop up
from time to time.
2. Second, are problems caused by the proliferation of dual-band transceivers
with built-in cross-band repeat capability. Unfortunately, a poor choice
of frequencies can cause interference problems which may go totally unknown
to the user of the dual-band radio.
There are a small number of uninformed operators who abuse cross-band
repeater capabilities causing unintentional, sometimes even malicious, interference.
Other problems are caused when the frequency coordinator is not apprised
of changes to existing repeaters, changes of sponsor's mailing address,
etc.
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9. What other activities do
frequency coordinators conduct?
Many coordinators are involved in "band-planning" or "spectrum
management" efforts, often in association with adjacent-area coordinators,
other special-interest groups, or the ARRL's Spectrum Management Committee,
Digital Advisory Committee, and Membership Services Committee. Different
special-interest groups include the packet community, the DX Cluster community,
weak-signal/SSB/CW interests, FM simplex users, ATV'ers, etc. All of these
other interest groups need to be considered when "band-plans"
are being developed or revised, so frequency coordinators need to keep them
in mind as they conduct their spectrum management effort. Band-planning/spectrum
management cannot be done in a vacuum! Good familiarity with the frequency
coordinator Rules is helpful here, since repeater, remote-control, link
and remote- base operation is prohibited in some parts of the Amateur HF,
VHF and UHF bands.
Many coordinators maintain a list of technical experts who are available
to assist repeater sponsors in resolving technical problems. They also maintain
a list of Amateurs with the capability and expertise in finding interference
sources, both from spurious emissions, as well as malicious interference.
Also some coordinators maintain, or have access to, a fairly extensive library
of technical information on equipment, system designs, and maintenance.
These resources are all available to the sponsors of all coordinated repeaters
in the area.
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10. Who is our local coordinator?
The States of Florida is coordinated by the Florida Repeater Council, Inc.
(FRC). The FRC is divided into eight districts, each of which is served
by a Director. One or more frequency coordinators are appointed by the President
to serve the entire State. The FRC Staff and Directors are hams (like yourself)
who love ham radio and have volunteered to serve the amateurs of the State.
Refer to the Directory
of FRC Staff and Directors.
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Reprinted courtesy of the SouthEastern Repeater
Association
Latest update: 23 October 1997