Repeaters
A repeater is a two-way radio system that receives on one frequency, and then re-transmits what it receives on another frequency; at exactly the same time.
Your mobile or hand held transceiver, has a limited range due to its antenna height with respect to the radio horizon and rf attenuating surroundings. Repeater systems are used to “transfer” your transmitted and received signals to much higher levels electronically using large, very efficient high gain antennas, low loss feed lines and a transmitter and receiver that is rated for heavy or continuous duty. A repeater “gets out” your signal and receives the station you are talking to with a far greater range and coverage area! You take advantage of the repeater’s higher elevation to increase your effective transmitting and receiving coverage versus your mobile or hand held transceiver!
Local Area Repeaters
Information provided on this page is done as a courtesy to the Amateur Radio community. BCARC takes no responsibility for the accuracy of information listed here. BCARC has not verified any information provided to the group by others for the purpose of this listing. Some of this information may be out of date. Please email us if you have any corrections, additions or deletions of information.
Dan Rund – KE0KPO, does great work in keeping the N Idaho repeater maps updated. He also has made help files for programming Baofeng ht radios. All of his files are included here, including Baofeng Radios, as they are mostly related to repeaters.
His files are given below. These were all updated on 2024-06-12. They are all in PDF format unless otherwise noted. {Note: Dan has created a [Google Earth file] as well as .img and .csv files for programming his map to your radio via the free online CHIRP program. These were not allowed by this website’s provider so if you desire them please let me know and I will email them to you.}
NID-2m70cmRepeaterMap & Freqs_2024-06-12_2pgs
Baofeng Radios
1_Baofeng Radios-Value for EMERGs & Grid Down 2_Install-Help Baofeng CHIRP & GoogleEarth Programs_2pgs
3_BaofengK5 Plus_Purchase Recommends w-hyperlinks_2pgs 4_BaofengK5-Plus_Ultimate Users Guide & Menu Help_2pgs
5_BaofengK5-Plus_CHIRP Settings Help 6_BaofengUV5_Purchase Recommends w-hyperlinks_2pgs
7_BaofengUV5_Ultimate Users Guide & Menu Help_2pgs 8_BaofengUV-5_CHIRP Settings Help
(Notes from Dan Rund KE0KPO: I want to encourage everyone using these products to get involved in a local HAM Radio club, there are 5 different groups listed on the front side of my NID2m70cm Repeater Map. We would of course love for you to join our (BCARC group in Sandpoint that meets the 2nd Wed each Month at 6:30pm – the doors open at 6:00pm ) where you can get help using and programming your radios, meeting communication minded folks and short classes related to improving your radio skill set.
These files are provided for free in the hope that you the user will help keep the data updated and accurate via a feedback loop. If you find anything that is inaccurate on any product or know of a new high value (meaning mountain top or 25+ watt repeater in an isolated location) please notify me via the nid2m70cm@gmail.com email address found on all of my products.
The advertised kmz file will work on your phone and desktop and includes the same data and location numbers that are on the repeater map. The data is viewable by using your (mouse on PC) or (finger on phone) on the Repeater Icon on the gEarth map product.
I have developed two different .img files described above that should work with most Baofeng (UV-5R Series 128 channel) and (K-5 Series 999 channel) radios. Both of these files have the entire FRS/GMRS 30 channel protocol appended to the end of my channel list for use only in an emergency situation. A .csv file is available to upload the Repeater map on a different type of radio or an unusual hardware/software Baofeng build. The only issue with uploading a .csv file is that it will only import the Channel information. All of the unique settings to your radio will need to be done manually. If you don’t understand any of this paragraph, get with a local HAM Club to help you out. Finally, LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET AN AMATURE RADIO LICENSE if you don’t already have one so you can start using the huge number of mountain top Repeaters in North Idaho, as its very easy these days with free phone apps and online help and support from your local club.
Amateur Radio Band Plans
ARRL – US Amateur Band Color Chart
Propagation beacon frequencies are listed for listening for DX propagation conditions. Satellite frequencies are listed for listening to voices and digital signals from space.
Bonner County Linked Repeater System
BCARC with the cooperation of several independent repeater owners have linked their systems together to create a common expanded coverage area around Bonner County. Our goal is to build a county wide amateur communications system to support the communities throughout Bonner County in a natural disaster or other emergency situation and that can be accessed with low power radios, such as a 5 watt handheld, from anywhere in the county. These are the current locations in the linked system:
Please allow time when keying the mic to allow “ALL” repeaters that are linked to start before talking or listeners will not hear the first part of what you say.
The K7JEP HooDoo Mtn VHF repeater – Receive: 145.490MHz (minus offset) Transmit: 144.890MHz/136.5Hz tone.
The North Idaho Repeater Group member repeaters. CLICK HERE to go to their website.
In the event of an Emergency, we will also use 145.600 simplex with no tones.
We wish to thank the individual repeater owners for their cooperation with linking! Coverage locations may change as new agreements are made with individual repeater owners.
Linked Repeater Systems: AllStar – Echolink – IRLP
Use good courtesy practices:
Use of any of these linked systems is done by DTMF control codes using your microphone key pad. Each system has a common set of commands but each individual control operator has the right to customize these codes for their node.
Before using any linked system, please check with the local nodes control operator for any special instructions, requirements and to get a list of the DTMF command codes specific to that node.
When using these control commands be sure to give your call sign either before or after sending the DTMF code. Please no un-id’d kerchunking!
When connecting to another node it is a general courtesy to give your call sign after you hear the connection confirmation by the repeater so users on the node being connected to know who just joined them. If you immediately hear a conversation in progress when connected, please wait until the conversation is done before giving your call sign.
When connecting to another node or hub to make a contact with a friend or to listen to a net, it is a courtesy to users of both nodes to disconnect the link when you are done and not leave the connection up.
Remember courtesy is everything. Many hubs will have from a few connections to a few dozen up to a few hundred connections at any time. That is a lot of people listening.
Also keep in mind the time differences of the distant areas you might connect to. Even though it might only be late afternoon where you are, it might be 2 a.m. where that distant node is.
A few nodes are listed in the repeater tables below. Please check the individual node lists for AllStar, Echolink and IRLP as the active nodes change frequently.
AllStar Link
AllStar Link is an amateur radio voice over internet protocol linking system that can be accessed through a repeater or through the AllStar Link web site. AllStar Link Network is the newest of the 3 major linked systems and is growing by leaps and bounds. More information about the AllStar Link system is available by CLICK HERE.
A list of currently active AllStar Link nodes is available by CLICK HERE. Clicking on a node link on that page will display that nodes statistics including who they are connected to at that time.
Some Common AllStar DTMF Commands: (All command DTMF code sequences begin with the asterisk “*” character)
*70 Status of which nodes are connected to the local node.
*3(node #) Connect to node #.
*1(node #) Disconnect from node #.
*81(node #) Play node system time.
Echolink
Echolink is an amateur radio voice over internet protocol linking system that can be accessed through a repeater or on your smart phone or home computer with a microphone. More information about the Echolink system is available by CLICK HERE.
A list of currently active Echolink nodes is available by CLICK HERE.
You can get the current status of Echolink nodes by CLICK HERE.
IRLP
IRLP is an amateur radio voice over internet protocol linking system that can be accessed only through a repeater. IRLP is not available using a smart phone or computer directly through the internet. More information about the IRLP system is available by CLICK HERE.
A list of currently active IRLP nodes is available by CLICK HERE.
You can get the current status of IRLP reflectors and nodes by CLICK HERE.