GMRS Guide
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Ham radio repeaters: find one, program it and make your first call

A repeater on a hilltop lets a handheld reach across a county instead of across a neighborhood. Here's how to find the ones near you, what the offset and tone mean, and the words to use when you key up.

How we pick By , GMRS Radio Contributor · Updated · We earn a commission when you buy through our Amazon links.

A ham radio repeater is a station on a high site that receives you on one frequency (its input) and retransmits you on another (its output), so a 5-watt handheld can reach people far beyond its own few miles of horizon. To use one you need four things from a directory listing: the output frequency, the offset direction and amount, and the access tone. Set those, listen, then key up with your call sign and "listening."

How we checked this

Rules come from 47 CFR Part 97 in the eCFR (up to date as of October 13, 2026): the repeater definition in 97.3, repeater operation in 97.205 and station ID in 97.119. Frequency segments are from the ARRL band plan, and Baofeng menu numbers from the UV-5R menu reference at miklor.com. All read October 15, 2026.

"How we pick" is our honest label for research from the FCC rules and published references. We didn't make test calls for this page. How we research.

How a repeater works

The FCC's definition is short: "An amateur station that simultaneously retransmits the transmission of another amateur station on a different channel or channels." The trick is height. A handheld at chest level sees a few miles of horizon; an antenna on a tower or a ridge sees a whole county, and it hears you as well as it talks.

Because the repeater listens and talks at the same moment, it needs two frequencies. You set your radio to receive on the output and transmit on the input, and the radio swaps between them every time you press the button. That's all "duplex" means here.

Why the offset is plus or minus

On 2 meters, the band plan groups outputs and inputs into fixed blocks 600 kHz apart. Once you know the blocks, any listing makes sense at a glance:

2 meter repeater segments in the ARRL band plan A strip from 146.0 to 148.0 megahertz. 146.01 to 146.37 are repeater inputs. 146.40 to 146.58 is simplex, with 146.52 the national simplex calling frequency. 146.61 to 146.97 are repeater outputs, paired with inputs 600 kilohertz lower, so a minus offset. 147.00 to 147.39 are repeater outputs paired with inputs 600 kilohertz higher, a plus offset. 147.42 to 147.57 is simplex. 147.60 to 147.99 are repeater inputs. INPUTS SIMPLEX OUTPUTS (-) OUTPUTS (+) SPX INPUTS 146.01-146.37 146.40-146.58 146.61-146.97 147.00-147.39 147.42-.57 147.60-147.99 transmit 600 kHz lower transmit 600 kHz higher 146.52 = national simplex calling Example: output 146.940, offset -0.600 MHz, so you transmit on 146.340. Example: output 147.120, offset +0.600 MHz, so you transmit on 147.720. Segments from the ARRL band plan. Local coordinators set exceptions; the listing always wins.
Outputs below 147 MHz usually take a minus offset; outputs from 147.00 up usually take plus.
BandUsual offsetWhere repeaters sit (ARRL plan)
2 m (144-148 MHz)600 kHz, plus or minusOutputs 145.20-145.50, 146.61-146.97, 147.00-147.39 MHz
70 cm (420-450 MHz)5 MHz, usually plus or minus by region442-445 and 447-450 MHz, "local option"

The 600 kHz and 5 MHz splits are both on the Technician exam; our ham radio band chart has every band and what each license class can use.

How to find repeaters near you

RepeaterBook is the default directory: it lists "over 40,000 repeaters," searches by location, call sign or frequency, has a map, and has iOS and Android apps. Volunteer administrators maintain it, so cross-check anything that looks stale. Most listings give the output frequency, offset, tone, the owner's call sign, and notes like "linked" or "net Tuesdays 8 p.m."

Club websites are the second source, and often the better one for net schedules. A third is your own radio: scan the output segments above in the evening and note which frequencies carry voices and a short "tail" of carrier after each person stops talking.

Pick a first repeater that's close and busy: a club machine with a weekly net is ideal. Distant repeaters that you hear well may not hear your 5 watts.

Program a Baofeng from the keypad

The Baofeng UV-5R is the radio most new hams start with, and its menus are numbered. In frequency (VFO) mode, using the example output of 146.940 with a minus offset and a 100.0 Hz tone (an illustration; use your repeater's listing):

  1. Press VFO/MR until the radio is in frequency mode, then type 146940 on the keypad.
  2. Menu 25, SFT-D: press MENU, type 25, press MENU, choose "-" with the arrows, press MENU to save.
  3. Menu 26, OFFSET: press MENU, type 26, press MENU, enter 00.600, press MENU.
  4. Menu 13, T-CTCS (transmit tone): press MENU, type 13, press MENU, choose 100.0, press MENU. Leave menu 11, R-CTCS, off for now so you hear everything.
  5. Press EXIT. To keep it, store it with menu 27, MEM-CH, in a free channel.

Shift and offset menus only matter in frequency mode; a stored memory channel keeps the transmit and receive frequencies itself. If you have more than two or three repeaters to load, a BTECH PC03 programming cable and CHIRP are faster. In CHIRP the same repeater is Frequency 146.940000, Duplex "-", Offset 0.600000, Tone Mode "Tone", Tone 100.0. Our CHIRP guide for the UV-5R walks through the whole file, and the CTCSS and DCS tone chart lists every tone your radio can set.

Your first call: what to say

Listen for a few minutes first. You'll learn the repeater's habits, and whether a net is running.

  1. When it's quiet, press the button, wait a beat so the repeater opens, then say your call sign and "listening." For example: "KE8ABC, listening." Spell it phonetically if it's busy or noisy ("Kilo Echo Eight Alpha Bravo Charlie"); 97.119 encourages phonetics.
  2. To reach a particular person: their call, then yours. "W8XYZ, this is KE8ABC."
  3. When someone answers, keep each turn short and pause before you reply. The pause lets others break in, and many repeaters have a timeout timer that cuts off long transmissions.
  4. Say your call sign at least every 10 minutes and at the end of the contact (97.119(a)). That's tighter than GMRS, which allows 15.

Don't call CQ on a repeater; "listening" is the local custom. Don't "kerchunk" either, keying up without saying anything just to hear the repeater answer. If you want to test, give your call sign and "testing."

A father and teenage son laughing together on a pickup tailgate at a rural overlook at dusk
The first answer back is the moment a license turns into a hobby.

Nets: the easiest way in

A net is a scheduled on-air meeting with a net control station who calls for check-ins. It's the gentlest first contact there is: you wait for the call for check-ins, give your call sign (and name, if the net asks), and net control acknowledges you. Clubs list their nets on their websites, and RepeaterBook notes often mention them. Weekly club nets and county emergency nets (ARES and similar groups) are the common ones.

Repeater rules worth knowing

  • Any Technician or higher can be a repeater's licensee or control operator (97.205(a)).
  • The owner can restrict who uses it: "Limiting the use of a repeater to only certain user stations is permissible" (97.205(e)). Closed repeaters are legal; respect the listing.
  • Repeaters are allowed on 10 meters and shorter wavelengths, except a few segments such as 144.0-144.5 and 145.5-146.0 MHz on 2 m (97.205(b)).
  • Emergency traffic goes first: control operators "must give priority to stations providing emergency communications" (97.101(c)). If you hear one, stand by unless you can help.

Troubleshooting

SymptomLikely causeFix
You hear it, but no tail or reply when you key upMissing or wrong transmit toneSet the listed CTCSS tone on transmit
Still nothing with the right toneOffset direction backwardFlip + and -; check the band plan above
Others say you're scratchyWeak signal into the repeaterHigh power, step outside, use a better antenna
You get cut off mid-sentenceTimeout timerShorter turns, and wait for the tail before talking
Lots of unrelated chatterReceive tone off on a shared frequencySet menu 11 (R-CTCS) to the repeater's tone

The cheapest range fix for a handheld is a better antenna. The stock rubber duck is short; a whip like the Nagoya NA-771 (15.6 inches, SMA-female for Baofeng and BTECH) is the usual upgrade. For car and home options too, see our best ham radio antenna guide.

Ham repeaters vs GMRS repeaters

HamGMRS
LicenseAmateur, exam requiredGMRS, $35, no exam
FrequenciesHundreds of pairs on 2 m, 70 cm and more8 pairs, 462/467 MHz
Offset600 kHz (2 m), 5 MHz (70 cm)+5 MHz
IDEvery 10 minutes and at the endEvery 15 minutes and at the end
Internet-linked repeatersAllowed; systems such as EchoLink and AllStar are commonNot allowed (FCC)

If you also run GMRS, our GMRS repeater guide covers permission, the eight channel pairs and setup. New to ham radio altogether? Start with ham radio for beginners, and if you're still choosing a radio, see the best handheld ham radios for beginners or our Baofeng lineup guide.

Rules checked against eCFR 47 CFR Part 97 (up to date as of October 13, 2026) and the ARRL band plan on October 15, 2026. The 146.940 and 147.120 examples and the 100.0 Hz tone are illustrations, not real listings. How we research · Affiliate disclosure

Questions people ask

Do you need a license to use a ham radio repeater?
Yes. Transmitting through an amateur repeater needs an FCC amateur license, and a Technician license is enough for the 2 m and 70 cm repeaters most people use. Listening needs no license at all, so a scanner or an unlicensed handheld can monitor a repeater freely.
How do I find ham repeaters near me?
Use a directory such as RepeaterBook, which lists more than 40,000 repeaters with search by location, call sign or frequency, a map, and phone apps. Local club websites list their own repeaters and net times, and they're often more current than any directory.
What is a repeater offset?
The gap between the frequency a repeater transmits on (its output, which you listen to) and the one it listens on (its input, where you transmit). On 2 meters the standard offset is 600 kHz and on 70 centimeters it's 5 MHz, either plus or minus. The directory listing tells you which.
Why can I hear a repeater but not get into it?
Nine times out of ten it's the tone. Most repeaters need a CTCSS tone on your transmit side before they'll retransmit you. Check the tone, then the offset direction, then your power and antenna; a handheld inside a car often can't reach a repeater that it hears fine.
What do you say on a ham repeater?
Wait for a pause, key up, and give your call sign followed by 'listening' or 'monitoring.' Don't call CQ on a repeater. If someone answers, keep turns short, leave a gap between them, and give your call sign at least every 10 minutes and at the end, as 47 CFR 97.119 requires.
Can a Baofeng use ham repeaters?
Yes. The Baofeng UV-5R covers 144-148 and 420-450 MHz with CTCSS and DCS tones, which is everything a 2 m or 70 cm repeater needs. You can set it from the keypad using menus 25 (shift direction), 26 (offset) and 13 (transmit tone), or program it with CHIRP.