Ham Radio Cross Band Repeater
How can I legally make my VHF/UHF station into a crossband repeater?
Modern dual-band or tri-band VHF/UHF rigs often have the capability to do crossband linking. When operating in this mode, the users may call them "crossband repeaters." Actually they are often remote bases, such as when they are used to allow an operator with a hand-held radio to access a repeater from a location where he or she would normally not be able to do so. For example, a hiker in a remote location might leave his car where his dual-band mobile rig can access a distant 2-meter repeater. Leaving the mobile rig on, he then takes his UHF hand held with him, and can access the 2-meter repeater via his mobile rig.
A crossband repeater (or "portable remote base") is okay as long as several conditions are met:
1) The user communicates with his crossband rig via the UHF side. Since this serves as his control and voice uplink, it is a form of auxiliary operation and must be conducted above 144-MHz. Since the operator is the control operator, that person must actually be able to control the station! That person must be able to turn it off remotely if a problem develops. If the operator can't control it, it's not legal [97.7, 97.201, 97.213].
2) If the control link fails, the remote station must shut down within three minutes which means a 3-minute timer is required [97.213].
3) The unattended station must be identified on all frequencies it transmits on. Since this is a form of remote base, the user's ID over the UHF uplink to the dualband radio also serves to ID the VHF output of the mobile rig. In the other direction, however, there is no way for the control operator to ID the UHF downlink from the mobile remote base, so some form of automatic ID must be employed [97.119]. Unfortunately, few manufacturers include the capabilities listed above in their rigs. Hence, to be fully legal, some form of add-on controller may be necessary. Another use for crossband operation is to link together two existing repeaters on different bands. This is usually done on a temporary basis during an emergency, a drill or a special event. Again, the requirements for proper station identification and control on both sides of the dualband radio's transmissions still apply. If both the VHF and UHF transmitters are not properly identified and controlled, the operation is not legal. In the examples cited above, the control requirement can be satisfied by having a control operator at the station, thus making it a locally controlled station. Although this may not always be convenient, it is a way to satisfy all of the station control required.
