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Sixty-meter repeaters typically use a 1 MHz frequency separation between input and output, while 2-meter repeaters commonly employ a **600 kHz** split and 70-centimeter repeaters use a **5 MHz** offset. This article details the fundamental technical principles of amateur voice repeaters, explaining how they extend VHF/UHF communication range by receiving on one frequency and simultaneously retransmitting on another. It covers essential components such as receivers, transmitters, filters, and antennas, often situated on elevated locations for optimal coverage. The resource delves into the critical challenge of _desensing_—where the repeater's strong transmit signal overpowers its own receiver—and the engineering solutions employed, including antenna separation and the use of high-Q cavity filters. It also explores various control and timing systems, from basic squelch activation to more sophisticated microcontroller-based boards that manage functions like voice identification, time-out timers, and fault protection. Different access methods are discussed, including open access, toneburst, CTCSS subtone, and DTMF, each offering distinct advantages for managing repeater usage and mitigating interference. Furthermore, the article examines repeater linking, both conventional RF methods and modern internet-based solutions, highlighting how linking expands coverage and promotes activity across multiple repeaters or bands. It introduces less common repeater types such as 'parrot' repeaters, which use a single frequency and digital voice recording, and linear translators, capable of relaying multiple signals and modes simultaneously across different bands, often found in amateur satellites.

Operating in a Single Operator Two Radios (SO2R) setup, especially with beverage antennas, often exposes the receiving radio's front-end to significant RF energy from the transmitting radio. This resource details a practical, homebrew receiver protection circuit designed to mitigate this risk. The core of the design involves a non-inductive 2W 22 Ohm carbon composition resistor in series with the RX antenna line, followed by two stacks of four fast-switching diodes (e.g., _1N914_) configured in opposite polarizations. This arrangement effectively clamps the incoming voltage to approximately 2.8 V peak-to-peak, safeguarding sensitive receiver input components. The series resistor plays a crucial role by absorbing excess power, preventing the diodes from exceeding their current ratings and potentially failing open, which would leave the receiver unprotected. The author, _N4KG_, measured up to 50 watts of coupled power between 80M slopers on the same tower, highlighting the necessity of such protection. The design is presented as a cost-effective solution to prevent damage to receiver input transformers, with the author noting successful protection of a receiver even after a resistor showed signs of overheating. This simple circuit can be integrated via a transverter plug, offering a robust defense against high RF input.

If You are using a separate receive antennas then you need a good protection circuit to eliminate the possibility of blowing out the receiver front-end while using these auxiliary receive antennas specially on low bands.

This page discusses a simple receiver protection device designed by Matt Roberts for hams. The article details the purpose, construction, and usage of the RF clipper, providing useful information for ham radio operators looking to protect their equipment from RF overload. The content is practical and informative, offering a solution to a common issue faced by hams.

The article discusses the construction of a UHF band-stop stub filter to protect an APRS receiver from potential damage during a balloon launch. The author, who communicates using a 441 MHz transmitter, needed to ensure that the RTL-SDR dongle receiving at 144 MHz wouldn't be damaged by the transmissions. The solution involved creating a quarter-wavelength open stub filter using coaxial cable, which attenuates the 441 MHz signal while allowing the 144 MHz signal to pass through. The filter's design is based on the principles of constructive and destructive interference, with careful measurement and trimming to achieve the desired frequency response. The final filter provided 34.8 dB of insertion loss at 441 MHz and minimal loss at 144 MHz, effectively protecting the receiver.