A. What is coordination?
Coordination is a “gentlemen’s agreement” among Amateur Radio Operators to place repeater stations in a location that maximizes the utilization of our available spectrum while minimizing the potential for interference with adjacent and co-channel stations.
For a repeater to be coordinated, it must meet the requirements of these guidelines and, additionally, must meet the guidelines of any adjacent coordinating council into whose territory the signal might reach.
We recognize that repeater coordination is a voluntary process. We further acknowledge that the council has no power to actually assign any frequencies and that any radio amateur of the proper class may put a repeater on the air without benefit of coordination. In this document, the word “assignment” is used to describe a frequency or frequencies that meet the applicable standards for coordination.
So, why should you seek coordination for your repeater? Coordination is good Amateur practice. If an interference question should arise between your repeater and one that is not coordinated, the FCC and IC have traditionally recognized the coordinated repeater and required the owner of the uncoordinated repeater to resolve the issue.
B. Applying for a repeater pair
WNYSORC membership is not required to request or maintain a frequency assignment.
It is the applicant's responsibility to supply WNYSORC with an acceptable operating frequency pair. When a specific frequency pair is requested, an analysis is made to determine if the frequency might be usable with the conditions specified in the application. The Council will not be responsible for interference resulting from faulty search methods or conditions that are beyond control of the applicant or any WNYSORC official who may assist the applicant. If a specific frequency has not been requested, the Frequency Coordinator will attempt to identify an available frequency pair that may be usable by the applicant. However, the applicant is ultimately responsible for determining the suitability of the pair for the intended use.
A request for a Frequency Assignment must be submitted in writing, on the Frequency Coordination Form. The form is available on our web site or from the Secretary-Treasurer. This form must be filled out completely or it cannot be processed and will be returned. A coordination fee, as determined by the Council, shall be submitted with any request for a new assignment. This fee is above and beyond annual dues and is normally non-refundable. WNYSORC membership is not required to request or maintain a frequency assignment.
C. Coordination standards
Coordination standards include but may not be limited to the following rules:
Applicants shall supply WNYSORC with accurate data about their site, equipment, ERP and other requested information. Any subsequent changes must be submitted for reconsideration by the Council.
D. ACTIVATION OF A REPEATER
The applicant will be notified, either by email or postal mail when the request has
been approved or denied by WNYSORC and/or the adjacent councils.
Upon notification of a frequency assignment, it is expected that the applicant will have the repeater active within 180 days. A 180-day extension may be granted, if necessary, at the sole discretion of the frequency coordinator. The extension must be requested, in writing, either by email or postal mail, from the frequency coordinator. Failure to get the repeater on the air, even after an extension, may result in cancellation of the assignment.
E. RECOGNITION OF ASSIGNMENT COORDINATION
1. 30-Day Test Period
The Council must be notified when the repeater becomes active. The first 30 days of operation is considered a test period. During this test period, sponsors of co-channel and adjacent channel repeaters may raise any interference issues related to the operation of the proposed repeater. The Council may modify or cancel the assignment to mitigate such issues. The repeater frequency assignment is considered coordinated if no objections to the proposed coordination are received during the 30-day test period.
The repeater will continue to be recognized as coordinated as long as it is operational with the specifications stipulated on the coordination form, which is maintained in the WNYSORC database and the owner/trustee supplies this Council with updates annually.
2. Annual Update
This annual update must be submitted, even if there were no changes since the previous update. This update must be submitted on the Frequency Coordination Form. The form is available on our web site or from the Secretary-Treasurer. This form must be filled out completely or it cannot be processed and will be returned.
Failure to submit this mandatory annual update may result in the cancellation of a frequency assignment.
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