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How to program a handheld radio

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How to program a handheld radio
License neededIn the US, none to program or listen; an amateur license to transmit
TimeA few minutes per channel by keypad; less than an hour for a full list by computer
Skill levelBeginner
You will needThe radio and its manual, the repeater's details, and optionally a computer and programming cable
Common repeater offsets
2 m (US)600 kHz up or down
70 cm (US)5 MHz up or down
2 m (UK)Input 600 kHz below the output
70 cm (UK)1.6, 5, 7.6 or 9 MHz, depending on the channel

How to program a handheld radio explains how to set up a handheld transceiver (HT) for a local repeater, either from the keypad or from a computer. A repeater listens on one frequency, its input, and retransmits on another, its output. The radio therefore needs three things: the output frequency, the offset (the difference between output and input), and usually an access tone. Once these are stored in a memory channel, using the repeater takes one button press. In the US, programming and listening need no license, but transmitting needs an FCC amateur license;[1] rules elsewhere vary. If you are still choosing a radio, see How to choose your first handheld radio.

Before you start

  • Keep the radio's manual at hand. Button and menu names differ widely between makers, and sometimes between models.
  • Charge the battery, and fit the antenna you will normally use.
  • To program from a computer, find out which software and cable the radio needs before you begin.

Step by step

  1. Find the repeater's details. Directories such as RepeaterBook list repeaters in North America and the rest of the world, kept up by volunteer administrators.[2] Many countries have national lists too; in the UK, the RSGB's Emerging Technology Co-ordination Committee (ETCC) publishes the main free list.[3] Each listing gives the output frequency, the offset, and the tone, often written as "+0.6" and "100.0". Listings can be out of date, so check an important repeater with its club.
  2. Learn VFO and memory modes. In VFO mode (from "variable frequency oscillator") the radio tunes any frequency typed on the keypad or set with the knob. In memory mode it recalls stored channels. Program in VFO mode, then save to memory. The switch is often labeled V/M or VFO/MR.
  3. Enter the output frequency. In VFO mode, type the repeater's output, for example 146.940 MHz. This is the frequency you listen on.
  4. Set the offset direction and size. In the US, the usual offset is 600 kHz on 2 meters and 5 MHz on 70 centimeters.[4] On 2 meters, the ARRL band plan pairs outputs from 146.61 to 146.97 MHz with inputs 600 kHz lower (a minus offset) and outputs from 147.00 to 147.39 MHz with inputs 600 kHz higher (plus).[5] In the UK, a 2-meter repeater's input is 600 kHz below its output, while 70-centimeter channels use spacings of 1.6, 5, 7.6 or 9 MHz.[6] Many radios set a standard direction automatically, but local exceptions exist, so always follow the listing. Elsewhere, check the national band plan.
  5. Set the tone. Turn on tone encode, often labeled TONE or T, and choose the listed value. Repeaters use one of two systems. CTCSS, often called a PL tone, adds a steady, very low tone that listeners don't hear; DCS sends a slow digital code instead, written as three digits such as 023. The listing says which one a repeater uses. In the UK, CTCSS access has been required for new repeaters since 2004, and some also accept a short 1750 Hz tone burst.[7]
  6. Check width and power. Many radios offer wide and narrow FM, often shown as W and N, and repeaters differ; the RSGB ETCC's access rules, for example, cover both 25 kHz and 12.5 kHz repeaters.[7] Use the setting the listing or the repeater's club gives, since a mismatch makes audio sound weak or distorted. Choose low power if the repeater is close.
  7. Save the channel. On most radios, press the function key and the memory key, pick a channel number, and confirm. Add a name, such as the repeater's call sign or town. Keep a written list of what each channel is.
  8. Or program by computer. The free, open-source CHIRP software supports more than 700 models.[8] Choose Download From Radio, edit the channels, then Upload To Radio.[9] Save a copy of the downloaded image before changing anything. Digital radios and some others need the manufacturer's software instead. Kenwood's program for the TH-D75 connects by USB-C cable or Bluetooth, and its driver must be installed before the radio is plugged in.[10] Most older handhelds use a cable with a USB-to-serial chip. CHIRP advises avoiding cables that seem to use the Prolific PL-2303 chip, which is often counterfeited, because current Prolific drivers, which Windows can install automatically, refuse to work with fakes; cables with genuine FTDI chips are a safer choice.[11]
  9. Test it. Listen on the channel first, until you hear the repeater identify or carry a conversation. Keying up briefly without speaking, called kerchunking, is an unidentified transmission, which US rules forbid.[12] Instead, say your call sign and "testing" or "listening". If the repeater comes back after you release the button, it heard you. In the US, identify at least every 10 minutes and at the end of a contact.[12] Other countries set their own rules; in Canada, stations identify at the beginning and end of a contact and every 30 minutes.[13] See Station identification and How to use a repeater.
Program each repeater twice: once with tone encode, and once more on the next channel with tone squelch. If the second channel stays silent while the first hears the repeater, the repeater sends no tone, and the encode-only channel is the one to use.

Common mistakes

  • The repeater never answers → Check the offset direction. With the wrong sign, the radio transmits 1.2 MHz away from the input on 2 meters.
  • The repeater stays silent → The tone is missing or wrong. Check that encode is on and that the value matches the listing.
  • Nothing is heard → Tone squelch (TSQL or CT), which also mutes the receiver until it hears the tone, is on for a repeater that sends none. Use encode only.
  • Audio is quiet or distorted → Wide and narrow are mismatched.
  • The channel disappeared → It was set up in VFO mode but never saved to memory.
  • The software can't find the radio → Check the cable plug is fully seated, and pick the right port and exact model.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Amateur Radio Service, FCC.
  2. ↑ RepeaterBook, RepeaterBook.
  3. ↑ UK Amateur Radio Repeaters, RSGB ETCC.
  4. ↑ 2026–2030 Technician pool, subelement T2A, HamStudy.org.
  5. ↑ Band Plan, ARRL.
  6. ↑ Repeater channels, RSGB ETCC.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Repeater access, RSGB ETCC.
  8. ↑ CHIRP, CHIRP project.
  9. ↑ Beginners Guide, CHIRP project.
  10. ↑ MCP-D75 Memory Control Program, JVCKenwood, January 2024.
  11. ↑ Cable Guide, CHIRP project.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 47 CFR 97.119: Station identification, Legal Information Institute.
  13. ↑ Repeater Operation, Radio Amateurs of Canada, May 2021.
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