Autopatch

AUTOPATCH OPERATION

RMRL has autopatches on the 145.220 and 224.000 MHz repeaters. The autopatches are intended for use by members and visiting amateurs. If you are an RMRL member and do not have the autopatch access codes, contact one of the club officers to obtain the codes.

  1. Listen to make certain that the frequency and phone line are clear.
  2. Make sure your signal is sufficiently strong to reliably control the autopatch. If you’re in doubt, ask for a signal report.
  3. Identify with your callsign and announce your intent to use the autopatch: “this is W0ABC for the autopatch”. The repeaters require two seconds of audio before they will accept DTMF tones. If the repeater transmitter is allowed to drop, all timers are reset and you will need to identify again before entering DTMF tones.
  4. In one command, enter the club access code, phone number, and an asterisk (*). The repeater controller will store your phone number, verify that it is acceptable (see below), and dial it with regenerated DTMF tones. You will not hear a dial tone on the air.
  5. Use your push-to-talk button in the normal manner to speak to the person on the line. You can interrupt them and prevent their voice from being transmitted over the repeater. They cannot interrupt you.
  6. To hang up, announce that you are clear of the autopatch, then transmit the club disconnect code followed by the asterisk (*). The autopatch will respond with a message indicating disconnect; if not, repeat the disconnect code.
  7. If you make a mistake while entering a phone number, there is no need to enter the disconnect code or wait until the repeater drops. Just enter a #. This acts as a ‘clear’ key and tells the controller to ignore all DTMF tones up to that point, allowing you to start again without waiting.

Other Autopatch Notes

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  • An acceptable telephone number is any 10 digit local number or a 1-800 or 1-888 number.
  • The autopatch offers 911 access for emergencies. The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) can be called by entering 911* or long tone zero for a full three seconds. You do not need to transmit the club access code first. Identify yourself as an amateur radio operator, provide your callsign, and indicate you dialed 911 for emergency assistance. Ask the dispatcher to transfer your call to another police, fire, or sheriff’s office in the appropriate jurisdiction if the CSP cannot assist you directly. The call can be terminated using the club disconnect code or by the code 0*.
  • The autopatch normally has a 4 minute maximum call length. The controller will warn you of impending disconnect by transmitting a message. Calls made via one of the published emergency speed dial codes have a maximum call length of infinity (no limit).
  • Since the autopatches are intended for the use of members (and visitors with member assistance) only, please do not discuss codes on the air. The codes change on an irregular basis. When this happens members will be notified of the new codes.
  • Although the FCC has changed its regulations regarding business calls on autopatches, the RMRL membership has chosen to still follow the old FCC guidelines. Business or commercial calls are prohibited. The general test of whether a call can be considered to be business or commercial in nature is whether or not anyone will make money as a result of it. Consequently, the autopatch may not be used to order merchandise, make or confirm reservations, check with your employer for messages, or conduct similar transactions. Similarly, please do not use the autopatches to call your business to report your whereabouts or any information relating to your job. If you are unsure whether a call might be considered to be of a commercial or business nature, please do not make it on the autopatch.
  • You may place autopatch calls to leave a message on an answering machine or voice mail, but please do not retrieve messages from an answering machine or voice mail.