The Utah VHF Society
Frequency Coordination

Before you request coordination for a repeater, please note the following:

If wish to find a 2 meter/70cm  repeater pair along the Wasatch Front/Northern Utah for your area it is up to you to find a repeater nearby that is under-utilized and offer to work with the trustee of that repeater toward providing the sort of system that you wish.  In many cases, this may be as simple as asking to use the repeater for your activities.  In other cases this may range from helping support/improve/upgrade that repeater to coming up with some sort of arrangement to acquire that repeater.

Whatever your plans are, please work with the frequency coordinator:  Just because you might "have" a repeater, that is absolutely no guarantee that a frequency pair will magically become available.  Even if you are manage to acquire a repeater (or are considering acquiring one) that is already or was recently on the air, you need to work with the coordinator to find out if your plans are compatible with other, existing repeaters.


About Frequency Coordination

Frequency Coordination Form:

A frequency coordination form must be filled out when applying for coordination for a repeater, a repeater link, auxiliary station, or special-purpose operation such as an experimental mode or a beacon.  While not all such operations are subject to coordination, it is strongly recommended that such activities be known by the frequency coordinator to avoid potential interference issues:  It is only through accurate and complete record keeping that potential interference and regulatory issues that problems may be prevented.
Please use this form for all applications and changes.

The completed form should be printed, filled-out, signed and mailed the old-fashioned way (that is, not E-mailed) to the frequency coordinator.

Experience has shown that it is in the best interest of all parties involved if there exist paper forms with real signatures on them in the unlikely event that a dispute arises!

The Utah VHF Society provides Frequency Coordination within the state of Utah and is also a member of the National Frequency Coordination Committee (NFCC) - an organization that provides a framework of standards and practices referenced by local frequency coordination entities.  The frequency coordinator in Utah is an elected position, chosen at the meeting associated with the VHF Society Swap meet.

The purpose of a frequency coordination body is to facilitate reasonable usage of the VHF, UHF, and microwave-band amateur frequencies.  The frequency coordinator acts as a clearinghouse for information pertaining to repeaters (their frequencies and locations) as well as radio links, interference issues, and other technical information.

It is the strong recommendation of the FCC (refer for part 97.201 for an example,) the ARRL, and many other organizations, that amateurs follow the recommendations of the frequency coordinators in their areas.  Doing so allows for better utilization of our valuable spectrum, prevents problems before they arise, and provides a vehicle for the resolution of disputes and other problems should they arise.  Recently, the FCC reaffirmed the importance of frequency coordination on our increasingly congested frequencies:  Read about the FCC's statements - and several follow-ups - here.

If you wish to put up something like a repeater, an autopatch, or do some other sort of operation on our VHF, UHF, or Microwave bands that is "out of the ordinary" (i.e. not the usual repeater ragchew or simplex operation) then it is strongly suggested that you contact the frequency coordinator.  The frequency you choose may already be in use as a link, a repeater input, or something else and unconsidered operation on that frequency could adversely impact operations in your area, or an adjacent area into which your signals may overlap.


Please note:  The online repeater directory does not include link, control, auxiliary, as well as other frequencies that are not in the public database.  If you are considering using a frequency, please contact the frequency coordinator prior to commencing operation.  Just because a frequency does not appear to be used in your area, that doesn't mean that operation on that frequency in your area will not cause interference!


For further reference, please refer to the following  pages: 

Coordinating coordination with other coordinators:

Radio signals do not respect state boundaries.  Therefore, if you are putting together a system that has coverage in an adjacent state(s), or if you are in an adjacent state and your system is going to cover at least a portion of Utah then the coordinators in the relevant areas of Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and/or Colorado need to be notified.

When someone requests coordination of a Utah repeater that has the potential of causing interference with a repeater in a bordering state, the Frequency Coordinator will always check with the coordinator(s) in the state(s) that may be affected:  The person doing the coordination need not contact them as well - in fact, keeping a "single point of contact" may eliminate some confusion and possible coordination delays

If you are unsure as to whether you need to "coordinate" with other coordinators, contact your local frequency coordinator for advice!

Questions, updates, or comments pertaining to this web page may be directed to:   uvhfs@utahvfs.org

Return to the  Utah VHF Society home page.