Part 3 – Simplex Operation: Operating Without Repeaters

Curated from ARRL – 

Simplex operation has a growing interest among hams.  It is appropriately named; simply select the frequency you wish to transmit on.  If you want to perform an on-the-air test of a pair of hand-held radios, you should select an unoccupied simplex frequency.

The function of a repeater is to provide communications between stations that can’t otherwise communicate because of terrain, equipment limitations or both. It follows that stations able to communicate without a repeater should not use one. That way, the repeater is available for stations that need it. (Besides, communication on simplex offers a degree of privacy impossible to achieve on a repeater. On simplex you can usually have extensive conversations without interruption.)

Select a frequency designated for FM simplex operation. Otherwise, you may interfere with stations operating in other modes without realizing it. (The reason for this is simple: Changing to a simplex frequency is far easier than changing the frequencies a repeater uses.) To see if you and the other station can communicate on a simplex frequency, listen on the repeater input frequency. If you can clearly hear what’s going into the repeater, you don’t need the repeater to communicate.