Repeater Lookup: How to Find Nearby Ham Radio Repeaters

Visiting a new city and want to get on the local machines — or programming your first handheld and need the exact frequency, shift, and tone? The Repeater Lookup finds amateur radio repeaters near any city, Maidenhead grid square, or latitude/longitude, and lists them nearest-first with everything you need to make a contact: callsign, downlink frequency, shift, tone, and band. It is free, needs no sign-up, and is built for ham radio operators planning travel, new licensees setting up their first radio, and anyone who likes monitoring local VHF/UHF activity.

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What Is an Amateur Radio Repeater?

An amateur radio repeater listens on one frequency and retransmits what it hears on another — usually from a hilltop, tower, or tall building — so two low-power handhelds can talk across an entire metro area instead of just a few kilometers. To use one, your radio needs three settings: the downlink frequency to listen on, the shift (how far your transmit frequency sits from it), and the access tone. Read more on how repeaters work.

The Search Controls

  • Search field — accepts three kinds of input, as the placeholder San Francisco / CM87 / 37.7,-122.4 shows:
  • a place name such as San Francisco or Sydney (resolved via OpenStreetMap geocoding),
  • a Maidenhead grid square of 4 or 6 characters, such as CM87 (converted to its center point locally — no geocoding needed),
  • a latitude/longitude pair such as 37.7,-122.4 (parsed directly).
  • Radius — 25, 50 (default), 100, or 200 km around your search point.
  • Band — All bands, 2 m, 1.25 m, or 70 cm.
  • Operational only — checked by default; uncheck it to include repeaters the database flags as not operational.
  • Find button / Enter key — pressing Enter in the field runs the search, exactly like clicking Find.
  • Example chips — San Francisco, CM87, Sydney, and New York. Tapping one fills the field and runs the search immediately. The New York chip uses raw coordinates (40.7,-74.0), the fastest path since it skips geocoding entirely.

Walkthrough: Finding Repeaters Near San Francisco

  1. Tap the San Francisco chip (or type a city yourself and press Enter).
  2. The tool geocodes the city, then queries the repeater database for everything within the default 50 km radius — keeping operational entries with a real callsign. City-level placeholder pins without a callsign are dropped automatically.
  3. A status line appears — something like “N repeaters within 50 km of San Francisco…” (the place name comes from geocoding) — followed by a table sorted nearest-first. Around a large metro area, expect dozens of rows.
  4. Read a row left to right. A real entry from the database looks like this: K6KYA · Downlink 444.8500 · Shift +5.000 MHz · Tone 114.8 Hz · Band 70 cm · Location San Francisco, California. Another: K6BW · Downlink 146.7750 · Shift −0.600 MHz · Tone 94.8 Hz · Band 2 m · Location San Rafael, Marin, California. Program the downlink as your receive frequency, the shift as your offset, and the tone as your transmit CTCSS — and the memory channel is ready to key up.

That is the whole workflow; most searches return in a second or two.

How to Read the Result

  • Callsign — the repeater’s identifier. Rows without a real callsign never reach this table.
  • Downlink — the frequency the repeater transmits on, i.e. the frequency you listen to, shown to four decimals in MHz.
  • Shift — where your transmit frequency sits relative to the downlink. +5.000 MHz means you transmit 5 MHz above the downlink; −0.600 MHz means 0.6 MHz below. simplex means you transmit and receive on the same frequency; — means the database has no offset data.
  • Tone — the CTCSS access tone the repeater expects from your transmitter, in Hz (e.g. 114.8 Hz). Set it as your radio’s transmit tone (often labeled “Tone Enc” or “T-CTCSS”). 0.0 Hz or — means the database lists no tone.
  • Band — 2 m, 1.25 m, or 70 cm.
  • Location — city, county, state as listed in the database. The county is omitted when it matches the city — hence “San Francisco, California” but “San Rafael, Marin, California”.
  • Dist — straight-line distance from your search point, in kilometers. It is geometry, not a coverage promise: terrain and antenna height decide what you can actually reach.
  • Dir — the 16-point compass bearing from your search point to the repeater (N, SSW, and so on) — useful when deciding which way to point a beam.
  • Below the table — a count line (“N shown”). If the query hit the 2000-row cap, the tool says so and suggests narrowing the radius instead of silently truncating the list.

When to Use It

  • Travel and portable operation. Look up the destination city before a trip and program the local machines into your handheld — no scrambling for frequencies after you land.
  • Programming your first radio. New licensees most often get stuck on the shift/tone pair; the table hands you the exact three values every memory channel needs.
  • Finding the local net. Club nets and emergency-practice nets usually live on one or two well-known repeaters — search the city and the regulars sort themselves to the top by distance.
  • Emergency preparedness. Knowing which repeaters sit within your range — and their tones — before infrastructure fails is worth far more than discovering them during.
  • Listening and learning. Even without transmitting, monitoring local repeater traffic teaches band etiquette quickly — a habit familiar to anyone coming from the shortwave listening world.

Limitations

  • Coverage is mainly the US and Australia. The underlying database’s strongest datasets cover those two countries; entries elsewhere are sparse, and the China entries are city-level placeholders that this tool deliberately excludes.
  • Community data, not a live status. The “Operational only” flag reflects the database, not a real-time check — a repeater can go silent without the listing knowing.
  • Straight-line math. Distances ignore hills, buildings, and antenna height. A repeater 8 km away behind a ridge may be unreachable while one 30 km away on a mountaintop comes in full-quieting.
  • Place-name search depends on geocoding. If OpenStreetMap cannot resolve a name, you get a “place not found” message — retry with a grid square or latitude/longitude, which never need geocoding.
  • No results is an answer too. Outside the covered regions you will see “No repeaters found within N km of …” — that reflects the database’s coverage, not proof that no repeaters exist on the ground.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the repeater data come from, and how current is it?

The tool queries the site’s own repeater database — the same one behind the Repeater Coverage Map — built from public and community sources. The strongest datasets are ard-repeaterlist (CC0) for the United States and the ACMA Register of Radiocommunications Licences for Australia. Full attribution and last-updated dates are published on the map page; treat every listing as a snapshot and confirm locally before relying on it.

I searched my city and got no results. Why?

Three likely causes: the place name failed geocoding (try a grid square or lat/lon instead), nothing in the database falls inside your radius (widen it to 100 or 200 km), or the area simply isn’t covered yet — the database is strongest in the US and Australia.

What do “Shift” and “Tone” mean, and how do I program them?

Shift is the offset between the listed downlink (your receive frequency) and your transmit frequency: program the downlink as RX, then set the offset direction and magnitude (+5.000 MHz, −0.600 MHz). Tone is the CTCSS sub-audible tone the repeater needs to hear before it opens up: set it as your transmit tone (often labeled “Tone Enc” or “T-CTCSS”). With those three values, most FM handhelds are one memory channel away from the repeater.

Does “Operational only” guarantee a repeater is on the air right now?

No. It filters on the database’s operational flag, which comes from community-maintained sources — not a live check. For any repeater you plan to depend on, confirm with the local club or frequency coordinator.

Can I use this tool to work DX?

Not really — that is not what repeaters are for. A repeater stretches handheld VHF/UHF coverage across a local area; it will not get you across continents. For long-distance work, check live HF propagation with the Band Conditions tool instead.

Related Tools

  • Callsign Prefix Lookup — every repeater row gives you a callsign; look up which country or region that prefix belongs to.
  • Repeater Coverage Map — the same repeater database as an interactive map, for browsing coverage visually instead of as a table.
  • Band Conditions — when local repeaters can’t reach far enough, check live HF band conditions for long-distance alternatives.

Disclaimer

Repeater data comes from the site’s own repeater database — the same one behind the Repeater Coverage Map — compiled from public and community sources (including ard-repeaterlist for the US and the ACMA Register of Radiocommunications Licences for Australia; full attribution and last-updated dates are on the map page). It is provided for reference and education only. A listing does not confirm that a repeater is licensed, active, or legal to use. Always verify licensing status and operating rules with your national telecommunications authority before transmitting.

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中继查询工具使用指南：按城市、网格坐标或经纬度查找附近的业余中继台

去外地想上当地的中继——或者刚买了第一台手台，需要准确的频率、差频和亚音来写频？中继查询能按城市、梅登黑德网格坐标或经纬度查找附近的业余无线电中继台，按距离从近到远列出通联所需的全部信息：呼号、下行频率、差频、亚音、波段。免费使用，无需注册，适合计划出行的火腿、给第一台电台写频的新执照持有者，以及喜欢守听本地 VHF/UHF 动态的人。

👉 试用中继查询

想看看其他工具？去工具箱总览页浏览全部工具。

什么是业余无线电中继台？

业余无线电中继台在一个频率上收听，把收到的信号在另一个频率上转发出去——通常架设在山顶、高塔或高楼上——让两台小功率手台能通联整个城区，而不是只有几公里。要使用一个中继，你的电台需要设置三样东西：守听的下行频率、差频（你的发射频率与下行频率差多少），以及亚音。背景知识可看维基百科《业余无线电》词条（内有中继台一节）。

搜索控件说明

  • 搜索框——接受三种输入，占位提示 San Francisco / CM87 / 37.7,-122.4 已经写得很清楚：
  • 地名，如 San Francisco、Sydney（经 OpenStreetMap 地理编码解析）；
  • 梅登黑德网格坐标，4 位或 6 位，如 CM87（在本地直接换算成网格中心点，不需要地理编码）；
  • 经纬度，如 37.7,-122.4（直接解析）。
  • 距离（Radius）——以查询点为中心，25、50（默认）、100 或 200 公里。
  • 波段（Band）——全部波段、2 m、1.25 m 或 70 cm。
  • 仅显示在用（Operational only）——默认勾选；取消勾选会把数据库中标记为停用的中继也列出来。
  • 查询按钮 / 回车键——在输入框里按回车，等同于点击查询按钮。
  • 示例 chips——San Francisco、CM87、Sydney、New York。点一下自动填入并立即查询。其中 New York 用的是原始坐标（40.7,-74.0），跳过地理编码，是最快的一条路径。

实操演示：查旧金山附近的中继

  1. 点 San Francisco chip（或者自己输入城市名后按回车）。
  2. 工具先把城市名做地理编码，然后在默认 50 公里半径内查询中继数据库，只保留”在用”且有真实呼号的条目。没有真实呼号的城市示意钉子会被自动剔除。
  3. 出现状态行——类似 “N repeaters within 50 km of San Francisco…”（地名来自地理编码结果）——下面是按距离从近到远排列的表格。在旧金山这样的大城市，一次能查出几十行。
  4. 从左往右读一行。数据库里的真实条目长这样：K6KYA · 下行 444.8500 · 差频 +5.000 MHz · 亚音 114.8 Hz · 波段 70 cm · 位置 San Francisco, California。再看一个：K6BW · 下行 146.7750 · 差频 −0.600 MHz · 亚音 94.8 Hz · 波段 2 m · 位置 San Rafael, Marin, California。把下行设为接收频率、差频设为频差、亚音设为发射 CTCSS，这个存储信道就可以直接发射了。

整个流程就是这样，一次查询通常一两秒出结果。

怎么看懂查询结果

  • 呼号（Callsign）——中继台的标识。没有真实呼号的行根本不会出现在这张表里。
  • 下行（Downlink）——中继台发射的频率，也就是你要守听的频率，精确到小数点后四位（MHz）。
  • 差频（Shift）——你的发射频率相对下行的位置。+5.000 MHz 表示发射比下行高 5 MHz；−0.600 MHz 表示低 0.6 MHz。simplex 表示收发同频；— 表示数据库里没有频差数据。
  • 亚音（Tone）——中继台要求你发出的 CTCSS 亚音，单位 Hz（如 114.8 Hz）。在电台里设为发射亚音（常标作 “Tone Enc” 或 “T-CTCSS”）。0.0 Hz 或 — 表示数据库里没有亚音记录。
  • 波段（Band）——2 m、1.25 m 或 70 cm。
  • 位置（Location）——数据库中的城市、县、州。县和城市相同时省略县名——所以是 “San Francisco, California”，而 “San Rafael, Marin, California” 保留了县名。
  • 距离（Dist）——到查询点的直线距离，单位公里。这是几何距离，不是覆盖保证：地形和天线高度才决定你到底能不能打通。
  • 方向（Dir）——从查询点看中继台的十六方位罗盘指向（N、SSW 等）——架定向天线时有用。
  • 表格下方——计数行（”N shown”，显示了几行）。如果查询撞到 2000 行上限，工具会明确提示并建议缩小半径，而不是悄悄截断列表。

什么时候用得上

  • 出行与便携操作。 出发前查好目的地城市的中继，提前写进手台——落地之后不用再到处找频率。
  • 给第一台电台写频。 新执照持有者最常卡在差频+亚音这一对设置上；这张表直接给出每个存储信道需要的三个值。
  • 找本地的定期网。 俱乐部例行网、应急演练网通常固定在一两个知名中继上——搜一下城市，按距离排在最前面的多半就是。
  • 应急准备。 在基础设施失效之前，先弄清自己覆盖范围内有哪些中继、亚音是多少——比事到临头再查管用得多。
  • 守听学习。 即使不发射，守听本地中继的通联也是学通联礼仪最快的方式——短波收听爱好者对这个习惯不会陌生。

局限性

  • 覆盖以美国和澳大利亚为主。 底层数据库最强的两套数据源覆盖这两个国家；其他地区条目稀疏，中国的条目是城市级示意钉子，本工具会主动排除。
  • 社区数据，不是实时状态。 “仅显示在用”筛的是数据库里的标记，不是实时检测——中继静默了，列表未必知道。
  • 直线距离。 距离不考虑山丘、楼宇和天线高度。8 公里外被山挡住的中继可能打不通，30 公里外山顶上的反而满信号。
  • 地名搜索依赖地理编码。 OpenStreetMap 解析不了的地名会报 “place not found”——改用网格坐标或经纬度，这两种输入不需要地理编码。
  • 查不到也是一种答案。 在覆盖范围之外会看到 “No repeaters found within N km of …”——那是数据库覆盖问题，不代表当地真没有中继。

常见问题

中继数据从哪来，有多新？

工具查的是本站自己的中继数据库——和”中继覆盖地图”用的是同一套——由公开和社区数据源整理而成。最强的两套是美国的 ard-repeaterlist（CC0）和澳大利亚的 ACMA 执照数据库（Register of Radiocommunications Licences）。完整署名和各数据源更新日期见地图页；每条记录都请当作快照看待，重要用途请在本地核实。

搜了我的城市，一个结果都没有，为什么？

三种可能：地名地理编码失败（改用网格坐标或经纬度）、半径内确实没有收录（把半径放到 100 或 200 公里）、或者该地区本来就没覆盖——数据库以美国和澳大利亚最强。

“差频”和”亚音”是什么意思，怎么写入电台？

差频是下行频率（你的接收频率）和你的发射频率之间的差：把下行设为接收，再设置频差的方向和大小（+5.000 MHz、−0.600 MHz）。亚音是中继台开门需要的 CTCSS 亚音：设为你的发射亚音（常标作 “Tone Enc” 或 “T-CTCSS”）。有了这三个值，绝大多数 FM 手台存一个信道就能上中继。

“仅显示在用”能保证中继现在正开着吗？

不能。它筛的是数据库里的”在用”标记，来自社区维护的数据源，不是实时检测。真要依赖某个中继，先跟当地俱乐部或频率协调员确认。

这个工具能帮我通 DX 吗？

不太行——中继本来就不是干这个的。中继是把 VHF/UHF 手台的覆盖扩展到本地城区，跨不了洲。想玩远距离，看 HF 实时传播请用”波段传播条件”工具。

相关工具

  • 呼号前缀查询——结果表每一行都是一个呼号，查一下就知道这个前缀属于哪个国家或地区。
  • 中继覆盖地图——同一套中继数据库的地图视图，不想看表格就看图。
  • 波段传播条件——本地中继够不着的时候，看 HF 波段实时传播，找远距离通联的机会。

免责声明

中继数据来自本站自己的中继数据库（与”中继覆盖地图”同一套），由公开和社区数据源整理（包括美国的 ard-repeaterlist 和澳大利亚 ACMA 执照数据库；完整署名与各数据源更新日期见地图页），仅供参考与学习。收录不代表该中继有执照、正在工作或合法可用。发射操作前，请务必向本国电信主管部门核实执照状态与操作规定。

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