Brooklyn Amateur Radio Repeaters
Brooklyn amateur radio operators have access to a surprisingly active collection of repeaters on VHF, UHF and other bands. Whether you are a newly licensed ham making your first repeater contact, looking for a local net, experimenting with digital voice, or simply trying to find activity around New York City, repeaters can greatly extend the usefulness of a handheld radio.
This page is a practical starting point for amateur radio repeaters located in or serving Brooklyn, New York.
What Is a Repeater?
A repeater receives your radio signal on one frequency and retransmits it on another, usually from a higher location and with a better antenna than most individual stations have available.
That can allow a handheld radio operating from a Brooklyn street, park or apartment to communicate much farther than it could using simplex radio-to-radio communication.
To use an analog repeater, you generally need to know:
The repeater's output frequency
The transmit offset
The CTCSS or PL tone, if one is required
Whether the repeater is currently operational and open for amateur use
Digital repeaters may also require settings such as a DMR Color Code, time slot, talkgroup or the appropriate digital mode.
Brooklyn Repeaters
The following repeaters are currently listed for Brooklyn or Kings County. Repeater status can change, so always check a current repeater directory or the repeater operator's website before relying on one for important communications.
2 Meters
KC2RC — 146.730 MHz
Offset: –600 kHz
PL: 88.5 Hz
Modes: Analog FM / Yaesu System Fusion
Status: Open
Location: Brooklyn
KC2RC is the repeater of the Kings County Radio Club and is one of Brooklyn's best-known amateur radio repeaters.
The repeater operates as a Yaesu System Fusion system in automatic mode and can be used by conventional analog FM radios as well as compatible Fusion radios.
KCRC currently holds several nets through the repeater, including its Tuesday evening club net and Technical Net on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month.
NB2A — 146.745 MHz
Offset: –600 kHz
PL: 136.5 Hz
Mode: Analog FM
Status: Open
Location: Brooklyn
KB2NGU — 147.195 MHz
Offset: +600 kHz
Mode: Yaesu System Fusion / WIRES-X
Status: Open
Location: Brooklyn
1.25 Meters
KA2VJD — 224.600 MHz
Offset: –
PL: 100.0 Hz
Mode: Analog FM
Status: Open
Location: Brooklyn
The 1.25-meter or 220 MHz amateur band gets considerably less attention than 2 meters or 70 centimeters, but it remains another option for local communication.
70 Centimeters
WB2ZEX — 438.275 MHz
DMR Color Code: 1
Mode: DMR
Status: Open
Location: Brooklyn
This is one of the digital repeaters listed in Brooklyn and may be of interest to operators exploring DMR without relying solely on a personal hotspot.
N2ROW — 441.100 MHz
Offset: +5 MHz
PL: 136.5 Hz
Mode: Analog FM
Status: Open
Location: Brooklyn
WA2JNF — 446.675 MHz
Offset: –5 MHz
PL: 114.8 Hz
Mode: Analog FM
Status: Open
Location: Brooklyn
KB2NGU — 448.375 MHz
Offset: –5 MHz
PL: 162.2 Hz
Modes: Analog FM / EchoLink
Status: Open
Location: Brooklyn
WB2JNQ — 449.825 MHz
Offset: –5 MHz
PL: 162.2 Hz
Mode: Analog FM
Status: Open
Location: Brooklyn
There are additional Brooklyn repeaters and systems listed on other amateur bands, as well as repeaters whose operating status changes from time to time.
Repeaters Beyond Brooklyn
One of the advantages of operating from New York City is that a radio in Brooklyn may also reach repeaters located in Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, Nassau County and northern New Jersey.
Exactly which repeaters you can reach depends on your location, antenna, radio power, surrounding buildings and elevation.
From my own station in Brooklyn, experimenting with different repeaters has been one of the best ways to learn what a handheld radio can — and cannot — do in a dense urban RF environment.
Don't assume a repeater is unreachable just because it is outside Brooklyn. Program it into your radio, listen first, and try it when appropriate.
A Good First Repeater: KC2RC
For a newly licensed Brooklyn ham, I particularly recommend listening to the KC2RC repeater on 146.730 MHz with an 88.5 Hz PL tone.
It is operated by the Kings County Radio Club, is open to amateur operators, and carries regular local nets. Those nets provide an excellent opportunity to hear normal repeater operating practices before making your own first contact.
If you are nervous about checking into a net or making your first repeater QSO, see my New Ham Guide: Your First Repeater Contact.
Repeater Etiquette
Before transmitting, listen for a while to make sure the repeater is not already in use.
When you want to make a contact, identify with your amateur radio callsign and announce that you are listening. A simple:
“WB2EHG listening.”
is often all that is necessary.
Leave a short pause between transmissions. This gives another station an opportunity to join the conversation and allows the repeater's equipment to reset.
Remember that amateur repeaters are shared resources. Be courteous, identify as required by FCC rules, and follow any guidelines established by the repeater owner or sponsoring club.
Programming Repeaters Into Your Radio
For an analog repeater, you will normally program:
Receive frequency — the frequency shown in a repeater directory.
Transmit frequency — determined by the repeater offset.
CTCSS/PL tone — if required by the repeater.
Bandwidth — normally wide or narrow FM depending on the system.
For DMR repeaters, you may additionally need:
Color Code
Time Slot
Talkgroup
DMR ID
Once programmed, monitor the repeater before transmitting to confirm that it is active and that your settings appear correct.
Repeater Information Changes
Repeaters are independently operated amateur radio stations. They can move, change tones or modes, become temporarily unavailable, or be taken permanently off the air.
For that reason, this page should be considered a Brooklyn operating guide rather than an authoritative frequency coordination database.
For the most current information, I recommend checking:
RepeaterBook — for current repeater listings and reported operational status.
Kings County Radio Club — for current information about the KC2RC repeater and KCRC nets.
Explore More
If you're new to amateur radio, continue with the WB2EHG.radio New Ham Guide for practical help getting on the air.
You can also explore my pages on:
Brooklyn Amateur Radio Clubs & Resources
Ham Radio from Brooklyn to the World.