Three Things to Remember:
Listen before you start talking.....
Listen to the frequency a few moments to see if someone else is using the maching but has paused. Just because the repeater is quiet, doesn't mean that someone is not active on it.
Listen for the repeater to identify.....Don't kerchunk it just to see if it is active.
Am I Full Quiet?
You don't have to be fully quiet into the repeater to use it..... Most stations will have some bit of noise on the signal unless you are very close to the repeater. So, don't worry... Other stations will let you know if you are unreadable.
The range of most repeaters is directly proportional to the power you are running, the distance away from the machine and the sensitivity of the repeater. Sometimes conditions will make it easier to get into the machine than at other times. An average range for an average repeater is about 30 miles in a mobile and about five miles with a handy talkie....
It is normal to have a bit of crackling on signals. These are inherent to most systems. Even though it is FM you can still have some noise, especially mobile.....cable TV and power lines and mobile interference all add up and can degrade the received signal.....so, expect some of it.
Signal Reports
When you ask for a signal report, remember that unless the other station can hear you simplex, you will be reporting the repeater's signal, not his....
Asking for Directions or Other Assistance
Similar to looking for a signal report, if you need directions or some other assistance, be sure to ask for that. Make it clear you need directions. Then, check in periodically to revise the directions. Don't tie up the repeater. Others will let you break back in to update where you are.
Let people know you are around.
Once you decide that the repeater is quiet, then key your mike and give your call and say....W4XYZ monitoring.
Proper English
Don't use CB jargon.....And for heaven's sake, no inappropriate language. You might be surprised to know that lots of people have scanners and listen to our conversations. Let's give them a good image of Ham Radio. We are smart people....speak like it.
Proper Id
According to the FCC rules (Part 97.119), a station is required to identify "at the end of each communication, and at least every ten minutes during a communication". It's certainly important to make sure that you comply with this rule. The 10 minute part is pretty obvious, but the "end of each communication" rule can be something of a grey area, particularly if you're in a large roundtable conversation and one party leaves. Does that mean the communication is over? To make sure that you're in compliance with the rules, you should certainly ID at least every 10 minutes (many folks use the repeater ID as a cue to ID themselves). Just to be on the safe side, many of us also ID whenever someone leaves a rotation. Of course, before you leave the air, as part of your final transmission you must ID. It is not necessary to ID or "clear" if you've merely dropped you call and not spoken with any other stations.The Courtesy Tone
One of the reasons why we have a courtesy tone (beep) that sounds after your unkey your radio is to let the other stations know that you have finished your transmission. Because of that, it's not necessary to say "over" before you unkey. The other reason is that our repeaters do not have a squech crash.....they are silent and it helps you to know that the other station has ended his transmission.
Just Plain Good Operating Technique
Most repeater owners spend thousands of dollars so that the ham community can enjoy the system. So, don't gripe about the system. If you want to criticize the repeater's performance, don't do it on the air....You will just make the owner mad...And for heaven's sake don't bellyache about another operator on the air....talk to him or her in private. Be helpful.....don't hurt the hobby. Remember that there is almost always someone listening to the repeater. Sometimes it's a fellow ham, sometimes it's a prospective ham listening to a scanner. If for any reason you feel that you have something to say to someone that you might not want someone to say to you over the air, don't say it on the radio. Instead, find a private communications channel (telephone, email, meeting in person) and work things out that way.
Don't forget that the FCC prohibits the transmission or retransmission of music (and almost anything else that is received over the airwaves; for specifics, see FCC Part 97.113). If you have a radio turned on (this is especially common for many mobile stations), make sure that it's turned down before you transmit.
Quick rule of thumb: If you're operating a radio from inside a vehicle (or perhaps while sitting on a bicycle), you are a mobile station, even if you're sitting still. If you're walking around carrying your radio (usually that pretty much limits you to using an HT), then the common usage of the term "portable" applies to you.
Talking it Down
Our repeaters normally have a 3 minute "timeout" setting. The 3 minute length is meant as a maximum length, not a suggested length. It's considered good etiquette to keep your transmission length shorter than this, especially if there are a lot of people in a QSO, or during busy times on the repeater. If you exceed the 3 minute limit, the repeater controller will cut off your transmission, and when you unkey, you'll hear a message from the controller letting you know that you have timed out the repeater.
The controller timer resets at the end of the courtesy tone, so "jumping" the tone will mean that the length of your transmission is added on to the length of the previous transmission. In other words, if the person just previous to you speaks for 2 minutes and 45 seconds, at 16 seconds into your transmission you'll get cut off. This is to encourage users to leave a gap between transmissions. It is not necessary to let the carrier drop. This just wears out the relays....If you hear the courtesy tone, it has reset.