The Google Earth Repeaters Overlay Project for the Entire United States and Territories

Hello QRZ Hams,

I hope all is well and would like to share this project, which I have finished, finally! The Google Earth Repeaters Overlay Project for the entire United States and Territories. This one-stop-shop offline database is derived directly from www.RepeaterBook.com, and is solely for personal use as per their polices and the spirit of the Amateur Radio Service.

If you know Google Earth and KML files, then the instructions will likely be redundant, however there’s a few goodies I interspersed throughout that will hopefully be some additional feathers in your Ham caps. I wrote the instructions for those who may have never used Google Earth and/or KML files with a primary focus on readiness, and secondarily for FUN!

The single coolest fact I learned was that the “Moon Tower” in the movie Dazed and Confused actually exists in Austin, Texas! Insert Matthew McConaughey quote as desired…

I have attached the Instruction Files to this post; however, they are also included with this Google Drive Folder Library. I have allowed general access, with comments, so that anyone who may find these useful can access, download, and provide comments. (Snipe All You Want)

The folders are patterned after the Repeater Book format, so hopefully the socialization will be familiar to most. Being a green Ham with enough knowledge to be dangerous, I hopefully haven’t replicated other databases, but couldn’t find a comprehensive database that could be downloaded and used LOCALLY ON DEVICES AND OFFLINE.

But enough of my diatribe, please check these out at the following Google Drive Link and play around with them.

Google Earth Ham Repeaters (United States)

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10Lvzkdtox8vG7iNkpQHSOIUfn8yUNV5b?usp=share_link


I am open to feedback to make anything better, short of individually editing the KML files. I believe I have provided enough information to allow individuals, teams, and clubs the capability to download and maintain their own libraries locally.

From my short time in the Ham Radio world… There is nothing “Amateur” about it!

Thank you for your time, consideration, and expertise!

o7-3’s AE0TO, Ryan

 

1) Thanks for the hard work, this is a real plus for traveling hams. I'll will run thru this with my granddaughter who will be going walkabout in the L48 this summer.

2) "I am surprised RepeaterBook.com does not offer this as comprehensive packages" I suspect they don't see the profit/effort in this.

3) The instruction set will well laid out, easy to follow and in large enough typeface to be readable on a cell phone. Good-o that!!

4) As for suggestions, I would edit out any reference to Zombie Apocalypse, EMP or any other EOTW memes. Many here on the Zed feed on this, calling folks that worry about disasters as "whackers".
YMMV, just a note so you are not surprised by the inevitable vitriol from the OFs here. Happily, the nearly out-of-control snark makes up for the OFs....

Bottom line - good solid product that will likely be of good use for many that travel. My thanks once again.

KL7KN//Don

 

Very nice! Wish the ones with activity were called out. My impression is that many are zombies. Still could be good for emergencies though.

 

KL7KN,

Thank you for the heads up! I am a new Ham, but worked for Uncle Sugar for over 23+ years. Part of that was working in the Continuity of Government realm and national level emergency planning. (SENEX/Yankee White/SIOP DCID 6/4)

I'm not a doomsayer by any means, however I do know better than most in catastrophic emergency planning considerations, which was the primary intent for this effort for a worst case scenario. i.e Plan for the worst, Hope for the Best.

Secondarily, yet the larger audience is for those who enjoy their day to day Hamming activities, wherever they may be. Being Federal Law Enforcement and Military is the world's worst areas for decades, I don't worry one bit. I kicked doors and choke-slammed quite a few threat actors over the years, so being called a "whacker" would be kind of fitting, but I prefer Sheepdog.

I absolutely do appreciate your feedback, however, and will keep a mental note for the nuanced audience here at QRZ. I can be a bit a bit dispassionate to the point of appearing to not care, but I place practicality well above tribal sensitivities.

Again, thank you so much Don. 73

Ryan
o7

 

I know! But when I did the "Beer Math" on the sheet number of repeaters, i.e. 21,797... I opted to not filter out all this as there was plenty to organized with 1,332 KML files to download, rename, and collate into their respective categories! LOL. Totally worth it though, as I now have the archive I wanted, and hopefully help out other Hams as well. As far as the Zombie repeaters though, I am brand spanking new to Ham world and checking a repeater goes pretty quick. Even hand jamming in the freqs is still relatively easy and quick.

In any real emergency, there's a lot more inconveniences that a I can think of. Lived through too many to count! I hope you're able to use this and you can totally customize these files once loaded to delete dead repeaters. Just go to it in the MyPlaces drill down list and right-click delete. I didn't want to delve into the minutiae in the instructions as I probably went overboard a bit already. BUT, if you have any questions let me know and I'll help out in any way I can, and if I don't know, I'll dig into it to find out.

Thanks again KT4QD. Love the Crab Nebula with Pulsar profile pic. 73

Ryan
o7

 

KL7KN,

Looked at your profile! My first base was Elmendorf! Absolutely loved Alaska! Was super upset when I tried to stay there for an additional 4-years and got sent to Andrews AFB, MD. Spring Breakup is coming and those 5ish minutes added per day on this side of the solstice are always welcome! I hope to make it back up there some day! Now the ALCAN is paved! Wasn't when I drove down to the lower 48 in '98... Go Anchorage Aces! I miss those games at Sullivan Arena among so many other things to do up there! Got chased down Beluga point by a grizzly bear which happened the day before I rented the movie The Edge which I had to turn off... Anyways I'm rambling. Have a great evening and tomorrow.

Ryan, AE0TO

 

The Sully is now full of vagrants. Eerrr make that homeless chronic substance abusers. Muni drops about 7 Mill a month on 'support services'.
Aces went under years ago. Anchorage ain't what is used to be. Fun Rondy is all but dead, homeless on too many street corners and drug dealers everywhere. You know, just like the big cites in the L48....
***
I was first at Ft Rich (80 to 84) with a TACP, then came back in 1991 to the 11th TCG.
I drove up for the second time in 1991 - mostly paved, where it wasn't mud.
Retired in 1994. Haven't looked back and don't miss any of it.

 

How do you know that the location data in RepeaterBook is accurate?

 

You don't.

 

Exact position of repeaters, e.g. to street level address, is typically not given due to security concerns. The locations provided are adequate for radio usage.

Take all data about repeaters, whatever the source, with a grain of salt. The status of hundreds of repeaters are in constant flux.

 

The marks for two repeater sites I am trustee for are correct to the exact building, but one site is marked with the call of a former trustee. For another club I am a member of, the repeater is marked on the building next to the one we are in, it is off by less than 40 feet. I'm guessing Repeaterbook assumes the antenna is mounted on rented space on the commercial tower, we have our own short tower.

But the major repeater on top of the mountain just over the line in the next county is marked in the center of town down in the valley, an error of 3.58 miles and over 2500 feet of elevation. And there was a repeater I didn't remember hearing about marked in the woods on another hill overlooking a local town. When I clicked on the mark for details, it is actually on a mountain 3 counties away, an error of about 69 miles, and serves a totally different coverage area.

As with all computing, garbage in, garbage out. But I think overall, the information I saw may be mostly reliable.

p.s. Google Earth puts the folder of marks into "Temporary Places." I dragged it into another permanent folder, but when I closed and re-opened Google Earth, the marks were gone. That folder, downloaded from another source, may have been read-only. I re-loaded the marks, and dragged the folder elsewhere in "My Places." It is now there when I reopen Google Earth.

 

Unfortunately, I the link says I don't have permission to access Oregon. This is the only one I tried.

73,
George, NJ3H
Redmond, Oregon

 

Thank you for doing this, I had to update my google earth, but seems to work fine for me.

 

Wow! That is really neat! Having the overlays separated by repeater type is a great idea - it will help plan what machines to use when traveling. It is kind of sad to see how little of the northeastern CA area is covered by repeaters, though - but like everything else, time and money!
Thanks very much for doing this, AE0TO, and thank you for your service!

 

Thank you for the time and energy you invested in this project and for sharing it with the community. I see great utility in it, particularly among the ARES & RACES community. I will promote the project on our local nets and at our next wireless operators club meeting.