Learn how membership, costs, radios, talkgroups, repeater sites, coverage, WAVE PTX, and the Rural Nevada Repeater Cooperative work.
RNRC is a member-owned communications cooperative designed to build and operate shared VHF radio infrastructure across rural Nevada.
Instead of each organization independently building its own repeater network, members share infrastructure and the costs required to operate it.
RNRC is designed to serve organizations and other eligible members that need reliable communications in rural Nevada. Potential members may include ranches, agricultural operations, businesses, nonprofits, guides, field operations, community organizations, and other qualifying users.
Membership is subject to the Cooperative's eligibility, application, contribution, and approval requirements.
No. RNRC is not limited to public safety agencies. The network is intended primarily to provide shared professional radio communications infrastructure for eligible rural users and organizations.
RNRC is structured as a cooperative. Members participate in the Cooperative rather than simply purchasing commercial radio service from a traditional provider.
Member rights, capital accounts, voting rights, and other ownership matters are governed by the Cooperative's Bylaws and adopted policies.
Prospective members submit an application to RNRC. The Cooperative then evaluates the proposed membership, expected radio usage, requested repeater-site access, coverage needs, infrastructure requirements, and initial capital contribution.
Visit the Membership page for an overview of the process.
Yes. The current application fee is $125. The application fee helps cover the administrative and technical work required to evaluate a prospective member, including coverage, infrastructure, cost allocation, and membership review.
The application fee is separate from any initial capital contribution or ongoing operating expenses.
RNRC does not use a single flat monthly subscription price. Members share the actual costs of operating the Cooperative and the repeater sites they elect to access.
A member's costs can include an initial capital contribution, a share of systemwide operating expenses, shares of applicable repeater-site expenses, and any direct expenses incurred specifically for that member.
See Rates & Fees for a detailed explanation.
Different members may use different numbers of radios and different combinations of repeater sites. A single flat rate could require a small user to subsidize a much larger operation.
RNRC instead uses adopted cost-allocation formulas designed to distribute shared operating expenses among the members using the applicable resources.
Site-specific operating expenses are allocated among the members participating in that repeater site. If your organization does not have access to a particular site, you generally do not participate in that site's operating expenses.
Systemwide expenses that support the Cooperative as a whole are allocated separately.
RNRC is designed around shared infrastructure and shared cost, rather than adding a commercial profit margin to radio service.
Member charges are governed by the Cooperative's budget, financial policies, capital requirements, and adopted cost-allocation methods.
Standard RNRC subscriber radios must be compatible with the RNRC network and approved for use by the Cooperative. RNRC's standard subscriber equipment operates on VHF.
See Approved Devices before purchasing equipment.
Yes, provided the radio is approved by RNRC and is technically compatible with the network.
RNRC controls network programming to maintain consistent and reliable system configuration.
RNRC network programming is managed by the Cooperative or authorized personnel. This includes network frequencies, talkgroup IDs, site access, roaming configuration, color codes, and other Cooperative-controlled parameters.
See Radio Programming & Support for more information.
In many cases, yes. At a Member Organization's request, RNRC may program non-RNRC frequencies, talkgroups, channels, or radio systems into the member's subscriber radios.
The Member Organization is responsible for ensuring it has the legal authority and any required permission to use those resources. RNRC programming a channel does not itself grant authorization to transmit on it.
Contact RNRC as soon as possible. The Cooperative can take appropriate steps to protect the network and deactivate or otherwise restrict the lost or stolen subscriber when supported by the system.
Each Member Organization normally receives:
Visit Talkgroups for a complete explanation.
Primary is intended to be the organization's normal day-to-day talkgroup. Secondary provides another repeater-network talkgroup when an organization needs to separate two activities or groups of users.
No. Repeater-site authorization is assigned to the Member Organization rather than separately to each standard talkgroup.
Primary and Secondary are therefore authorized on the same RNRC repeater sites.
Direct is a simplex channel that allows nearby radios to communicate directly without going through an RNRC repeater.
It can be useful for localized communications or in areas where repeater coverage is unavailable.
No. RNRC has a limited number of frequencies available for simplex operations, so multiple Member Organizations may use the same underlying RF frequency for their Direct channels.
Separate talkgroup IDs help organize communications, but they do not create additional physical RF channels. Nearby simultaneous transmissions on the same simplex frequency may interfere with one another.
Yes. A Member Organization may request additional talkgroups when it has a legitimate operational need.
Additional talkgroups are subject to Cooperative approval, available system capacity, technical requirements, and any applicable fees established by RNRC.
RNRC provides a shared emergency talkgroup, but users need to understand what it is — and what it is not.
RNRC Emergency is reserved for emergency communications involving an actual or reasonably perceived threat to life, safety, property, or another situation requiring immediate assistance.
It is not intended for routine calling, casual conversation, or normal operational traffic.
No. RNRC Emergency is not continuously monitored.
RNRC does not operate a public safety answering point, emergency dispatch center, or continuously staffed monitoring service. A transmission does not guarantee that another person will hear it, acknowledge it, relay it, or provide assistance.
No. RNRC Emergency is not a substitute for calling 911 or using another appropriate emergency communications service when one is available.
No radio system can guarantee coverage everywhere. Nevada's mountains, valleys, distance, vegetation, buildings, radio equipment, and antenna configuration all affect VHF communications.
RNRC is designed to expand coverage through strategically located repeater sites where there is member need and where suitable infrastructure is available.
No. Coverage maps are predictive planning tools. Actual performance can vary based on terrain, antenna location, subscriber equipment, environmental conditions, interference, and other factors.
Field testing provides the best confirmation of actual communications performance at a specific location.
Often, yes. Vehicle-mounted mobile radios generally have more transmit power and benefit from an externally mounted antenna. Handheld radios use lower power and smaller antennas, so their usable coverage may be more limited.
Yes, subject to Cooperative requirements and technical feasibility. Member Organizations elect site access based on the areas where they need communications.
Site participation also affects the Member Organization's share of that site's operating expenses.
Yes. RNRC is designed to grow as member needs develop. Potential sites are evaluated for coverage benefit, infrastructure, power, backhaul, access, cost, reliability, licensing, and technical feasibility.
Possibly. RNRC welcomes potential repeater-site opportunities from landowners, ranches, businesses, public organizations, tower owners, and communications-site operators.
Visit Host a Repeater Site to learn what RNRC looks for in a potential location.
No. A standard RNRC VHF subscriber radio communicates with RNRC repeater sites by radio frequency and does not require cellular service, Wi-Fi, or an internet connection at the subscriber radio.
WAVE PTX is an optional broadband push-to-talk platform that can extend communications to compatible smartphones and broadband devices.
It can be useful for personnel who are outside normal RF coverage or who need access from a broadband-connected device.
Visit WAVE PTX & RoIP for more information.
No. WAVE PTX is an optional add-on. A standard RNRC subscriber radio does not require WAVE PTX to use the VHF repeater network.
WAVE PTX depends on broadband connectivity. If the WAVE device cannot reach the required broadband service, its WAVE communications may be unavailable.
Loss of broadband connectivity does not, by itself, prevent a standard VHF subscriber radio from communicating with an available RNRC repeater over RF.
When the applicable talkgroup is authorized across those RNRC sites and the network is operating normally, the system can carry the conversation between sites.
This allows geographically separated users on the same organization talkgroup to communicate as part of the same network.
RNRC programs compatible subscriber radios to simplify operation across authorized network sites. The exact behavior depends on the subscriber radio and network configuration, but roaming can allow compatible radios to locate an appropriate authorized RNRC site as the user moves through the coverage area.
Loss of one site may affect communications in the area served by that site, but it does not necessarily mean the entire RNRC network is unavailable.
The effect depends on the location, surrounding site coverage, network connectivity, and the nature of the outage.
Yes. The network is intended to evolve as membership, geographic needs, technology, and available infrastructure change.
Additional sites, capacity, equipment, and network capabilities may be added when justified and approved under the Cooperative's governing documents.
This FAQ is intended to explain RNRC in plain language. It does not replace the Cooperative's Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, policies, agreements, FCC licenses, or other governing documents.
If information on this page conflicts with an adopted governing document, the applicable governing document controls. Current governing documents are available on the Documents & Governance page.
RNRC can help you understand membership, equipment, coverage, repeater-site access, or whether the Cooperative is a good fit for your communications needs.