[Repeater-Builder] 3 minute timeout. FCC regulation or myth

[Marty Schultz]

Hello all. I help to maintain the repeaters of the ham club I belong to 
and had a discussion with one of our rather older crusty member 
concerning the three minute timeout we have on our repeaters. On one 
occasion after he timeout one of our repeaters for about the third time 
(he is long winded) I said something like "I wish I could extend the 
timeout but the FCC wants the three minute time out on repeaters". He 
answer back that it is not a FCC regulation but a standard that develop 
over the years to prevent someone from being too longwinded on a 
repeater like himself. I spent some 20 years in a two-way shop and we 
always had nothing longer than three minutes timeout on the radios we 
program. We do newsline and rain on our nets and have the timeout 
temporary disable for them but I think that is permissible if you have a 
control operator standing by? Looking at part 97.213(b) for Telecommand 
of an amateur station they talk about provisions to limit transmissions 
of no more than three minutes in case of equipment failure. My 
interpretation is that would apply to "repeaters" also. Not looking for 
ammunition to battle  the fellow with but more to satisfy my curiosity 
and to know what is what.

Marty,  N9PPJ