Why should you pause before and between transmissions when using a repeater?

Pausing briefly between transmissions is a fundamental courtesy in repeater etiquette. It leaves a small window of silence that allows other stations, particularly those with emergency traffic or brief priority messages, to join the conversation or ask for help. Additionally, taking a short pause before speaking ensures that the repeater's receiver has fully activated and that the time-out timer has been reset. This prevents the very beginning of your sentence from being cut off before the repeater begins transmitting.