Butler County (Ohio) Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (BCAREC)

BCAREC Announcement:

Meetings and nets have been suspended until further notice.

If you would like to participate in the monthly Tornado Siren observations the first Wednesday of each month in support of the Butler County Sheriff's Office 911 center contact us at:

bcarec@gmail.com

Please provide a good email address (for reminder notifications & assignments), Full name and call sign (for the roster), street address (so we can find a siren close to where you live), cellphone number and the carrier/provider for emergency activation of amateur radio and siren test cancellations (normally due to weather conditions). Thank You!

Shortcut URL: http://goo.gl/rlbka

Who We Are:

Butler County Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (BCAREC) is a leading volunteer amateur radio emergency communications organization in Butler County, Ohio. We are located just north of Cincinnati near Hamilton, Ohio. BCAREC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, and has been serving our community with non-commercial voluntary emergency communications during emergency conditions since the formation in 2004. Members operate with a license granted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and operate primarily under regulations contained in U.S. CFR Title 47, Part 97, "Amateur Radio Service." BCAREC specializes in emergency radio technologies and participates in amateur radio activities using High Frequency (HF), Very High Frequency (VHF), and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) equipment. High Frequency (HF) radio operations provides for intra-state and inter-state communications, while VHF and UHF capability provides local communications coverage. Some members operate microwave amateur stations as well.

What We Do:

  • Communications support to the local 911 centers and associated agencies after their communications have failed or have become severely overloaded.

  • Operate the Butler-Warren Severe Weather Spotting Net by amateur radio operators reporting potential hazardous weather conditions that are directly reported to the National Weather Service in Wilmington OH.

  • Maintaining and Building Equipment - Kit building, build and maintain full duplex repeaters, build and analyze antennas, and radio accessories for both voice and digital communications.

    • Built and maintain an Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Center - Four operator positions, multiple frequencies, multiple bands, multiple modes of operation with generator backup power, operating accessories, fully lightning protected tower and antenna system, as well as portable stations.

  • Severe Weather Spotting training provided by the National Weather Service in Wimington, OH, 911 center Emergency Communications Support, Radio Station Equipment Operation and Maintenance, Annual and Periodic Operational Simulations, Test and Drills.

  • Digital Communication - VHF/UHF Packet, HF Multiple Digital Modes, D-Star, Fusion, DMR, P-25, Echolink, etc.

  • Amateur Radio Software Proficiency- Winlink2000, AIRMAIL, HF-ALE, FLDigi, G8BPQ, Ham Radio Deluxe, Linux, Windows, etc.

  • New Member Mentoring - Help new emergency communicators get started operating for emergencies, suggested equipment considerations, etc. from those that have been on National Disaster Deployments (WTC 9-11-2001, Katrina 2005, and others)

  • Seek New Members For BCAREC - We are always looking for amateur radio operators with an interest in providing or becoming involved with Emergency Communications.

  • We support the 911 center the first Wednesday of the month observing over 80 weather sirens countywide to assure they are operational and report back to the 911 supervisors directly.

When We Do It:

Main Meeting: No meetings are scheduled at this time.

Where We Do it:

BCAREC holds activities at the Butler Technology and Career Center 3603 Hamilton Middletown Road Hamilton, OH 45011 - Room 205 or in the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Center .

Why We Do It:

"Because We Want to Help People In Times of Need." Amateur Radio Emergency Communicators are prepared and willing to voluntarily help our community, when requested by local officials, in times of need such as when all other means of communications are not available. The FCC has specifically stated our role in Federal Regulations as in the following quoted regulation extract:

"47 CFR Ch. I, Part 97.1 Basis and purpose.

The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in

the following principles:

(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication

service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications."

How We Do it:

BCAREC amateur radio emergency communicators are licensed by the FCC. Each operator can have a home "base" station as well as mobile and handheld radio stations. BCAREC has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with repeater owners inside of and adjacent to Butler County. The MOUs are for the use of communications equipment on a daily basis or an as needed basis for supporting Emergency, Priority, Health and Welfare communications. BCAREC also uses the equipment for occasional training.

The Butler County VHF Association and BCAREC have an MOU for use of the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Center (ARECC) radio room facility at D. Russell Lee (Butler Tech). BCAREC uses the ARECC as a control station for its operators during emergencies, severe weather and training.

Please Join The BCAREC Organization And Volunteer To Help People With Us !!

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BCAREC provides volunteer emergency communications as a Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) unit, when activated. RACES is a Service authorized by the FCC, which, when operating on the Amateur Radio Service frequencies, requires that the operator be FCC licensed, and one who must belong to a RACES unit of a State or Local government.

BCAREC provides volunteer emergency communications as an Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) unit. The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is a corps of trained amateur radio operator volunteers organized to assist in public service and emergency communications. It is organized and sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC).

Butler County Amateur Radio Emergency Communications members have completed the CERT training to be an active part of an initial community response to a major emergency in the county.

Our Communications Systems

W8CCI Repeaters used via a Memorandum of Understanding:

147.3300 - Tone 118.8 - Hamilton East - BCAREC Primary VHF - Working NOTE: this site will be getting a linked P-25 repeater system as soon as we get permission from school officials to put a Station Master UHF antenna on the existing commercial tower.

146.9700 - Tone 118.8 - Hamilton West - Working - This site is shared with 444.1125 and the W8RNL D-Star system.

145.2100 - Tone 118.8 - Oxford is on a temporary tower north of town due to the old TV Ch 14 tower being taken down at Williams Hall. A new 80 foot self supporting tower is in the process of obtaining the building permits etc. and will be installed North of Oxford.

The Nike Site is 1000' AMSL. The new site is 1039' AMSL and the antenna will rest at 1,119' AMSL. A 440 P-25 repeater will co-exist on the tower along with 145.2100.

224.9600 - Tone 118.8 - Middletown - Off the air for unknown reason. Technical staff trying to coordinate with hospital staff to check on it.

UHF System Repeaters

444.1125 - Hamilton West - Operational - This repeater will be operating as a linked P-25 in 2022 until the Oxford OH and Hamilton East UHF sites are completed.

440.0000 - P-25 Linked System - Hamilton East - Pending antenna installation and OARC Coordination

440.0000 - P-25 Linked System - Oxford - Pending tower, antenna installation and OARC Coordination

AIRMAIL NODES

145.0100 - N8TVU-10 - Northern Hamilton County

Digipeater Only

145.7700 - K8YOJ-7 - Clermont Co - East Fork Lake State Park