Butler County VHF Association W8CCI
Butler County VHF Association W8CCI
The National Weather Service had issued over 35 TORNADO warnings and over 90 Severe Thunderstorm warnings for Southwest Ohio in August alone and we fell victim too a very strong lightning strike at the 146.9700 repeater site.
The TrippLite surge protector was no longer working and was blackened all along the back of it where it was mounted to the metal cabinet. Steve KC8VDT replaced it with a new device however the 146.9700 machine would not reboot. 444.1125 did come back to life.
Bob N8TVU began going thru the damaged repeater. The AC power supply had about a 2" in diameter burn mark on the underside of the circuit board and was missing the foil traces.
Once the repeater was powered up from an external power supply, it all came back to life, however the reciever sensitivity is no where close to what it should be, actually you need a signal 10X the normal uv to open squelch, so it is damaged. The UHF side of the reciever works as it should with good sensitivity for an amateur radio repeater.
Steve KC8VDT pulled the 444.3000 repeater from the radio room at Butler Tech and we reprogrammed it for 146.9700 (-) 118.8. As of right now there is an active working repeater back on the 146.9700 frequency.
We are collecting 2026 membership dues starting in January 2026 at the monthly W8CCI meeting.
OPS-2 is now on the air with the new 7 band off center fed dipole! The new antenna is working very well.
OPS-1 & OPS-2 have new computers capable of running WINDOWS 11. Both have been loaded with our commonly used software and both of them are fully functional.
OPS-3A & OPS-3B OPS-3B has a new Windows 11 computer networked to the other comuputers in thee room. However OPS-3A has no computer since Windows 10 presents a security risk to the other machines,and it has been removed.
OPS-4A & OPS-4B computers have also been removed.
*REMINDER: Membership dues are now being collected for 2026, you do not have to be a member to attend the meetings! If you use our repeater's it would be greatly appreciated if you joined the club in support of the use of these repeaters.
W 8 C C I - Our Amateur Radio Club Callsign and Providing Community Service Since 1958
Who we are:
Butler County VHF Association (BCVHFA) is a leading amateur radio (ham radio) association in Butler County, Ohio. The organization is located just north of Cincinnati near Hamilton, Ohio. BCVHFA is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, and has been serving our community with non-commercial communications during emergency conditions since the formation of our club in 1958. 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." BCVHFA specializes in Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radio technologies and participates in amateur radio activities using VHF and UHF equipment. High Frequency (HF) radio operation also complements VHF/UHF capability for extended range communications. Some members operate microwave amateur stations as well.
What we do:
Emergency communications support to local officials during emergencies to supplement their communications when overloaded.
Homebrew Equipment - Kit building, antennas and repeaters.
Club Upgrades - 4 operator club station, club generator, club operating accessories, club towers and antenna systems.
Participate in a weekly net on Thursday 7:30 P.M.
Contesting on sites for - State Parks On The Air, Field Day, Lighthouse special events, covered bridges and several other contests that members participate in annually.
Training - Weather Spotting, Emergency Support, Club Equipment Operation.
Digital Communication - VHF/UHF Packet, APRS, AIRMAIL, D-Star, Echolink, Fusion, P25, ircDDBgateway, HF Digital Modes such as digipan, FL-DIGI, HF-ALE, WINLINK 2K etc.
Amateur radio computer platforms - Windows, Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone Black, Banana Pi, Arduino.
Amateur Radio Software - Winlink2000, HF-ALE, DigiPan, FLDigi, G8BPQ, Ham Radio Deluxe, Linux
Amateur radio licensing - Assist non-hams acquire FCC amateur radio license.
New Licensee Mentoring - Help new ham radio licensees get started operating radios.
Seek new members for BCVHFA - We are always looking for good hams to become members of BCVHFA.
When we do it:
Main Meeting: First Wednesday of each month starting at 7:00 P.M.
Where we do it:
BCVHFA holds activities at Butler Technology and Career Center 3603 Hamilton Middletown Road Hamilton, OH 45011 - Room 209 or the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Center (ARECC)
Why we do it:
"Because We Can" Radio Amateurs enjoy communicating with other amateurs both locally and all over the world; promoting international good will. Many have made friends for life through ham radio contacts. Radio amateurs enjoy constructing their radio station from store bought equipment and/or homebrew equipment sometimes advancing the "state of the radio art."
How we do it:
BCVHFA amateur radio operators are licensed by the FCC. Each license upgrade allows the use of expanded radio frequencies. Potential ham operators must pass an exam showing they understand basic radio communication concepts and regulations before obtaining their license. Each operator can have a home "base" station as well as mobile and handheld radio stations. According to regulations, amateur radio operators can support community officials after a declared emergency when community owned radio systems fail to operate or become overloaded.
Please Join The BCVHFA Organization And Enjoy Amateur Radio With Us !!
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