Nothing fancy this month, just check-ins on GMRS/FRS and ham, from the top of Albany Hill.

We encourage all GMRS operators to score how well they receive other operators on a Q5 (strong and clear) to Q1 (nothing heard or unintelligible) scale for reference who you might reach after a major disaster.  And, kindly send your reception reports (spreadsheets, scanned or photographed scribbles) to KO6JJE@gmail.com.  We will eventually compile the results in a table and publish it, so all can benefit from shared reception reports. Thank you to all who have submitted reception reports since the first of the year.

GMRS/FRS operators in 94803, north of San Pablo Ridge, generally can't talk to central Richmond by GMRS due to terrain obstructions (800+ ft hills), the low TX power of HTs, and the low gain of HT antennas. So, we encourage everyone in 94803 to check-in on Rob Johnson's 1st Saturday GMRS at 1000 hrs on Channel 15. 

Karo-Echo SET (Simulated Emergency Test), Saturday Sep 26 

The Karo-Echo ham club will be holding it's Fall 2026 SET on Saturday 26 September from 1000 to 1300 hrs on 146.415 MHz simplex.  SETs simulate checking into and participating in a simplex net where emergency messages are received and passed on for neighbor-to-neighbor mutual aid or local emergency agencies.  All welcome to listen-in or sign-in just as in a real emergency.

Other Nets for Practice and Community

Looking for other nets to practice your radio skills?  Wednesdays at 1100 hrs inconvenient?  Here are some lists of nearby GMRS/FRS and ham VHF/UHF nets. 

(Note: These lists are updated infrequently and may contain some out-of-date or inaccurate info, try searching the club or call sign for latest info)

• Karo Echo Club Newsletter (pages 7 & 8): drive.google.com/file/d/1pAhwUPv6m9qT6Yfdy4cRK5HCZGBG74ir/view

• Contra Costa Communication Club (4Cs) daily nets: www.wa6kqb.org/nets.html

• East Bay Communications Club (EBARC) bottom of page: www.qsl.net/w6cus/events.html

• Richmond CERT: www.certrichmond.org/emergency-radio-communication

Best Regards,

The 1st Weds 1100 Net Committee

In Part A, at 1100, after the Richmond CWS sirens sound, all GMRS and FRS operators will check in with net control on GMRS Ch.15 simplex, 462.550 MHz. [The NCS may substitute alternate Ch.19 simplex, 462.650 MHz, if Ch.15 encounters severe outside interference. If you do not hear the net on either channel, search nearby GMRS simplex channels.]

Click here for a script template for a GMRS/FRS net.

A brief presentation and/or discussion on GMRS/FRS/ham subject.

NCS will first check in all hams with the 70 cm repeater, 444.275 +5 MHz, PL 82.5*, followed by a roll call with the 2 m repeater, 145.110 –0.6 MHz, PL 82.5*.

[Thanks to the Contra Costa Communications Club (4Cs) for permission to use its 70 cm and 2 m WA6KQB repeaters. With solar backup, the WA6KQB repeaters can function independently of PG&E power and serve as valuable stations for emergency communications.]

We practice for efficient and clear transmission. All GMRS radio operators should monitor Part C to learn from the ham operators. (Check this link for information about the various EmComm nets conducted by the Contra Costa Communications Club (4Cs); these nets will provide additional models for your radio procedure.)

The WA6KQB three repeaters are tested every Saturday morning, starting with 2m [145.110 MHz) @ 0900, followed by 70cm  [444.275MHz] @ 0915 and 1.25m [224.300 MHz] @ 0930; all three repeaters use PL 82.5.

*This tone is set using a menu entry in your radio. Consult your manual, because the names of these menu entries varies considerably—for example, in the Yaesu FT-60R it is TN FRQ; for the Baofeng BF-F8HP and BTECH GMRS-V1  it is T-CTCS.

(BTW, non-hams can use VFO (frequency) mode to tune their GMRS radios to 444.275 MHz and 145.110 MHz to monitor the repeater traffic.)

Click here for a script template for a ham net using both the 2m and 70 cm repeaters from 4Cs [WA6KQB].

Click here for a script template for a ham net using the 4Cs [WA6KQB] repeaters.