Hello HAMS!
I’m pretty new to the world of Amateur Radio, but that’s not going to stop me from sharing this post!
I am a HAM that lives in Northern West Virginia.
West Virginia, is a beautiful state, it offers two great repeater networks that are available to the local HAMs to use. These systems are put up and maintained by local HAMs that put their time, effort, and money into getting these repeater sites set up for me and you to use.
These repeaters have many purposes, those purposes include:
These repeaters have many purposes. Those purposes include:
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Providing communication in many parts of West Virginia, and beyond.
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Many of the repeaters are placed in elevated positions to maximize coverage and can be linked together to form networks for even broader communication.
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Providing communication for times of emergencies.
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Many repeater owners have ARES nets to help prepare HAMs for times of emergency.
The two main repeater linked systems in West Virginia:
The first linked repeater system I’ll share is called, HamTalk. HamTalk is a linked repeater system that covers a pretty wide area of West Virginia, it can cover almost the whole state with some exceptions.
Full coverage map of the HamTalk system provided by their website:
Overall if you want to enjoy talking to the local HAMs in, West Virginia be sure to hop on the HamTalk repeater network.
Listen to the HamTalk system live: HamTalk - Listen
Learn more about the system here: HamTalk - About
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The second linked repeater system I’ll share is called, Appalachian Repeater Association. The Appalachian Repeater Association or ARA is a linked repeater system is part of a Amateur Radio group in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia. The HAMs who formed this linked repeater network are also dedicated to the enjoyment and enhancement of amateur radio, just as the ones who formed HamTalk are. This system covers a vast area, it goes beyond West Virginia and even reaches into parts of South Carolina. It is a linked repeater network just like the HamTalk system, but this system is linked to many repeaters along the Appalachian Mountains.
Here is a map of the repeaters it covers provided by their website: Repeater Map
Here is a bit of history on their website: https://www.ararepeaters.org/history/
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I am honored to be a new HAM radio operator in our beautiful, West Virginia! I am so thankful for the time, effort, and money spent that these HAMS have put in, for me and you.
If you are one of those HAMs, that helped put up either of these systems, thank you, I mean it from the bottom of my heart!
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I hope that was useful information to you all, hope to hear you on the air soon!
Come visit our mountain state, West Virginia
73, to all who took their time to read this!
Caleb Shingleton-KF8EYE