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Pacific, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Thurston & Wahkiakum Counties, Washington

145.170 |  145.310 |  145.390 |  147.020 |  147.180 |  147.340 |  224.040 |  440.675 |  441.675 |  442.675 |  444.050 |  444.400 |  444.500 |  444.700 |  444.800 |  444.925 |  444.950

 

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BeachNet Linked Repeaters, North to South by County:

Thurston County

   Olympia (Capitol Peak)

444.950   +5Mhz     118.8Hz

Grays Harbor County

   Neilton (Quinault)

444.700   +5Mhz     118.8Hz

   Cosmopolis

145.390   -600khz   118.8Hz

   Minot Peak (Elma)

444.050   +5Mhz     118.8Hz

Pacific County

   North Cove (Tokeland/Grayland)

444.400   +5Mhz     118.8Hz

   North Cove (Tokeland/Grayland)

145.310   -600khz   118.8Hz

     North Cove (Naselle Receiver)

145.310   -600khz   114.8Hz

   South Bend/Raymond

442.675   +5Mhz     118.8Hz

   South Bend/Raymond

147.340   +600khz   118.8Hz

   Ocean Park

145.170   -600khz   118.8Hz

   KO Peak

441.675   +5Mhz     118.8Hz

   KO Peak (Not Linked to Network)

224.040   -1.6Mhz  118.8Hz

   Naselle

440.675   +5Mhz     118.8Hz

   Long Beach

444.800   +5Mhz     118.8Hz

   Megler (Chinook)

147.180   +600khz   82.5Hz

     Megler (Naselle Receiver) [north]

147.180   +600khz   82.5Hz

     Megler (Cape D Receiver) [west]

147.180   +600khz   82.5Hz

     Megler (Warrenton Receiver) [south]

147.180   +600khz   82.5Hz

Wahkiakum County

   Grays River (KM Hill)

147.020   +600khz    118.8Hz

Clatsop County

   Nicolai Mountain

444.500   +5Mhz     118.8Hz










       












 



The BeachNet Story

BeachNet was born out of a desire to provide reliable Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) communications in support of Pacific County Emergency Management Agency. Due to the mountainous topography, VHF coverage of the county with the existing repeaters and simplex was spotty at best. Even reliable communications between our two Emergency Operating Centers (South Bend and Long Beach) was illusive at times.

The project goals became:

1. Reliably link the two Pacific County EOCs.

2. Provide communications between the Pacific County EOCs and the Washington State ECC at Camp Murray.

3. Provide a means for an Amateur with typical mobile equipment anywhere in Pacific County to contact at least one of the EOCs.

At first, we received a luke-warm reception from the county government to our request for rent-free space at their radio sites. The Director of Emergency Services, herself a Ham, was enthusiastic at the idea of enhancing Amateur Radio coverage. With her help, we were able to get a foot in the door in early 2000, at the highest and most remote site, KO Peak. We established a repeater with a remote base station at this 3000-foot high site. The realities of coordination dictated that this would be a UHF station, and we were soon coordinated on 441.675, +5 MHz, PL/118.8,. Both Pacific County EOCs are able to access the KO Peak machine, although not always as well as we would like. This accomplished goal number 1.

The remote base allowed us to join a net on the 145.370 Grass Mountain repeater, or a 6-meter net, used by Camp Murray for emergency communications. As it turned out, the Camp Murray station is easily able to access the KO Peak repeater directly. Goal number 2 accomplished.

Our third goal, of having ready access throughout the County was a bit more challenging. We were allowed to install a VHF repeater at the newly-developed North Cove site. Originally on the Western Washington SNP Test Pair, 145.290, this repeater was soon coordinated on its permanent 145.310, -600 kHz, PL/118.8 frequency, a link was added to the KO Peak repeater and the concept of a "linked network" was born. The limited coverage of our first two repeaters hinted at just how much work would be required to really satisfy our third goal.

Shortly thereafter, in 2001, the Nisqually Earthquake hit the Puget Sound area. Although it was small as earthquakes go, it did disrupt communications, and put some prominent cracks in the Capitol Building. The Washington State Government evacuated to the Emergency Command Center at Camp Murray. With telephones knocked out, the Pacific County Government, in the Emergency Operating Center in South Bend, looked for a way of contacting Camp Murray. In Ham Radio, they found the answer. For a half an hour, the only means of communication between our County and the State was Amateur Radio via the repeater on KO Peak. The Pacific County functionaries noticed. During the After Action Debrief meeting, we found constraints on BeachNet access to Pacific County's radio sites relaxed considerably.

We were asked for a plan of what we wanted to do. Our plan was "Blue Sky" in that it included every site, and proposed equipment to cover every contingency we could think of. The rationale was that when we submitted our plan, the "Powers That Be" would undoubtedly cross lots of items off the list, and we wanted to be left with a workable system. The Plan was approved, with nothing crossed off. Be careful what you wish for. Now we had to build it!

Most of the county is not well served by the KO Peak station. The site is in eastern Pacific County away from much of the populated area. No one site can do the job of covering the entire county, due to geographical constraints. Our plan included additional repeaters, forming a linked network with overlapping coverage. Although originally conceived as an all-UHF system, as the build-out went on, strategically located VHF repeaters and remote receivers were added to enhance the coverage and provide accessibility for Amateurs with only two-meter equipment. While the UHF and VHF portions are not identical in coverage, either is sufficient to realize nearly complete utility.

Several years down the road, the network has matured. With the installation of the 440.675, +5 MHz, PL/118.8, our eighth Pacific County repeater, at Naselle, in July 2005, we have accomplished our third goal, realizing complete county-wide coverage. Along the way, Grays Harbor County ARES has elected to participate. At the request of their EC/RO assistance was provided in the form of engineering advice, installation and maintenance labor, and some equipment on indefinite loan. Their three repeaters (Cosmopolis 145.390, -600 kHz, PL/118.8; Minot 444.050, +5 MHz, PL/118.8; and Neilton 444.700, +5 MHz, PL/118.8) provide near-complete coverage in their county as part of the network. In an emergency situation, these can be disconnected from the network to provide intra-county communications in support of Grays Harbor County Emergency Services.

The addition of the 444.950, +5 MHz, PL/118.8 Olympia repeater, in April 2007, on Capitol Peak, sponsored by Doyle Wenzel, the EC/RO for Grays Harbor, provides overlaping access in his county as well as extensive coverage of the South Puget Sound area. This includes most of Mason, Thurston and western Lewis Counties. It covers Interstate 5 from Tacoma, south almost to Longview. Importantly, this repeater is easily usable from the Camp Murray State ECC.

The KO Peak remote base incorporates transceivers on the 440, 220, 140, 50, and 29 MHz FM bands. Virtually any frequency can be dialed up, either in receive-only or transceive modes. The Long Beach and Naselle repeaters incorporate 440, 220 and 140 Mhz remote base radios. This allows us the flexibility to link to other repeater systems in the region. Many of the links between our repeater sites can be switched to alternate paths, and each repeater can be separated from the network, allowing us to tailor the coverage and fragment the system to respond to emerging situations.

In December of 2007, the remnants of three tropical storms combined to hammer our area for three days with winds topping 65 miles per hour (clocked at 133 mph at the coastal headlands). Trees and power lines fell, and the phone system fragmented. For days those with any phone service at all were only able to call within their local exchange. BeachNet stepped into the breach and handled traffic between the various telephone exchanges in the county. We also handled traffic with the State ECC at Camp Murray. One memorable contact was when the State RACES Radio Officer came up on our system to call Wahkiakum County. It seems they hadn't heard from our neighbors to the east. We hooked them up.

For more than five days, the power was out, the phones were in disarray (cell phones completely dead), the roads were all but impassible, gasoline was generally unavailable, but BeachNet worked. Even with the damage that winds topping 100 miles per hour caused to antennas and such, the network performed well throughout. The main repeater antennas were destroyed at South Bend (Holy Cross Mtn.) and Olympia (Capitol Peak). Link antennas were destroyed at Megler and Holy Cross. The main repeater antennas were pushed over in their mountings at KO Peak and Naselle, and although undamaged, they did require work parties to straighten them back up. At Naselle, a microwave dish departed the tower and destroyed our remote base antenna and feedline in the process. The remote base antennas at KO Peak were damaged enough to require replacement. In all, the storm caused damage to our system amounting to a bit over $1000. In spite of the extensive damage and lost antennas, our repeaters continued to function well enough to provide the required emergency communications. Summers are for rebuilding and preparing for winters around here.

In July of 2008, we added the new 147.020, +600 kHz, PL/118.8 repeater in Wahkiakum County to cover Washington Highway 4, Oregon Highway 30 and solidify BeachNet service in the Lower Columbia area. This repeater fills in shadowed spots and provides a local emergency communications focus for Wahkiakum County, which it covers well. A permanent part of the system, as with all our stations the "Grays River" repeater can be disconnected from the network to provide local, stand alone service when necessary. There was a dilemma with this repeater where output power is concerned. Relatively high transmitter power was justified by the excellent receiver coverage and the fact that the transmit antenna is below the tree tops with higher-than-normal absorption losses. But the battery back-up dictated keeping the power level low to ensure repeater availability when needed most. It was decided to set the output power at a low level. This proved to be undesirable because, although usable, the signal received from the repeater was noticeably weak. In April of 2009, this was further addressed by modifying the repeater power amplifier and controller in such a way that when the station shifted to battery power, the output power (and therefore consumption) could be dropped. The repeater is now set at a higher output level for normal operations, dropping by 6 dB when the AC Mains Power goes down. The controller performs and announces th e switch, and can be commanded to high or low power as desired.

In September of 2008, after finishing up the last of the repairs from the winter storms, attention turned to the remote receiver system that supports the Megler 147.180 Repeater. The receivers have worked well, but manual selection using PL tones was unpopular with users. A receiver Voting system that automatically evaluates the signal from each receiver and retransmits the one with the best signal started to go into place. The idea began to go from a "someday dream" to reality with two generous gifts of surplus equipment. Grays Harbor County made available an LDG RVS-8 eight-input Voting Panel, and Pacific County donated a stack of GE Rangr commercial two-way radios suitable for conversion to VHF receivers and UHF link transmitters and receivers required to support such a system. This system is elaborate, and took some time to install and perfect. Now that all of the receivers are voting, the system coverage has been dramatically improved. With automatic voting, the receiver with the best signal is consistently routed to the repeater transmitter, even in places where it would not have been used with manual switching. The user typically has a full-quieting signal anywhere they can hear the repeater. Click here for more information on the Remote Receivers.

In November, 2008, in partnership with KB7APU, a 1.25-meter repeater was added. Located at the KO Peak site, this repeater covers a large portion of SW Washington. Reports from Vancouver on the south to Tacoma on the north are favorable. While a new 2-meter repeater at such a high site with coverage in both the Portland and Seattle areas is not a practical idea these days, because of the scarcity of available channel pairs, a 220 repeater offers similar VHF propagation, with enough elbow-room on the band to allow for interference-free operation. Normally not linked to the rest of the network, this repeater offers a place to "get away from the crowd". If you have gear for the 220 Band, dial up 224.040 -1.6MHz 118.8PL and give it a try. During emergency situations, this repeater has become the main conduit for the EOC stations of Southwestern Washington to communicate with Camp Murray. It provides a much-needed dedicated voice link.

In early March 2009, the 145.170, -600 kHz, PL/118.8 repeater began operation from the Ocean Park Fire Hall. A 20-foot piece of 2-inch heavy-wall aluminum tubing supports a Hustler G6-270 dual band vertical. The repeater itself is in the attic above the main truck bay, with emergency power available. Normally linked to the BeachNet system this repeater provides hand-held coverage in this major population center, over a 3-to-4-mile radius.

In June 2009, an existing UHF repeater, along with its coordination, located on Nicolai Mountain in Clatsop County, Oregon, was purchased by K7GA, the EC/RO for Wahkiakum County. His primary goal was to cover Wahkiakum County and provide for communications into Longview for intra-District collaboration. The new 444.500, +5 MHz, PL/118.8 repeater began operation the day following the sale and subsequent removal of the old machine. The operation is now from a different building at the site and will use a slightly different antenna location. Normally linked to the BeachNet system, this repeater will probably be disconnected for emergency communications when needed by Wahkiakum County and ARES/RACES District Four.

Look for frequent updates to this web site, and be sure to hit the "Refresh" or "Reload" button each time you return, to make sure you are viewing the latest version. BeachNet is a work in progress, and it is our intention for the web site to continue to accurately document the present "State of the System". As the maintenance and repair gets caught up, we turn our attentions to system improvements, striving to make our network as reliable and useful as possible. I would add that the system is designed for use by Amateurs using "Mobile" equipment, typically 50-watts VHF or 30-watts UHF, and a 3 dB-gain antenna. Although, if you learn how to use the system to its full potential, your HT will probably work acceptably from many areas, I never promised hand-held coverage!

You are cordially invited to use and enjoy the network while in our area. The more familiar we all are with its operation and limitations, the more valuable it will be if an emergency situation arises.

 

More Information on Your Favorite Repeater

Click on the frequency listing above, to jump to more specific information on each repeater.

 

Internet Radio Linking Project

We also sponsor an IRLP node repeater at the Megler site, in the Astoria/Long Beach area. This uses Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) technology to connect to repeaters all over the world on demand. Normally linked to the WIN System, you are completely welcome to connect it to any node you wish. The repeater coverage extends north to Ocean Park, south to Seaside, east to Knappa and west out to sea 30 miles. There are no pre-codes and you do not have to contact the owner before using or controlling this machine. This Node is available for general use:

444.925   +5MHz   82.5Hz   Chinook, WA (Megler Mtn.)

IRLP
Node 3105 Not Linked into BeachNet, Click here for node status, specific instructions, and more info.
If you hear strange calls talking about strange things, it may be a "foreign" repeater tied into the system from anywhere in the world. You can join the conversation if you wish, as with any other repeater.



Download Our Brochure

Take it with you! For portable frequency information, click here to download our flyer.



What About Maintenance

Click here to browse our Maintenance Log.

 

Who Supports BeachNet?

You do!    The BeachNet repeater system receives no financial support from any club or other organization. It pretty much all comes out of our pockets. There is no obligation to support the network. No membership or affiliation is required to use our repeaters. This is an open system. However, we greatly appreciate any contributions. They help us keep the network on the air.

PayPal to: nm7r@yahoo.com

Or Snail Mail to:

Frank Wolfe, NM7R
PO Box 91
Nahcotta, WA 98637


BeachNet
  Please use and enjoy the system! That's why we built it.

 

 










 

145.170 |  145.310 |  145.390 |  147.020 |  147.180 |  147.340 |  224.040 |  440.675 |  441.675 |  442.675 |  444.050 |  444.400 |  444.500 |  444.700 |  444.800 |  444.925 |  444.950

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This Page Last Updated: 11/01/09.