JOIN US TODAY! We Are an ARRL-Affiliated Club.

WTARS, P.O. Box 3382, Jackson, TN 38303

WWW.WTARS.ORG

WELCOME!

If you are looking for fun, fellowship, education, and service in Amateur Radio, here are some reasons to join the West Tennessee Amateur Radio Society (WTARS). The West Tennessee Amateur Radio Society has been around, in one form or another, for fifty years. WTARS serves all of West Tennessee. The members have use of several state-of-the-art VHF and UHF repeaters, as well as Internet-linked packet radio. "WF4Q" is the FCC-designated call sign for the West Tennessee Amateur Radio Society. "WF4Q" is used by operators of special events stations, club activities, sponsored events, SKYWARN and Field Day. Operators using "WF4Q" are acting as the Net-Control station. In such directed-net activities, all stations on the frequency should follow the directions from "WF4Q." Our radio repeaters are usually open unless some sort of drill, emergency situation, or severe weather event is going on. If you choose to use our repeaters, we ask that you become a member. E-mail n4jdn1@gmail.com and/or n4jdn@arrl.net for more information.

American Radio Relay League

Founded in 1912, the ARRL is the national organization representing Amateur Radio interests in the United States. As radio amateurs, our single greatest resource is our frequencies. This requires representation in World Administrative Radio Conferences (WARC), Congress, and the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). For more information on the ARRL, go to http://www.arrl.org.

Meetings

The West Tennessee Amateur Radio Society is dedicated to advancement and growth of the Amateur Radio service. The WTARS meets every first Thursday of each month. The meetings are usually held at 7:00 PM at Jackson State Community College, McWherter Center building, in Jackson, Tennessee. Occasionally, some meetings are held at various area restaurants. All meetings are open to the public, and visitors are welcome. NOTE: Because of serious problems with computer viruses, please DO NOT bring laptop computers to club meetings at JSCC. You can e-mail WTARS President David Nailling, N4JDN (n4jdn@arrl.net) for more information about meeting times and locations. Other WTARS officers include Vice-President Rob Forry, KJ4YZR (wingsfan1@charter.net), Secretary Tom Goodman, AI4DB (tgoodai4db@yahoo.com), and Treasurer Phillip Julian, KG4NVN (crnaemtp@aol.com).

"Traders and Information Net"

WTARS sponsors a weekly Tuesday night "radio net" around 8:30 PM on the 147.210 repeater, or on the WTARS linked repeaters. This particular "net" is a traditional way for radio amateurs to meet on the air to exchange information in either a round-table discussion or in a net-control-directed activity. Radios and related items can be listed under "Wanted to Buy," "For Sale," or "For Trade." Announcements and bulletins of interest to radio amateurs are listed. These include "Hamfests" (radio-related "flea markets"), License Exam test dates, area club meetings, and special events. These "nets" are an established way to communicate, and are an excellent way to pass traffic for emergency preparedness. The "ARRL Audio News" provides the most timely and accurate news information about amateur radio found anywhere on the Internet (see http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio). The "ARRL Audio News" has a news-magazine format and can be heard weekly on the "Traders and Information Net."

ARES and SKYWARN

WTARS sponsors a weekly Wednesday night "radio net" around 8:30 PM on the 147.210 repeater, or on the WTARS linked repeaters, to exchange information related to the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and SKYWARN. ARES is the emergency branch of the ARRL, providing communications in times of disaster, declared emergencies, and special events (see http://www.ares.org). To become an active member of a local ARES group, contact the Amateur Radio Emergency Coordinator (EC) for your area. SKYWARN "weather spotters" give reports by radio or telephone to the local Emergency Management Agencies and to the National Weather Service (NWS) during severe weather events (see http://www.srh.noaa.gov/meg/skywarn.php). Activities and procedures for SKYWARN are also explained on this "net." Classes for "weather spotters" are held at least once or twice per year in the Jackson area and surrounding counties to certify "weather spotters" (see http://www.srh.noaa.gov/meg/skywarncalendar.php).

WTARS (Open) Repeaters
WF4Q	Jackson, TN	147.210 MHz	+ Offset	107.2 Hz tone
KF4SC	Jackson, TN	145.310 MHz	- Offset	107.2 Hz tone
WTARS Linked (Open) Repeaters (See Map Below)
WF4Q	Brownsville, TN	145.430 MHz	- Offset	107.2 Hz tone
OFF-AIR	Huntingdon, TN	145.170 MHz	- Offset	107.2 Hz tone
WF4Q	Jackson, TN	146.775 MHz	- Offset	107.2 Hz tone
WF4Q	Lexington, TN	147.075 MHz	+ Offset	107.2 Hz tone
OFF-AIR	Shiloh, TN	145.290 MHz	- Offset	107.2 Hz tone
WF4Q	Union City, TN	147.015 MHz	+ Offset	107.2 Hz tone
WF4Q	Jackson, TN	442.900 MHz	+ Offset	114.8 Hz tone
WF4Q	Jackson, TN	444.550 MHz*	+ Offset	114.8 Hz tone
(*Stand-alone, low-power UHF repeater at Emergency Operations Center downtown)

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Thank you for your interest in WTARS and our radio repeaters, including the WTARS Linked Repeater System. We hope you will seriously consider becoming a member of the West Tennessee Amateur Radio Society. The WTARS is a non-profit Tennessee corporation. The mobile coverage map above helps to determine which linked repeater to use, based on location. The Linked Repeater System is linked by UHF radio all of the time. When you talk on one repeater, you talk on all of them at the same time. Be sure to pause for a second or two after you key the microphone and before you speak, so that all of the repeaters have a chance to come on-line. Otherwise, the first few words of the transmission will be lost.

All of the WTARS radio repeater sites have battery back-up and are built with severe weather in mind. The National Weather Service, the MEDMERS, the Red Cross, and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency all make use of WTARS radio repeaters during actual emergencies and disasters. Our radio repeaters are usually open unless some sort of drill, emergency situation, or severe weather event is going on. If you choose to use our repeaters, we ask that you become a member. It costs a lot of money to maintain the system, and we cannot do it without your support. The success of the system is directly related to the wonderful support we have had from the amateur radio community over the past ten years.

Packet Radio

You can connect one computer to another through amateur radio by using a packet radio TNC/transceiver. Use local node JCK59 or HUN59 on 145.590 MHz, and JCK01 on 145.010 MHz.

JOIN US TODAY! We Are an ARRL-Affiliated Club

WTARS, P.O. Box 3382, Jackson, TN 38303

Updated 12 August 2009, kb4rpv@arrl.net