MCC IS NOW TESTING GMRS REPEATERS
Thanks to funding from Oregon Community Foundation, MCC is now able to begin testing equipment and locations for a brand new General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) Repeater Network to serve the entire McKenzie River Valley. In an effort to provide the McKenzie River Community with a ground up emergency communications network, we will roll out a series of GMRS Repeaters that will soon allow communications from Hoodoo to Cedar Flat, using handheld radios. Please consider making a donation to support our ongoing efforts to build resilient communications infrastructure in the McKenzie River Valley.
Our plan involves using a Neighbor-to-Neighbor framework, organized into 3 zones along the river.
Neighbor-to-Neighbor Teams
MCC will be working with local community partners to enlist volunteers to join emergency communication teams organized within the following zones:
- Upper McKenzie (McKenzie Bridge, Blue River)
- Middle Valley (Nimrod, Vida),
- Down River ( Leaburg, Walterville, Cedar Flat)
These Neighbor-to-Neighbor Teams are a critical element in the process of effectively organizing the community’s ability to make use of this network when it is needed. Teams will be organized around a central ‘Team Captain’ who will initiate regular testing and check-in exercises. Team members will need to understand the ‘rules of the road’ and follow proper ‘etiquette’ when using the GMRS system.
MCC or our community partners will provide training in the use of these radios and will also have a limited number of radios to distribute to residents who aren’t able to purchase a radio of their own. In order to join on of MCC’s communications teams, local residents will need to acquire a license from the FCC to use GMRS.
How to test our system
If you already have your own GRMS handheld or base station radio, you can use these settings to access our test repeater. Please remember that you will need to have a GMRS License and Call Sign. We are currently testing a repeater that is working for communications between Highway 242 (Camp Yale) and downtown Blue River.
- Our test repeater receives on 467.675.
- The repeater transmits on 462.675
- The PL code is 141.3
You will need to refer to the instructions for programming your individual radio.
We are currently testing two GMRS Handheld Radio Models:
- UV-9G GMRS IP67 Waterproof Radio ($44.99)
- Wouxun KG‐805G GMRS ($99.99 – Available Here)
Join The Team!
Register with MCC to be included in our database of GMRS operators. Let us know if you already have a GMRS radio and a GMRS License with the FCC. Please put any information you would like to share in the “Comments/Experience” box. We’ll notify you of training opportunities and keep you up to date on the progress of the GMRS Repeater Project.