In June, 2024, the Village of Elvaston unanimously granted the BBARC permission to establish an amateur repeater and antenna installation at their water tower. The water tower is about 110 feet in height. This location would allow us to extend amateur repeater coverage to western, south western, and north western Hancock County, IL and reach into Lee County, Iowa and Clark County, Missouri. This new coverage area includes Keokuk, Iowa, a city and other towns. These locations are definitely underserved for amateur radio and currently have no amateur repeater.
Establishing a Yaesu Fusion digital repeater and coverage where none currently exists has great potential to utilize and protect the amateur radio frequencies. Also, with a repeater that has digital capabilities, it could open a whole new world using amateur radio digital capabilities. What we have noticed is that once Hams try digital, they like the improved signal quality and signals that are less prone to noise and interference. They use it with increasing frequency and sometimes branch out and expand to using hot spots and radios to access other digital capabilities (i.e., d-Star, DMR as well as Yaesu Fusion C4FM and Wires-X).
Once the new repeater is established, the BBARC plans to conduct an outreach and public information campaign to inform the area public about amateur radio. We also hope to enlist neighboring amateur clubs to assist us in this. Our area currently is mostly rural with low population and diversity, but by extending Amateur Radio Repeater Coverage, we estimate new coverage to these areas which have a population of approximately 25,000. This project has outstanding potential for amateur radio and digital access. Also, this new digital repeater would provide more encouragement to non-amateurs to become licensed.
Another important purpose is Emergency Preparedness, emergency response, public safety, and a public information component that completion of this project will facilitate. This new repeater would provide a very viable additional communication avenue to more than 25,000 people that can be used in severe weather, rising flood waters, and other life-effecting events.
Check back often for updates on this important project!
