K6ARP.ORG

CARP Beginnings

Back in the early part of 1990 a large number of young high school pioneers, from the Clovis and Fresno area, decided to obtain their Amateur Radio Licenses. Once licensed, they started their amateur radio careers by ragchewing and doing what most young hams do: tell jokes, have a good time and engage in latenight roundtable ragchews.

Understandably, some of this activity tended to monopolize repeaters and frequencies. This upset a few local repeater owners and users, as others needed use of the repeaters and frequencies. Eventually, the young pioneers were asked to limit the times, and in some cases, asked to find other repeaters. The young pioneers decided that it was time to find or build their own repeater systems where they could come together, at all hours, to ragchew without infringing upon any pre-existing repeater and/or user airtime.

The first system put up was a simplex link from 147.540 to 223.400 for the local Clovis area by KB6HRB Bill Sheen. Later that year James Pahoundis KC6UCN set up a low level two meter and 440 MHz repeater to cover Clovis and Fresno.

This worked well until other hams from surrounding counties wanted to get in and ragchew. This is when Eric Ott N6VYT added a two meter and a 440 MHz high level repeater system as well as the Clovis node on 145.730 MHz to support the N6ZGY BBS operated by David Dansby. Later the 220 MHz system was linked in giving Coverage to the south valley from a second repeater site. The 1.2 GHz system was then added by Steven Stoehr N6JXL giving CARP one of the first 1.2GHz repeaters in the Fresno/Clovis area. The system has grown and will continue to change/grow with the hopes that young people and those young at heart may come and ragchew or just have a fun time with fellow hams.

CARP Today

The CARP group is a socially active group not only having club meetings but also holding various activities, parties and get-togethers. Members of CARP are trained and certified in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) which permits local public service agencies to utilize CARP for emergency communications and implementation into their emergency plans. CARP is also involved with the local community by assisting with communications for such events as the March of Dimes Walk America, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society MS Walk and Amateur radio licensing classes.

CARP is continually striving to implement technologies into the current repeater system and amateur community. For instance installing Voice over IP (VoIP) linking via IRLP, re-installation of the 1.2 GHz repeater, and development of other new digital protocols. Members of CARP hold true to the clubs name as pioneers. From having one of the first 1.2GHz repeaters to the first laser communication in the San Joaquin Valley by Rob Mavis AE6GE with homebuilt transceivers utilizing pen laser pointers.

CARP meetings are held the first Friday of the month at 7:00pm at the Clovis Senior Center, 850 Fourth Street, Clovis, CA (map).

CARP Repeater System

As of January 2008 the CARP repeater system consists two linked sites. One near Mile High, east of Clovis and the other in the City of Clovis.

Mile High Site:

• 147.675 – 141.3 K6ARP/R
• 224.380 – 141.3 N6JXL/R
• 444.725 + 141.3 K6ARP/R

Clovis Site:

• 440.350 + 141.3 NI6M/R
• IRLP Node 8280
• Echolink Node
• Phone Patch

Membership

For membership information see the Contact page.