The CRA began operating its first repeater on 147.225 MHz in March of 1981 from Conifer Mountain for its handful of members. Since then, the CRA has grown to more than 350 members and operates ten repeaters from five sites in the Colorado Front Range.
Repeater Sites
Mestaa’ėhehe Mountain (pronounced mess-taw-HAY, formerly known as Squaw Mountain), located 20 miles west of Denver at 11,430 feet, is the site of the 145.145 and 447.575 repeaters.
Eldorado Mountain, located 8 miles southwest of Boulder at an elevation of 8,300 feet, is the site of our 145.460 and 447.975 MHz repeaters. 145.460 is continuously linked to the CRA VHF Link System for improved coverage of the Boulder area. Switch to the 145.460 repeater north of mile marker 195 on I-25.
Westcreek, located 16 miles southwest of Castle Rock at an elevation of 9,200 feet, is the site of the 147.225 and 448.425 repeaters. 147.225 is a member of the CRA VHF Link System, a system of linked repeaters that extends to the north and south along the Front Range. Switch to 147.225 between mile markers 195 and 170 on I-25.
Cheyenne Mountain, located on the southwest side of Colorado Springs, is the site of our 145.160 MHz repeater. It is continuously linked to the CRA VHF Link System to extend coverage south along I-25 almost to New Mexico. Switch to this repeater south of mile marker 170 on I-25.
Simla, located north of the town of Simla, Colorado, is the site of our 147.105 MHz repeater. It is continuously linked to the 447.150 MHz repeater to extend repeater coverage across both Douglas and Elbert counties. This repeater is used by ARES Region 1 District 5 during exercises and emergencies.
Coverage
The CRA repeaters have always been intended for ragchew use, and we strive to continue this philosophy. This policy encourages some very busy repeaters, however we feel this is the best method to determine coverage and gauge the effectiveness of our systems. Coverage at the present time for our repeaters ranges from Cheyenne, Wyoming, to the north, Pueblo to the south, Limon to the east, and South Park and the Eisenhower Tunnel to the west.
Services
We have two EchoIRLP nodes. These IRLP nodes can be accessed on the CRA VHF Link System of linked repeaters and on 447.575. As a member, you will receive instructions and guidelines covering use of these nodes.
Nets
Instead of monthly meetings, the CRA operates weekly on-the-air meetings each Sunday morning on the CRA VHF Link System. During the week, the CRA repeaters host special-interest nets covering QRP operation, EOSS weather balloon experimentation, ARES public service, and numerous other technical and public service activities. During emergency or simulated emergency operations, listen or help out ARES or the American Red Cross as they provide support. When EOSS flies a balloon, listen to the planning net and sometimes tracking and recovery.
An active technical crew is constantly working on improvements to the many CRA systems as well as troubleshooting the inevitable problems that occur in the busy RF environment of the Colorado Front Range.
Becoming A Member
The CRA offers two membership plans: a Family Membership costs $25.00 per year and covers all members of your household; a Student Membership costs $10.00 per year, offering a low cost alternative for younger hams through high school age. The CRA has no initiation fees.
To request membership, we have a membership application available on-line for you to print, fill out and mail or email to us. You can pay for your membership by mailing us a check or send PayPal to cra@w0cra.org.
Weekly Net
Please join our weekly on-the-air meetings held each Sunday morning at 9:00 A.M. local time on our CRA VHF Link System of 147.225, 224.980, 145.160, and 145.460 repeaters (held on 145.145 if 147.225 is down). We discuss club activities, matters of interest to amateurs, the weekly CRA Swap Net, announcements of VE test sessions, upcoming swapfests, and public service events. The Newsline Report is featured each Sunday following check-ins, providing timely news of Amateur Radio events from around the world. Members and nonmembers are welcome and urged to participate in our net!
Thank You!
Our repeaters are open to all licensed amateurs and our philosophy remains:
THE CRA WAS FORMED TO PROMOTE AMATEUR RADIO. IF YOU NEED HELP, PLEASE ASK ANY MEMBER. IF YOU ARE ASKED, PLEASE HELP.
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT !!!!!!