Recommended HAM Radio Channels to monitor in the NW

[Dmski]

Hi everyone,

I've used HAM for a while now among friends/family and it has worked out very well for longer range of communication. However, I'd like to up my game a bit and program both my trucks Kenwood TM-281 and my Baeofeng UV-5R for more channel surfing/monitoring and be useful for hitting repeaters when needed in the NW. As much as I'd love to include all the repeaters in Washington state, there just isn't enough memory slots for this to be feasible. I want at a minimum to have weather, FRS and GMRS and then some of the major repeaters. What channels are a must?

Cheers,

D

 

[dreadlocks]

146.520	2m National Simplex Calling Frequency
446.000	70cm National Simplex Calling Frequency
462.675	GMRS Calling/Travel/Road Channel [recommended "travel tone" 141.3 Hz PL/CTCSS]

 

[Dmski]

Thanks Dreadlocks, those are good. I have a list a mile long and I'm trying to pair it down to 100... I guess what do normal people do haha? See below for my collection (maybe it will help others out?).
N. Bend Rattlesnake Mt 145.11 -
Skykomish 145.11 -
Spokane, Mica Peak 145.11 -
Port Angeles 145.13 -
Olympia 145.15 -
Port Townsend 145.15 -
Spokane, Mica Peak 145.15 -
Belfair 145.17 -
Liberty Lake 145.17 -
Ocean Park, Fire Hall 145.17 -
Lyman Hill 145.19 -
Republic 145.19 -
Republic 145.19 -
Forks PD 145.21 -
Spokane Valley 145.21 -
Tacoma 145.21 -
Graham 145.23 -
Kendall, Sumas Mt 145.23 -
Ashford 145.25 -
Carson, Red Mt 145.25 -
Shelton, South Mt 145.27 -
Ellensburg 145.29 -
Spokane Airport 145.29 -
University Place 145.29 -
Ephrata, Beezly Hill 145.31 -
Grayland, Tokeland 145.31 -
Redmond 145.31 -
Issaquah, West Tiger Mt 145.33 -
Spokane 145.33 -
Clarkston 145.35 -
Olala 145.35 -
Vantage, Saddle Mt 145.35 -
Enumclaw, Grass Mt 145.37 -
Spokane, Tower Mt 145.37 -
Vancuver, Livingston Mt 145.37 -
Cosmopolis Hill 145.39 -
Everett 145.39 -
Kenewick 145.39 -
Port Orchard 145.39 -
Spokane, Krell Hill 145.39 -
Greenwater, Crystal Mt 145.41 -
Kenewick, Jump Off Joe 145.41 -
Chehalis 145.43 -
Silverdale 145.43 -
Alder 145.45 -
Belfair 145.45 -
Chinook, Megler Mt 145.45 -
Kennewick 145.45 -
Olympia, Capitol Peak 145.47 -
Centralia, Cooks Hill Fire Station 145.49 -
Kirkland, Rose Hill 145.49 -
Plymouth, Sillusi Butte 145.49 -
Carnation 145.59
Issaquah 146.425 +
Bellevue, Cougar Mt 146.475 +
Elmer City, Keller Butte 146.5
Winthrop 146.52
Bremerton, Gold Mt 146.62 -
Colville, Monumental Mt 146.62 -
Pasco 146.62 -
Kennewick, Johnson Butte 146.64 -
Tacoma 146.64 -
North Point 146.66 -
Seatac 146.66 -
Spokane 146.66 -
Yakima, Eagle Peak 146.66 -
Mineral 146.68 -
Wenatchee, Burch Mt 146.68 -
Eatonville, Pack Forest 146.7 -
Friday Harbor 146.7 -
Moses Lake, Wheeler Rd 146.7 -
Ellensburg 146.72 -
Okanogan, Pitcher Mt 146.72 -
Shelton, Water Tower 146.72 -
White Swan, Fort Simcoe 146.72 -
Brewster, Dyer Hill 146.74 -
Chehalis, Crego Hill 146.74 -
Orcas Islan, Mt Constitution 146.74 -
Packwood 146.74 -
Federal Way 147.76 -
Port Angeles, Striped Peak 147.76 -
Richland, Rattlesnake Mt 147.76 -
Lynnwood 146.78 -
Paradise, Mt Rainier 146.78 -
Wenatchee 146.78 -
Lacey 146.8 -
Lynnwood 146.8 -
Goldendale, Juniper Point 146.82 -
Issaquah, Tiger Mt East 146.82 -
Manson, Slide Ridge 146.82 -
Moxee City, Elephant Mt 146.84 -
Centralia 146.86 -
Coupeville 146.86 -
Grand Coulee Dam 146.86 -
Ilwaco, KVAS Tower 146.86 -
Yakima, Darland Mt 146.86 -
Spokane, Krell Hill 146.88 -
Neilton, Neilton Peak 146.9 -
Orcas Island, Mt Constitution 146.9 -
Seattle, Beacon Hill 146.9 -
Wenatchee, Mission Ridge 146.9 -
Goldendale, Simcoe Mt 146.92 -
Granite Falls 146.92 -
North Bend, Green Mt 146.92 -
Tacoma 146.94 -
Yakima, Ahtanum Ridge 146.94 -
Seattle, Capitol Hill 146.96 -
Walla Walla 146.96 -
Enumclaw, Baldi Mt 146.98 -
Almira 147 +
Ellensburg, Table Mt 147 +
Seattle, West Seattle 147 -
White Salmon, Near LDS church 147 +
Cathlamet, KM Hill 147.02 +
Plymouth, Sillusi Butte 147.02 +
Federal Way 147.04 +
Granger, Cherry Hill 147.04 +
Chehalis, Baw Faw Peak (Boistfort Peak) 147.06 +
Seattle, West Seattle 147.06 +
Spokane, Five Mile 147.06 +
Yakima, Yakima Valley 147.06 +
Hockinson 147.08 +
Issaquah, Tiger Mountain 147.08 +
Kennewick, Jump Off Joe 147.08 +
Trout Lake, King Mountain 147.08 +
Issaquah, Tiger Mountain East 147.1 +
Pullman, SEL Campus 147.1 +
Spokane, Paradise Rim 147.1 +
Newport, Cooks Mountain 147.12 +
Tumwater 147.12 +
Enumclaw, Baldi Mountain 147.14 +
Hartline 147.14 +
Oroville, Buckhorn Mountain 147.14 +
Otis Orchards, Fox Hill 147.14 +
Walla Walla 147.14 +
Aberdeen 147.16 +
Bellingham, King Mountain 147.16 +
Cle Elum 147.16 +
Mercer Island 147.16 +
Spokane, South Hill 147.16 +
Chinook, Megler Mountain 147.18 +
Everett 147.18 +
Prosser 147.18 +
Quilcene, Buck Mtn 147.2 +
Underwood, Underwood Mountain 147.2 +
Langley, Whidbey Island 147.22 +
Neilton, Neilton Point 147.22 +
Twisp, McClure Mountain 147.22 +
Auburn 147.24 +
Camas, Livingston Mountain 147.24 +
Raymond 147.24 +
Selah, Yakima Canyon 147.24 +
Spokane, Mica Peak 147.24 +
Longview 147.26 +
Maple Valley 147.26 +
Wenatchee, Naneum Ridge 147.26 +
Forks, Mount Octupus 147.28 +
Tacoma 147.28 +
Walla Walla, Pikes Peak 147.28 +
Buckley, Three Sisters Summit 147.3 +
Spokane, Brownes Mountain 147.3 +
Woodland, Fire Station 147.3 +
Yakima, Bethel Ridge 147.3 +
Kent 147.32 +
Omak, Tunk Mountain 147.32 +
South Bend, Holy Cross Mountain 147.34 +
Spokane, Downtown Spokane 147.34 +
Woodinville 147.34 +
Camano Island 147.36 +
Cle Elum, Sky Meadows 147.36 +
Olympia, water tower 147.36 +
Spokane, Mica Peak 147.38 +
Tenino, Crawford Mountain 147.38 +
Bothell 147.475 -
North Bend 147.475 -
2m Call 146.52
70cm Call 446
WX1PA7 162.55
WX2PA1 162.4
WX3PA4 162.475
WX4PA2 162.425
WX5PA3 162.45
WX6PA5 162.5
WX7PA6 162.525
WX8 161.65
WX9 161.775
WX10 163.275
FRS1 462.5625
FRS2 462.5875
FRS3 462.6125
FRS4 462.6375
FRS5 462.6625
FRS6 462.6875
FRS7 462.7125
FRS8 467.5625
FRS9 467.5875
FRS10 467.6125
FRS11 467.6375
FRS12 467.6625
FRS13 467.6875
FRS14 467.7125

 

[Mtn Mike]

Well, you should be able to whittle this down a bit. A lot of the repeaters on your list are inactive or dead. I suggest researching repeater clubs and linked systems in the areas where you'll be traveling. You get more bang for your buck with linked systems because the coverage is broader and there's more people listening. Often you can get a feel for the level of activity on a system by how active their webpages are.

I can speak for Central and Eastern WA.

KBARA is a linked repeater system with fairly wide coverage of Eastern WA and Northern Idaho. Check out their site for specific frequencies: https://kbara.org/ .

Here's a linked system that covers much of North-central Washington: https://www.mvhams.org/repeaters

 

[Dmski]

Thanks mtn mike, this is a good tip. I didn't realize some were dead. I'll start looking each up individually to see if those clubs running them are active or not.

 

[craig333]

I program frequencies for the areas I frequent. Areas I visit infrequently just get entered manually. FRS/GMRS, MURS, Marine 16/9, a couple CHP and Fish and Wildlife. A few CDF and FS frequencies along with weather round it out. Sometimes its used more as a scanner depending on what events are going on. I like to monitor 146.520 and whatever the most active repeater(s) in the area I'm heading to. Helps to know the active club(s) in the area for instance, when I head down 395 to the Owens Valley and surrounding area I know the Bishop Amateur Radio Club (https://n6ov.com) has the active frequencies in that area (those are preprogrammed as its an area I frequent).

 

[BigJimCruising]

You've sure tried to add a lot there! I find it easier to break it down to areas that I'll be traveling through. If you use a computer to program its even easier. I have a file for the area that I live in. Another I call "Olympic Pen" for the Olympic Peninsula Loop or other areas as I plan to pass through. It's even easier if you follow the highways as you travel them, that way you don't have to keep jumping around on channels while driving. As I see the sign for the next area I just switch up to the next channel that matches the new area I'm in. I create a new file for anywhere I travel and just load it in ahead of time. I also add FRS and GMRS channels as well as weather channels. Once you have a base file of the channels you always want to have then just add new channels for where you want to go.

 

[Dmski]

You've sure tried to add a lot there! I find it easier to break it down to areas that I'll be traveling through. If you use a computer to program its even easier. I have a file for the area that I live in. Another I call "Olympic Pen" for the Olympic Peninsula Loop or other areas as I plan to pass through. It's even easier if you follow the highways as you travel them, that way you don't have to keep jumping around on channels while driving. As I see the sign for the next area I just switch up to the next channel that matches the new area I'm in. I create a new file for anywhere I travel and just load it in ahead of time. I also add FRS and GMRS channels as well as weather channels. Once you have a base file of the channels you always want to have then just add new channels for where you want to go.

Thanks! I've realized that no matter what, I'm going to have to have a core list and then depending on where I intend to travel, add the frequencies for those areas. There are just too many channels and not enough memory banks in my radios to keep all repeaters labelled and organized in a practical useful way I think. I've certainly slimmed my list down to having the FRS, GMRS, MURS, a few marine channels, general calling channels, a few forest service channels and then whatever repeaters are in the area's i'll frequent.

 

[dreadlocks]

download the RepeaterBook App to yer phone, gives you an offline database you can reference on the go... I also keep a physical paperback copy in my rig just incase.

 

[BigJimCruising]

download the RepeaterBook App to yer phone, gives you an offline database you can reference on the go... I also keep a physical paperback copy in my rig just incase.

I used the book for more years then I care to admit and I did for several years use the phone app. The book while good is always far behind the real world. I found the app to be just as out of date as the book, I suspect the app was just an online copy of the book and not updated any faster. I finally stopped using them both when the internet finally caught up with ham radio and now just get my info from websites. In their defense I was trying to use them when traveling through multiple states and areas in those states. It was surprising to me that so many repeaters come and go, very unlike the large area I called home where repeaters and there freq's are a highly valued.

I'm curious to know if they have gotten better with updates to the app?

 

[dreadlocks]

its like a wiki, its up to everyone to provide updated information.. the app syncs every 2 weeks, the website is like 48h to get changes approved.. lots of people just walk away and never let anyone know the repeater's down until someone comes and reports its gone.. so not much yeh can do about those but get em delisted.

Around here many repeaters are also advertised as APRS Objects, so I can just click on em and dont need em programmed in.. wish they all were, I know those are the first ones I check out before breaking out any apps.. really nice when on the road to see a repeater popup and I can just press a button w/out fiddling w/radio at 70mph.

 

[jonathon]

Repeater Book app is awesome.

I came across a roll over crash with serious injury on a forest road 50 miles from nowhere with no cell service. Couldn’t raise anyone on 146.520 and I had not programmed any local repeaters in my radio. At the time I did not know the app worked offline so we had to drive for help, fortunately there was a forest service helicopter crew 10 miles down the road taking a break in a clearing and I was able to give them the info. It wasn’t until after that that I discovered the app worked offline.

 

[Frdmskr]

My 2 cents, there are a couple strategies you could employ which I have used when traveling into new areas.

1) I look up all the ARES/RACES/SKYWARN or other EMCOM channels and program those. These often are wide coverage, well maintained, and more frequently used by hams in those areas because the EMCOM folks use infrastructure they are familiar with as a rule.

2) I look for linked repeater systems and program those. The reason is if you need to find someone to talk to, lighting up multiple machines will get you further than only one machine.

A new strategy some have suggested here is get the Repeaterbook app. Program the machines around where you frequent or plan on traveling to. this may mean reprogramming your radio for each trip to a new place but you would know you have repeaters along those routes. It also would mean you only are swapping a handful of repeaters out at a time.