The Central Oregon Coast Amateur Radio Club (COCARC) was incorporated in Oregon on March 7, 1985. The Club was established to foster emergency preparedness in the local communities and to promote and advocate amateur radio through education, mentoring, and fellowship.
The club supports repeater facilities on Herman Peak, located north of Florence, and at the Glenada Translator site. Amateur radio communications are relayed up and down the coast and into the Willamette Valley from these locations. The club also has an EchoLink node connected to the Herman Peak site. We have established fixed emergency communication centers at Peace Harbor Hospital, Florence Justice Center, Siuslaw Valley Fire Dept and at Dunes City Hall. We also have a mobile communications trailer with the latest radio equipment and a self contained generator and solar charging/operating system. The cost of equipment, maintenance and repairs are paid for by the club. Club members donate the expertise and physical effort to support and maintain the sites and equipment.
The Central Oregon Coast Amateur Radio Club has approximately 100 members, most of whom live in the Florence and the surrounding area. We have a very active ARES organization with a membership of over a dozen full and associate members, led by our EC, Chris Sorenson, N7GYL.
On Wednesdays, members meet at 8:00 a.m. at The Fresh Harvest restaurant for coffee/breakfast and have discussions on just about anything. Every Wednesday night at 7 PM, club members hold a 2 meter net on 146.800. Net control calls each member to check in and share current club social and business events, items for sale or wanted and other club news. Ham operators visiting up and down the coast and in the Willamette Valley may also check in.
Our 2-meter repeater is a Kenwood TKR-750 on 146.800 with a PL of 100.0 Hz, and first UHF repeater is a Yaesu DR-2X (Fusion) on 442.575 , using a DCS of 125. The repeaters are located on Herman Peak, 11 miles NNW of Florence at an elevation of 2000 feet. Both repeaters are open to all Amateurs. EchoLink is fully supported on our 2 meter repeater. Other communications equipment on site includes a packet node on 144.950. Major improvements to the system occurred in 2009 including a radio vault, 180' self supporting tower, and a Cummins-Onan 60KW backup generator. A 400 AH AGM battery bank keeps everything on line during power switching and provides additional continued operation should the generator fail.
In 2018 a second Yaesu DR-2X (Fusion) repeater was activated on Glenada Hill with a frequency of 441.100 (+5 MHz) and using a DCS of 125. Glenada Hill has an elevation of 737 feet with the antenna located 120 feet above that. The Glenada Hill repeater operates in all mode allowing FM or Digital (Fusion) communications and is auto switching. This repeater site is supported by generator and battery backup systems. and provides UHF digital communications to the communities of Mapleton and Dunes City
Refer to contact us page for current updates on the Club's radio system configuration and additional system availability
Central Oregon Coast Amateur Radio Club is a 501(c)(3) corporation under its corporate name "Oregon Coast Emergency Repeater, Inc".
For more information contact us at: INFO@W7FLO.COM .
Last update 2022/06/13