Club Overview
The HILL COUNTRY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB is situated in Kerrvill
e, Texas and has existed for nearly 50 years. Our membership, which varies around 100, is also drawn from Fredericksburg, Boerne, Bandera, Lake Hills and surrounding counties.
Meetings are the First Thursday of each month at the historical Union Church, 101 Travis St. Kerrville.
Doors open at 6:30 PM and the meeting begins at 7:00 PM. Guests are always welcome.
Our Repeater
We maintain a Two Meter repeater covering Kerrville and the surrounding area. Our repeater call changed from N5HR on 146.98 to W3XO on 146.79 in memory of the passing of our long-time member Bill Tynan in September 2018.
More repeater information is available in the About Us page.
Bill Tynan Memorial
Bill was a past president of AMSAT, wrote a regular column in QST magazine for decades, was responsible for getting Amateur Radio on the International Space Station and was a member of our cub for nearly thirty years.
You can read more about Bill’s amazing life story below.
Emergency Coordination Activities
Like any other county, Kerr County is susceptible to the effects of both natural and man-made disasters. At times, local government and non-government resources are inadequate to effectively respond to such incidents. HCARC’s members are assisting with county emergency preparedness activities and are ready to assist when the time comes.
Hill Country Chapter of the American Red Cross
- HCARC has a long tradition of s
tepping up to the plate and providing emergency communications when called upon, and a long history of providing such support to the Hill Country Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Kerr County Emergency Management
- HCARC has been tasked by the County Emergency Management Coordinator to provide alternative communications to all ten Kerr Area Rural Fire Association (KARFA) Volunteer Fire Departments during emergencies.
The National Weather Service
- HCARC also has an MOU with the National Weather Service (NWS). Our Skywarn net is activated during inclement weather where we report conditions.
April 2024 Solar Eclipse
- It is anticipated that tens of thousands o
f people will congregate in Kerrville and surrounding areas for the event, potentially overwhelming conventional communication systems. HCARC will be working with Kerr County Emergency Management to provide alternative (emergency) communications at the KARFA VFDs.
