Summary pdf map of key highway repeaters north of Williams Lake can be downloaded here.
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BVARS Repeaters
Hazelton and Kitwanga - VE7RHD - 146.80 (-) 100 Hz Tone FM/Fusion Digital
Smithers and Telkwa - VE7RBH - 146.88 (-) 100 Hz Tone FM/Fusion Digital
Smithers and Telkwa - VE7RBH - 146.70 (-) 100 Hz Tone FM/Fusion Digital
Houston and Topley - VE7RHN - 147.06 (+) 100 Hz Tone FM/Fusion Digital
Granisle and Babine Lake- VE7RHN 146.94 (-) 100 Hz Tone FM/Fusion Digital
Adjacent Linked Repeaters
Terrace - VE7RTK 146.600 (-) 100 Hz Tone FM/Fusion Digital
Kitimat - VE7ACF cross-band 446.000 simplex, no tone FM
Burns Lake - VE7RES 147.36 (+) 100 Hz Tone FM
Verdun (Ootsa) - VE7LDR 146.76 (-) 100 Hz Tone FM
If you are traveling in northern British Columbia, you will have access to our VHF voice and APRS (144.39mhz) repeater network. In partnership with the Terrace, Prince George, Quesnel, Cariboo-Chilcotin and North Country Amateur Radio Clubs and others (see Google Map of Repeaters), we have repeater sites that cover from Terrace all the way to McBride, Fort St. John, Williams Lake, Clinton, and the Chilcotin Plateau.
Yaesu System Fusion (FM and C4FM FDMA digital) DR-2X repeaters are now in place at Granisle, Houston, Telkwa, Smithers and Hazelton. They are in Automatic Mode Select (AMS), meaning they repeat in the mode of the incoming signal (analogue FM or digital C4FM). The audio passed through to the link is always analogue and comes out on other repeaters as FM. If traffic comes through from link, the repeaters switch to FM.
It is not possible to have a cross mode (FM and digital) conversation on the same repeater; however, one person can be on FM on one repeater (eg. 146.88) while another on digital on another (eg. 146.70) when linked. It is also possible to fix a repeater in digital mode in special circumstances via a DTMF code.
FM mode will likely continue to be dominant for some time. For FM users who do not want to occasionally hear the digital ‘buzz’, put a 100hz CTCSS on your radio and it will be muted (100hz tone is on repeater transmit signal when in FM mode).
___________________________
UPDATE June 18, 2022
All our BVARS repeaters use the Yaesu DR-2x ‘System Fusion’ units. These can operate in traditional analog FM or digital C4FM modes (Yaesu ‘System Fusion’). We have added some digital capabilities while maintaining full FM functionality.
This is still in testing mode, so let us know of any apparent glitches or issues.
Here is how it currently works from the user perspective…..
A digital user and FM user cannot have a mixed-mode conversation on the same repeater. However, if they are on different repeaters (e.g., Smithers and Telkwa) they can if the digital user is applying the local TX DG-ID (see digital use below).
Whenever an analog signal comes in, the entire system will switch to analog (unless repeaters are locked in digital mode - not normally the case but can be done).
Analog FM user:
When an FM user accesses a repeater it comes out that repeater, and the others it is linked to, as analog FM (via the external controllers). No change from previous.
All the repeaters require the 100hz PL tone to access, and also have a 100hz tone on their transmit signals. For those with FM-only radios if you activate 100hz selective receive tone (often called CTCSS) in your radio you will not hear the digital ‘buzz’ when digital use is occurring.
Digital User:
Those with Fusion radios should enable AMS (Automatic Mode Select) to hear all traffic.
When a digital user accesses the repeater, it comes out that repeater in digital mode. What happens more broadly across sites depends on what TX DG-ID (Digital Group ID) the user sets in their radio.
If their radio has the default TX DG-ID of 00, then it will come out the other two repeaters in digital mode. If they use a TX DG-ID matching the Local DG-ID of the repeater they are on then it comes out the local repeater in digital, but out the others as FM. Local DG-IDs are:
Smithers: user TX DG-ID 01
Telkwa: user TX DG-ID 02
Houston: user TX DG-ID O5
The Hazelton and Shoulder Mt. repeaters are not IMRS linked at this time, and any user TX DG-ID will behave in local DG-ID mode (come out digital on that repeater, FM on the others. Any digital or FM user on Smithers, Telkwa, or Houston will come out in FM on Hazelton, Shoulder and points east of Houston.
_________________________
We also have C4FM digital Wires-X internet access via Node 52326 (VE7RBH) on 146.48mhz digital simplex.
Smithers EchoIRLP 147.33 (FM, simplex) - 100 Hz Tone, IRLP pre-fix 0
(IRLP node 1126, EchoLink VE7RBH-L)
Telkwa/Smithers Wires-X node on 446.1 simplex, C4FM only
(VE7RBH, Node 52316)
Smithers Autopatch on 146,70 repeater (email for info)
Operated by Neighbouring Clubs
Burns Lake VE7LRB, 147.360 (+) 100 Hz Tone
Grassy Plains (Verdun) VE7RES, 146.760 (-) 100 Hz Tone
Fraser Lake and Fort Fraser - VE7RES - 146.840 (-) 100 Hz Tone
Vanderhoof - VE7RSM - 146.800 (-) 100 Hz Tone
Prince George - VE7RES - 145.430 (-) 100 Hz Tone
VE7FG - 146.94 (-) 100 Hz Tone
Quesnel - VE7RQL - 147.060 (-) 100 Hz Tone
Loos - VE7RES - 146.880 (-) 100 Hz Tone
McBride - VE7RMB - 146.760 (-) 100 Hz Tone
Terrace - VE7RTK - 146.600 (-) 100 Hz Tone
FM/Fusion Digital (linked to Smithers)
147.330 (simplex) IRLP
For info on the Winlink Hybrid RMS (VE7RBH) see the Emergency Communications page.
Hazelton and Kitwanga - VE7RHD - 146.80 (-) 100 Hz Tone FM/Fusion Digital
Smithers and Telkwa - VE7RBH - 146.88 (-) 100 Hz Tone FM/Fusion Digital
Smithers and Telkwa - VE7RBH - 146.70 (-) 100 Hz Tone FM/Fusion Digital
Houston and Topley - VE7RHN - 147.06 (+) 100 Hz Tone FM/Fusion Digital
Granisle and Babine Lake- VE7RHN 146.94 (-) 100 Hz Tone FM/Fusion Digital
Adjacent Linked Repeaters
Terrace - VE7RTK 146.600 (-) 100 Hz Tone FM/Fusion Digital
Kitimat - VE7ACF cross-band 446.000 simplex, no tone FM
Burns Lake - VE7RES 147.36 (+) 100 Hz Tone FM
Verdun (Ootsa) - VE7LDR 146.76 (-) 100 Hz Tone FM
If you are traveling in northern British Columbia, you will have access to our VHF voice and APRS (144.39mhz) repeater network. In partnership with the Terrace, Prince George, Quesnel, Cariboo-Chilcotin and North Country Amateur Radio Clubs and others (see Google Map of Repeaters), we have repeater sites that cover from Terrace all the way to McBride, Fort St. John, Williams Lake, Clinton, and the Chilcotin Plateau.
Yaesu System Fusion (FM and C4FM FDMA digital) DR-2X repeaters are now in place at Granisle, Houston, Telkwa, Smithers and Hazelton. They are in Automatic Mode Select (AMS), meaning they repeat in the mode of the incoming signal (analogue FM or digital C4FM). The audio passed through to the link is always analogue and comes out on other repeaters as FM. If traffic comes through from link, the repeaters switch to FM.
It is not possible to have a cross mode (FM and digital) conversation on the same repeater; however, one person can be on FM on one repeater (eg. 146.88) while another on digital on another (eg. 146.70) when linked. It is also possible to fix a repeater in digital mode in special circumstances via a DTMF code.
FM mode will likely continue to be dominant for some time. For FM users who do not want to occasionally hear the digital ‘buzz’, put a 100hz CTCSS on your radio and it will be muted (100hz tone is on repeater transmit signal when in FM mode).
___________________________
UPDATE June 18, 2022
All our BVARS repeaters use the Yaesu DR-2x ‘System Fusion’ units. These can operate in traditional analog FM or digital C4FM modes (Yaesu ‘System Fusion’). We have added some digital capabilities while maintaining full FM functionality.
This is still in testing mode, so let us know of any apparent glitches or issues.
Here is how it currently works from the user perspective…..
A digital user and FM user cannot have a mixed-mode conversation on the same repeater. However, if they are on different repeaters (e.g., Smithers and Telkwa) they can if the digital user is applying the local TX DG-ID (see digital use below).
Whenever an analog signal comes in, the entire system will switch to analog (unless repeaters are locked in digital mode - not normally the case but can be done).
Analog FM user:
When an FM user accesses a repeater it comes out that repeater, and the others it is linked to, as analog FM (via the external controllers). No change from previous.
All the repeaters require the 100hz PL tone to access, and also have a 100hz tone on their transmit signals. For those with FM-only radios if you activate 100hz selective receive tone (often called CTCSS) in your radio you will not hear the digital ‘buzz’ when digital use is occurring.
Digital User:
Those with Fusion radios should enable AMS (Automatic Mode Select) to hear all traffic.
When a digital user accesses the repeater, it comes out that repeater in digital mode. What happens more broadly across sites depends on what TX DG-ID (Digital Group ID) the user sets in their radio.
If their radio has the default TX DG-ID of 00, then it will come out the other two repeaters in digital mode. If they use a TX DG-ID matching the Local DG-ID of the repeater they are on then it comes out the local repeater in digital, but out the others as FM. Local DG-IDs are:
Smithers: user TX DG-ID 01
Telkwa: user TX DG-ID 02
Houston: user TX DG-ID O5
The Hazelton and Shoulder Mt. repeaters are not IMRS linked at this time, and any user TX DG-ID will behave in local DG-ID mode (come out digital on that repeater, FM on the others. Any digital or FM user on Smithers, Telkwa, or Houston will come out in FM on Hazelton, Shoulder and points east of Houston.
_________________________
We also have C4FM digital Wires-X internet access via Node 52326 (VE7RBH) on 146.48mhz digital simplex.
Smithers EchoIRLP 147.33 (FM, simplex) - 100 Hz Tone, IRLP pre-fix 0
(IRLP node 1126, EchoLink VE7RBH-L)
Telkwa/Smithers Wires-X node on 446.1 simplex, C4FM only
(VE7RBH, Node 52316)
Smithers Autopatch on 146,70 repeater (email for info)
Operated by Neighbouring Clubs
Burns Lake VE7LRB, 147.360 (+) 100 Hz Tone
Grassy Plains (Verdun) VE7RES, 146.760 (-) 100 Hz Tone
Fraser Lake and Fort Fraser - VE7RES - 146.840 (-) 100 Hz Tone
Vanderhoof - VE7RSM - 146.800 (-) 100 Hz Tone
Prince George - VE7RES - 145.430 (-) 100 Hz Tone
VE7FG - 146.94 (-) 100 Hz Tone
Quesnel - VE7RQL - 147.060 (-) 100 Hz Tone
Loos - VE7RES - 146.880 (-) 100 Hz Tone
McBride - VE7RMB - 146.760 (-) 100 Hz Tone
Terrace - VE7RTK - 146.600 (-) 100 Hz Tone
FM/Fusion Digital (linked to Smithers)
147.330 (simplex) IRLP
For info on the Winlink Hybrid RMS (VE7RBH) see the Emergency Communications page.