Fremont Peak Repeater Association (FPRA) “History” page

FPRA is celebrating 30 years of service.  It was established in 1977 on 2M on 146.910 on Fremont Peak (geographically between Salinas and San Juan Bautista). There was a common goal to communicate to more Ham’s and to have a cohesive fellowship.  Before then many just utilized simplex on the 2M AM band.  There was a continuous Monday night net until the early 2000’s on our older Gonset tube type radios (there weight was about 30 pounds) between Bob/W6HMC, Gene/K6JHK (SK) and Art/W6WJM.  Later the FPRA was coordinated/sanctioned by NARCC on the present 145.470.  In 1989 the K6JE-3 packet digipeater was established as a “backbone” on the established keyboard-to-keyboard 145.050 “hearing” San Luis Obispo to the North San Francisco bay.  It was possible to link up DIGI’s to Lake Tahoe down to the LA area.  Also, in 1989, the 441.450 UHF machine became operational.

Within the 2001 time frame the K6JE-3 DIGI radio was re-crystalized and the TNC was re-programmed to the Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) to the nation wide 144.390.  We would like to thank CAP Pennell/KE6AFE for the TNC updates as well as our control operator for APRS remote programming.  Our DIGI is found in the paths from Klamath Falls, OR to Cedar Mountain, UT and down into Southern California as well as the inland and coastal areas.  Our VHF, UHF and APRS systems are very robust and our host is very dependable with a 24/7 alternate power source.  FPRA also has a back up 2M radio VHF repeater on site.

The original “plank owners” are K6JE/John (Trustee & Secretary), W6EKR/Walt  (Treasurer), W6UOL, WB6CAN, K6TEH, WB6ARF, WA6SAT, K6IEC (SK) and WA6PLE.