Who We Are
The Central Texas Amateur Radio Club (CTARC) with club call sign W5AMK provides Amateur Radio support and service to a multi-county area in the Central Texas Region. Though we are based out of Bell County, our members consist of Amateur Radio Operators from many surrounding counties. Our members participate in Emergency Communications, Skywarn Weather Nets, Storm Spotting and other Amateur Radio services. We are available to assist Bell County during emergency incidents, as well as helping with communications for various local events. Last, but not least, we just have fun with the hobby!
We provide monthly testing sessions for those who want to obtain or upgrade their Amateur Radio License. Unfortunately, we do not have any study classes planned at this time.
Severe Weather Support & Spotter Activation
We assist the National Weather Service (NWS) with monitoring current conditions during potential severe weather events. The "Weather Net" serves the Central Texas area in cooperation with the NWS and various local agencies.
The Fort Worth Office of the NWS has the capability to connect to the W5LM repeater via EchoLink. This gives the NWS the ability to gather real time information from spotters on the ground, which helps the NWS to formulate official "Warnings", "Watches" or "Advisories".
Meetings
Club meetings are typically held on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM at the Bell County Communications Center, 708 West Avenue O, Belton, TX. Everyone is welcome to attend.