Club Overview
The Hill Country Amateur Radio Club, based in Kerrville, Texas, is an AARL Special Service Club. Our members live across the Texas Hill Country in communities such as Fredericksburg, Boerne, Bandera, Lake Hills and surrounding communities. The club is over 50 years old and has over 100 members, many of whom are active in the community and on-the-air.
Club meetings occur on the First Thursday of each month at the historic Union Church, 101 Travis St. Kerrville, Texas 78028. The doors open at 6:00 pm and the meeting begins at 7:00 pm. Visit the Club Calendar for date specific information. Guests are always welcome!
Social meetings occur on the second Saturday of each month at the W3XO Club Shack, inside the Riverstar Arts & Events Park at 4000 Riverside Drive, Kerrville, TX 78028. Meetings begins at 9:00 am (CT) and training often follows at 10:00 am (CT). Visit the Club Calendar for date specific information. Guests are always welcome!
The "Cloud Warmers Net" convenes on the second Saturday of each month on 7.280 MHz at 9:00 am. All amateur radio operators are invited to check in. This relaxed net provides an opportunity to test your radios and antennas, share announcements, and connect with other operators on the air. Visit "The Breakfast Club" for more information. Guests are always welcome!
The Club also convenes a two-meter net every Monday at 7:00 pm (CT) on 146.790 MHz. All amateur radio operators are invited to check in.
Our Repeater
The Hill Country Amateur Radio Club maintains the W3XO repeater. It is a wide-coverage, two-meter repeater. The downlink is: 146.790. The uplink is: 146.190. The offset is -0.600. The net meets every Monday at 7:00pm Central Time. All operators are welcome.
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 on 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.
In the event of a wide-spread telecommunications outage, where internet and cellular networks have failed, members are encouraged to monitor 7.280 MHz and participate daily in a 9:00 am information sharing net.
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.
