Local Contacts
The LCARES Emergency Coordinator is Al Simons, WA1TYB. The Assistant Emergency Coordinator is Lynn Wagner, K7WGR.
Helena, Montana
ARES/LCARES
Welcome to the Lewis and Clark County Amateur Radio Emergency Service hub. LCARES supports emergency communications training and readiness in Lewis and Clark County and surrounding counties.
Who Can Participate
You do not need to be an ARRL member or a Lewis and Clark County resident. The main requirement is a willingness to train and support emergency communications.
Next Steps
Contact Al or Lynn with questions, suggestions, or interest in participating with LCARES.
Family Emergency Communication Plan
In a real emergency, it is hard to help your community if you don't know whether your own family is safe. During wildfires, severe storms, and other disasters, cell networks are often overloaded or down, and calls and texts may not get through.
This fill-in plan helps you build a personal communication plan ahead of time, so everyone in your household knows how to check in, where to meet, and who to contact if they can't reach each other. Fill it out together, share copies with your family, and keep one in your go-bag.
What's inside
- Family contact sheet: names, cell phone numbers, and email addresses
- Out-of-area contact information
- Local and regional designated meeting places
- Radio check-in protocol tips and battery-saving techniques
- Key frequencies and net procedures
- Go-bag and bug-out essentials checklists
- Key county and state resources, with websites and phone numbers
- Recommended training: FEMA ICS-100, ICS-200, IS-700, and ARRL EC-001
Frequency Plan
Lewis and Clark County, Montana emergency communications reference.
VHF / UHF Simplex
- Primary VHF simplex: 147.50 MHz local simplex
- VHF simplex: 146.52 MHz national simplex
- Primary UHF simplex: 446.00 MHz national simplex
VHF Repeaters
- Primary: 147.22+ Belmont, tone 100.0 Hz. If this repeater is not operating, nets switch to 147.50 simplex.
- 145.45- Hogback, tone 100.0 Hz, MRLA link
- 147.32+ Townsend, tone 100.0 Hz, MRLA link
- Portable repeater: RX 145.47, TX 147.97, tone 146.2 Hz. Non-standard 2.5 MHz split.
VHF Winlink
- KM7DES-10 on 145.01 MHz, located at Fort Harrison.
DMR Repeaters
- Primary talk group: 31309 MTARES
- Alternate talk groups: 31301 MPRG1 and 3130036 MPRG4
- Nearby DMR repeaters use color code 1. MPRG1 uses time slot 2; all other listed talk groups use time slot 1.
- MacDonald Pass: 147.10+ and 444.10+
- North Hill: 448.90-
- Boulder: 449.20-
HF
- 80 m: 3.880 MHz, Montana ARES statewide
- 40 m: 7.247 MHz, Montana ARES statewide
National HF Centers of Activity
- 3750 or 3985 kHz, LSB
- 7060, 7240, or 7290 kHz, LSB
- 14300 kHz, USB
- 18160 kHz, USB
- 21360 kHz, USB