Thermal Belt Amateur Radio Club
A ARRL Affiliated Club

Amateur Radio Emergency Service
(ARES)

Providing emergency communications throughout
Polk County, North Carolina in times of any disaster.

Our Club Meetings

All hams are welcome to attend our meetings.
Feel free to bring friends as well as encourage other would be hams
to attend the meetings to learn more about this fantastic hobby.

The TBARC participates in the Assaults on Mt. Mitchell and and the Assault on Marion bicycle tours which takes place normally near the first of the month of June each year ~ Per the Park Services scheduling. TBARC provide emergency radio communications while the riders are riding through Polk County. However, the Spartanburg Amateur Radio Club provides the remainder of the HAMS require for this event.  If you would like additional information on the Assaults - follow the link to The Assaults.

You may listen on your scanner to the event on one of these frequencies: 145.330, 147.285, 145.190 and 147.240 MHz. The first two frequencies are used from Spartanburg to Bills Creek Road at US-74 in Rutherford County. This includes all of Polk County. The second is the Mt. Mitchell repeater and it is active all day and well into the evening controlling and relaying traffic concerning this very large event. The last is a simplex motorcycle to motorcycle frequency, and is low power so you would have to be near the motorcycle to hear them.

The TBARC also participates and helps sponsor the  Fabulous 4th of July Metric Century Bicycle Tour   here in Polk County, NC . This event takes place on the actual day of the 4th of July each year regardless of the weather. We provide all of the emergency radio communications for this event. If you would like additional information on the Fabulous 4th Bicycle event - follow the link The Fabulous 4th.  You will be able to monitor this event on your scanner on either of two frequencies: 145.330 or 147.285.

The TBARC also provides radio support for the Tour De Leaves and other bicycle events in this area of the mountains.

Motorcycle Riders - If you wish to ride as escort for any of these events
please contact Robin ~ KV4AL ~ for additional information. 
Ham radio equipped motorcycles are optional.

Robin - KV4AL at kv4al@charter.net

Visit our club's solar powered repeater KF4JVI - 145.330 The Thermal Belt Two Meter Net is held on each Monday starting at 7:30pm, All area Hams are invited to join in. The KF4JVI Repeater is an open repeater. The frequency is 145.330 with a minus offset. The KF4JVI Repeater is totally solar powered. We have been fully on Solar Power since Oct 1998. Please check out the pictures on the link above.