The Thermal Belt Amateur Radio Club holds its meeting once a month. The luncheon meeting starting at 11:30 a.m. on the Last Wednesday  of the month. The meeting is held at the United Methodist Church  conference room in Columbus, NC. Enter through the main entrance and then turn to the right going to the end of the long hall.

The Church's GPS location is
N 35.15.2269
W 82.11.9074 

All hams, prospective hams and guest are welcome to attend our meetings as it is open to the public. Feel free to bring friends as well. We encourage other that would like to become hams whom are living in this area to attend the meetings to learn more about this fantastic hobby.

We offer FCC Testing at our meetings. Please contact us to schedule a test session so that we will have the necessary people present to the testing. In addition, we offer mentoring to new ALL new HAM's.

Important info!

If you wish to join the Thermal Belt Amateur Radio Club - please fill out the membership form and bring it to a meeting or mail it to the club.

Click for the TBARC Membership Application Form

Our mailing address is as follows
TBARC
PO Box 1016
Tryon NC 28782-1016

Contributions to the Repeater Maintenance Fund  may be made by mailing a check to the above address and note that it is for the repeater fund. Any financial help would be most appreciated. Remember that this repeater becomes an emergency communication repeater for all of Polk County, Upper Spartanburg and Greenville SC Counties during bad weather.

We provide communications for a number of events in the Polk County and upper Greenville / Spartanburg SC areas. This includes Bicycle, Horse, and Running Events as well as providing emergency communications in time of disaster for this entire area including parts of Rutherford County and upstate South Carolina.

Below is a link to a listing of scanner frequencies for Polk County. Suggest that you print it out and remember that it will be about 6 pages long. If you have additional frequency's to add then please email full information to us.

Scanner Frequencies Listing

History of the Thermal Belt Amateur Radio Club

The Thermal Belt Amateur Radio Club has been serving Polk County for over 37 years.  In addition to the luncheon meeting we also meet on the radio (this is called a net), each Monday night at 7:30 PM on the club’s repeater found on 145.330(-) MHz. with a PL Tone of 91.5 Hz. This radio network gives radio operators experience in using their radio equipment in the case of an emergency. All licensed HAM's are invited to join in and participate in the NET or if you have a scanner then you may listen in on your scanner.

It is fun to learn from supportive HAMs who will mentor you in the proper procedures, and provide you with instructions in the operation of and how the various HAM radios work.  We can also assist you with the programing of your radios.

If you want to learn how to become a HAM radio operator, then please come to one of our meetings and meet the members who will be more than happy to assist you in obtaining your HAM license or HAM Ticket. 

Currently you may contact Richard Day - our club president for more information or assistance at :

Richard Day
828-606-6922
richardnday@gmail.com

KF4JVI ~ 145.330 (-) offset w/ PL Tone = 91.5 cps

Thermal Belt Amateur Radio Club Two Meter Net is held on each Monday starting at 7:30 pm.  All area Hams are invited to join in. Also anyone can monitor this net on a HAM radio, Short Wave radio or Scanner. If you are just monitoring then the PL Tone is not required.

The KF4JVI Repeater is an open repeater. This means that anyone may use the repeater per the FCC Part 95 Rules.

The Thermal Belt Amateur Radio Club is also a member of ARES and when an emergency in this area is declared, then this repeater becomes part of the ARES Network. This repeater has a 5+ day battery pack so that in case of emergency's and no power then this repeater will remain in operation for 5+ days.  Once power is restored the battery pack will require 2 or more weeks to fully recharge to max capacity and return to float charge.

In case of an emergency then all area HAM that are members of the ARES Network will then sign in when the NET is called. These members should be available to emergency services for and in this area.  We provide all of the emergency communications for the Red Cross and backup to the Polk County Emergency Services Headquarters. This includes the Red Cross Chapters in both Polk and Rutherfordton Counties.