Lake Tahoe West Shore Information
Contents: Repeaters | El Dorado Co. Search & Rescue (SAR) | Frequency Lists | Radio from the Rubicon | Glossary
See also Donner Summit Radio

  • Cell phone service is available allong the i-80 corridor and is marginal along hwy 89.
  • CB (Citizens Band) radios and FRS (Family Radio Service) walkie talkies are useful for communicating over short distances with others on the trail (CB's are common for jeepers and FRS for hikers), but have limited distance (several miles).
  • Satellite phone (Iridium, Globalstar, Inmarsat ) are best for emergency communications.
    Cost: $32-50/mo. plus $1.50-2.00/min.. Phone: $400-$1,000+.
    Rental $35/week, See satphonestore.com
  • 2 meter and 70 cm. amateur (ham) radios have greater distance and can often be linked to repeaters on mountain tops, but require a license.
    About $250 new.
See: Personal Radio in Products.

Amateur & Citizen Bands:

      CB       27 MHz  HF
10 meter       29 MHz  HF  (1 repeater)
 6 meter    50-54 MHz VHF  (2 repeaters)
 2 meter  144-148 MHz VHF  (15 repeaters)
1¼ meter  222-225 MHz VHF  (5 repeaters)
FRS, GMRS 462-467 MHz UHF
   70-cm  420-450 MHz UHF  (22 repeaters)
   25-cm  1.24-1.3 GHz UHF  (5 repeaters)
Note: Some of the repeaters may only be active during search and rescue operations.

Pacific Crest Trail Repeater Guide at qsl.net
Freq. PL Location Notes (*tested locations in small print)
146.850-   Lake Tahoe  
146.640- 131.8 Truckee Placer S&R repeater
*Spring south of Tinker Knob
*Benson Hut at Anderson Peak
*Crest just north of Old Hwy 40
147.150+ 123.0 Mt. Rose (Reno - SATERN) *Dicks Lake spur trail
*Phipps Creek (1/2 scale)
*Barker Pass (also 147.060)
*Ridgeline north of Twin Peaks (bottom Map K6)
*Five Lakes Creek
*Spring south of Tinker Knob
*Benson Hut at Anderson Peak
*Crest just north of Old Hwy 40
 
L: Interstate 80 to Highway 49
146.640- 131.8 Truckee Placer S&R repeater
*Paradise Valley (1/2 scale) & White Rock Creeks
147.150+ 123.0 Mt. Rose (Reno) *Grubb Hut
*Paradise Valley & White Rock Creeks
*Summit Lake (1/2 scale)
145.470-   Quincy (Mt. Huff/Hough?) *Grubb Hut
*Paradise Valley & White Rock Creeks
*Summit Lake

Repeaters in the Tahoe and Sierra Foothills Area
Rptr Out Rptr In P.L.
tone
Call / Remarks Site / Sponsor
Source: Carson Valley Radio Club (CVRC)

From: Sacramento Valley Open Repeaters at www.n6icw.org/localrpt.htm 2004
Output Tone Location Call Organization
145.310 144.710 123 WA6FWU ALDER HILL, WA6FWU
145.27 156.7 Auburn KD6MTF Placer County SAR links to 146.640
223.86 100 Auburn K6ARR Sierra Foothills ARC
444.6 192.8 Auburn N6NMZ
146.625 151.4 Grass Valley WB4YJT CDF VIP-NYP
147.015 151.4 Grass Valley W6DD Nevada County ARC
147.195 123 Sacramento N6ICW links to Lake Tahoe 145.150
SAR - Search and Rescue
146.64 131.8 Donner Summit W6SAR Placer County SAR links to 145.270
146.745 156.7 Foresthill N6PYF Placer County SAR

From Humboldt County Amateur Radio Web Site KF6AAQ a/o Aug. '05 dated Feb. 2002
Note: Search & Rescue (SAR) repeaters may only be active during an active SAR.
Rptr Out Rptr In P.L.
tone
Call / Remarks Site / Sponsor
145.310 144.710 123 WA6FWU ALDER HILL, WA6FWU
441.750 446.750 123 W6XN ALDER HILL, YOP HLLS
440.925 445.925 KH8AF Alpine Meadows,
146.850 146.250 123 W6CSP ANGELS ROOST, Tahoe ARA (TARA)
1285.000 1273.000 123 N3KD Glenbrook, N3KD
443.050 448.050 162.2 WB6ALS Glenshire, WB6ALS
444.525 449.525 107.2 WB6TMS Homewood, Sonoma Mt. RS
440.850 445.850 100 NU7Y Incline Village, NU7Y
442.025 447.025 156.7 W6KCS Lake Tahoe,
145.270 144.670 141.3 KC7STW Lake Tahoe, D.A.C.C.R.A.
51.860 51.360 94.8 N7VXB DIAMOND PEAK, PCSAR
441.200 446.200 136.5 N7VXB Lake Tahoe, N7VXB
441.175 446.175 107.2 N7VXB Tahoe (N/S ?)
443.300 448.300 107.2 WA7RPS Mt Rose, WA7RPS
147.150 147.750 123 W7ROZ Mt. Rose, Truckee Meadows ARA (TMARA)
1284.420 1272.420 88.5 WA7RPS Reno,
444.800 449.800 123 NV7RM Reno, Reno Area Metro Simplex
224.800 224.200 100 WA6CBA Reno, WA6CBA
146.715 146.115 203.5 W6SUV S. Lake Tahoe, W6SUV
442.825 447.825 88.5 W6SUV S. Lake Tahoe,
442.475 447.475 100 WA6EWV links to 440.750 S. Lake Tahoe, Gorilla Radio / Tahoe ARA (TARA)
224.020 222.420 100 NR7A S. Lake Tahoe, Tahoe ARA
224.640 223.040 123 W6SUV S. Lake Tahoe, W6SUV
145.150 144.550 123 N6ICW Linked to 147.195 Sacramento Tahoe Basin, N6ICW Repeater System
29.680 29.580 156.7 W6SUV Tahoe Basin, (10 meter)
52.840 52.340 123 K7UI Tahoe Basin, WA6MNM
1287.800 1275.800 88.5 W6RLW Linked (W6CYX/W6RLW) Tahoe City, Alum Rock Radio Club (ARRC) / W6CYX
1283.500 1271.500 88.5 W6RLW Linked (W6CYX/W6RLW) Tahoe City, Alum Rock Radio Club (ARRC) / W6CYX
442.075 447.075 118.8 N6MVT Tahoe City, CARLA
442.175 447.175 KH8AF Tahoe City, KH8AF
442.950 447.950 131.8 WA6FJS Tahoe City, Tahoe ARC
146.940 146.340 100 WA6FJS Tahoe City, Tahoe ARC
444.850 449.850 94.8 WA6TLW Tahoe City, WA6TLW
1287.800 1275.800 88.5 W6RLW Taho City, W6CYX
147.240 147.840 123 NR7A Tahoe Sierra, S. Lake Tahoe ARA (TARA)
444.275 449.275 127.3 WA6JQV Truckee, WA6JQV
440.275 445.275 114.8 K1BMW Truckee
444.950 449.950 94.8 WB6PUE WARD PEAK, NORCAL
444.950 449.950 94.8 WB7WTS Tahoe City,
SAR - Search and Rescue
441.550 446.550 103.5 N6LZR BEAR VALLEY, Alpine County S&R (SARC)
223.820 222.220 100 WB6ALS Donner Summit 1 m., Placer S&R (PCSAR)
146.640 146.040 131.8 W6SAR Donner Summit 2 m., Placer County SAR
440.700 445.700 100 WB6ALS Donner Summit 70 cm, Placer County SAR (SRARR)
See Also: TARA Repeaters

Placer County SAR has a "porcupine van" filed with radio equipment they take out to Search and Rescue operations. Their repeaters are not set up permanently.

Lists of N. Calif. Ham Frequencies at:
_
Pacific Crest Trail Repeater Guide at qsl.net
El Dorado Co Seaarch & Rescue (EDSAR) Frequencies at comspark.com/esarc
California Repeaters at artscipub.com
Placer County Search and Rescue (SAR)
Douglas County Amateur Radio Team (DCART), NV
  2m simples 146.55
  HF if you're out of simplex range. Assume operation on 3965 KHz 
                                     and/or 7280 KHz SSB
Sacramento Valley Open Repeaters (includes Tahoe)
List at Humboldt County Amateur Radio Web Site KF6AAQ
List at Bob Hewitt K6HEW Solano Co.
The Northern Amateur Relay Council of California (NARCC)
AMERICAN AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION (AARA)

Fire, Police, Forest Service
Town of Truckee

153.9050 - Police Dispatch
154.1300 - Fire - NEU East
Source: scancal.org

Communications from the Rubicon Amateur Radio (Ham) 2 meter Frequencies:
146.805 (tone of 123.0) Merlin Scott's repeater at Rubicon Springs.
    It has Handi Talki coverage thru most of the trail.
147.150 (tone of 123.0) Mt. Rose W7ROZ Truckee Meadows ARA
151.625 (Business Band) Harald Pietschmann who is on the trail frequently running trips.

Rubicon Trip 2003 reports:
Repeaters can be difficult to hit. I used 147.15 (2 m.)(tone of 123.0) from Buck Island Lake. That is located on Tahoe at Incline Village and linked to another repeater from information I was given. A friend near Carson City in Nevada and I were able to communicate using that repeater. I could not hit that from Rubicon Springs but was able to hit 147.195 (tone 123.0) at Rubicon Springs.

At Del Albright Radio Channels page he says:
CB: Many folks run CB channel 10.

HAMM: For HT coverage of the trail, the best channel that seems to get out at most places is: 146.805 neg. pl. 123.0. Harald Pietschmann runs the trail several times a week with guided trips. He runs on HAMM frequency 151.625 and can usually communicate with Merlin Scott's repeater at Rubicon Springs (who can also reach the Sheriff and helicopter support for emergencies. Read more on HAMM and radio communications, as well as emergencies on Harald's web site.

Harald Pietschmann's emergency page (rubicon-trail.com/Rubicon/emergency.html) recommends:
1. A satelite phone.
2. 2 meter HAM Radio.
3. CB and GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) radios are the least reliable option when it comes to getting help.

Trail guides, including Pietschmann who is usually on the trail from Monday through Thursday, and helicopter communicate on 151.625 - that frequency might also reach Merlin Scott, the caretaker at Rubicon Springs, during the days the Jeep guys are not running one of their many trips. If you can reach him, he can definitely get a call out to get the paramedics to your location.

Eldorado Search & Rescue (EDSAR) (comspark.com/esarc/hamradio/) says:
Despite a variety of point-to-point channels and law enforcement repeater systems, there are places in the mountains where only ham radio works.


See Also:
Tahoe Amateur Radio Association (tahoeamateurradio.com), S. Lake Tahoe
Repeaters operated by the Auburn Communications Unit in conjunction with the Tahoe Communications Unit
Sierra Intermountain Emergency Radio Association
Sierra Nevada Amateur Radio Society, Reno
American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Clubs
Personal Radio in Products
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Amateur Radio Repeaters in Nevada

Glossary
AARA - AMERICAN AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION
ARRL - American Radio Relay League
ARA - Amateur Radio Association
ARES - Amateur Radio Emergency Service (www.emcomm.org/svares)
CARES - California Amateur Radio Emergency Service
CLEMARS - California Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Radio System
CTCSS - Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System
  (allows frequence to be devided into channels based on
  a continuous tone from 67-254 Hz) (see About CTCSS)
EDSAR - Eldorado Search & Rescue
EDSO - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office
EMCOMM - Emergency Communications (emcomm.org)
ERMA - EMCOMM Responder - Mutual Assistance (emcomm.org/svares/erma/index.html)
FRS - Family Radio Service (14 channel + 38 privacy codes 2 mi. walkie talkie no license)
GMRS General Mobile Radio Service (8 channels 4 mi. 5 watts max. license req.)
NARCC - The Northern Amateur Relay Council of California (narcc.org)
NASAR - National Association for Search and Rescue (nasar.org
NWR - NOAA Weather Radio
PCSAR - Placer County SAR
PCMRT - Placer County Mountain Rescue Team
PL - Private Line (Motorola's trade name for CTCSS)
PTT - push-to-talk
SAR - Search and Rescue
Tone - PL/CTCSS Tone
TARA - Tahoe Amateur Radio Association (tahoeamateurradio.com)

See Glossaray at El Dorado SAR

last updated 24 May 2007