Western Kern County ARES

📻 Featured Interview

N6CUL on the PAPA System — Great Outdoor Net

Our own Laramie Uhles, N6CUL was interviewed on the PAPA System Great Outdoor Net, talking about how amateur radio communications are an integral part of emergency communications in Western Kern County and beyond. It's an audio interview — click the logo to listen to the full conversation.

The PAPA System is a non-profit linked-repeater network covering most of California with analog, DMR, D-STAR, and Yaesu System Fusion. If you'd like to join and support the system, or just check in on their nets, visit papasys.com.

🎧 Listen on YouTube 🌲 Join the PAPA System

📡

🚨 Standing Reference · Activation Plan

WKC ARES Activation Plan — Know Before You're Called

Rapid dissemination and collection of information to and from WKCARES members through Resource Nets and subsequent Tactical Nets. Applies to both actual emergencies and drills. First priority: the safety of you and your family.
Resource Net: KERN System — check in through the nearest linked KERN repeater (find yours)
Backup only if KERN is down: W6LIE 2 m repeater · 145.150 MHz · −600 kHz · 100 Hz PL
Activation events: KCFD Office of Emergency Services request · earthquakes MMI V (Mike-Mike V) or greater · wildfires · major flooding & severe weather · large-scale power outage · terrorist events · communications outage · drills
Alerting methods: SMS/email from the WKCARES database (drills use this only) · telephone for actual emergencies · Resource Net on the primary or alternate frequency per the Area Frequency List (§ 9.1)
Report your status when you check in: GREEN ready to respond · YELLOW can send/receive from my location · RED need assistance · BLACK monitor only
Do NOT self-deploy. Wait for the RNCO (Resource Net Control Operator) to assign you. Do not check into a Tactical Net until directed. Check in with the RNCO when you arrive at, and depart from, your assignment and home.

⬇ Full Plan (PDF)

📡

🆕 New Repeater · WKC ARES Independent

New DMR Repeater On The Air — KD6PAP · NE Bakersfield

Patrick Ponec, KD6PAP, has brought a new DMR repeater online in Northeast Bakersfield. This is an independent WKC ARES machine, not part of the KERN System.

Output: 443.275 MHz · Offset: +5 MHz (input 448.275) · Color Code: 2
Time Slot 1: TG 1 & TG 2 — Open (wide-area) · Time Slot 2: Local area

Program it in and give it a try.

📻 Repeater List ✉ Contact for More Info

🏁

🏁 Volunteers Needed · Sat–Sun Jan 9–10

It’s Time for the Ridge Rally! — Radio Operators Needed

Saturday, January 9 & Sunday, January 10, 2027 · two days this year · volunteer one or both days (hams and FRS road marshals).

This rally race, based out of Jawbone Canyon just north of Mojave, is again seeking amateur radio operators for its safety net. Same rally roads as previous years: Jawbone Canyon, Kelso Valley, and Piute Mountain — and the racing is very exciting to watch!

The net: tracks rally cars as they race closed sections of road (“stages”) at two-minute intervals. Hams posted at intersecting roads and trails report if cars get out of order. Each stage runs on a 2 m simplex frequency or a 440 repeater, with the Communications Captain at a central location; Net Control has access to emergency services. Mobile rigs are best, but HTs are fine. Newbies welcome — we’ll train you! Not licensed yet? Join the comm net with an FRS radio we provide.

The day: comm teams meet about 7 am each day at Jawbone Station (north of Mojave on Hwy 14). Stages run multiple times, finishing early evening Saturday and mid-afternoon Sunday. Every volunteer gets a T-shirt and snacks. Two Zoom training sessions the week before cover procedures and questions — attend either or both.

Sign up: at www.rallydata2.com (click Ridge Rally first) and create a password for future logins. A welcome letter should arrive within an hour — if not, check your spam folder and mark mail from rallyinfo@rallydata2.com as “not spam,” since much of the rally information comes from that address. Be sure to list your ham equipment and T-shirt size.

🏁 Volunteer at rallydata2.com ✉ Contact for More Info 📅 Google 📅 Outlook

📻

📻 Net Change · Effective Immediately

Weekly Net Is Moving — W6LIE ➜ KERN Emergency Radio Network

Starting with tonight's net, the WKC ARES weekly net moves off the W6LIE 145.150 repeater and onto the KERN System (Kern Emergency Radio Network) — a linked network of repeaters covering Kern County and surrounding areas. Every linked repeater below reaches the whole system, so check in through the KERN repeater closest to you:

Frazier 447.860 · Offset: −5 MHz · PL 141.3 · Buckrock 442.950 · Offset: +5 MHz · PL 141.3 · Oak Flat 441.950 · Offset: +5 MHz · PL 141.3 · Pelato 442.350 · Offset: +5 MHz · PL 151.4 · Double Mt 446.320 · Offset: −5 MHz · PL 151.4 · Cummings 442.925 · Offset: +5 MHz · PL 141.3 · Taft 441.125 · Offset: +5 MHz · PL 141.3 · San Benito 440.600 · Offset: +5 MHz · PL 141.3 · Mt Stevenson 223.820 · Offset: −1.6 MHz · PL 114.8 · Double 224.780 · Offset: −1.6 MHz · PL 100.0
Offsets are the standard ±5 MHz on 70 cm and −1.6 MHz on 220 MHz — most radios set the direction automatically once you program the output frequency.

Full repeater list, coverage maps, and status: kernsystem.org.

The W6LIE 145.150 repeater is now a backup only — it's used for ARES nets only if the KERN system is down. The Monday 7:00 PM weekly net runs on the KERN System.

🔎 Find My Closest Repeater 📻 KERN Repeaters Our Repeater List

🔎 Find Your KERN System Repeater

Beta

Every KERN System linked repeater reaches the whole network, so use the one with the best signal from your location. Enter your address (street + city, or ZIP) and we'll suggest the two closest sites to try — the closest first, then a backup in case terrain gets in the way. Straight-line distance is a starting point; line-of-sight to the mountain wins.

My equipment covers (used by every button except "Find Closest Repeater") 70 cm + 220 MHz — dual / tri-band antenna (most common) 70 cm only — UHF, ~440 MHz 220 MHz only — 1.25 m

70 cm (UHF) 220 MHz Off air You

Type an address, tap "My Location" for two picks, or "Show All Near Me" to see every nearby site — each marker on the map is a KERN linked repeater with its frequency shown alongside.

Address lookup via OpenStreetMap. Repeater coordinates are approximate — kernsystem.org coverage maps are authoritative. If a recommendation is way off for your area, please tell us so we can correct the site's coordinates.

Scout Ham Radio & ARES Participation badge

⚜ From Our Favorite Scout

Two Great Learning Resources — Worth Sharing

One of our scouts turned us on to a pair of solid, free study links we thought were too good to keep to ourselves. Great starting points whether you're brand new to the hobby or brushing up on the basics.
Beginner's Guide to Ham Radio — lightyear.ai/blogs/a-beginners-guide-to-amateur-ham-radio
Simple Circuits (AP Physics 2) — varsitytutors.com/practice/subjects/ap-physics-2/lessons/simple-circuits

📘 Beginner's Guide ⚡ Simple Circuits

Repeaters & ARES Frequencies

W6LIE Club Repeater

KERN System

ARES Area Frequencies

📡

145.150 MHz

W6LIE Breckenridge Mountain, Kern County, CA

TypeFull Duplex Repeater

Output145.150 MHz (transmit to)

Input144.550 MHz (listen on)

Offset–600 kHz (minus offset)

PL Tone (CTCSS)100.0 Hz

EcholinkW6LIE-R Node #487530

AllstarNode #603051

Echolink Enabled Allstar Linked 2m Band

All Repeaters →

If repeater is unavailable, listen and operate on 146.520 MHz Simplex.

🌐

KERN Emergency Radio Network

Linked UHF repeater network covering Kern County & surrounding areas — now the home of our weekly ARES net

TypeLinked Repeater System (UHF primary, 220 MHz & on-demand 900 MHz)

Standard PL141.3 Hz (most sites)

UHF Offset±5 MHz (per site)

CoverageEvery linked site reaches the whole network — pick the strongest one for your location

EchoLinkK6RET-R Node #887598 (5:30 AM – 9:00 PM PT)

AllStarNode #570150 (same hours)

DMRBrandmeister TG 310675 on K6RET Shirley Pk, K6RET Tehachapi, K6SLH Taft

70 cm Linked 220 MHz Linked EchoLink AllStar DMR Linked

Not sure which repeater to use? Use the KERN Repeater Finder above — enter your address and it'll pick the closest linked site. Straight-line distance is a starting point; line-of-sight to the mountain wins.

Full KERN Table → kernsystem.org ↗

Weekly WKC ARES Net runs on the KERN System every Monday at 19:00 local — check in through whichever linked repeater you can hit cleanest. W6LIE 145.150 is used for ARES nets only as a backup if the KERN system is down.

Area / Group	Primary	Back Up	Simplex / Tactical
Greater Bakersfield
Oildale	KERN System	145.150–100	147.540
NE Bakersfield	KERN System	145.150–100	147.540
SE Bakersfield	KERN System	145.150–100	147.570
SW Bakersfield	KERN System	145.150–100	146.415
NW Bakersfield	KERN System	145.150–100	147.480
ERC	KERN System	145.150–100	146.400
Mountain & Desert
Kern River Valley	145.450–156.7	146.085+141.3	146.550
Frazier Pk / PMC	146.910–100	145.150–100	146.530
Tehachapi / BV	KERN System	145.150–100	TBD
Ridgecrest / IWV	147.000+107.2	145.340–100	146.520
Cal City	145.340–100	145.150–100	146.520
West Side
Maricopa / Taft	KERN System	145.150–100	146.580
Shafter / Wasco	KERN System	145.150–100	146.490
Delano / McFarland	KERN System	145.150–100	146.490

Format: Frequency±Offset·PLTone | Tactical frequencies in red. | KERN System = check in through the nearest linked KERN repeater (find yours); W6LIE 145.150 is the backup only if KERN is down.

Full ARES Channel Plans (ICS 217A)

Complete channel plans for WKC ARES operations, following the ICS 217A "Communications Resource Availability Worksheet" format. All entries are wide-band FM analog unless noted. Repeater and base stations must be programmed with RX and TX reversed from the table below.
Source PDFs (as of the update dates listed): 2m Repeaters · 70cm Repeaters · TAC / Simplex · East Kern IOP

2m Repeaters — Updated 6/7/2026 by Laramie Uhles, N6CUL

Callsign	RX Freq	TX Freq	Tone	Location
W6LIE	145.150 W	144.550 W	100.0	Breckenridge Mt.
W6LIE	146.910 W	146.310 W	100.0	TBD
K6RET	146.670 W	146.070 W	100.0	Mt. Adelaide (linked to UHF)
K6RET	147.270 W	147.870 W	94.8	Pampa Pk.
W6LI	145.410 W	144.810 W	103.5	Shirley Pk.
KC6WRD	145.290 W	144.690 W	94.8	Cerro Noroeste — PMC

70cm Repeaters — Updated 9/28/2026 · KERN System entries are the new weekly-net repeaters

System	Callsign	RX Freq	TX Freq	Tone	Location
—	W6LIE	443.900 W	448.900 W	100.0	Breckenridge Mt.
—	K6RET	444.925 W	449.925 W	103.5	CA43 / Sullivan
—	KG6KKV	444.425 W	449.425 W	100.0	Cummings Mt.
KERN SYS	KK6AC	447.860 W	442.860 W	141.3	Fraizer Mt.
KERN SYS	KK6AC	441.950 W	446.950 W	141.3	Oak Flat
KERN SYS	KK6AC	442.950 W	447.950 W	141.3	KK6AC — Buckrock
KERN SYS	KI6HHU	442.925 W	447.925 W	141.3	Cummings Mt.
KERN SYS	KI6HHU	446.320 W	441.320 W	151.4	Double Mt.
KERN SYS	WA6KLB	440.600 W	445.600 W	141.3	San Benito
KERN SYS	K6SLH	441.125 W	446.125 W	141.3	Taft
KERN SYS	KK6AC	442.350 W	447.350 W	151.4	Pelato Pk.
KERN SYS	KI6HHU	445.760 W	440.760 W	141.3	Channel Islands — Off Air
CARLA 30	K6LNK	444.900 W	449.900 W	127.3	Cerro Noroeste — Local PL
CARLA 30	K6LNK	444.900 W	449.900 W	162.2	Cerro Noroeste — Linked PL
—	K6RET	444.750 W	449.750 W	141.3	Mt. Adelaide (linked to VHF)
PAPA SYS	PAPA 39	442.750 W	447.750 W	156.7	Mt. Adelaide

KERN System — Other Linked Bands — 220 MHz & on-demand 900 MHz

System	Callsign	RX Freq	TX Freq	Tone	Location / Notes
KERN SYS	K6RET	224.780 W	223.180 W	100.0	Double Mtn — 220 MHz, linked, 8000′
KERN SYS	KE6JZ	223.820 W	222.220 W	114.8	Mt Stevenson — 220 MHz, linked, 5300′
KERN SYS	K6RET	927.1325 N	902.1325 N	203.5	Round Mountain — 900 MHz, linked on demand
KERN SYS	K6RET	927.0750 N	902.0750 N	203.5	Cummings Mtn — 900 MHz, linked on demand

KERN also runs DMR (Brandmeister TG 310675) at K6RET Shirley Pk / Tehachapi and K6SLH Taft, plus stand-alone repeaters at K6RET Adelaide and K6SLH Taft. Allstar node 570150 / Echolink K6RET-R node 887598 (both 5:30 AM–9:00 PM PT). See kernsystem.org for the full list.

Simplex / Tactical (TAC) — 2m / 70cm / 6m / 10m — Updated 3/31/2025 by Laramie Uhles, N6CUL

Channel Name	Frequency	Mode	Area / Notes
METRO NW TAC	147.480 W	FM	NW Bakersfield
METRO SW TAC	146.415 W	FM	SW Bakersfield
METRO NE TAC	147.540 W	FM	NE or East Bakersfield
METRO SE TAC	147.570 W	FM	SE Bakersfield
SHAFTER N TAC	146.490 W	FM	Shafter and North Kern
TAFT TAC	146.580 W	FM	Taft and West Kern
PMC TAC	146.530 W	FM	Pine Mountain Club
TEHACHAPI TAC	TBD	FM	Tehachapi area (frequency pending)
Bakersfield ERC	146.400 W	FM	Emergency Response Center
2m SSB	144.225	USB	2m calling frequency
6m	52.780	FM	6m simplex
10m SSB	28.380	USB	10m calling frequency

East Kern Interoperability (IOP) — 2m / 70cm / GMRS / 33cm — Updated 3/31/2025 by Laramie Uhles, N6CUL

System	Callsign	RX Freq	TX Freq	Tone	Location
—	Emergency Simplex	146.550 W	146.550 W	—	Simplex
—	NAT Simplex	146.520 W	146.520 W	—	2m National Calling Frequency
—	WA6YBN	147.000 W	147.600 W	107.2	Ridgecrest — EchoLink 518309
—	WA6BYN	145.340 W	144.740 W	100.0	Randsburg
WIN	WI6RE	147.975 W	147.375 W	100.0	El Paso
—	KF6FM	146.085 W	146.685 W	141.3	Bird Springs
Lone Pn.Slvr P	W6TD	146.760 W	146.160 W	103.5	Mazourka Pk.
—	K6OX	146.730 W	146.130 W	100.0	Hauser Pk.
KPRA.net	KE6RYZ	146.385 W	146.985 W	146.2	Keller Pk.
—	N6SR	145.450 W	144.850 W	156.7	Lake Isabella
—	W6PH	147.210 W	147.810 W	103.5	Lone Pine
WIN	WI6RE	448.800 W	443.800 W	100.0	El Paso (70cm)
PAPA	WI6RE	448.880 W	443.880 W	100.0	El Paso (70cm)
NC9RS	NC6RS	927.0125 W	902.0125 W	88.5	Ridgecrest (33cm)
GMRS	WROA232	462.650 N	467.650 N	100.0	El Paso (WI6RE owned)
GMRS	WQVV528	462.675 N	467.675 N	141.3	El Paso (W6TOD owned)

Format follows ICS-217A convention: frequencies show four digits after the decimal followed by N (narrow-band) or W (wide-band). Mode is FM analog unless otherwise noted (USB · digital · etc.). All channels are shown as if programmed in a control station, mobile, or portable radio — repeater and base stations must be programmed with RX and TX reversed.

Site Policies

Policies & Disclosures

Western Kern County ARES takes privacy, safety, and accessibility seriously. The sections below cover how wkcares.org works and the rules of the road for using the site. Last updated October 10, 2026.

Who we are. Western Kern County ARES (WKC ARES), a volunteer public-service group affiliated with the ARRL ARES program and local emergency-management agencies. Questions: contact@wkcares.org.

What we collect. Public pages collect only standard web-server logs (IP address, browser type, pages viewed, timestamp) for security and troubleshooting. The repeater-finder tool takes an address or ZIP you enter and converts it to coordinates so it can rank repeaters by distance; that address goes to our geocoding provider (OpenStreetMap Nominatim) and is not stored by us.

Members-only area. If you register for the WKC ARES task book, hours tracker, or incident tools, we store the information you provide (name, call sign, email, phone, mailing address, license class, region) plus FCC public-record data looked up from your call sign. This is visible only to WKC ARES officers, AECs, and administrators. We do not sell, rent, or trade it.

Third parties that may see your IP when a page loads. Cloudflare (CDN / security), Google Fonts (typefaces), OpenStreetMap tile servers and Nominatim (map tiles and geocoding for the repeater finder), the RATPAC Google-Sheet feed (routed through our server, so Google does not see visitor IPs for that), Zoom (only if you click a "Join on Zoom" link). We do not use advertising, analytics, Facebook pixels, or marketing trackers.

Your choices. You can request a copy of your account information, correct it, or ask us to delete it by emailing contact@wkcares.org. Deletion of members-only data may be subject to retention needs for incident records and after-action reports.

California rights. California residents may request disclosure of personal information we hold about them and request deletion. We do not sell personal information. We respond to verified requests within 45 days.

Data breach. If a breach affects your personal information, we will notify you consistent with California Civil Code § 1798.82.

Children. The members-only tools are intended for users 13 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

Changes. We may update this policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this section reflects the current version.

Cookie Notice

Cookies we set directly. If you sign in to the WKC ARES tools, we set a session cookie so you stay logged in. If you use the repeater finder, your map and band preferences may be remembered in your browser's local storage. No advertising cookies, no cross-site tracking, no fingerprinting.

Cookies set by third parties loaded on our pages. Cloudflare sets a `__cf_bm` bot-protection cookie on every visit. OpenStreetMap tile servers do not set cookies in normal use.

How to opt out. You can block all third-party cookies in your browser without breaking the site. Signing out of the members tools clears the session cookie. Clearing site data in your browser removes stored preferences.

Who may use the site. Public pages are open to anyone. The members-only tools (task book, hours, incidents, net control, ICS forms) are for current WKC ARES members and are limited to users 13 years of age or older.

Accounts. You are responsible for keeping your password confidential and for activity under your account. Tell us immediately if you believe your account has been compromised. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms, misuse the incident/net-control systems, or that are inactive for extended periods.

Acceptable use. Don't upload malicious content, don't attempt to break the site's security, don't scrape member data, don't use the site to harass or impersonate anyone, don't post operationally sensitive information outside the designated members-only area, and don't violate FCC rules, ARRL ARES guidelines, or applicable law.

Content accuracy. We work to keep information current (repeater lists, FCC data, event schedules, ICS forms), but we do not warrant that any specific piece of information is accurate at any given moment. Verify critical operational information independently.

No warranty. The site is provided "as is," without warranties of any kind. To the fullest extent permitted by law, WKC ARES, its officers, and its volunteers are not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from use of the site.

Changes. We may update these terms. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance.

Accessibility Statement

WKC ARES is committed to making wkcares.org usable by everyone, including people who rely on assistive technology. We aim to meet the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.

Current features that support accessibility: a Hi-Vis Mode toggle, keyboard-navigable navigation, descriptive link text, and alternative text on informational images.

Motion. Any auto-scrolling or pulsing animation on the site is automatically disabled for visitors whose browser or OS reports a prefers-reduced-motion preference.

Known limitations. The repeater-finder map and the KERN System map are third-party map components with their own accessibility characteristics; the underlying frequency and location data is also available in the full repeater table.

Reporting a problem. If any part of the site is difficult to use with assistive technology, please email contact@wkcares.org with a description of the issue and the page URL. We'll do our best to address it promptly.

Emergency Disclaimer

In an emergency, dial 911. WKC ARES, SKYWARN, RACES, and affiliated amateur radio emergency services are volunteer organizations that supplement — never replace — official 911, fire, EMS, law-enforcement, and other public-safety services. Repeater availability, net schedules, and volunteer response are best-effort and are not guaranteed. Do not rely on amateur radio as your primary means of requesting emergency help. During a declared activation, operational traffic should be directed through the designated Net Control Station on the frequency and schedule published by the Incident Commander.

Western Kern County
Amateur Radio
Emergency Service

📡 Net & Repeater Info

📅 Club Calendar

🔎 Find Your KERN System Repeater

Emergency Comms

Digital Modes

Served Agencies

Kern County Weather & Alerts

🌩 Radar — Bakersfield / Kern County

⚠️ Active Kern County Alerts

🔥 Active Kern County Fires — CAL FIRE

📣 ReadyKern — Official County Alerts

Solar & Geomagnetic Conditions

Repeaters & ARES Frequencies

Full ARES Channel Plans (ICS 217A)

2m Repeaters — Updated 6/7/2026 by Laramie Uhles, N6CUL

70cm Repeaters — Updated 9/28/2026 · KERN System entries are the new weekly-net repeaters

KERN System — Other Linked Bands — 220 MHz & on-demand 900 MHz

Simplex / Tactical (TAC) — 2m / 70cm / 6m / 10m — Updated 3/31/2025 by Laramie Uhles, N6CUL

East Kern Interoperability (IOP) — 2m / 70cm / GMRS / 33cm — Updated 3/31/2025 by Laramie Uhles, N6CUL

Resources & Links

What is
WKC ARES?

Policies & Disclosures

Western Kern CountyAmateur RadioEmergency Service

📡 Net & Repeater Info

📅 Club Calendar

Emergency Comms

Digital Modes

Served Agencies

Kern County Weather & Alerts

🌩 Radar — Bakersfield / Kern County

⚠️ Active Kern County Alerts

🔥 Active Kern County Fires — CAL FIRE

📣 ReadyKern — Official County Alerts

Solar & Geomagnetic Conditions

Repeaters & ARES Frequencies

Full ARES Channel Plans (ICS 217A)

2m Repeaters — Updated 6/7/2026 by Laramie Uhles, N6CUL

70cm Repeaters — Updated 9/28/2026 · KERN System entries are the new weekly-net repeaters

KERN System — Other Linked Bands — 220 MHz & on-demand 900 MHz

Simplex / Tactical (TAC) — 2m / 70cm / 6m / 10m — Updated 3/31/2025 by Laramie Uhles, N6CUL

East Kern Interoperability (IOP) — 2m / 70cm / GMRS / 33cm — Updated 3/31/2025 by Laramie Uhles, N6CUL

Resources & Links

What isWKC ARES?

Policies & Disclosures

Western Kern County
Amateur Radio
Emergency Service

What is
WKC ARES?