The Athens Radio Club is a club for licensed amateur radio operators and other interested parties. The club is affiliated with the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and holds full member status in the Southeastern Repeater Association (SERA). The ARRL has designated the Athens Radio Club as a Special Service Club. This status is awarded to clubs who have ambitious plans for serving the community with their amateur radio skills.

The club's membership is diverse in makeup and interests. Members range from elementary school students to college professors to retired persons, both male and female. Presently the club has approximately 40 members.

Facilities and Equipment

The club meets the first Tuesday every month at Fire Station #8 in the community room at 7:30 pm. The club’s amateur radio repeater operates on 146.745 MHz (- shift, T123.0).

This repeater is local in scope and is used for Public Service Events as well as a variety of emergency traffic. It is also linked to the local telephone system, thereby enabling amateurs to contact a variety of emergency services to report accidents, stranded motorists, and criminal activity. Club members also use the repeater to assist the National Weather Service in spotting incoming severe weather.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        VE Tests

The Athens Radio Club Volunteer Examination Team offers amateur radio license tests on the first Tuesday of every even numbered month at 6:30 p.m. at Fire Station #8. 

 The Athens Radio Club works closely with the Clarke County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), by conducting training nets every Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on the ARC repeater.

Ham radio operators use two-way radio stations from their homes, cars, boats and outdoors to make hundreds of friends around town and around the world. They communicate with each other using voice, computers, and Morse code. Some hams bounce their signals off the upper regions of the atmosphere, so they can talk with hams on the other side of the world. Other hams use satellites. Many use hand-held radios that fit in their pockets. Using even the simplest of radio setups and antennas, amateurs communicate with each other for fun, during emergencies, and even in contests. They handle messages for police and other public service organizations during all kinds of emergencies including: hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, motorist accidents, fires and chemical spills,and search and rescue.

The Athens Radio Club is involved in various Public Service and Emergency programs:

Club/Public Service Activities

• Community Wide Amateur License Training and Examinations
• Statewide Tornado Drill
• Skywarn Severe Weather Spotter Network
• Assistance to Local Law Enforcement in Locating Interference
• Message Handling for Natural Disasters
• Message Handling for Armed Forces Personnel
• Message Handling for Routine Messages
• Calls for Motorist Assistance and Other Pertinent Situations to Law Enforcement Agencies
• Cooperation with Athens-Clarke County Emergency Management,local Hospitals and Northeast Georgia Public Health in Emergencies
• Damage Assessment for the American Red Cross
• Various walks/runs benefitting local causes
• Skywarn Training
• ARRL Field Day (Annual Emergency Preparedness Exercise)
• Red Cross Communications at UGA football games 

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