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We are fortunate to provide access to NARS member, Walter Holmes - K5WH's Perpetual Zoom room where many technical issues get resolved. If you have any questions about ham radio, technical questions surrounding Meshtastic, FreeDV, Satellites, Balloon Launching, HF, UHF/VHF, Radio Programming, Antennas, Transceiver configurations, WSJT-X, JT Alert, Software Defined Radios (SDR), etc. the answers can be found in the Zoom room and if the answer isn't there, the participants in the room can certainly steer you in the right direction.
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The Houston Local Traffic Net (HLTN) was formed July 14, 2020 in preparation for ARRL Field Day 2020. Originally called the Fort Bend County Traffic Net, the HLTN has been in continuous operation since then. The nets ran on Monday nights for one hour with training sessions during the net. Because of the volume and interest in the Traffic Net, on April 15, 2021 an additional session was added on Thursday nights for 30 minutes and in 2020 the time was increased for up to an hour to also accommodate training.
The Houston Local Traffic Net currently meets from 6:30pm – 7:30pm twice a week handling National Traffic System (NTS) traffic (Radiograms) into and around the Houston Metro area and also includes, time permitted, traffic handling/training.
Monday’s net: 146.940 (-) PL 167.9
Thursday’s Net: 147.000 (+) PL 103.5
Backup repeater for both: 147.190 PL 123.0
A complete schedule of Area Traffic Nets is located on the HLTN.org 'Nets' web tab with the times and
frequencies. Visitors are welcome and encouraged to check-in to listen and learn this important Amateur
Radio skill. Direct any questions, via phone or email, about the Houston Local Traffic Net, Radiograms, and
Traffic handling to: Sheree Horton WM5N, ARRL South Texas Section Traffic Manager
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Last Update: 22 JUN 2026
Content Usage
Except as otherwise expressly authorized in this site, no copying, reproduction, or distribution of the information contained in this site is permitted without the prior written permission of the Northwest Amateur Radio Society and is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied.
Limitation of Liability
This site may include facts, views, or opinions of individuals or organizations not affiliated with the Northwest Amateur Radio Society (NARS). NARS does not endorse, guarantee, or warrant the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of these facts, views, or opinions. NARS specifically disclaims any and all liability for any claims or damages that may result from facts, views, or opinions of individuals or organizations not affiliated with NARS appearing on these sites.
This site may contain links to other Internet sites maintained by third parties which NARS believes may be of interest or use to users of the sites, but for which NARS has no responsibility. NARS makes no effort to independently verify information on Internet sites outside of the w5nc.net domain, nor does it attempt to exert editorial control over such information.
NARS makes no representations or warranty of any kind as to the accuracy or any other aspect of the information contained on such Internet sites. NARS specifically disclaims any and all liability for any claims or damages that may result from information on Internet sites outside of the w5nc.net domain.
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Last Update: 22 JUN 2026
This policy establishes how the Northwest Amateur Radio Society will use information we gather about you from your visit to this site. Regardless of the information being transmitted to Northwest Amateur Radio Society, we will protect all such information consistent with applicable law. The privacy of our members is of utmost importance to Northwest Amateur Radio Society. We collect no personal information about you when you visit our website unless you choose to provide this information to us. However, we do collect and store certain information automatically as a consequence of your visit. Here is how we handle that information about your visit to our website.
What We Collect and Store Automatically When You Visit Our Website
If you do nothing during your visit but browse through the website, read pages, or download information, we will gather and store certain information about your visit automatically. This information does not identify you personally. We automatically collect and store only the following information about your visit:
- The Internet domain (for example, "xcompany.com" if you use a private Internet access account, or "yourschool.edu" if you connect from a university domain) and IP address (an IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer whenever you are surfing the Web) from which you access our website;
- The type of browser and operating system used to access our site;
- The date and time you access our site;
- The pages you visit;
- If you linked to our website from another website, the address of that website.
We use the information we collect to count the number and type of visitors to the different pages on our site, and to help us make our site more useful to visitors like you.
If You Send Us E-mail
You may choose to provide us with personal information, as in e-mail with a comment or question. We use the information to improve our service to you or to respond to your request. Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, we do not share our e-mail with any other outside organizations.
If You Request Additional information or Apply for Membership
Any personal information you provide for Northwest Amateur Radio Society is protected and not released to any outside entities. We will use your information only to provide you with the service that you requested.
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The following items must be addressed when requesting the use of the W5NC repeater system to provide communications support for a public service event or a net other than the NARS club weekly nets published in the club newsletter, NARS News.
§97.101 General standards.
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(a) In all respects not specifically covered by FCC Rules, each amateur station must be operated in accordance with good engineering and good amateur practice.
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(b) Each station licensee and each control operator must cooperate in selecting transmitting channels and make the most effective use of amateur service frequencies. No frequency is assigned for the exclusive use of any station.
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(c) At all times and on all frequencies, each control operator must give priority to stations providing emergency communications, except for stations transmitting communications for training drills and tests in RACES.
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(d) No amateur operator shall willfully or maliciously interfere with or cause interference to any radio communication or signal.
Use of W5NC Repeaters for Nets and Public Service Events
Training drills and emergency communications activities may be conducted on the W5NC repeater system outside of regularly scheduled NARS nets. Refer to the latest NARS Newsletter or the Nets section of this website for current net schedules.
Emergency Communications
Emergency communications always take priority over scheduled nets, as permitted under FCC rules. During severe weather or other emergencies affecting the Houston area:
- Notify Callsign Trustee, Paul Owen, N5NXS, by email as soon as practical.
- The Trustee will inform the NARS Board and serve as the primary point of contact for repeater use and status updates during the event.
Requesting Repeater System Use
Any licensed amateur operator may request use of the W5NC repeater system for a public service event or a recurring net that does not conflict with an existing NARS net schedule.
Requests must:
- Be submitted to the NARS President at least two weeks before the next Board meeting.
- Include:
- Purpose of the net or event
- Proposed day, start time, and end time
- Names of participating NARS members for recurring nets (not required for public service events)
Approval Process
- The NARS Board and the Trustee will review the request.
- If approved, the applicant will be notified and authorized to use the repeater for a period determined by the Board.
- Authorization for non-NARS nets may be modified or revoked at any time by the Board.
- The Board may request that the net organizer attend a Board meeting to discuss the net or any proposed revocation of the assigned time slot.
