🎉 WSHE379 is Now OPEN ACCESS!
We have some exciting news for the North Alabama GMRS community!
The WSHE379 GMRS Repeater is now Open Access! That means licensed GMRS operators are welcome to use the repeater to stay connected with family, friends, neighbors, and the community.
Whether you’re coordinating Back-to-School activities, traveling across North Alabama, checking in during severe weather, or simply enjoying the hobby, WSHE379 is here to help keep everyone connected.
Our goal has always been to provide a friendly, reliable communications resource that encourages more people to discover the value of GMRS. Open access means new operators have an opportunity to learn proper operating practices while experienced users can enjoy another dependable local repeater.
As always:
- Use your FCC-issued GMRS call sign.
- Be courteous and leave pauses between transmissions.
- Welcome new operators to the system.
- Help keep the repeater enjoyable for everyone.
We look forward to hearing familiar voices—and plenty of new ones—on the air!
🌎 Around the GMRS Community
GMRS continues to grow across the country as more families, off-road groups, preparedness teams, and community organizations discover the advantages of reliable local communications.
A recent example comes from Pennsylvania, where the Uniontown Amateur Radio Club installed a new open-access GMRS repeater specifically to improve community communications. Club members reported immediate participation from neighboring counties and even used the system to relay weather information during winter storms, demonstrating how local repeaters can strengthen everyday and emergency communications alike.
Another topic generating discussion throughout the GMRS community is a proposal that could eventually expand GMRS into additional low-band VHF frequencies. While enthusiasts are actively debating the idea, no FCC rule changes have been adopted, and GMRS operations continue under the current Part 95 rules.
The FCC continues to remind operators that GMRS repeaters may be remotely controlled over networks, but repeaters may not be linked together over the internet to carry GMRS communications.
📡 Join the Conversation
If you haven’t been on the air lately, now is the perfect time!
Whether you’re commuting, heading to school events, traveling this season, or just testing a new radio, give WSHE379 a call. We’d love to hear you on the repeater.
Stay safe. Stay connected. We’ll hear you on the air!