On Friday, July 16, four amateur radio operators installed a radio repeater to provide emergency radio communications for Highway 19, according to a press release from Grant County Amateur Radio Emergency Services.

The area from Kimberly to Picture Gorge has little to no cellphone coverage and had only partial coverage by radio repeaters. The repeater is on land that is owned by Bob and Cheri Cook and Spencer and Katie Humphreys.

Those who participated in the installation were Craig Palmer of Long Creek, Jake Bellinger of Mt. Vernon, Ryan Palmer of John Day and Steve Fletcher of John Day.

“This section of Highway 19 is very difficult to cover, and people should be grateful to the Cook and Humphreys families for allowing the repeater to be placed on their land,” Fletcher said in the release.

The repeater was paid for entirely with volunteer funds and has procedures and protocols in place that conform to the “best practices” supplied by ERIC (Emergency Radio Infrastructure Coalition). It is open for use by FCC-licensed amateur radio operators and in an emergency is open to first responders.

Grant County residents who are interested in amateur radio communication may go to W7GCO.org for further information.