When the grid goes down, we're still on the air.
Bellingham GMRS is a community of GMRS operators across Whatcom County, keeping neighbors in contact during storms, outages, and emergencies — no cell service, no internet, no monthly bill. Several local repeaters carry a net through the week.
GMRS nets & repeaters in the area.
Several GMRS repeaters cover the county, each with its own weekly net. Anyone with a GMRS license is welcome to program these in and check in — the Wiki walks through it step by step.
| Repeater | Location | Output (RX) | Access tone | Weekly net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham 550 | South Bellingham | 462.5500 MHz | Log in | Saturdays at 8:30 PM |
| Lookout 725 | Lookout Mountain | 462.7250 MHz | Log in | Tuesdays at 7:00 PM |
| Sumas 675 | Sumas Mountain | 462.6750 MHz | Log in | Sundays at 7:30 PM |
| Lynden 650 | Lynden | 462.6500 MHz | Log in |
Repeater owners like to know who's using their machines — please register at MyGMRS.com with your call sign. It's free, and it helps keep everyone properly GMRS-licensed.
Why radio, why now
In a serious disaster the systems we lean on every day tend to fail together: the electrical grid, cellular networks, and home internet. Small, battery-powered GMRS radios keep working when all of that is down. A group that already knows how to reach each other on the air — because they practice — can check on family, share road and shelter conditions, and pass along requests for help when nothing else is available.
If you're brand new to radio, you're in the right place. Everything here assumes no prior experience.
What is GMRS?
GMRS stands for General Mobile Radio Service — a licensed radio service for personal and family communication, regulated by the FCC under Part 95, Subpart E.
- You need a license, but there is no exam. You apply to the FCC and pay a fee; the license lasts about ten years.
- One license covers your whole immediate family — spouse, children, parents, and other close relatives can all operate under it.
- The radios are inexpensive and easy to use. Handhelds work right out of the box, and repeaters like ours extend that range across the whole area.
What is a "net"?
A net (short for network) is a scheduled on-air meeting: everyone tunes to the repeater at an agreed time to check in. It's the most efficient way to talk on the radio when there are many people.
- Net control is the station that runs the meeting — calling for check-ins, keeping order, and directing traffic so people don't talk over each other.
- A check-in is simply announcing that you're on the air and listening. In an emergency, check-ins are how the group takes a head count and finds out who is safe and who needs help.
Practicing on a calm day builds the habit and the roster that make a real emergency activation work — which is what our nets are for.
New to nets? Here's how they work.
Each net is a short, friendly on-air meeting to help everyone grow more confident with GMRS — with an eye toward being ready if the grid ever goes down. They all follow the same simple run of show, so it's easy to jump into any of them. Beginners always welcome.
Everyone gets a turn on the air — a quick way to confirm your radio is working.
News and events of interest to the local GMRS community.
Best practices, how-tos, and getting prepared to use radio in an emergency.
The net closes; stay on the air to talk further if you'd like.
Support the repeaters.
The Bellingham 550 and Lookout 725 repeaters (operated by Jeff, WRKC440) run on rented tower space, funded entirely by donations. If you'd like to chip in toward their site rent and upkeep, it's always appreciated. The other area repeaters are maintained separately by their own operators.