DeKalb ARES logo
DeKalb ARES
DeKalb County, Georgia
Next meeting Sat, Oct 17 · 1:00 PM Weekly net Sun 8:00 PM
All quiet · updated
Serving the Community of DeKalb County, Georgia

When the phones go down,
ham radio stays on the air.

DeKalb ARES is a volunteer group of FCC-licensed radio amateurs providing emergency and public-service communications to DeKalb County Emergency Management, area hospitals, and community organizations — on a moment's notice, and without dependence on commercial infrastructure.

See what we do → Join DeKalb ARES Get your ham license →

No license yet? The Get your ham license page walks you through study materials (free guide + iOS/Android apps), where to take the exam, and what comes next.

Public safety

Serving DeKalb County EMA. Damage assessment, inter-agency messaging, and EOC support when activated.

Public health

Standing radio equipment at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University Hospital, Emory Midtown, and the DeKalb Board of Health — staffed on request during activations.

Community

Communications support for the Atlanta Marathon, Peachtree Road Race, and county-wide drills and exercises.

Our mission

We provide public service communications support, on a voluntary basis, to Public Safety, Public Health, and other community organizations. Our commitment is to be a ready resource of trained communicators for these organizations, and to serve when and where needed.

Recent Activity

All activity →
KK4ODA receives AMRC award for expanding digital capabilities of Dekalb ARES
Outreach
September 19, 2026

KK4ODA receives AMRC award for expanding digital capabilities of Dekalb ARES

Our own Dekalb ARES member, KK4ODA, Facundo Fernandez (left) receives a recognition award from Larry McLendon- KU4RE, Alford Memorial Radio Club President (second left) and accompanied by Barry Kanne-W4TGA-Dekalb ARES AEC (3rd left) and Jim Penland-N4RAR Dekalb ARES EC (4th left) for all of Facundo's hard work in upgrading the remote access capabilities of the W4BOC repeater controller (146.76 MHz primary Dekalb ARES repeater on top of Stone Mountain.) Also, Facundo has done a excellent job in helping to establish the WD5EMA-10 VARA FM station and the W4BOC-1 APRS digipeater on top of Stone Mountain. Congratulations again Facundo on this well deserved recognition !

Bare tree branches sheathed in a thick, glinting coat of glaze ice against a clear blue sky after an ice storm.

David Ratledge · CC BY 4.0

Drill
August 15, 2026

Winter Ice Storm drill: after-action report

A progressive communications drill on August 15 walked the net through two repeater failures and down to 146.460 simplex. Eighteen stations checked in; repeater operation held up well, and the simplex phase exposed exactly the gap the exercise was built to find.

Michael Boatright (KO4WX) at the July DeKalb ARES meeting, holding the feedpoint and coax of a roll-up slim jim antenna while another member holds the black window-line element upright. A telescoping mast stands beside them.

DeKalb ARES

Meeting
July 18, 2026

Roll-up slim jim antenna build with Michael Boatright, KO4WX

Michael Boatright (KO4WX) walked DeKalb ARES members through building a 2 m roll-up slim jim antenna out of 450-ohm window line, including crimping the PL-259 and tuning the feedpoint. A cheap, packable antenna that turns an HT into a far more capable station in the field.

How we stay in touch

Weekly training net

Every Sunday at 8:00 PM local time on the Alford Memorial Radio Club repeater. Open to any licensed amateur — membership not required.

  • Primary W4BOC 146.760 (-) PL 107.2
  • Backup W4BOC 145.450 (-) PL 107.2
  • Simplex 146.460 MHz
  • EchoLink W4BOC-R · node 330246

Taking a turn as Net Control? Use the net script (PDF) →

Winlink digital

Two Winlink RMS gateways under callsign WD5EMA-10, moving email over radio when the internet is down.

  • Packet 145.590 MHz (DeKalb Fire/Rescue HQ)
  • VARA FM 145.530 MHz (Stone Mountain)
Groups.io · primary channel

Between meetings and nets, the group stays coordinated on Groups.io — meeting announcements, last-minute updates, drill coordination, and member discussion.

groups.io/g/DeKalbARES →

Members should register; non-members may read archived discussions.

Supplementary real-time chat on Discord →

For members & weather spotters
From the Emergency Coordinator

"If you are interested in emergency communications, you are welcome at any monthly meeting or weekly net. No advance registration required."

— James W. Penland · N4RAR · Emergency Coordinator, DeKalb County ARES

Get involved

Hold an FCC license? We'd like to meet you.

No dues. No mandatory deployments. Just a standing monthly meeting, a weekly net, and an open invitation to be useful when it matters.

Learn how to join →