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.
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 → 
Public Service
July 4, 2026
Peachtree Road Race communications
More than 50 ARES operators from around metro Atlanta, DeKalb ARES among them, provided race communications and heat-safety Wet Bulb readings for the 2026 Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race, working alongside the Atlanta Track Club, Grady EMS, Emory CEPAR, and public-safety partners.
DeKalb ARES / Alford Memorial Radio Club
Field Day
June 27-28, 2026
ARRL Field Day 2026 at Pleasantdale Park
DeKalb ARES joined the Alford Memorial Radio Club for ARRL Field Day 2026 at Pleasantdale Park, a 24-hour emergency-power operating event that doubles as our biggest annual exercise in setting up and running stations off the grid.
Field Day
June 27-28, 2026
ARRL Field Day-Sat 6/27/2026-Sun 6/28/2026
Dekalb ARES in conjunction with the Alford Memorial Radio Club will be operating Field Day on Sat 6/27/2026 @ 2:00pm thru Sun 6/28/2026 @ 2:00pm at Pleasantdale Park.
Outreach
May 20, 2026
ARRL ARES Letter - 5/20/2026
ARRL ARES Letter - 5/20/2026 - http://www.arrl.org/aresletterissue?issue=2026-05-20
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.
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 →