Community Supported Radio Resources.
A message from the admin team: SWCRS Members: We’re excited to share that several of our mountaintop systems will be placed into service in support of the Arizona Monster 300 ultramarathon, hosted by Destination Trail. The following repeaters will be… Read More »SWCRS Repeaters Supporting Arizona Monster 300 – Limited Operations (March 27 – April 3)
Recently, there’s been a surge of online discussion suggesting that the FCC is “adding low-band VHF to GMRS.” Before anyone starts clearing space in the shack, it’s worth slowing down and looking at what has actually happened, as there is… Read More »Op-Ed: Low-Band VHF and GMRS – What’s Actually Happening?
We recently held our first SWCRS Winlink Net. SWCRS may be based in the Southwest, but participation wasn’t limited to our region. We had six stations check in from Arizona and New Mexico, along with operators in Iowa, Florida, and… Read More »SWCRS Winlink Net Kickoff
The 5151 repeater received a squelch adjustment this week following a site visit and on-air testing. The settings were fine-tuned to better accommodate stations that aren’t full-quieting into the machine, improving responsiveness to weaker and mobile signals. With the squelch… Read More »5151 550 (Yes, All the Numbers) Repeater Squelch Adjustment Improves Weak-Signal Performance
Overview In the world of emergency communications, redundancy is king. While we often rely on the robust Southwest Community Radio System (SWCRS) repeater network for voice communication, there is a powerful tool in our “comms toolbox” that often goes overlooked:… Read More »Digital Resilience in the Desert: The SWCRS Winlink Net
This year’s Winter Field Day on January 24–25 was a great experience for SWCRS Snipe Club; our contesting branch that’s slowly been gaining traction over the past couple years. For those who haven’t been involved before, Winter Field Day is… Read More »Winter Field Day with SWCRS Snipe Club
Summary We traveled to the Guthrie Peak site today, skirting the trailing edge of a winter storm, leaving Tucson at around 4:00am. The timing made for a memorable drive, with spectacular scenery on the way up – low clouds, fresh… Read More »Guthrie 600 Repeater: Winter Site Visit, Repairs, and Programming Updates
Operators Needed! March 27 – April 3, 2026Supporting a 300-Mile Foot Race from Globe to Patagonia The Arizona Monster 300 returns March 27 through April 3, 2026, challenging runners to complete a 300-mile continuous foot race in Arizona’s back-country from… Read More »Call for Radio Operators: Arizona Monster 300
[Initial Report, Outage 1/11/2026] The following repeaters are currently off network; to our knowledge they are operating normally in standalone mode Members are advised to use the Lemmon 650 or Heliograph 700 repeaters as alternatives. [Update, Partially Resolved 1/16/2026] Operation… Read More »Resolved: Tucson 600 & Guthrie 600 Network Issues
Our Mission: To develop the capabilities of the General Mobile and Amateur Radio Services, and encourage a natural interest in radio communications with the communities we serve by providing infrastructure, educational opportunities, and community events.
Public Records: Public records for the Tucson GMRS Association (dba. “Southwest Community Radio System”) can be found here: Public Records & Documents