BridgeCom Official Blog

September 9, 2016 Tim King

BridgeCom Systems BCH-220 222 MHz Handheld FM Transceiver - QST Magazine
Reviewed by Rick Palm, K1CE k1ce@arrl.net

The BCH-220 handheld 222 MHz (1.25 centimeters) FM transceiver is a product of BridgeCom Systems, a company many readers may not have heard of. Based in Smithville, Missouri, the company was established in 2004, and according to its website, develops and sells communications equipment for the land mobile radio, Amateur Radio, commercial radio, and remote monitoring markets. Its first product was a VHF/UHF FM repeater.

Click here to read the review

Read now
August 10, 2016 Tim King

HamRadio 360 Podcast: It's all about 220 Hamradio
BridgeComSys explains their tech, users share their systems-it's all about 220 hamradio
Read now
March 31, 2016 Ron Kochanowicz

2016 Missouri QSO Party Contest April 2nd & 3rd
```
The 2016 Missouri QSO Party Contest will be held THIS WEEKEND from April 2 from 9 am - 11 pm and April 3 from 9 am - 3 pm.


http://www.w0ma.org/index.php/9-moqp/22-planned-activations-2
```
Read now

March 16, 2016 Tim King

MARCH 2016 MISSOURI SECTION ARRL NEWS

MARCH 2016 
MISSOURI SECTION NEWS
Cecil Higgins MO SM

           I want to thank all the volunteers that are continuing to
serve the ARRL Missouri Section in their appointed positions for the
Section. You are a great group and I really appreciate you all. 
         Don’t forget that the Missouri QSO Party, sponsored by the
Boeing Employees Amateur Radio Society, will be April 2nd and 3rd. You
can check out all the information about the MOQP at the BEARS website
by using the link http://w0ma.org/index.php/missouri-qso-party.  Look
over the whole site and use the links about the rules and other
information that will prove quite valuable.

Read now

January 7, 2016 Tim King

65 Great Things about Ham Radio by CQ Magazine
Clearly written by hams for hams. 65 great things about ham radio from CQ Magazine

1. It works when nothing else does
2. It makes you part of a worldwide community
3. The opportunity to help neighbors by providing public service and emergency communications
4. Some of the nicest people you'll ever meet
5. Some of the smartest people you'll ever meet
6. Some of the most interesting people you'll ever meet
7. Some of the most generous people you'll ever meet (along with some of the cheapest!)
8. Lifelong friendships
9. Friends around the world (including those you haven't met yet)
10. The opportunity to go interesting places you might not otherwise go to
Read now
October 23, 2015 Tim King

New Ham: First Steps by KC HamLink
There are some important first steps that newly licensed operators in the KC Metro area can do to help them get off to the right start. These first steps are designed to get you on the air and help you get connected to other experienced hams in the area.

Read now
October 21, 2015 Tim King

New 224.800 Repeater On The Air - SEMARA
After an 8 month absence, the SEMARA Repeater Committee has restored 220 MHz service via our brand new BridgeCom Systems ComLink™ BCR-220 repeater! The new repeater went live at 9:05 PM on Thursday, July 16, 2015. Like our 2-meter and 900 MHz repeaters, this repeater resides at our 180-foot tower site and its antenna (temporarily a Comet CX-333 shared with our 2m APRS station) is also atop the tower. Full technical specifications can be found on our repeaters section.

Read now
October 2, 2015 Tim King

The Amateur Amateur: 220
October 2015

The Amateur Amateur: 220

By Gary Ross Hoffman, KB0H

BridgeCom BCR-220 1.25m (220 MHz) Repeater

My friend Chuck, N0EIS, tells jokes that are either so corny that I can't believe he has the nerve to say them aloud, or so profound that I'm overwhelmed by his wit and wisdom. He oscillates between lunatic and genius, and much of the time I have no idea what he's talking about. Therefore, whenever he brings up a subject that I actually understand, I pay close attention.

That's how I became interested in the 1.25 meter band (220 MHz). Chuck is always lauding its attributes. He tells me that it works well in the lumps and bumps that constitute the terrain of St. Louis County. Of course, Chuck can get anything to work, whereas I can get just about nothing to work, but I thought I'd give the band a try anyway.

This was several years ago, so as you might imagine, I didn't find much in the way of 1.25m equipment on the market. Ideally, I wanted something like I already had, except with the extra band.

Read now
June 19, 2015 Ron Kochanowicz

Why 220 MHz for Amateur Ham Radio, V2.0?

220 MHz amateur radio boasts of a long and colorful history, affording it a special place in the hearts of amateur radio enthusiasts.

Conceptually, amateur radio repeaters are not too different from public safety devices (fire, first response, police) or those in use at federal, business or military services. However, they are often assembled (power supplies, transmitter, receivers, antenna etc.) or commercially packaged to operate only within amateur RF (radio frequency) bands, like 222-224.995 220 MHz band.

History

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved VHF bands as early as 1938, one of them being 1.25 meters (224 MHz) band. Amateur radio activity spiked rapidly in 1960s and 1970s, as 2m and 70cm bands swiftly rose to prominence in the hobby. The commercial spectrum of the VHF and UHF bands became the backbone of emergency service communications like police, fire and ems. The 1.25m band however, escaped the commercial popularity - partly due to lack of enough commercial frequency allocations. Add to it, commercial radio equipment for the band has been scarce. Amateurs willing to go live on this band have had to build their own equipment or buy specialized amateur radio equipment from designated manufacturers.

Read now