The West Fork GMRS Repeater provides local and regional GMRS coverage from West Fork, Arkansas, serving portions of southern Washington County and the surrounding Northwest Arkansas area.
West Fork 600
West Fork, Arkansas
This repeater is operated as part of the Arkansas GMRS Repeater Group network.
View Official Repeater ListingRepeater Information
- County
- Washington County
- Access
- Open GMRS repeater
- Provider
- Arkansas GMRS Repeater Group
- Status
- ON AIR
West Fork 600 is an open GMRS repeater serving West Fork and surrounding communities in southern Washington County, Arkansas. The repeater provides a regional communications resource for licensed GMRS operators, travelers and local residents throughout the southern Northwest Arkansas corridor.
Repeater Coverage
- Primary Area
- West Fork and southern Washington County
- Extended Area
- Greenland, southern Fayetteville, Winslow and nearby Northwest Arkansas communities under favorable terrain and operating conditions
- Possible Weak Areas
- Deep valleys, mountain terrain, buildings, dense vegetation and terrain-shadowed areas in the Boston Mountains
Coverage varies with elevation, terrain, antenna height, radio power and local obstructions.
Community Information
West Fork 600 can be used for local communication, radio checks, travel coordination and community information. Listen before transmitting, identify with your GMRS call sign and allow pauses so other operators have an opportunity to join the conversation.
Emergency Information
Yield immediately to emergency traffic. State your GMRS call sign, location and the assistance needed. GMRS does not replace 911 or official public-safety communications.
GMRS does not replace 911 or public-safety communications. Use the fastest available method to contact emergency services.
About the West Fork GMRS Repeater
The West Fork GMRS Repeater, commonly identified as West Fork 600, provides GMRS coverage for West Fork, Arkansas, and portions of southern Washington County. Its location makes it a useful communications resource for licensed GMRS users traveling between the Fayetteville metropolitan area and communities along the southern US-71 corridor.
West Fork 600 can be useful for local communications, radio checks, family and group communications, and travelers moving through the area. As with any UHF repeater, actual range can vary considerably depending on terrain, antenna height, radio power, surrounding buildings and the user’s location.
Wide Coverage of NW Arkansas. Has a battery back up with more than 10 hours of reserve power & pending solar upgrade.
Equipped with Simplex Repeater & Voicemail
If you want to test your signal, the simplest way is to transmit over the repeater, wait a few seconds, and then transmit 0 (zero). It should replay your transmission. Below are more commands.
System Check
##01 – Ping test – The controller will respond with 3 beeps if it is online.
Auto Replay
0 – Say again replay. Dialing ZERO will replay the last transmission.
Parrot Mode
3 – Parrot Repeater ON (auto off in 3 minutes)
6 – Parrot Repeater OFF
Leave Voicemail:
1 – Ok Beep – Leave your message
Voicemail Retrieval Mode
(Auto Exit after 10 seconds of silence)
*000 – Enter Voicemail Mode
1 – Play previous message
2 – Repeat current message
3 – Play next message
0 – Erase current message and play next message
* – Exit voicemail retrieval mode
West Fork 600 Programming Information
Program your radio to receive on 462.600 MHz and transmit on 467.600 MHz, using the standard +5.000 MHz repeater offset. The repeater uses a 110.9 Hz CTCSS/PL tone.
Before transmitting, listen to make sure the frequency is clear. Licensed GMRS operators should identify with their FCC-issued GMRS call sign and follow normal repeater operating practices.
GMRS Coverage Around West Fork
The terrain surrounding West Fork has a significant effect on radio coverage. The nearby Boston Mountains contain hills, ridges and deep valleys that can block or weaken UHF signals, sometimes over relatively short distances.
Mobile radios connected to properly installed external antennas will generally provide better results than handheld radios, particularly from inside a vehicle. Handheld performance can improve considerably from higher elevations or locations with a clearer path toward the repeater.
Because terrain is such an important factor, actual radio performance is more useful than estimating coverage based only on mileage. A location farther from West Fork with favorable elevation may have a better signal than a much closer location hidden behind a ridge.
Using GMRS in Southern Washington County
West Fork’s position makes the repeater useful to GMRS operators traveling between West Fork, Greenland, Fayetteville and other communities in southern Washington County. It can also provide another communications option for people traveling, camping or recreating in the mountainous areas south of Fayetteville when terrain permits a usable signal.
Coverage should never be considered guaranteed, particularly in remote valleys and mountainous areas. Users who regularly travel outside populated areas should test their radios from the locations they expect to use them and should not rely on GMRS as their only means of emergency communication.
Help Improve Our West Fork Coverage Information
Ozark GMRS uses real-world reports from local radio operators to improve our understanding of repeater coverage throughout Northwest Arkansas. If you successfully reach West Fork 600 from a location not currently represented in our coverage information, consider submitting a monitoring or signal report at the Contact Us page.
West Fork 600 is listed as part of the Arkansas GMRS Repeater Group.