Our History

The Fraser Valley Amateur Radio Emergency Service Society (FVARESS) was formed in 1994 by members of the Abbotsford Amateur Radio Club after the club relocated the VE7RVA repeater to Sumas Mountain. The society specializes in the maintenance and development of its repeater sites.

Our Purpose

The Provincial Emergency Program has designated FVARESS repeaters for inter-municipal and region-wide communications during major emergencies. Our volunteers maintain and develop this critical infrastructure to ensure reliable communications when they matter most.

Our Sites

FVARESS operates two repeater sites that can be connected via UHF link. Both sites use RC-210 repeater controllers.

VE7RVA — Sumas Mountain

  • Location Sumas Mountain, east of Abbotsford, BC
  • Elevation 823 meters
  • Coverage Fraser Valley BC & NW Washington State
  • Power Off-grid: solar panels & diesel generator
  • Services VHF, UHF/DMR, 1.25m, IRLP, Packet/Winlink, Meshcore

VE7RVB — Thacker Mountain

  • Location Thacker Mountain, Hope, BC
  • Elevation 230 meters
  • Coverage Hope, Hwy 1/3/5 corridors (~50km)
  • Power Grid-connected with battery backup
  • Services VHF FM

VE7RVA Site Photos

VE7RVA repeater site
The site
Communications tower
Tower
Winter at the site
Winter conditions
Battery bank
Battery bank
Diesel generators
Generators
Sunset from the site
Sunset

Contact

Operating Rules

  1. Proper station identification is required at all times
  2. Conversation time limits apply
  3. Minimum 3 seconds between transmissions
  4. Maintain proper conduct standards
  5. Emergency traffic always has priority
  6. Follow net procedures during scheduled nets
  7. Do not cause interference to other stations
  8. Follow all applicable regulations