What's BSRG?
BSRG stands for Big Shanty Repeater Group. Big Shanty is the old railroad name for the town of Kennesaw, where we were founded. Located in Metro Atlanta, GA, we have operated an extensive Amateur Radio repeater system for about 40 years.
What's “BSRG LINK”?
BSRG LINK is what we call the network that ties many of our repeaters together. At times, it also includes other repeaters as well. We have several repeaters that operate in various modes (Analog or Digital). So everyone can enjoy the conversations whether they have an analog or digital radio, we bridge them together using a combination of Allstar Link and DMR.
On another Brandmeister DMR repeater? Visit us on talk group 311340. On Allstar, just connect to node 58429.
Join Us for Lunch
If you find yourself in the Marietta or Kennesaw area around lunch time, please join our Lunch Bunch!
Monday Pizza — 11:30 AM
Pisano's Pizzeria on Main Street, just south of Downtown Kennesaw.
Friday BBQ
Sonny's BBQ on US 41 in Marietta, just south of The Big Chicken.
What is DMR?
DMR is a very popular digital protocol, which more and more Ham repeaters are adopting. DMR is narrow band, using 2 slot TDMA, which allows two different simultaneous conversations on the same repeater. Many DMR repeaters are also connected to the Internet (but not required), which allows a multitude of connections to other repeaters worldwide.
Since DMR is an open standard (vs Icom's D-Star and Yaesu's Fusion), many manufacturers make radios, which leads to the comments about inexpensive handie talkies. They are a good way to get your feet wet, assuming you are close enough to a repeater.
There aren't a lot of Ham DMR mobiles and the popular one is the Anytone 578, which does VHF, UHF, DMR, Analog, 220 MHz and receives airband. It also does digital and analog APRS, which is a worldwide free vehicle and personal GPS location and messaging service, all Ham owned. The 578 is the matching radio to the 878 handie talkie, which goes for about $249 now. The inexpensive “starter” DMR handie talkies are the Baofeng DM32-UV and DM-1701, both well under $100.
This group has many repeaters, DMR as well as Analog, and we keep them linked so “everyone can play”, regardless of the radio they use.
Our Amateur Repeaters
This is basic information. For detailed DMR info such as talk groups, see our DMR info PDF (also on our Facebook page), or grab the simple programming chart.
On the air since the '80s at a 100% Ham owned & controlled site. Our call sign is now the memorial W4KIP. Others are welcome to visit via Allstar.
One of the original 2 meter repeaters in Metro Atlanta, going back to the early '70s when Neil Stone WB4UPC first built it. Neil is still around, living in Idaho, but Ralph now owns his site and repeaters.
Originally the GRAPES 1200 baud repeater (one of two duplex packet repeaters in the nation), transferred to BSRG by Doug KD4NC on the agreement it remain digital — and it has! The first and only VHF DMR repeater north of Valdosta. Standard BSRG Talkgroup layout
Back on the air with new equipment after lightning damage. Break out the old 220 rig! Anytone 578 owners can program 220 — ask us how. Soon to be linked on BSRG LINK via Allstar.
Great coverage from its high antenna, with worldwide connectivity on Brandmeister. Standard BSRG Talkgroup layout
UHF Brandmeister DMR repeater. Has very good metro coverage. Standard BSRG Talkgroup layout
UHF Brandmeister DMR repeater. Looking for a new Marietta area high site for it. Standard BSRG Talkgroup layout
Thanks to our friendship with Bob Bruninga WB4APR, inventor of APRS, we've run digipeaters since about 1993. Ralph N4NEQ worked with SERA to reserve 144.39 for APRS, and on Halloween 1998 we QSY'd the entire Southeast US network at once. More on APRS
Not owned by BSRG, but may be connected at times
Long-time friend and linking partner covering I-75 in South Georgia. Scheduled to move to a taller tower to cover Lake City, FL up to Cordele, GA.
Not owned by us but BSRG supported
Belongs to a non-Ham friend of the group; we host it. Standalone and not affiliated with any illegally linked GMRS repeaters. Request permission to use.
What happened to our 900 MHz & 427.25 ATV repeaters?
Our first 900 MHz repeater (fondly known as “The Laughing Repeater”), along with our ATV repeater, power amplifier, controller, sound transmitter and VSB filter, were all kept (without permission) by the person who was supposed to be storing them for us after the tower site was purchased by a tower conglomerate.
900 MHz Meshtastic & Meshcore
We have been helping build a large network in North Georgia. Meshtastic/Meshcore is an unlicensed “open source, off-grid, decentralized, mesh network built to run on affordable, low-power devices”. It uses many low cost meshed nodes all over Metro Atlanta and North Georgia, and can provide position reporting as well as short text messages. In unlicensed mode, all communications are private and encrypted.
BSRG provides resources for nodes at our Sweat Mountain site (fed with 7/8″ hard line and a Comet BC-920 antenna), Blackjack Mountain, and Sassafras Mountain east of Jasper, GA at 3300 ft MSL. Our nodes identify as BSRG, Sweat, SASS and PINE. If you want to get involved, come to one of our lunch bunches or get on one of the repeaters.
Recent Happenings
- The SASS Meshtastic node was replaced with a dual node offering Meshcore as well as Meshtastic capabilities, also provided by Walter Hooper.
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The SASS Meshtastic node (Sassafras Mtn near Jasper) was moved to the top of the tower, now about 3300 feet above sea level. We are getting direct signal reports from Marietta to Rome to Athens. Walter Hooper designed a custom node with both Medium Fast and Long Fast frequencies. Here's the view (towards the east):
Climb the SASS tower with me:
- Our 444.05 DMR repeater received new hardware, a new antenna and feedline — coverage is better than ever. 224.22 received brand new hardware, a Bridgecom BCR-220, already interfaced to Allstar (node 67076) thanks to K8MDM and KM4BA. The Marietta Meshtastic solar node was replaced with a NEBRA tower-mounted POE node featuring a Walter Hooper designed LoRa radio. And we installed a very high site Meshtastic repeater/node (SASS) at 3300 feet near Jasper.
- Ralph & Mike (KR4CCZ) installed a Meshtastic solar node on a pole at the Blackjack site (April 15), and Ralph later installed a new antenna for it. The Sweat Mountain node was switched to a Diamond BC-920 antenna and 7/8″ hard line on top of the tower. Not a work party, but on April 5 several BSRG members attended Stan KB4IA's 90th birthday. Happy Birthday Stan!
- Ralph & Mike (KR4CCZ) installed a different Meshtastic node on the tower using our old 900 link receiver antenna and hard line.
- Stan KB4IA and Jeff KK4ZC helped hang two sheets of siding, and Ralph repainted the building a couple of weeks later. An open GMRS repeater, the “Woodstock 575 Repeater” on 462.575 MHz, was added.
- We replaced the leaking roof on the original repeater shack, also known as “Petie's House”. 30 years ago, Stan and Frank actually BUILT this addition. Thanks to Stan KB4IA, Mike K8MDM, and Ralph N4NEQ.
A Rich History of Firsts
The BSRG has a rich history of firsts. We are proud of them!
- The first dedicated RF linked repeaters in Georgia. Back in the 1980s, the 146.655 repeater in Marietta and the 147.135 N4BZJ repeater in Dalton were linked over a dedicated UHF frequency.
- The first system of linked analog and DMR repeaters — BSRG LINK — so nobody misses out, even with only an analog radio. It's a combination of Brandmeister, Allstar and fairy dust, with the main work and knowledge from Alan Barrow KM4BA and Spencer Fowler. Join from anywhere on Brandmeister talk group 311340.
- In 2017, the first two Brandmeister DMR repeaters in Metro Atlanta: 444.775, then 444.05 a month later, at a time when the local network only allowed store-bought Motorola repeaters.
- The first 2 meter DMR repeater north of Valdosta: 146.73, formerly the GRAPES packet repeater by Doug KD4NC. And it's STILL digital!
- In 1997, the first two IRLP repeaters in the entire Southeast, linked via the Internet to hundreds of other systems worldwide.
- The first Ham repeater system with 6 remote voting receivers all over Metro Atlanta, allowing HT coverage from almost anywhere.
- The first 900 MHz Ham repeater in Georgia. Founder N4NEQ co-wrote the SERA 900 MHz band plan that enabled reuse of cheap Motorola radios across the Southeast.
- From 1990 to 2012, BSRG retransmitted all NASA Space Shuttle mission audio non-stop on 146.655 and video on the ATV repeater — a memorial to Tim Mallory AI4B, whose idea it was with Ralph N4NEQ. We still get people thanking us. More
Support BSRG
How are we funded without memberships? Entirely by donations. We have our monthly expenses down to about $100, but we need your help! If you like what we do, whether it's Meshtastic or Ham Radio, we would REALLY appreciate any donation to keep it all going.
PayPal and Venmo both charge us a fee. To avoid it, email us at groupinfo@bsrg.org or use our contact page.