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OPINION: Chilcotin radio communication facilitated by co-operation between the users

For government, industry and the general public communication in the Chilcotin can be a challenge.
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The Vedan mountain repeater site. Photo submitted

Jim Hilton

Special to the Tribune/Advisor

For government, industry and the general public communication in the west Chilcotin can be a challenge.

Most people who travel out west know cell service ends near the Williams Lake sign on Highway 20, so industry, government, residents and the public have a variety of ways for communicating. A fibre optic line runs along Highway 20 which provides land line telephone service for communities and individuals within close proximity to the line.

Some use satellite phones which are fairly expensive after initial equipment purchase and monthly charges along with limited reception in some areas and times of day.

Users of active logging roads are required to have truck-to-truck communication for safety reasons.

The majority of mobile radio communication takes place through a network of repeaters that covers most areas with the exception of some of the more remote valleys in the east side of the coast mountains. The repeaters are set up to pass on the signals so someone from Anahim Lake can talk to another operator in the south Cariboo.

Last week I accompanied two members of the amateur radio group to the Vedan repeater site in the Big Creek area. We were going to upgrade the repeater that forms part of a communication network over most of the Cariboo region. After using a number of logging roads and a rough 4x4-section to the top we had a great view and could see the Vedan mountain is an ideal location for a repeater site. The old fire lookout was still standing but had not been used for a number of years. As is the case in many repeater locations there were a number of buildings and antennas serving a variety of clients. The amateur radio hut also contained equipment for one of the logging companies. Jordi and I were assisting Dave Aitken with the installation of a new system in the amateur radio tower on Vedan Mountain. Dave worked for most of his career as a radio tech for the Ministry of Forests. Since retiring he has volunteered many hours helping the Cariboo Chilcotin Amateur Radio Society (CCARS) and others keep the vast repeater system operating.

Upon arriving on site Dave described how the variety of buildings and antennas scattered about the mountaintop were often shared by a number of users to help with initial establishment and ongoing maintenance costs. Besides the CCARS facility which also housed the West Fraser system there were two other buildings and towers used by government and industry.

Ideal locations for repeaters are high points which can service specific areas and have road access to keep ongoing maintenance costs down so helicopter use is minimized. Many sites were old fire watch tower locations which have been replaced by monitoring from airplanes.

The system is not perfect and takes a lot of co-operation between the various users but when other forms of communication are down or not available information can be passed on. The system reminds me of the old rural telephones where proper etiquette is important as there may be lots of people monitoring the system.

Jim Hilton is a professional agrologist and forester who has lived and worked in the Cariboo Chilcotin for the past 40 years. Now retired, Hilton still volunteers his skills with local community forests organizations.