With this West Central Florida repeater map, you can select mode specific repeaters (e.g. NXDN) and only show the ones by the mode you are looking for.  Those selections can be made at the bottom of the map.  You can also select one from the list at the right and be taken directly to that repeater’s information.  If you are aware of any other repeaters in the West Central Florida that should be added, please let me know.  My email is my callsign @arrl.net

Repeaters (new/changes)

Below you will find changes that take place with repeaters in my area in West Central Florida. 

Updated 08/27/2024

Analog
NI4CE Analog Linked Repeater System to Increase Coverage

The coverage map for the NI4CE ANALOG repeater system has been updated to include a new repeater that extends coverage on analog into Lee County where NXDN radio penetration is still limited. Our SKYWARN® footprint will now be increased thanks to the new Babcock repeater on 443.600 (+) with a PL tone of 100hz.

This new repeater is part of the NI4CE mission towards the advancement of Amateur Radio and emergency communications in West Central Florida.

This new repeater is ON-THE-AIR as of Tuesday, August 27th, 2024. Stay tuned for more information.

D-Star
Although the Bartow D-Star Gateway on 444.4875/+ has been on the air now for a few years, the repeater itself has been swapped out to a newer Icom ID-RP4010V  repeater.  The original is now a backup unit and the Gateway is now running on the newer unit since December of 2023. 

DMR
Indian Lake Estates W4VCO repeater – Joining the other Polk City and Welcome DMR repeaters is the 444.6875/+  DMR repeaters.  This is linked with the other W4VCO repeaters, as well as supporting popular talkgroups such as Florida Statewide 3112.  

Fusion/Wires-X
Bartow 145.270/-     The Bartow Fusion/Wires-X repeater, a collaboration between the Polk County Schools Radio Society, the Lakeland Amateur Radio Club, and Lake Wales Radio Amateurs, is on the air.  It’s current status is that it has been operating as a Fusion repeater for some time, is now registered on the Wires-X system for room ID number 04102, as WC4PEM/R.  The Internet ports for this repeater are in the process of being setup and it should be available as a new Wires-X Gateway soon!  

NXDN

The NI4CE NXDN linked repeater system has once again had an upgrade.  The ever growing NXDN network, which during one stretch in 2023 put three new repeaters on the air in nine days, has a new upgraded Sumter repeater on the network.  The Sumter repeater on 442.0625 will be up and running on a new tower location site and coverage has greatly improved.  So, if you’re traveling to the north end of the NI4CE NXDN network, give the new 442.0625 repeater a try.  The antennas were hoisted and the system was online in late July 2024.  Enjoy!

P25

The 147.375/+ repeater in Lakeland Highlands has resumed mixed analog/P25 operations.

SARNET

The Lakeland SARNET repeater on 442.275/+ with a tone of 82.5 is operational, however, the connection to the SARNET system from the Lakeland  (FX1 site)  is poor.  Since some time in April, the repeater is receiving signals from SARNET, albeit weak and noisy.  Transmissions from the SARNET Lakeland repeater were being heard on SARNET, but reception of SARNET is noisy.  This could just be conditions but we have had times when our transmissions were not being heard on SARNET.

Thanks to Polk County Emergency Management, an alternative radio and antenna to access the SARNET system from the Polk County EOC has been provided.   While SARNET in Lakeland is down, our current plan until the link is repaired is to use the Tampa SARNET repeater on 442.850/+ with a tone of 146.2. 

The Sarasota SARNET repeater on 444.800/+ with a tone of 100.0 is currently operational, but within a few months of July 2023, will be decommissioned.  FDOT is rebuilding the Fruitville Rd. interchange, and the current tower will be removed.  This could easily be a year or more.  There is no guarantee that there will be space to relocate a new tower.  They are looking for someone who has an existing high repeater site that may be able to get it on the network, but there are no guarantees.