About us

What is CRHRC?

Cross Roads Ham Radio Club (CRHRC) began in 2020 in Jackson County, Texas has been created exclusively for charitable, educational and scientific purposes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our primary purpose is to promote interest and education of Amateur Radio and to encourage proper operation in accordance with the regulations of the Federal Communications Commission. 

The CRHRC and its members shall voluntarily furnish, when possible, skill, and equipment to enable its networks to be ready and available to provide emergency and disaster communications as a public service benefitting the public welfare of our communities.

The CRHRC will support and cooperate with local and county Emergency Management Departments, and other welfare or charitable organizations recognized and approved by the Board of Directors.

We have a VE (Volunteer Examiner) Team that can administer licensing and upgrade testing locally. Visit our Testing and Licensing page or contact us to see how to get started with amateur radio.

Where is Jackson County, Texas?

Jackson County, Texas is located approximately 100 miles from each of Houston, Corpus Christi and San Antonio. We are 35 miles inland from the Texas Gulf Coast, north of Port Lavaca.

Our major roadways are US Hwy 59 / 69, TX Hwy 35, TX Hwy 111 and TX Hwy 172 (see Jackson County on Google Maps.)

We are home to Lake Texana and two of the most amazing camping facilities you will find in Texas: Brackenridge Park and Campground and Texana Park and Campground, both operated by Lavaca Navidad River Authority.

Our Beginnings:

In September of 2020, one of our founding members was discussing area amateur radio repeaters with members of the Victoria Amateur Radio Club (VARC), when they let him know that there were no active amateur radio repeaters in Jackson County, Texas. This lack of repeaters had created a void in amateur radio coverage and communications in the Golden Crescent Region of Texas. In the spirit of amateur radio and with a friendly nudge, they challenged him to see what he could do about that.

Our member quickly contacted a small handful of Amateur Radio operators who were each very seriously engaged in the hobby.

On October 14th of the same year, Cross Roads Ham Radio Club (CRHRC) was officially formed as a Texas Non-Profit Corporation. That same month, we turned up two repeaters:

VHF repeater 145.330 Mhz (103.5 PL) on a 500′ tower, and
UHF repeater 444.500 Mhz (103.5 PL) at a test location.

On December 9th, 2020 we received our club call sign of KI5MLH. We immediately applied for a vanity call sign and on December 29th, 2020 our club call sign was updated to W5LCR.

The members from Victoria Amateur Radio Club who originally issued the “challenge” summed it up really well when they stated, “It is amazing what a small handful of motivated amateur radio operators can accomplish in a short time frame!

Over the first two years, the club created a “Linked Repeater System” tying our repeaters together with several member owned repeaters to create a “wide area” repeater system. Our long-term goal was to provide continuous coverage along the Hwy 59 / Interstate 69 corridor from Victoria through Houston.

In September of 2022, we deployed a new repeater on 145.430 Mhz (127.3 PL) in Wharton, TX which closed the gap along US Hwy 59 from Victoria to Houston! While this met our long-term goal (in two short years), we are continuing to work to add even more club sites and member owned sites to grow and fill this coverage even better. Stay tuned!

Our Club Call Sign – W5LCR

When a new Amateur Radio club forms, many will choose to honor a person who had an impact on amateur radio within the local community. In Jackson County, Paul Dittrich was such a man.

[February 4, 2014] Paul Dittrich, 97, was born 18 February 1916 to William and Julia (Beran) Dittrich in Lytton Springs, Caldwwell County, TX. In 1918 the family moved to their farm in the Cordele Community, where he attended school in the two-room schoolhouse in Lower Cordele.

Cross Roads Ham Radio Club By-Laws

Cross Roads Ham Radio Club Directors and Officers