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Submitted by Charles "Stan" Stanley of CARA
 CARA's Green Acres radio site. Note the towers behind the buildings. |
The Cochise Amateur Radio Association (CARA) has been affiliated with Cochise County in Southern Arizona for over 20 years and maintains a 40-acre communications complex in Sierra Vista, Arizona, referred to as (1) Green Acres. This facility is maintained under a land use agreement between the Bureau of Land Management and Cochise County and between Cochise County and CARA. (2) The facility currently supports one (3) large meeting hall, (4) one large mobile home used for a small meetings), library and space for an UHF repeater that provides critical communication in Cochise County. (5) Another mobile home that provides three high frequency operating positions for state wide and worldwide communications capabilities, and an extensive electronic maintenance shop. We have a covered storage area, a covered ramada and a very extensive antenna field consisting of a full size 40 meter beam on a 140 foot tower, a 20 meter beam on a 100 foot tower, a tri-bander on an 80 foot tower and a "V" antenna with 750 foot legs. And finally, we have two concrete block buildings, one is a back up power generating facility and the other a men and women restroom.
CARA also operates and maintains three other communications systems on Mule Mountain, near Bisbee, Arizona, all in support of Cochise County. The facilities provide excellent coverage to the eastern part of the county.
 Major General Chuck Sutton, Commander of the U.S. Army Signal Command, guest speaker at a CARA meeting. |
CARA is also licensed as a Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) station that allows us direct access to Army frequencies and communications with Active Army Organizations, National Guard and Reserves and the Federal Emergency Management Agency at all levels of the Government. Our facilities have also provided for the operation of the U.S.Army MARS Western Area Gateway while its facilities were being renovated. We still serve as a back up station to the Western Area Gateway.
CARA has over 100 licensed amateur radio operators that are available to respond to the needs of Cochise County and its residents. We operate under the general guidance of the Cochise County Director of Emergency Services and respond to all planning, exercises and real life emergencies. We also maintain an emergency response van that belongs to the Cochise County Sheriff's Department. The van is kept at our Green Acres facility and deployed at the request of the Sheriff's Department or DES to support search and rescue or other needs for special communications.
 One of our three HF operating positions |
CARA conducts extensive training, which together with club sponsored VEC examinations, have produced dozens of new operators each year. A high percentage of these new members include active duty military who serve in intelligence and signal assignments.
We also have installed a fitting on our water well system that is used by local fire departments to fill tanker trucks.
For more information on CARA, including the time of the monthly meeting and a list of current officers, visit the
CARA Website.
