Our Mission & History

Our Mission

The Detroit Lakes Amateur Radio Club exists to advance all aspects of amateur radio to serve the communities located in Becker County. Our mission includes:

• Promoting and educating the local community about amateur radio
• Encouraging new operators to get licensed and set up stations
• Training and maintaining readiness for emergency and non-emergency events
• Educating and promoting diverse activities within amateur radio
• Maintaining an active local club and repeater system

A Rich History

The Detroit Lakes Amateur Radio Club began with informal meetings of area hams in the late 1950s. The club was formally organized in the 1970s around the W0EMZ repeater, which was originally assembled by Robert John, WB0FVL. Key figures in the club's development included M.J. Buchhop, KC0VM, and Bill Wilson, K0CDJ. Today, DLARC is an ARRL-affiliated club that meets the 3rd Saturday of every month for breakfast at 8:30 AM at the Detroit Lakes Holiday Inn and for business and projects at 10:00 AM at the Becker County Museum. The club holds a weekly net on Sundays at 8:00 PM on the W0EMZ repeater (147.195 MHz).

In 2023, the club, in cooperation with the Detroit Mountain Recreation Area, relocated the repeater to the top of the Detroit Mountain Ski hill, increasing its coverage from 15-20 miles to reaching Fargo/Moorhead, Fergus Falls, and beyond. The ne