Robert “Mac” McConnell, WØROO, would always sign off from “Lake Jarbalo”. There is a Jarbalo, Kansas; a postage stamp size town near the bottoms of the frequently flooded Stranger Creek. When the creek is high, it literally looks like a lake in some places. Mac had a friendly voice, a great mentor, and a fun-loving radio operator.
In his honor, we are carrying on the Jarbalo Amateur Radio Association (JARA) and keeping the UHF Repeater operating that long bore his callsign.
As of July 2015, the repeater is operating atop Saint John Hospital in Leavenworth, Kansas. Specifics can be read on Repeater Book. Here is a synopsis:
Frequencies: 444.800+ PL: 151.4 Hz
Power: 35 watts
Call: W0ROO/R
Radio: Yaesu DR-2X C4FM “Fusion” Repeater
FM Net: Join us each Sunday evening at 7 pm Central for the weekly JARA UHF Equipment test net in association with the Pilot Knob Amateur Radio Club, Leavenworth County ARES, RACES, and KC Heart.
Fusion: When operating in digital mode, the repeater has a default connection to the Kansas City Room; a network of 9 nodes and repeaters in the Kansas City area.
N E W S See Additional News Below