The Coquitlam Amateur Radio Club, officially known as the Coquitlam Amateur Radio Emergency Services Society (C.A.R.E.S.S.), is a non-profit organization with a dual mission. One part of its mission is to promote the exciting pastime of Amateur or Ham radio, while the other part is to serve as an integral component of local and provincial emergency preparedness efforts. This is achieved by providing free-of-charge communication expertise and assistance from experienced radio operators during severe disasters affecting both local and neighboring communities.

In an effort to facilitate individuals interested in obtaining their amateur radio licenses, C.A.R.E.S.S. counts among its members two volunteer examiners accredited by ISED, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. These individuals play a pivotal role in helping aspiring hams achieve their radio licenses.

The Coquitlam Amateur Radio Club, known by its call sign VE7SCC, stands as the largest facility of its kind in Western Canada. The club’s facility has an impressive 4,000 square feet of indoor space, complemented by approximately three acres of outdoor area. The indoor space is thoughtfully designed and equipped, featuring a fully operational radio room with eight working stations, a fully equipped multi-camera  conference room accommodating up to 20 people, a maintenance shop and electronics repair area, a kitchen, and on site storage for grab-n-go kits.

Outdoors, the facility proudly displays three Trylon HS510 towers, each reaching a height of 80 feet.
These towers serve as crucial support for a variety of antennas, segmented by the frequency range they operate within.

For frequencies below 30MHz, the facility has the following antennas:

• Two Rotatable Cubex 40-10m, 7-band Quads (Cubex Mantis II) at a height of 85 feet;
• A Rotatable wide-spaced 5-element 20m monobander (20M5) at 85 feet;
• A Fixed Tri-Band beam (Hy-Gain TH7DXX) at 60 feet, pointed towards the USA;
• Two Kelemen 80/40/20 Inverted-Vee trap dipoles at 60 feet;
• A Flat Top 80m dipole at 60 feet;
• An Inverted-Vee 60m Dipole at 60 feet.

For frequencies above 30MHz, the facility utilizes the following antennas:

• A Rotatable 7-element 6m beam (6M7JHV) at a height of 90 feet for 6 meters;
• A Rotatable 8-element 2m quad at 40 feet for 2 meters;
• Four Omni VHF/UHF antennas at heights ranging from 30 to 90 feet
• A combination of VHF and UHF Sinclair 4-bay collinear dipole arrays.

In addition to the equipment located on site, the club also operates a mobile communications trailer, equipped with HF/VHF/UHF radios, complete with satellite internet and long-range Wi-Fi capabilities. 

A presentation of our capabilities is available in this YouTube Video: