History
Linked Amateur Radio in our area began as a proposal at a Texas VHF FM Society meeting in 1977 by then ARRL West Gulf Division Director Roy Albright, N5RA. Roy envisioned an intercity UHF net that would link cities in the interior to those along the entire Texas coast. Initially, the FM Society and a few clubs subsidized the project. Enthusiasm and funding did not last and as a result, the effort went private as Armadillo Intertie. Founders were Mike Roden, W5JR (then N5FL), Dallas, Joe Jarrett, K5FOG, Austin, and Larry Higgins, W5EX (then W5QMU) in San Antonio.
We began in the late seventies by reconnecting the Dallas-Moody- Austin-Blanco-San Antonio backbone. When it became apparent that Texas was a bit big for the original model a southern group was formed and incorporated in 1984 as Intertie, Inc. Currently, Intertie, Inc. manages the communications links south of Austin, west along the U.S. 90 corridor and south through Corpus Christi. Armadillo operates along U. S. Interstate 20 to the west and southeast to Houston
Intertie, Inc. initiated connections from Alpine and El Paso to San Antonio, thence to Corpus Christi along U.S. 181. Interface with the Cactus Intertie was accomplished at Dark Canyon, NM. From there, existing links connect west to California. This system was activated on September 5, 1994, by UHF radio contact with N6DD in Diamond Bar, CA.
We operate 23 radio sites including a stand-alone open repeater in Corpus Christi. Intertie, Inc. continues to maintain, improve and add sites to support hurricane preparedness operations along the central and southern Texas Gulf Coast. To accomplish this requires at least 87 duplex radios with associated antennas, feed lines and peripheral hardware. Our System backbone extends over a distance of 633 miles from Dark Canyon, NM to Corpus Christi, TX.
With approximately three members per site we are always looking for interested participants. Our call sign is WX5II. We maintain affiliation with the Cactus Intertie in California and with the American Radio Relay League. Intertie, Inc. is a not-for-profit Texas corporation financed entirely by member dues and public donations.
W5EX
No use of these symbols or phrases is allowed without the express written permission of Intertie, Inc.