MARA'S HISTORY

MARA was formed by 6 amateur radio operators who decided that an amateur radio multiple site 2 meter repeater
system was needed to give complete coverage when using a hand-held type radio in the Twin Cities Metro area
(then defined as a 7 county Metro area). MARA was formed only as a Repeater System support group and
therefore does not have regular “Club” meetings for you to attend. Our members get together on-the-air or meet
at other Amateur Radio club meetings in the area. This repeater system started out in 1973 as a one-site
repeater located in White Bear Lake. In 1978, MARA started adding “remote receive” sites to this repeater to
give better receiver coverage. When the receiver coverage exceeded the transmitter coverage MARA installed
the system transmitter on top of the IDS Building in Downtown Minneapolis. The transmitter remained at this
location until 1990 when the rent for this site was raised to $475 a month, just too much for an Amateur Radio
operation. Seven 146.25 Mhz receive sites now ring the Twin Cities Metro area. The MAIN transmitter site is now
on the Oakdale Water Tower, located just east of St. Paul, MN near the intersection of Interstate Highways 694,
494 and 94.