Emergency COMMS Considerations

[Z.O.R.G.]

I've been off-line/off-grid camping for a while, but after the hurricanes here are some thoughts on communications for emergencies/disasters. 

• Get a HAM and/or GMRS license.  it's not hard, let us know and we can help. 
• Get radio(s) - Even a FRS "blister pack" radios will help as disaster response personnel monitor those frequencies.  Make sure you have a way to charge them.
• Get experienced with your radio(s) - the time to learn is not when you need to use it.  Program them with repeater and calling frequencies before you need them.
• AM/FM radios - you can listen to local frequencies for updates and/or instructions.  Have spare batteries/power source.
• CB radios - they're thousands of them out there and will also be monitored by emergency command posts.
• Keep your transmit power low to save battery life.  Remember VHF/UHF is line of sight, you don't need more than a few watts to reach most repeaters.  If you need more coverage, a better antenna or higher elevation work better than more power.
• Cell phones & chargers - even if you don't have service, keep it on and charged as some emergency responders can detect the signal and find you.  If you have signal, send text messages only as they take up less bandwidth and power.  Avoid social media & game apps. - they drain your battery and take up bandwidth. 
• Flashlights make excellent signaling sources at night.  They can be seen miles away from the air when it's dark out.  Use a lower powered one and alternate flashing SOS & leaving it on.  Flashing gets a searcher's attention, stead on helps them find you.  Once they notice you leave it on.  Make sure you've spare batteries or a way to charge it.
• Signal Panels.  A SOS made from aluminum foil on a dark non-reflective surface is highly visible from the air during the day, or at night if they're using search lights.  Anything with a high contrast will work - and it's a passive signal, so you can do other things.  Make sure your signal panels are securely held down and wind/rain will not scatter them.
• Signal Whistles & Air Horns are great for getting the attention of rescuers.
• Signal mirrors are good, but you have to actively use them, and the receiver had to be able to understand what you're saying.  They're light weight, and I wouldn't fault anyone for having them in their kit - just not one of my favorites. 

[Moab]

Excellent advice. Even if you buy a cheap set of frs radios. At least you have something. I still have a set from 20 yrs ago that was dirt cheap then. And still going strong. They get a decent range around the neighborhood. And I swear I didn't spend more than $15. They seemed like junk toys for my 4 yr old at the time. But we ended up using them for years. As he got older we would have him carry one on his adventures on the beach. They got used alot. Ran on simple aa bats.

You at least have something to use between family/party members. And if your trapped frs is for sure going to be monitored by others and official rescuers. 

The point is don't wait to save up for the perfect set of radios. Or any perfect set of prepping gear for that matter. Throw together what you have now. And just augment with what you can afford now. Improve later as money allows. 

[eugenenine]

I had a CB radio in my truck (antenna is still under the back seat) but it was one of the newer unidens with the LCD issue in the heat so I pulled it out and sold it. I need to decide which to start again with, CB, FRS, GMRS, or ham?

[Moab]

I had a CB radio in my truck (antenna is still under the back seat) but it was one of the newer unidens with the LCD issue in the heat so I pulled it out and sold it. I need to decide which to start again with, CB, FRS, GMRS, or ham?

I would suggest gmrs or ham. As both are around the same cost entry level. $25-$30 per radio. I'd would highly suggest Baofengs or the many other similar knock offs. But ham gives you access to many more freqs or channels to monitor and broadcast on. Gmrs is only a set number of channels. And can be easily overcrowded in populated area. But is much easier to use. Like your clicking between maybe 20 channels. Whereas ham has entire freq ranges you can broadcast on. 

But first I would read The Baofeng Guerilla Guide. As it could pertain to either gmrs or ham. It's a much easier to understand guide to using radios in a shtf or paw situation. It's written by a guy who served in Afghanistan. And teaches small unit tactics for a living. It's written in plain English. Is a fairly quick read. And I'm learning more from it than years of reading about two way radios in manuals or ham sites. 

Hams, granted the most knowledgeable of radio enthusiasts, have a hard time explaining anything without coming coming off like exclusionary, phd level nerds. Who can't stop gatekeeping - by refusing to use anything but the most technical terms for every aspect of radio rx or tx. Again, I said they were the most knowledgeable. Just not the most inclusive group. When it comes to learning. And to be fair a ham enthusiast use of ham radio is very different from someone looking to use radios during small unit situations in a shtf or paw event.

That Guerrilla guide explains their use in a very practical, easy to understand way. And specifically how to use them in shtf. Which is very different than a ham radio enthusiast would explain how to use them.

I have a .pdf copy I can email you. Or you can buy it on Amazon.

Gmrs is like a set number of 20(?) channels iirc. Broadcast at a similar watt (5w?) as a handheld ham radio. Ham is a much wider frequency range. Giving you many more frequencies to broadcast on. But is more complicated. And if you intend to get licensed the gmrs license is much easier to obtain than the ham. But both are easy enough to get. 

You can pick up an entire set of 4 baofeng ham handhelds for about $100. Or $25 each. I would suggest that before buying anything better. As their price can run as high as $400-$600 per radio. The Baofengs are probably 80-90% of a $600 one. And the most widely used ham handheld around the world. 

Just remember ham enthusiasts have very different reasons for using radios than a prepper or average radio user. But you can decide how in-depth or technical you want to get. Just don't get overwhelmed with ham radio guys trying to explain anything to you. Read that guide first. Then go from there. 

More people have been discouraged from getting into the radio hobby by hams themselves than anything else. And I honestly think they don't mean to. 

[EBuff75]

I had a CB radio in my truck (antenna is still under the back seat) but it was one of the newer unidens with the LCD issue in the heat so I pulled it out and sold it. I need to decide which to start again with, CB, FRS, GMRS, or ham?

I assume that you're talking about a mounted radio, not a handheld, right?  Next question, do you have a GMRS and/or ham license, since that might affect which direction to go.  I'm going to discount FRS entirely, as that's really just a low-power, handheld only option that GMRS radios cover anyway.  It might also help to provide some use cases that you have for the radio, as that will help to decide which type best meets your needs.

Were you happy with the functionality of the CB radio, despite the hardware issues that you had?  If so, it might be easiest to just find another one that works more to your liking and get that.  Or did you want to switch to GMRS or ham for the greater power / distance, or for compatibility with other friends and family? 

Sorry to answer your question with a bunch more questions, but that will probably help people here to tailor their responses better to your situation. 

[NT2C]

I had a CB radio in my truck (antenna is still under the back seat) but it was one of the newer unidens with the LCD issue in the heat so I pulled it out and sold it. I need to decide which to start again with, CB, FRS, GMRS, or ham?

I assume that you're talking about a mounted radio, not a handheld, right?  Next question, do you have a GMRS and/or ham license, since that might affect which direction to go.  I'm going to discount FRS entirely, as that's really just a low-power, handheld only option that GMRS radios cover anyway.  It might also help to provide some use cases that you have for the radio, as that will help to decide which type best meets your needs.

Were you happy with the functionality of the CB radio, despite the hardware issues that you had?  If so, it might be easiest to just find another one that works more to your liking and get that.  Or did you want to switch to GMRS or ham for the greater power / distance, or for compatibility with other friends and family? 

Sorry to answer your question with a bunch more questions, but that will probably help people here to tailor their responses better to your situation. 

Something to consider in what you said is that mobile radios are prohibited from transmitting on FRS channels 8 to 14 by FCC regs § 95.1763(d):

(d) 467 MHz interstitial channels. Only hand-held portable units may transmit on these 7 channels. The channel center frequencies are: 467.5675, 467.5875, 467.6125, 467.6375, 467.6625, 467.6875, and 467.7125 MHz.

Indeed, some mobile GMRS radios don't even have those channels, while others have them but only to receive.  This is one reason why I keep a GMRS HT with a hand mic in my vehicle, even though I have a good mobile GMRS rig.

[Beowolf]

On this topic...I will be pinging you @NT2C because I recently went on an Amazon bender and purchased a pair of Baofeng UV-9G radios. And I have never used one of these before.

[Moab]

Link to the Guerrilla guide free .PDF.

https://pdfcoffee.com/qdownload/the-guerrillax27s-guide-to-the-baofeng-radio-pdf-free.html

[eugenenine]

Yes, the CB worked otherwise, you couldn't see what channel or anything when it got warm. Going through PA it was helpful to see why traffic was stopped like then they decided they had to repaint the lines on the highway on a holiday weekend, or when a trucker lost all power but the cb and the driver asked if anyone could stop and let him use a cell phone to call his company.
I did buy one of those cheap bofangs a while back but never got around to taking the ham test. the test time always seems to be limited to working hours on the seventh thursday of the month.

[Z.O.R.G.]

I did buy one of those cheap bofangs a while back but never got around to taking the ham test. the test time always seems to be limited to working hours on the seventh thursday of the month.

Starting during COVID they open up the ability to take the test at home.  I've never done it, but I think you need to have 1 or more webcams on you so you don't cheat.