Emergency Communications

AMH · December 14th, 2007, 10:31 AM

I am putting together a Family Emergency Preparedness kit. One thing I would like to buy is some sort of communication equipment, a radio of some soft. I am pretty ignorant when it comes to this kind of stuff. I have been looking around, but the more I do the more confused I become. There is GMRS / FRS / CB / etc.

Can someone please steer me in the right direction. What is what? What is best for different situations? Do I need an FCC license?

PaulBk · December 14th, 2007, 10:54 AM

I am sure others will be along with details, but to get you started I will kick things off. Different radios will have different requirements for legal use. Basically, the higher the power, the more regulation there will be.

If you are serious about long range communicating during an extended emergency, then go get your ham license. For short range stuff, FRS/CB will suffice. I keep a couple of small FRS devices and a couple of hand held CB's in my emergency kit. These are small enough to easily stow with all the rest of the gear and would provide limited, short range communication for small teams or a family.

-Paul
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

Supertac45 · December 14th, 2007, 10:55 AM

Depending on the radio, you will probably need a license. Unless you plan on HAM Radio type equipment, most licenses are a simple matter of a few dollars and the paper work. If your talking receivers only, no license is required.

AMH · December 14th, 2007, 11:51 AM

My father in-law is licensed for GMRS. According to the FCC website his family members (including in-laws) can operate a radio under his license. So I may be able to get away with not having to spend the $75 on a license.

Anyways, I am thinking about getting this radio set. What do you think?

state6three8 · December 14th, 2007, 12:30 PM

I have many forms at my disposal, FRS, GMRS, CB and HAM (N7PIG = my call sign). Each have their pros and cons. Go to www.ARRL.com for more details.

The HAM is the most dificult and time consuming to obtain due to the test you have to take. The study time involved would take the lay person (like me) about one month of sudty time at 20 minutes a day for about 3 or 4 weeks. There are a few HAM web sites that have on line sudy guides (practice tests) that will guide you along the way. It's not hard, just time consuming. The license is good for a long time and is cheap.

The good part is you can talk across your neighborhood or the world if you needed to. You can buy a decent hand held radio for under $110 or a great one for $400. I have spoken with a guy who is support staff at Palmer Station (Antarctica) from Spokane, Washington on my handleld wakie talkie ($120 model). That's the power of HAM radio. One of my walkie talkie (the size of a pack of smokes) can recieve radio / tv / frs / grms / and a few HAM bands. It's a true disaster radio.

If you haven't already, look into HAM. It's a fun hobby too.

Cupcake · December 14th, 2007, 04:11 PM

If you want reliable comms with the outside world, look into ham radio. If I had to place a bet on who will be talking when SHTF, it'd be on them. KB8NHL

JD · December 14th, 2007, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AMH

My father in-law is licensed for GMRS. According to the FCC website his family members (including in-laws) can operate a radio under his license. So I may be able to get away with not having to spend the $75 on a license.

Anyways, I am thinking about getting this radio set. What do you think?

10 miles....I think not,welcome to the world of line of sight (LOS) if your planning on a SHTF radio, go with a quality radio set, which I'm sorry to say you probably won't get at walmart.

When talking non-trunked radio, it's all about the power out. You'll want the most wattage that doesn't require a liscense.

Along with power comes max propagation, that little stubby antenna isn't going to go much for you. You should have a better antenna, think mobile (IE vehicle mount, not hand held.)

I try to leave the radio stuff at work, not into HAM at all, but I'll ask around.

Cupcake · December 14th, 2007, 04:34 PM

Yeah, 1/4 wave mobile car antenna sure beats and 1/8wave rubber ducky, but an even better antenna is a di-pole. Basically a wire of a length that is appropraite for your frequency.

mcp1810 · December 14th, 2007, 05:31 PM

Another thing to consider is Nextel phones. They offer a couple of models that can use their direct connect function "off network". Going off network does greatly limit the range though. I myself have a couple of CB's ( including my first, a Midland 23 channel job!) and now 6 FRS/GMRS radios.
The GMRS radios do require a license, however getting one is not that big a deal. My wife and I did a little testing, and the results were not surprising. Dont believe the advertised range. Those figures they give are assuming perfect atmospheric conditions and over open water and such. From inside my house talking to my wife walking the dog, my original two mile range radios are worthless after she goes about one block. My six mile radios give us in reality about a mile. My twenty mile radios aren't much better. The big issue for us is not so much distance as the houses etc. in between. When they say line of sight they mean it!

Thumper · December 14th, 2007, 06:16 PM

The Ham license is the way to go. I have an Advanced license. Entry level will get you all you need and it really isn't hard to pass the test.

I have a Yaesu VX-7R that isn't much bigger than a pack of smokes it has 3 bands and I can link through repeaters and talk all over the world!

Ham's train for disaster and our goal is to maintain communications in an emergency.

December 14th, 2007, 10:31 AM	#1
AMH Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 310	Emergency Communications I am putting together a Family Emergency Preparedness kit. One thing I would like to buy is some sort of communication equipment, a radio of some soft. I am pretty ignorant when it comes to this kind of stuff. I have been looking around, but the more I do the more confused I become. There is GMRS / FRS / CB / etc. Can someone please steer me in the right direction. What is what? What is best for different situations? Do I need an FCC license? __________________ Join the NRA! The Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting. It is about keeping the government in check. This requires that the citizenry is well armed and at all times has immediate access to arms.

December 14th, 2007, 10:54 AM	#2
PaulBk Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Washington State Posts: 200	I am sure others will be along with details, but to get you started I will kick things off. Different radios will have different requirements for legal use. Basically, the higher the power, the more regulation there will be. If you are serious about long range communicating during an extended emergency, then go get your ham license. For short range stuff, FRS/CB will suffice. I keep a couple of small FRS devices and a couple of hand held CB's in my emergency kit. These are small enough to easily stow with all the rest of the gear and would provide limited, short range communication for small teams or a family. -Paul Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) __________________ The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality - Dante Hero's aren't born, they're cornered - According to Jim

December 14th, 2007, 10:55 AM	#3
Supertac45 VIP Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Michigan's U.P. Posts: 2,778	Depending on the radio, you will probably need a license. Unless you plan on HAM Radio type equipment, most licenses are a simple matter of a few dollars and the paper work. If your talking receivers only, no license is required. __________________ Les Baer 45 Sig Man N.R.A. Patron Life Member M.C.R.G.O.

December 14th, 2007, 11:51 AM	#4
AMH Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 310	My father in-law is licensed for GMRS. According to the FCC website his family members (including in-laws) can operate a radio under his license. So I may be able to get away with not having to spend the $75 on a license. Anyways, I am thinking about getting this radio set. What do you think? __________________ Join the NRA! The Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting. It is about keeping the government in check. This requires that the citizenry is well armed and at all times has immediate access to arms.

December 14th, 2007, 04:11 PM	#6
Cupcake VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,399	If you want reliable comms with the outside world, look into ham radio. If I had to place a bet on who will be talking when SHTF, it'd be on them. KB8NHL __________________ Pain is temporary, quitting is forever. www.zerotoathlete.blogspot.com My journey to fitness.

December 14th, 2007, 12:30 PM	#5
state6three8 Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Washington State Posts: 102	I have many forms at my disposal, FRS, GMRS, CB and HAM (N7PIG = my call sign). Each have their pros and cons. Go to www.ARRL.com for more details. The HAM is the most dificult and time consuming to obtain due to the test you have to take. The study time involved would take the lay person (like me) about one month of sudty time at 20 minutes a day for about 3 or 4 weeks. There are a few HAM web sites that have on line sudy guides (practice tests) that will guide you along the way. It's not hard, just time consuming. The license is good for a long time and is cheap. The good part is you can talk across your neighborhood or the world if you needed to. You can buy a decent hand held radio for under $110 or a great one for $400. I have spoken with a guy who is support staff at Palmer Station (Antarctica) from Spokane, Washington on my handleld wakie talkie ($120 model). That's the power of HAM radio. One of my walkie talkie (the size of a pack of smokes) can recieve radio / tv / frs / grms / and a few HAM bands. It's a true disaster radio. If you haven't already, look into HAM. It's a fun hobby too.

December 14th, 2007, 04:34 PM	#8
Cupcake VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,399	Yeah, 1/4 wave mobile car antenna sure beats and 1/8wave rubber ducky, but an even better antenna is a di-pole. Basically a wire of a length that is appropraite for your frequency. __________________ Pain is temporary, quitting is forever. www.zerotoathlete.blogspot.com My journey to fitness.

December 14th, 2007, 05:31 PM	#9
mcp1810 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 1,007	Another thing to consider is Nextel phones. They offer a couple of models that can use their direct connect function "off network". Going off network does greatly limit the range though. I myself have a couple of CB's ( including my first, a Midland 23 channel job!) and now 6 FRS/GMRS radios. The GMRS radios do require a license, however getting one is not that big a deal. My wife and I did a little testing, and the results were not surprising. Dont believe the advertised range. Those figures they give are assuming perfect atmospheric conditions and over open water and such. From inside my house talking to my wife walking the dog, my original two mile range radios are worthless after she goes about one block. My six mile radios give us in reality about a mile. My twenty mile radios aren't much better. The big issue for us is not so much distance as the houses etc. in between. When they say line of sight they mean it! __________________ "And what would you do with your brain if you had one?" - Dorothy

December 14th, 2007, 06:16 PM	#10
Thumper VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Sparks, Nevada Posts: 3,320	The Ham license is the way to go. I have an Advanced license. Entry level will get you all you need and it really isn't hard to pass the test. I have a Yaesu VX-7R that isn't much bigger than a pack of smokes it has 3 bands and I can link through repeaters and talk all over the world! Ham's train for disaster and our goal is to maintain communications in an emergency. __________________ ALWAYS carry! - NEVER tell!

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