Disaster Preparations

[MUTNAV]

You have a point. I think GMRS linking should be legal for the duration of a disaster to find the best bar/brewery. Then shut it back down.

But they have to practice with regular drills,... like once a week on Fridays. To make sure that everyone knows where they ALL are.

Thanks
Joel

 

[prcguy]

But they have to practice with regular drills,... like once a week on Fridays. To make sure that everyone knows where they ALL are.

Thanks
Joel

Regular drill as in AC powered, not cordless?

 

[MUTNAV]

Regular drill as in AC powered, not cordless?

I would consider cordless to be regular at this point also. The big thing is they aren't doing exercises (like pushups) to make sure the system works.

Thanks
Joel

 

[krokus]

Shaun of the Dead is not a training film. 😁

 

[k9wkj]

it isnt?
one thing the film taught me was the difference between a zombie and a live person isnt really very great!

 

[KD7RJC]

Honestly, probably the best casual disaster preparation without participating in existing organized teams would be participating in Field-Day-type events and operating off batteries or other non-mains-power. This very likely means upgrading license to General if currently just Technician in order to gain privileges on HF, but participating in Field Day and becoming accustomed to making contacts outside of one's region when not set up in one's home-station. It also means getting used to setting up in odd places, putting up equipment, and possibly even camping for a few days in the process.

VHF and UHF are predominately regional. Sure, atmospheric conditions sometimes lets 2m make contacts from California to Hawaii, but that's the exception rather than the rule. UHF/VHF might well be useful within the area to talk with other stricken individuals. There may be no practical way to communicate-out to those not so afflicted on those bands if the devastation is regional.

 

[MTS2000des]

That is the entire point of field day: to practice operating out of one's comfort zone and to publicly display the capabilities of amateur radio to the public at large.
Somehow it became a phallic symbol measuring contest instead of an exercise in skill and being good PR for amateur radio.

 

[KQ4AQP]

Both MTS2000des and yourself N4DES are correct amateur radio repeaters aren't 100% fail proof during disasters also emergency service radio networks aren't fail safe either an example of this comes from Pinery fires of 2015 when the SA-GRN was overloaded resulting in delays of vital information being passed onto fire crews ultimately in end blame was pointed squarely at SAPOL who tied it up with non essential radio traffic another was during the infamous 2009 Black Saturday Fires in Victoria when the whole CFA VHF network at that time completely collapsed/overloaded due to sheer number of fires

Down here in the South East of South Australia we have 2 local repeaters close to my QTH being 5RMG and 5RSE both on 2 meter band only drawback as ladn mentioned above immediate loss of power due to power lines being down and buildings/equipment/antennas being damaged rendering repeater communications useless thankfully 5RMG repeater has backup batteries for short term contingency in event of power loss

@KQ4AQP
Where you live in the Cadiz LBL area you have lots of terrain challenges all of those hills can be your friend of they can be your worse enemy.
Most people on here have no idea the elevation changes you are dealing with. Your ham radio may be at best some help but what you will get out of it may be small news bits at best. But planning is always a good thing but just do not have one plan. Highway 80 from Murray to Hopkinsville is like riding a roller coaster.

Yes, you are absolutely correct - the terrain here is incredibly challenging. Without a 100-foot tower (and who can afford one of those?) it will always be a challenge. Thanks.

 

[KQ4AQP]

It’s not on the list, but having survived numerous natural disasters of minor to moderate scale in the last few years…here in rural Vermont CB was more active than anything else. Most of the traffic was simple information such as which gas stations had electricity and which roads were passable. There were a handful of elderly people on base stations whom we were giving weather reports to.

Two or three times I heard actual message traffic being passed, with isolated people requesting loved ones be called by telephone by those who had the ability to do so. There was no formal ARRL traffic net or anything, but it was effective.

A distant 2nd place to CB was 2m simplex, often the same five to 10 people I hear on repeaters all the time.

The idea is not lost on me. I have a miniature CB radio with antenna in the trunk of my car for - JUST IN CASE. Thanks.

 

[N4DES]

That is the entire point of field day: to practice operating out of one's comfort zone and to publicly display the capabilities of amateur radio to the public at large.
Somehow it became a phallic symbol measuring contest instead of an exercise in skill and being good PR for amateur radio.

And then there are some that use it as a symbol to show off their new expensive gear (no you can't touch it) or as a feed feast.

I've been an advocate that FD should also be utilized to show off the operator's ability to interoperate to other Service Parts, like Part 95. But because you can't "log it" for points it never gets addressed.

 

[N4DES]

Yes, you are absolutely correct - the terrain here is incredibly challenging. Without a 100-foot tower (and who can afford one of those?) it will always be a challenge. Thanks.

That's one of the reasons why building rooftops rule over discrete towers if you can get permission from the owner to install comms gear. Access to make antenna repairs doesn't require a tower climb and to change things like a stand-by battery isn't overly complicated.

 

[buddrousa]

That is fine and dandy but the tallest building in the area where the op lives is less than 50 foot.

 

[KQ4AQP]

It’s not on the list, but having survived numerous natural disasters of minor to moderate scale in the last few years…here in rural Vermont CB was more active than anything else. Most of the traffic was simple information such as which gas stations had electricity and which roads were passable. There were a handful of elderly people on base stations whom we were giving weather reports to.

Two or three times I heard actual message traffic being passed, with isolated people requesting loved ones be called by telephone by those who had the ability to do so. There was no formal ARRL traffic net or anything, but it was effective.

A distant 2nd place to CB was 2m simplex, often the same five to 10 people I hear on repeaters all the time.

I do keep a small CB radio and antenna in the trunk of my car - just in case.

 

[Robbie1984]

Ah yes, the land of Oz! You guys have UHF CB. a much better wavelength for such things than we have here in the USA. CB at the top of the HF band kind of sucks for local communications.

UHF CB here is much like GMRS over there only difference is UHF being license free plus we've now got 80 channels in total with first 40 being 25 khz spacing and additional 40 on 12.5 khz

UHF CB is widely used by all industries and also emergency services for comms at road blocks or liaising with private fire units and land owners

 

[KQ4AQP]

I wouldn't count on many repeaters "existing" after a major disaster.

• Many repeaters depend on power lines and have little or no reliable backup power and there may be no way to access the repeater site to repair or replenish
• The repeater/building/antenna may suffer physical damage
• Interconnected repeaters may lose whatever mode of interconnection used to link to the network and/or the network servers may, themselves, be affected

Direct communication will be more reliable for relatively short range comms with HF a possibility for longer distances and SATCOM for connection to the rest of the world.

Yes, you're probably right in a wide-spread disaster. But most of my situations are more localized, such as a tornado/earthquake/flooding. And if not able to hit one repeater, I might be able to hit another repeater in a different direction, which is why I use a 50-mile diameter as my scenario. Having a SATCOM capability would be most helpful, but also most expensive. Simplex is good for up to about a mile around here - no further.

 

[KK4JUG]

Yes, you are absolutely correct - the terrain here is incredibly challenging. Without a 100-foot tower (and who can afford one of those?) it will always be a challenge. Thanks.

I've never seen any credible testing but I would also think that the taller the tower, the better the chances of it coming down in the wind. Your 50 mile range yesterday is 20 feet today and now it's horizontally polarized.

 

[bill4long]

Amateur radio, GMRS, FRS, MURS, CB radio FCC rules do not change when there is an emergency or disaster. None of the FCC rules permit any different operations when there is an emergency/disaster. The same rules apply as any other time.

Well, if a true SHTF situation occurred, nobody would care about the FCC regs or any other laws, regulations and ordinances. And why should they? That would be a survival situation. Eff the FCC in that situation. And everything else that interferes with survival.

 

[MTS2000des]

Well, if a true SHTF situation occurred, nobody would care about the FCC regs or any other laws, regulations and ordinances. And why should they? That would be a survival situation. Eff the FCC in that situation. And everything else that interferes with survival.

The whacker argument always comes up in threads like this. That is, "when a true SHTF" no one will care when Randy Rescue whacker with his illicitly programmed trunking radio pops up on a government trunking radio system with a cloned ID, or Baofeng Bobby keys up on the USFS...oh wait, both have happened and both got popped by the authorities when it was over. Straw man argument.

 

[mmckenna]

Well, if a true SHTF situation occurred, nobody would care about the FCC regs or any other laws, regulations and ordinances. And why should they? That would be a survival situation. Eff the FCC in that situation. And everything else that interferes with survival.

Maybe so in a global/nationwide disaster.

Public safety professionals have a different idea what constitutes an emergency compared to the guy who passed the 35 question multiple choice test and the bought the top of the line $18 CCR with the military looking blade antenna.

Having been through a few local disasters, the last thing public safety needs is some whacker 'trying to help'.

Hams have no business on any frequency allocations than those provided in part 97. They aren't going to benefit from accessing anyone else's system. If they want to help, volunteer with the agency and deploy when asked, not when they feel scared because the wind is blowing and Waffle House is closed.

Ham radio operators, GMRS users, MURS users, CB users all have roles they can play with the equipment and authorizations they legally have. There's zero justification to start hacking radios or trying to access trunked radio systems. That's just whacker dreaming, and it needs to be addressed swiftly and forcefully.

 

[KK4JUG]

Maybe so in a global/nationwide disaster.

Public safety professionals have a different idea what constitutes an emergency compared to the guy who passed the 35 question multiple choice test and the bought the top of the line $18 CCR with the military looking blade antenna.

Having been through a few local disasters, the last thing public safety needs is some whacker 'trying to help'.

Hams have no business on any frequency allocations than those provided in part 97. They aren't going to benefit from accessing anyone else's system. If they want to help, volunteer with the agency and deploy when asked, not when they feel scared because the wind is blowing and Waffle House is closed.

Ham radio operators, GMRS users, MURS users, CB users all have roles they can play with the equipment and authorizations they legally have. There's zero justification to start hacking radios or trying to access trunked radio systems. That's just whacker dreaming, and it needs to be addressed swiftly and forcefully.

I have to agree. After a 30+ year career in law enforcement that included SAR and Homeland Security, we never once asked where the civilians are so we could put them to work. I've been to hurricanes, tornados, building collapses, chemical spills, train derailments and more. We were prepared and handled it just fine. Our mobile command post communications included 800 MHz (for local use), programmable UHF & VHF, low band FM, marine, aircraft, etc., and a Raytheon ACU1000 to hook them up together plus satellite phones.