Radio advice to stay in contact with family during emergencies

[acerini]

Hello All! I am not only a beginner but still learning the etiquette of forum posting so I hope I’m asking in the right area. I did a search to find my answers in other conversations so so wouldn’t have to start up a new one, but had no luck on this specific question. Please feel free to direct me elsewhere if I’m in the wrong place.

I’m looking for a radio format that would work well in the event of an emergency and cell phones no longer work. If I need to leave my family at home while I look for essentials elsewhere, I’m trying to determine what the best solution is to stay in contact. I don’t need to call out for other users or emergency services to help me, I just need to remain in contact with my family. We live in a standard city environment where line of sight communication is not really an option at these distances. I may need to travel from 3-15 miles away within my city to assist other family members during an emergency. I want to have the main radio at my home to stay in contact with family while I am out for a limited time. Without making budget or licensing the main focus, can anyone recommend a solution to this potential situation? What would or do y’all plan to do as far as communications in the event of a collapse of government or city services. After reading the quality of conversations on this forum, y’all sound like you have a ton of knowledge. Thanks for weighing in, much appreciated.

 

[K4EET]

Hi @acerini and welcome to Radio Reference!

If the infrastructure grid is down and you need to rely on battery powered portable radios, direct portable to portable communications, and assuming there is no “repeater” available to repeat your signal, 15 miles is going to be a stretch. Even if terrain, vegetation, and man made structures were ignored (which they can’t be in reality), you would need a very high tower with a very efficient omnidirectional antenna system to even hope to talk 15 miles out.

As for the radio type, there are a lot of options. You could go anywhere from a Citizen’s Band (CB) system to a satellite based system (if the satellite is working).

Some initial things to consider are:

1. What is your budget? $100, $1,000, or even $10,000
2. Are you in a community that prohibits outside antenna systems?
3. Will your home have emergency power such as a generator or solar power to charge batteries for the portable radios and possibly a high power base radio?

And that is just a few of many questions. I’ll let some other members chime in with some initial questions. Options and opinions will probably vary widely so feel free to ask questions. As time goes on, you will start to get an idea of how to put together an end-to-end arrangement that will allow you to stay in touch with your family back home.

In closing, please reconsider the 15 mile radius requirement. If the infrastructure grid is down, which includes everything (roads, water, gas and electric, etc.), a 15 mile trek may be virtually impossible. If you really want to be prepared, there is a lot more to consider. Like I said earlier, even battery powered portable radios will need electricity to charge the batteries. And if using a generator, fuel will be needed which brings up more questions. Just to support a communications system for your family, a lot more than just “walkie-talkies” will be required. And that 15 mile radius from home, well, that needs to be carefully scrutinized. Looking forward to your initial thoughts on the above.

 

[buddrousa]

3 to 15 miles that is not going to happen with cheap family service radios.
Your options are to get everybody licensed as Ham Radio Operators or lease space on a local 2 way radio system that may or may not work when you need it.

 

[dkcorlfla]

One GMRS ($35 for whole family) license and two mobile radios, one in a vehicle and one as base at house would be what I would recommend. While it's not going to give you 15 miles on simplex unless you can drive up a big hill it will be solid at closer ranges. A couple of hand held radios could be added to fill out the system and provide more operating options.

 

[buddrousa]

And share 7 Frequencies with hundreds of people.

 

[jwt873]

If you have iPhones (newer than the iPhone 14) and you have no cell service or WiFi available, you can text and share locations with friends directly via the Starlink satellite system. Connect to a satellite with your iPhone - Apple Support

If you can wait, Tesla is supposed to soon be releasing a Pi phone. (One for as low as $380). Since Tesla and Starlink have the same owner, I'm sure the Tesla phone will work well with the Starlink satellites. There's a lot of speculation about these phones and there is no set release date. I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

[acerini]

Hi @acerini and welcome to Radio Reference!

If the infrastructure grid is down and you need to rely on battery powered portable radios, direct portable to portable communications, and assuming there is no “repeater” available to repeat your signal, 15 miles is going to be a stretch. Even if terrain, vegetation, and man made structures were ignored (which they can’t be in reality), you would need a very high tower with a very efficient omnidirectional antenna system to even hope to talk 15 miles out.

As for the radio type, there are a lot of options. You could go anywhere from a Citizen’s Band (CB) system to a satellite based system (if the satellite is working).

Some initial things to consider are:

1. What is your budget? $100, $1,000, or even $10,000
2. Are you in a community that prohibits outside antenna systems?
3. Will your home have emergency power such as a generator or solar power to charge batteries for the portable radios and possibly a high power base radio?

And that is just a few of many questions. I’ll let some other members chime in with some initial questions. Options and opinions will probably vary widely so feel free to ask questions. As time goes on, you will start to get an idea of how to put together an end-to-end arrangement that will allow you to stay in touch with your family back home.

In closing, please reconsider the 15 mile radius requirement. If the infrastructure grid is down, which includes everything (roads, water, gas and electric, etc.), a 15 mile trek may be virtually impossible. If you really want to be prepared, there is a lot more to consider. Like I said earlier, even battery powered portable radios will need electricity to charge the batteries. And if using a generator, fuel will be needed which brings up more questions. Just to support a communications system for your family, a lot more than just “walkie-talkies” will be required. And that 15 mile radius from home, well, that needs to be carefully scrutinized. Looking forward to your initial thoughts on the above.

Hi K4EET,
Thanks very much for the quick and detailed response. I appreciate it very much. My elderly mother in law is about 8 miles away which is why I selected the arbitrary 15 mile radius. I don’t know that aid make it far by vehicle in those conditions but nicely assumed there was a straight forward solution to have contact in that range

 

[acerini]

To all that replied, y’all are a great group. I appreciate your expertise. I have an elderly family member that lives about 8 miles away that I’d need to check on in an emergency which is why I randomly picked 15, but now know it’s not feasible. My boy is 20 and would get licensed if y’all thought ham was the best and most reliable solution but the wife and teen daughter would rather find a new husband and father before they would be willing to learn it. What it sounds like is a GMRS setup would be the most cost effective and get me a mile or two somewhat reliablly? I was hoping to stay under $1,000 for 2 or 3 radios. I’ve got a Honda EU3000 generator to power up some devices in an emergency. Any solid brand and model GMRS radios that y’all really like or had good luck with. Something that you may have seen and were impressed with?

Always wondered what the tactical overseas contractors used for their communications with eachother. Guessing some sort of satellite coms… I digress.

 

[mmckenna]

To all that replied, y’all are a great group. I appreciate your expertise. I have an elderly family member that lives about 8 miles away that I’d need to check on in an emergency which is why I randomly picked 15, but now know it’s not feasible. My boy is 20 and would get licensed if y’all thought ham was the best and most reliable solution but the wife and teen daughter would rather find a new husband and father before they would be willing to learn it.

Amateur radio is not a good choice if everyone isn't willing to get licensed, practice the skills, and learn the equipment. The license test is not easy for everyone to pass. It does require some technical knowledge that can be learned, but unless the student has a desire, they aren't going to enjoy it.
Most amateur radio gear is overly complex, which will overwhelm users unless they use the radio all the time.
Being proficient takes time and practice. Unless everyone is willing to do that, amateur radio is not the right tool for the job, and don't let the hams force you into it. I've been a ham for 30+ years, and it is not the solution to everyone's needs.

What it sounds like is a GMRS setup would be the most cost effective and get me a mile or two somewhat reliablly?

With any radio service, the range is dependent on the antenna. That means if you want any sort of reliable range, you need:
At home, antenna outside on the roof, properly installed, grounded, etc.
In the car, antenna outside, on the roof, properly installed.
These radios are not going to give you the range you desire if you have a hand held radio sitting on the kitchen counter. You might get a mile or two, but reliability will suck.

If you really want this, you have to be committed to doing it correctly, otherwise you'll be disappointed. The antenna is the most important part of your setup, and if you are not committed enough to install an external antenna, you are not going to achieve your goals.

I was hoping to stay under $1,000 for 2 or 3 radios. I’ve got a Honda EU3000 generator to power up some devices in an emergency.

You can probably do this for $1000, if you are careful.

Any solid brand and model GMRS radios that y’all really like or had good luck with. Something that you may have seen and were impressed with?

#1: Keep it simple.
#2: Transmitter power doesn't make up for improper antenna system.
#3: Range is all about the antenna.

In the keep it simple department, Midland makes some mobile GMRS radios that are fairly decent for the newcomer. The 15 watt model will do what you need. Don't get hung up on the "watts". It's the antenna that gives you range.

Get 2 or 3 of those radios.
Get a mobile antenna. Magnet mount if you must, but a permanently installed antenna will be better.
Get a decent base antenna at your home. Antenna needs to be up as high as you can -safely- get it.
Get decent coaxial cable. Keep the run short.
Proper grounding since lightning will make your radio a smoldering pile.


Or, go with CB. But not just an average CB. Make sure you get one of the newer ones that does FM. That will give you pretty good range, but the antennas are much larger, so confer with the wife before sticking one on her car.

Always wondered what the tactical overseas contractors used for their communications with eachother. Guessing some sort of satellite coms… I digress.

Satellite or lower frequencies that bounce of the ionosphere.

The lower frequency thing isn't a good choice for you as it'll cover way too much range, and getting licensed is the challenge. Plus the antennas are large. Skill in operating the radio is required.


The advice above about getting one of the newer cell phones that supports satellite based texting is probably a much better choice. Everyone is going to carry their cell phone and learn how to use it. No one is going to want to carry a radio around with the everywhere.

But, balance all this agains the disaster that you think is going to happen that will require all this.
Yes, cell phone networks go down, but not as often as some want you to think. The satellite based texting will get you around that.
Buying lots of gear only makes sense if you are going to use it so you are proficient with it. Buying radios and sticking them in a closet is the surefire way to make sure they'll be completely useless when you need them.
On the flip side, people are pretty good about keeping their cell phone charged up.

Other option:
Garmin In Reach Mini, and then pair it to the cell phone.
The In Reach devices are about $300 each, but they get you around all the terrestrial hardware. The service is $7/month. Pairing it to your cell phone lets you send text messages to others, even those without a device.

 

[BinaryMode]

You're going to get about a billion responses. Here's mine:

You want low power consumption and good reach. For that there is LoRa. LoRa - Wikipedia

 

[dkcorlfla]

And share 7 Frequencies with hundreds of people.

Yes that is a concern on GMRS as there is very little band width but with simplex being what it is (limited range) and FM capture doing the rest it should still be usable and a lot better then nothing.

Also consider the two main mobile radios I recommended, not that many people have the much more powerful mobile rigs setup and they would bury any nearby handheld radios with the FM capture.

Another thing for the OP to think about is one of the more likely things to happen is for just one cell carrier to go down. Modern smartphones can run VOIP phone apps. A smartphone with VOIP could still make calls if the carrier was down but WiFi and the Internet still up. I see this as a much more likely event then a full blackout.

 

[K4EET]

For newbie @acerini, you’ve got some answers above to get you started thinking along the right lines. Lots of possibilities obviously. Since you are new here, I personally respect @mmckenna and his answers. He has a lot of experience , a lot of knowledge, and the wisdom to go along with it. Others, as you will get to know over time, impart good information too.

The main thing to keep in mind is to ask questions if you are not sure about something. There are no dumb questions, especially if you don’t know the answer. So please feel free to ask questions.

We do not know your background with respect to communications systems knowledge nor do we know your physical environment for successful radio communications. The more you are willing to reveal, the better our answers will be to your specific situation.

Finally, and @mmckenna mentioned the word numerous times… Antenna. That is the single most important part of any communications system. If the antenna system is crap, so will be the overall communications system. Don’t skimp on the antenna system! It will make or break everything you are trying to achieve.

 

[EAFrizzle]

Welcome to the forums, @acerini ! Lots of great info here for all aspects of radio. You'll see some lively debate on some topics, but always good info to absorb. I agree with @K4EET , @mmckenna is someone who will give you solid information on the topic.

Being in Boerne, it is a bit less likely that you'll lose cellphone and internet at the same time the way we would lose all carrier service after a hurricane in Houston. Backup power for routers and such will need consideration as well.

Finding the right solution for your situation will likely take some experiments, but it'll pay off eventually. Patience is key at times; sometimes a radio refuses to do anything but irritate you. Someone here has had that same problem and found a solution.

Having reliable comms when EVERYTHING is down is a great comfort during a disaster. I know my elderly neighbors appreciated being able to communicate when phones and internet were out in Beryl's aftermath. Just knowing that you can stay in contact with someone during these events is a comfort that lets someone sleep well.