Communications

We can't very well talk about Emergency preparedness without discussing Communications. Communications is one the most critical pieces in any preparedness plan. How we will let others know our situation or how we can learn who needs help are both critical in difficult times.

As is always the case, be sure to have a communications plan worked out and tested before anything happens. This may seem like a quick and easy thing to do but in fact it requires doing some homework. We need to know what the different scenarios are and which means of communication will satisfy what we want to accomplish. Scenarios like where we may be located during the week whether it is work or school or somewhere else on a consistent  basis and then plan around that. How will you contact each other, what if the cell towers are down or jammed up with excessive traffic. All these things should be given at least some cursory consideration. This does not mean that you should spend time worrying, just give it some thought.

Ultimately it makes no sense to go buy a radio or several radios and not spend the time to understand how to program and use them properly. Also, if you are going to use either a Ham or GMRS radio - get the license. While a test is not required for a GMRS radio, a license is - When it comes to Ham, the tests are an important part of proper use - It also will give you a better chance to connect with other Hams who can show you how to use your radio or teach you about many of the technical aspects of Ham radios. There are some good HAM Radio clubs in the Sacramento area. Capital Radio Club and Sierra Foothills to name two.

I did find a YouTube guy that uses M.A.D. Gear Co. as his YouTube handle, who gives some pretty good instruction on the need for proper planning.

A very good way to stay in touch with what is going on weatherwise and other major events is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA. National Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from the nearest National Weather Service office. NWR broadcasts official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Working with the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) Emergency Alert System , NWR is an "All Hazards" radio network, making it your single source for comprehensive weather and emergency information. 

In conjunction with Federal, State, and Local Emergency Managers and other public officials, NWR also broadcasts warning and post-event information for all types of hazards – including natural (such as earthquakes or avalanches), environmental (such as chemical releases or oil spills), and public safety (such as AMBER alerts or 911 Telephone outages).

Known as the "Voice of NOAA's National Weather Service," NWR is provided as a public service by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), part of the Department of Commerce. NWR includes more than 1000  transmitters, covering all 50 states, adjacent coastal waters,  The picture of the gold colored radio in the heading of this page is just one example of an NOOA radio which has a variety of other functions.

Please note that most any of the GMRS or HAM radios out there will allow you to tune to NOAA as well so if a 2 way communications radio is in the scope of your plan, you many not feel a need for a standalone (but they are still kind of fun to play with)

FRS - The Family Radio Service (FRS) is a private, two-way, short-distance voice and data communications service for facilitating family and group activities. The most common use for FRS channels is short-distance, two-way voice communications using small hand-held radios that are similar to walkie-talkies. These radios work fine with a clear line of sight but when we add  in trees or buildings the become much less effective, quickly. If you are out on a lake or some other flat surface without any objects blocking them, these radios are great but we seldom find ourselves in that situation, especially in an emergency. The service is licensed-by-rule so the general public can use the devices without having to obtain a license and channel sharing is achieved through a listen-before-talk etiquette. These range in price from about $20 - $100

GMRS - GMRS stands for General Mobile Radio Service - The main difference between FRS and GMRS is power. Any radio with 2-Watts or less is classified as FRS and you don't need a license to use it. Any radio with over 2-Watts and up to 50, is classified as GMRS. You do need a license to operate GMRS -The following is an excerpt directly from the FCC website.

General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)

• GMRS is a land-mobile radio service available for short-distance, two-way communications.

• A GMRS system may legally be operated only with an FCC license. The individual licensee is responsible for the proper operation of the GMRS system. A licensee may permit his or her immediate family members to operate the GMRS system.

• A GMRS system is made up of station operators and a mobile station consisting of one or more mobile units. It may also include one or more land stations. Some land stations operate as repeaters, thereby extending the range of GMRS mobile units.

• New GMRS licenses are granted only to individuals, but GMRS licenses granted to non-individuals (such as businesses) before July 31, 1987, can be renewed if certain conditions are met. You can apply for a GMRS license online - it is a bit of a challenge but I figured it out. The license fee is $35 for 10 years and anyone in your family can use it.

• Check out the website MYGMRS.COM - it is loaded with information about GMRS Radios and even gives step by step process to obtain a GMRS license from the FCC. 

I found a set of GMRS radios on Amazon after a friend of mine told me about them. They are very inexpensive and apparently easy to program (I will be the judge of that!) Here is a terrible picture of a kit with them.

They are - TIDRADIO TD-H3 8-Band Receive Radio with Air Band & USB-C Programming & Charging, 2500mAh Battery, One Key Frequency Match, DTMF FM AM NOAA 

The set I got comes with 2 extra batteries and 2 of the longer flexible antennas - All for about $60 if you get the black ones, I wanted the green ones for a little extra. Of course, I found them on Amazon, but I know they can be purchased at several other places.

Update - I recently purchased a new set of TIDRADIO TD-H2 PLUS radios which come with a few added features including bluetooth programming.

I also recently found a great mobile GMRS radio that is 50 watts. This is a significant amount of power since most handheld are about 5-8 watts. The Midland MXT-575 in a very nice radio and can be found easily on Amazon or a number of other places. A mobile radio is mobile because it is typically in a car or truck. I initially started looking at the Midland because our friends The Provident Preppers put out a YouTube discussion on GMRS

Steps to acquire a GMRS License - Here you go!

1. Get an FCC Registration Number (FRN)

• Go to the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) page. 

• Click "New User Registration" under the "Filing" subheading and "Register" under the "Need a Username?" column. 

• Fill out the form with your personal information and create a username (which will be your email) and password. 

• Log in with your new username and password, then click "Register New FRN" to complete the FRN registration form. 

• Submit the form to receive your 10-digit FRN. 

2. Apply for the GMRS license

• Return to the ULS page and log in using your FRN and password and Click "Apply for a New License". 

• Select ZA - General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) from the radio service drop-down list. 

• Follow the on-screen prompts, answer any required questions, and provide your contact information. 

• Review your application and proceed to certify it. Type your name to sign the application and click "Submit". 

3. Pay the license fee

• After submitting the application, you will be directed to the payment page or need to navigate to "FRN Financial" from the "Manage Existing FRN(s)" page. 

• Submit the payment of $35. After the payment is processed, you can check the status of your application in the ULS. Your license and call sign can be accessed via the "My Licenses" section once processing is complete, which may take up to 48 hours. 

Amateur radio (aka Ham radio) - Ham radios DO require a license. Licenses are obtained through a network of qualified individuals performing testing opportunities for potential and upgrading licensees.  Amateur radio operators have the ability (depending upon many factors) to talk with people around the world. ham radio operators are generally some of the very first to provide assistance during disasters. One of the best ways to become more familiar with Ham/Amateur radio is through ARRL.org - You find a ton of the information you need to start at this site. Just don't get overwhelmed!

Another great place that I have become more familiar with is The HAM Radio Outlet (HRO). They have a large internet presence as well as local stores including one in Sacramento. Great people with a lot of knowledge. As I mentioned above -There are some good HAM Radio clubs in the area. Capital Radio Club and Sierra Foothills to name two. 

As I mentioned, the people at HRO are really great and willing to help share their knowledge. I know this from firsthand experience. NEVER be afraid to tell people that you are trying to understand this hobby. I would estimate that 99% of the people involved are using HAM radios because they want to help others.

There is a huge number of HAM capable radios out there. Some are very inexpensive and found on Amazon while others such as the very expensive home base units are found at a place like HRO. They also have some great mobile units that go up to about 50 Watts!

Always stay within your budget but purchase the best you can easily afford for quality and ease of use and always ask around, I have found that people love to share their personal stories about different radios the have or had in the past.

Can't use that Baofeng or other Ham radio you bought because it isn't programmed? Try going to R T Systems for software to make setting up your radio much simpler. Their link is https://www.rtsystemsinc.com/  -Keep in mind, I receive no benefit from any of the links provided. The links are here with the sole purpose of helping others .

"Icom, Relay, Rapid Radio and other LTE devices"

There is a lot of discussion about all of the ads around "Rapid Radios". There are other devices with different names but they all seem to make the same claims. First off, these are not radios but rather cellular (LTE) devices, complete with a smart chip just like our cell phones. There seems to be a lot of claims that to me (just my opinion) are a bit misleading. The ads come across as emergency radios when the cell towers go down. The reality is that these devices still require one cell tower to be reachable because they are not dedicated to a singular carrier like cell phones. This means that coverage could be acceptable but if all the cell towers go down, these will not work. This is because they are not really a radio like a ham or GMRS and their dependency upon a working cell tower may be their weak spot in a disaster.

For everyday normal conditions, these look pretty slick and can be kind of fun. They seem like a cool way to go if someone is travelling or perhaps at a theme park. I will say this, my iPhone 14 has a push to talk (PTT) capability and I have used it like a walkie talkie. Look into that first and see if you can save some major $$.

Experience with the "Camp Fire" in Paradise also taught us the value of texting and social media. With all of the cell traffic and access to phones unavailable, social media proved to also help reunite family members who were displaced and considered lost at that time.