Thread: Emergency Communications & Preparedness

While discussing "survival" provisions, I thought it a good opportunity to provide a shameless plug for ham radio.

Communications ability is one of the most overlooked aspects of a good preparedness plan. Sure, you can buy a cheap CB or one of those FRS (Family Radio Service) radios or even a GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) radios which are perfectly fine for short distance local communications. But cell phones - they'll be gone when a national emergency hits. Internet? Forget it in most cases - it will be spotty at best, totally useless at worst.

Alternative energy sources for communications is also an extremely wise investment. Buy enough solar panels to operate short-distance communications equipment as well as long-distance communications equipment such as HF (High Frequency) transceivers. Wind power is also an option if you have enough space to put one up. City dwellers won't have the luxury to put up a tall tower and wind generator atop it.

Many folks assume that just because cell phones and internet have arrived means that ham (amateur) radio is a dead issue. In actuality, it's the opposite and it's importance has literally increased in our current climate.

While we still use the "old technology" of HF communications (bouncing radio signals around the world off of the ionosphere layer in the atmosphere), we have also been building a coast-to-coast digital relay network similar to the internet, called HSMM (High Speed Multi Media) where emergency data, sound and video can be transmitted digitally through the national network from a laptop computer in your vehicle. It is going to prove even more capable than most internet capabilities as many of the relays are being built with alternative power such as wind and solar.

We have also launched our own satellites and we are now capable of sending signals through these satellites with low-wattage radios which are then repeated and scattered all across the Northern hemisphere. The International Space Station has also been equipped with ham radio gear and you can literally communicate with those on board the ISS while also using the station to re-transmit your signals over the entire Northern hemisphere. We are eternally grateful to NASA for permitting us to install such a radio station on the ISS.

We also have APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System) which consists of a GPS receiver with NMEA serial data connection jack, a specialized modem called a TNC (Terminal Node Controller), a radio and a laptop computer. The GPS receiver is plugged into the TNC which parses the data stream from the GPS receiver and turns it into a digital packet of information. The TNC then keys a radio and sends your position report over the air locally. The signal then goes to what is called a digipeater which is generally located on top of the highest point in a region and then repeats your signal over a large geographic area. Anyone with a similar setup in their vehicle or on their person can then look at the map and see where other local ham operators are currently located.

Further, we have IGates (Internet Gateways) which funnel those position reports onto the internet where station locations can be looked up online at websites such as findu.com For example, if you enter the station callsign N0IHC (that is a ZERO in there) in the "CALL" form and click "Find", you will see where that station is currently located anywhere in the world.

This is, of course, only the beginning. The capabilities of THIS form of communications in the event of a national emergency has not been duplicated by any other civil radio service aside from government and military. The small amount of effort to obtain a GENERAL CLASS ham license most certainly will reward you for a lifetime when it comes to the next "life and death" situation where communications could have made the difference between either-or.

I highly recommend your obtaining a GENERAL CLASS ham license, buy yourselves a good VHF ham transceiver for local communications as well as a good solid HF transceiver now while you still can. It will be the fourth wisest investment you could ever make aside from Food, Water, defense and first aid supplies.

Kurt

ConcernedVeteran, thanks for sharing this information.

Without even reading most of your post I know how important ham radio operators are!

I hope more people become ham radio operators! They are CRUCIAL!

I am a HAM. General Class. Concernedverteran makes a lot of good points. Especially about cell phones. I know everyone thinks of cell phones as great emergency communications. Not really. If the problem is very local then OK. But if it is wide spread and cell sites are down then they simply do not work. Remember, cell phones actually end up using land lines when you talk. So if normal phone service is down, then you will probably have trouble with cell phones.

Remember Katrina. No normal cell phone service. Only satellite phone Or TV , or HAM & military.

Originally Posted by JuniusJnr

ConcernedVeteran, thanks for sharing this information.

VERY welcome JuniusJnr. I've been a ham operator for twenty years now and I went "through the ranks" of the licensing scheme all the way from lowest to highest and obtained my "Extra class" license just a few years ago. Many other well-known people have become ham operators as well, including -

Art Bell, Coast-to-Coast Talk Radio, W6OBB
Donnie Osmond, Donnie & Marie Osmond Show, KA7EVD
Chet Atkins, Singer/Songwriter, W4CGP
Patty Loveless, Country Music Singer, KD4WUJ
Owen Garriot, Astronaut, W5LFL
Joe Walsh, Singer/Songwriter, WB6ACU
Stu Cooks, Baseball Player, N6FUP
Dick Rutan, Pilot/Adventurer, KB6LQS

An entire list of famous folks who have been and many still ARE ham radio operators can be found here: http://www.ku4ay.net/famous.html

See how many you can find that you have enjoyed in your life! And as a ham operator, you WILL run into them on the air! I have a QSL (confirmation of radio contact) card from Dick Rutan!!

When not needed for times of emergency, it is one of the most fascinating "hobbies" you could ever indulge yourself in

Kurt, N0IHC