Posted: 11/16/2011 11:36:41 AM EDT
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You name the type, natural disaster, man made, etc... You are a novice Ham operator with Tri-band radio (HT or Mobile) with good HT/mobile antenna and you need help. You needs to contact your family (they don't have HAM), need to ask for emergency help, etc....
What will you do and how will you do it? |
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Well my family are hams so that makes it easier.
Last year there was a snow storm that shut down the town for 3 days. I turned my scanner on and listen to the chaos that was going on so we stayed at home. I only went out once to sweep the snow off of my bed cover. My point is to always be observant of your conditions. Who do you think the news gets the road closures from? Public service all uses radios for communications so if you are listening to them you can stay ahead of the masses. Your family can RX all day long as well. Once again disaster prep happens before the disaster. If you are worried about communicating with your family (and its rightfully so) you need to have them get their licenses. Establish a good simplex freq and be sure they can operate the radio. |
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Key the mic and call? I'm not sure I follow you. If you need to get traffic to someone who isn't a ham you'll need someone to relay it for you, like a radiogram. I think that's what he was getting at. If all you have is a tri-band HT, my plan would be: 1) Most likely this will be on 2M - Attempt autopatch phone call to family. - Contact another ham on freq, ask if they can place call. If phones are down then: - Contact another ham on frequency with HF capability, ask if he can pass traffic outside area to place phone call. - If no one can call, then see if HF capable ham can contact another ham in area or a traffic net to pass on message. If it's truly nationwide SHTF, then you're going to have a pretty hard time without family having HF access unless someone really close by does, and it's safe to travel. If it's a localize SHTF (tornado, hurricane level) this plan would work pretty well. I remember when hurricane andrew did a number of FL quite a few health and welfare messages got passed via HF as I listened to them. Maybe someone with katrina experience can chime in on that fiasco. If you're HT bound, 2M would probably be as good as a tri-band. |
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Also, try to find out who locally is a ham..... even first they're not active on the repeated or in a club.... keep the calls handy and see if they can walk over and check for you.....
Best case is get the family on board with the hobby..... even if only for emrgencies (VA earthquake comes to mind....) Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Key the mic and call? I'm not sure I follow you. If you need to get traffic to someone who isn't a ham you'll need someone to relay it for you, like a radiogram. I think that's what he was getting at. If all you have is a tri-band HT, my plan would be: 1) Most likely this will be on 2M - Attempt autopatch phone call to family. - Contact another ham on freq, ask if they can place call. If phones are down then: - Contact another ham on frequency with HF capability, ask if he can pass traffic outside area to place phone call. - If no one can call, then see if HF capable ham can contact another ham in area or a traffic net to pass on message. If it's truly nationwide SHTF, then you're going to have a pretty hard time without family having HF access unless someone really close by does, and it's safe to travel. If it's a localize SHTF (tornado, hurricane level) this plan would work pretty well. I remember when hurricane andrew did a number of FL quite a few health and welfare messages got passed via HF as I listened to them. Maybe someone with katrina experience can chime in on that fiasco. If you're HT bound, 2M would probably be as good as a tri-band. Good post. I've also found that most all FM traffic is on 2M and it would be my first choice if trying to be heard during an emergency. I regularly scan 440 (some MTEARs traffic during large storms), 220 (nothing), and 6m (nothing). In central TN, 2M is king, with multiple large footprint repeaters. |
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Key the mic and call? I'm not sure I follow you. If you need to get traffic to someone who isn't a ham you'll need someone to relay it for you, like a radiogram. I think that's what he was getting at. If all you have is a tri-band HT, my plan would be: 1) Most likely this will be on 2M - Attempt autopatch phone call to family. - Contact another ham on freq, ask if they can place call. If phones are down then: - Contact another ham on frequency with HF capability, ask if he can pass traffic outside area to place phone call. - If no one can call, then see if HF capable ham can contact another ham in area or a traffic net to pass on message. If it's truly nationwide SHTF, then you're going to have a pretty hard time without family having HF access unless someone really close by does, and it's safe to travel. If it's a localize SHTF (tornado, hurricane level) this plan would work pretty well. I remember when hurricane andrew did a number of FL quite a few health and welfare messages got passed via HF as I listened to them. Maybe someone with katrina experience can chime in on that fiasco. If you're HT bound, 2M would probably be as good as a tri-band. This makes the most sense to me as well |
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There is also the 'e-mail via packet digipeater' route for 2 meters and e-mail via Winlink for HF....if there is internet in the recipient's area. In the 'affected' area, once cellular is disrupted....it's radio time.  Good point. Not practical for most HTs, but... some HTs do support APRS, so again, if it's localized, APRS might work (still needs internet to link to the national net.) It could be a good way for the family to check up on you, since you could beacon position and a status message. |
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Also, try to find out who locally is a ham..... even first they're not active on the repeated or in a club.... keep the calls handy and see if they can walk over and check for you..... Best case is get the family on board with the hobby..... even if only for emrgencies (VA earthquake comes to mind....) Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile This, x1000. In a true SHTF, cell phones will be available only to EMS personnel, who have special PINs to activate the system. Regular users are banned. And that means that the cell system must still be up and running; in, say, a flood or hurricane or some such, they may well be down. One thing you may wish to do is to send a radiogram to each member of your family (your wife as well), to acquaint them with the service. Get them to retain the contact info of the ham that delivered the message so they can initiate a message as well. |
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You name the type, natural disaster, man made, etc... You are a novice Ham operator with Tri-band radio (HT or Mobile) with good HT/mobile antenna and you need help. You needs to contact your family (they don't have HAM), need to ask for emergency help, etc.... What will you do and how will you do it? Which is why I encourage you to study for General and use HF gear. For example, after Hurricane Katrina phones... and thus autopatch, Echolink, etc, were all down due to servers being underwater in New Orleans. This affected a huge region. A few years later and Hurricane Gustav again affected comms over that region. Many 2m repeater antennas were still not repaired from damage from Katrina. There were still cell phone towers not yet repaired in that region from Katrina. This is why my SHTF kit has a 100 w HF rig in it. I have 2m in the vehicles. I know that I cannot depend on 2m working other than simplex... to another person close by that is likely in the same SHTF situation I am in. Lots of good that does me. If you want to "reach out and touch someone - long distance", you need HF. This for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtjvfpEwbFY This young man's father called via HF, and another ham relayed the message to his family that he was safe. He did not use VHF, nor would that have worked for him. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Also, try to find out who locally is a ham..... even first they're not active on the repeated or in a club.... keep the calls handy and see if they can walk over and check for you..... Best case is get the family on board with the hobby..... even if only for emrgencies (VA earthquake comes to mind....) Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile This, x1000. In a true SHTF, cell phones will be available only to EMS personnel, who have special PINs to activate the system. Regular users are banned. And that means that the cell system must still be up and running; in, say, a flood or hurricane or some such, they may well be down. One thing you may wish to do is to send a radiogram to each member of your family (your wife as well), to acquaint them with the service. Get them to retain the contact info of the ham that delivered the message so they can initiate a message as well. I'd be very interested in a write up on using the various traffic nets.... I know I have no knowledge of them |
I, too would like more info on this. A member of the ham club gave me a pad of radiograms last night and said I'd probably be using these soon. was the expression I was hiding. He meant well, but I have no clue really what to do with them yet. But I hope to learn.
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Also, try to find out who locally is a ham..... even first they're not active on the repeated or in a club.... keep the calls handy and see if they can walk over and check for you..... Best case is get the family on board with the hobby..... even if only for emrgencies (VA earthquake comes to mind....) Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile This, x1000. In a true SHTF, cell phones will be available only to EMS personnel, who have special PINs to activate the system. Regular users are banned. And that means that the cell system must still be up and running; in, say, a flood or hurricane or some such, they may well be down. One thing you may wish to do is to send a radiogram to each member of your family (your wife as well), to acquaint them with the service. Get them to retain the contact info of the ham that delivered the message so they can initiate a message as well. GETS really doesnt help if the system is overloaded. if you can make a call with GETS then you probably would have gotten through in the first place. Will GETS work on my cell phone?
been in the fire/EMS service for over 13 years and we have never used/needed it and i know of no one that has a PIN for it.
You can place a GETS call from any cell phone. However, it will not receive priority treatment until it reaches a landline network. To receive priority treatment in wireless networks, you must register for the Wireless Priority Service (WPS), |
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In a true SHTF, cell phones will be available only to EMS personnel, who have special PINs to activate the system. Regular users are banned. And that means that the cell system must still be up and running; in, say, a flood or hurricane or some such, they may well be down. . Completely false. Not only does it not work that way, it couldn't work that way. Some phones have wireless emergency priority turned on which gives them priority access to the site to attempt to complete a call. Thic can be combined with GETS to improve the chances of connecting across the public network. I'd be very surprised if EMS workers have this feature in many places, it's usually turned on for individual managers (ie EMS manager, mayor, school principal, National guard staff, fixed cell phones at nuclear power plants, cell phones as part of a public safety EOC or go kit) People who work shifts with dispatch radios will likely do much better stickign with their radio system. On the other hand the fire chief or public works manager who needs to be gotten ahold of even when not on duty has a real advantage with these. I forgot who is the one turning on the feature for school principals (California?), but the thought was both as a emergency coms means for the school to call out, as well as schools being likely sites for emergency shelters. I've got it on my blackberry for at least cell phone mode. And why would you want to ban users who 1) may be calling 911or who may be emergency responders with their spouses phone,, and 2) make money for the carrier?. It kind of like CARF, The government doesn't ban flying or air cargo in a mobilization, it just grabs the aircraft it needs (and has paid for.) the remaining aircraft are available to meet the public need/make money. |
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To me the biggest challenge is having to randomly look/listen for people listening on simplex or on repeaters to ask for a patch or help. My fundamental question is is there another way then purely relying on luck? It certainly won't be as easy as picking up a phone and dialing, that's for sure. Your best bet is to learn the schedule of nets on local repeaters (and participate really) and learn the local ARES simplex frequencies and program them in your radio. A lot of vhf/uhf radios now will scan an entire band. Set up band limits for a programmed scan and you can scan the band and not have to hunt around with the VFO to find activity. Just like you wouldn't buy a firearm for disaster prep and never train with it, you should approach radio the same way. This kind of question is good thing to discuss here, I don't think people think enough about this sort of thing. |
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arfcom discusses nets: link
there has been more-and recent too, but I can't find to save a life? |
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I, too would like more info on this. A member of the ham club gave me a pad of radiograms last night and said I'd probably be using these soon. was the expression I was hiding. He meant well, but I have no clue really what to do with them yet. But I hope to learn.Here's a link to a bunch of nets. The info presented is, as usual.. overwhelming. link |
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In a true SHTF, cell phones will be available only to EMS personnel, who have special PINs to activate the system. Regular users are banned. And that means that the cell system must still be up and running; in, say, a flood or hurricane or some such, they may well be down. . Completely false. Not only does it not work that way, it couldn't work that way. Some phones have wireless emergency priority turned on which gives them priority access to the site to attempt to complete a call. Thic can be combined with GETS to improve the chances of connecting across the public network. I'd be very surprised if EMS workers have this feature in many places, it's usually turned on for individual managers (ie EMS manager, mayor, school principal, National guard staff, fixed cell phones at nuclear power plants, cell phones as part of a public safety EOC or go kit) People who work shifts with dispatch radios will likely do much better stickign with their radio system. On the other hand the fire chief or public works manager who needs to be gotten ahold of even when not on duty has a real advantage with these. I forgot who is the one turning on the feature for school principals (California?), but the thought was both as a emergency coms means for the school to call out, as well as schools being likely sites for emergency shelters. I've got it on my blackberry for at least cell phone mode. And why would you want to ban users who 1) may be calling 911or who may be emergency responders with their spouses phone,, and 2) make money for the carrier?. It kind of like CARF, The government doesn't ban flying or air cargo in a mobilization, it just grabs the aircraft it needs (and has paid for.) the remaining aircraft are available to meet the public need/make money. My information was received in training with the local FD PD and RACES net managers. |
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In a true SHTF, cell phones will be available only to EMS personnel, who have special PINs to activate the system. Regular users are banned. And that means that the cell system must still be up and running; in, say, a flood or hurricane or some such, they may well be down. . Completely false. Not only does it not work that way, it couldn't work that way. Some phones have wireless emergency priority turned on which gives them priority access to the site to attempt to complete a call. Thic can be combined with GETS to improve the chances of connecting across the public network. I'd be very surprised if EMS workers have this feature in many places, it's usually turned on for individual managers (ie EMS manager, mayor, school principal, National guard staff, fixed cell phones at nuclear power plants, cell phones as part of a public safety EOC or go kit) People who work shifts with dispatch radios will likely do much better stickign with their radio system. On the other hand the fire chief or public works manager who needs to be gotten ahold of even when not on duty has a real advantage with these. I forgot who is the one turning on the feature for school principals (California?), but the thought was both as a emergency coms means for the school to call out, as well as schools being likely sites for emergency shelters. I've got it on my blackberry for at least cell phone mode. And why would you want to ban users who 1) may be calling 911or who may be emergency responders with their spouses phone,, and 2) make money for the carrier?. It kind of like CARF, The government doesn't ban flying or air cargo in a mobilization, it just grabs the aircraft it needs (and has paid for.) the remaining aircraft are available to meet the public need/make money. My information was received in training with the local FD PD and RACES net managers. there are "portable" cell towers that some areas have for major disasters but they are few and far between. that might have been what they were talking about. i have seen them setup before but cant remember where. think it might have been after the tornados that destroyed joplin, Mo earlier this year. |
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Here is a link for the SC SSB Net
The Traffic I received from 2 fellow ARFCOM'ers came through this net. One message was received via tele, the other was mailed to my QRZ PO Box and included in correspondence there. |
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Here's another example of being fat, dumb and happy to being in disaster mode in an instant.
I'm at work which is 115 miles from home. It's 0345 local and giving the passdown to the day crew. I had already cut the rest of the night crew loose and they were back at the company supplied housing. AKA the "Trailer Hood". It was raining pretty hard then it suddenly stopped, we heard a loud roar for 15 seconds or so, then the rain started again, this time harder, and the power went out. Didn't think much of it. It continued raining hard till 0430. Ambled my way to the the trailer hood when I knew something occured. A storage shed had been picked up, tossed over the fuel farm, and landed in a wad in the street. Skirting and siding from the trailers was scattered everywhere. No trailer appeared to have been overturned. Returning back to the day crew they were instructed to do a visual on the flight line for damage. I no sooner got back to the trailer when I got a call. One of our aircraft has been damaged. http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20111116/HURBLOG/111119678?tc=ar Follow this link. Hit the gallery and the second photo is the ship that got damaged. The NWS showed up during the day and did a post storm assessment. The houses in the area that were damaged was from straight line winds. Officially the airport was hit with a F0 tornado. No one was injured. The assets can be repaired. The aircraft really wasn't damaged that bad and should be repaired in a couple months. Could have been worse, much worse. So, the what ifs. What if it was a larger storm that did knock out comms? How am I going to get a message to the family that they can't collect the life insurance yet? Only way I see is to depend on a net to send a health and welfare message. Wife isn't a ham. I'm over 100 miles away. HF gear is at home. Experience has shown that 100 miles on HF is one of the tougher contacts to make. Even if I had HF gear I still would have to depend on a net or friendly ham to pass the traffic. And actually this isn't a bad way to go. Granted it would be optimal to contact your loved ones directly. However even if they were hams would they have a radio on at the time and would they be on freq? Reality is probably not. Passing traffic has been a core of amateur radio for as long as amateur radio has been around. We have that one nailed. I trust the net to get the message through. Had a 2m/70cm HT in the car with the local repeaters programmed in. Good but not enough. If the local repeater was out my little 5w wouldn't get out. Need to get off my duff and get a 50w dual bander in the car even as a go-kit if nothing else. That and a yagi on a PVC mast needs to stay in the car. |
| Best suggestion, get your family licensed. I talked my wife into doing it, threw in the jab, that it would be good for her, being a medical professional, as one never knows what kind of emergency lurks in the future. I need to work on my parents, getting them at least tech licensed. They already have an antenna mast, for a tv antenna that isnt used. A little work, and they could have something set up for a base. Where we are here in the country, we are relatively safe from most of the disasters. Our biggest disaster risk in the future, would be a blizzard shutting things down and leaving us stranded. |
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So, the what ifs. What if it was a larger storm that did knock out comms? How am I going to get a message to the family that they can't collect the life insurance yet? Only way I see is to depend on a net to send a health and welfare message. Wife isn't a ham. I'm over 100 miles away. HF gear is at home. Experience has shown that 100 miles on HF is one of the tougher contacts to make. Even if I had HF gear I still would have to depend on a net or friendly ham to pass the traffic.
In my experience, when SHTF in a serious manner, HF (and most of VHF) is virtually worthless, EXCEPT when someone is acting as net control. After an earthquake in Central California, I tried to get word to my non-ham brother in Oakland (I was in Los Angeles) via HF. The bands were so crowded as to be worthless... but there were a number of spots where excellent net control was being maintained. The nets would let non-members check in and out as needed; I heard several incidents where friends/family members were contacted via the net. A couple of incidents occurred in which someone offered to place a phone call locally to someone in the Bay area. Everywhere else was chaos. A similar story occurred during the opening days following the riots after the Rodney King verdict. VHF and UHF repeaters were crowded, except for the ARES and RACES repeaters. And again, several times, they let non-members break in for traffic to loved ones. |
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And exactly my point.
In my experience, when SHTF in a serious manner, HF (and most of VHF) is virtually worthless, EXCEPT when someone is acting as net control. If it had been bad enough the activate ARES/RACES/BubbasJambalaya nets, then I'd tap into that and pass a health and welfare message. As our OP requested, what do you do when the SHTF and all you've got is a HT? Check into the local net, pass your traffic, check out. Which gets us to what is said here frequently. Simply having your ham ticket and the radios is not enough. You have to get on the air frequently to know how to check into the net, how to pass traffic, how to use the different bands and propagation to your advantage. You train and practice with your firearms to be fully proficient in their use when/if the need arises. The same with ham radio in the emergency context. |
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And exactly my point.
In my experience, when SHTF in a serious manner, HF (and most of VHF) is virtually worthless, EXCEPT when someone is acting as net control. If it had been bad enough the activate ARES/RACES/BubbasJambalaya nets, then I'd tap into that and pass a health and welfare message. As our OP requested, what do you do when the SHTF and all you've got is a HT? Check into the local net, pass your traffic, check out. Which gets us to what is said here frequently. Simply having your ham ticket and the radios is not enough. You have to get on the air frequently to know how to check into the net, how to pass traffic, how to use the different bands and propagation to your advantage. You train and practice with your firearms to be fully proficient in their use when/if the need arises. The same with ham radio in the emergency context. Hank, you hit the nail on the head here...this is what I told my wife while we were talking about the ham radio part of the preps. I told her if she didn't get on and check into nets or at least 'play' with it some, she wouldn't know what to do with it if things got fucked up. And it is just like shooting. Go buy a closet full of guns-and put them in the closet. Don't practice with them, take them apart, or even read the instruction manual on how to load it. SHTF- and most would be lost that had never used one. 73 Joe |
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Hank, you hit the nail on the head here...this is what I told my wife while we were talking about the ham radio part of the preps. I told her if she didn't get on and check into nets or at least 'play' with it some, she wouldn't know what to do with it if things got fucked up. And it is just like shooting. Go buy a closet full of guns-and put them in the closet. Don't practice with them, take them apart, or even read the instruction manual on how to load it. SHTF- and most would be lost that had never used one. 73 Joe Yep, exactly. |