Be Ready for Anything - Family Emergency Communication Strategies

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[@ralphnunn3]

Thanks for the reminder. My wife (who IS a ham) and I have not discussed recently how we would get a hold of each other in an emergency like that. Time to have that discussion again.

[@dougdaniels]

Thanks for the reminder Jason. Best advise - practice, practice practice.

[@955miro]

Same situation here. I'm a ham, but my wife is not. We did have a GMRS license before I got my Ham. I just installed a Retevis RB86 20W GMRS mobile in her Jeep and I have an Anytone AT-778UV 25W mobile in my truck. A few months ago, multiple tornados came through and took out power and internet for a week. Cell phones, worked, but barely. Hopefully we'll be better prepared with the mobile radios next time it happens. I do have to make cheat sheets for both our cars still. That's a great suggestion, thanks.

[@chrissewell1608]

I habe been meaning to buy that GMRS license, just to keep my family in the circle of communications! And in a SHTF disaster, I can also communicate with that group of folks as well as the ham networks!

[@b.a.stephens7032]

Solid, substantive, useful presentation. Nicely done. Thanks

[@holotape]

Wait…a Yaesu is a better radio than a Baofeng? Maybe you don’t have the 12,000 watt model. 😂 Great video, 73

[@KM4ACK]

Searching google now for 12kw baofeng. I certainly need that in my collection.😂

[@k5wxp22]

​@@KM4ACKthey are only 50 bucks. 😂

[@AG4KN]

We were in Northern Japan (Honshu) during the 9.0 earthquake on 11 March, 2011. Some cell towers had backup generators, most did not... (yes, we are talking about the Misawa area in Aomori Prefecture in Northern Japan). Text messages (SMS messages) generally got through. Voice calls did not. Moral of the story here is: 1) have a plan, 2) have AT LEAST one month of non-perishable food stocked up, 3) filter or boil your water 4) If you have no water stores rain water will work (but boil or filter or both), 5) stay dry and warm, 6) no unnecessary trips, 7) conserve your fuel and energy, 8) use a bike & security chain, 9) have a bicycle with trailer, as an alternative to the car, with tire pump and tools (beats walking). Good Luck!

[@TangoOscarMikeN3WS]

Listening to the repeater down there during the disaster has made me think about a lot of things and a few things stuck out to me. Radio of course. Solar systems instead of traditional gas power generators, as fuel may not be available. Water filtration. Heck, I'm even starting to think one of those fat tire ebikes might be worth getting.

[@KM4ACK]

We need to chat sometime soon. I have figured out we have a lot in common. 😁

[@tomdonahoe3539]

​@KM4ACK I live in eastern IA and have a fat tire bike - not an E-bike though. With ~ 7 or 8 psi in the tires, I can get down my street & over to a nearby shopping center (1.5 mi away) even after > 10" of snow & no plowing by the city. Couldn't even get the car past the end of the driveway under those conditions given the hill we live on. I could also reach my old office ~5 mi away, but it takes an extra 20 min or so by fat bike. My HT easily fits in the handlebar bag. I can't recommend fat bikes highly enough. Only thing that will really stop you moving in winter is black ice 🧊. 73

[@joel6221]

Thanks Jason!

[@dorvinion]

The makeup of our town makes this kind of an easy thing for us - no local comm plan really needed (and I'd have a hard time convincing wife to carry a radio) Tornado is the only natural disaster that is likely to impact us. You never know specifically where/when a tornado may be, but they are good at forecasting where/when over a given region so there are several hours potential lead time on these storms too. Small town so home, work, and school are all within a 1.5 mile radius - very easy walking distances and anybody who is not at home would be at school or work and thus is in a structure with good storm shelters. What I really need to do is make a proper storm shelter at the house because that is really our only significant natural disaster weakness. Theoretically blizzards and ice storms are the other potential disasters we could encounter, but we know of those 24+ hours in advance and there's nothing we need to do that so important that we would travel outside of town in a winter storm.

[@texasprepperprojects]

Regardless if you use ham or GMRS, make sure you have a dedicated simplex 'meeting frequency/channel' in your radio so your family knows where to find you on the air My wife and I call it the 'Love' channel in our radios.

[@KM4ACK]

“Love Channel”……That’s perfect!👍

[@texasprepperprojects]

@KM4ACK we have a vhf and a uhf. So it's 'loveV1' and 'loveu2'

[@robertmeyer4744]

Great job ! Start with a plain that fits your needs and keep updating as things change, The best emergency plain is the one you keep active and updated and practice ! 73

[@rickgilbrt]

1) When cell service is overloaded preventing voice calls, but not actually down, SMS text messages may get through. 2) In some cases local overloads may prevent you from contacting loved ones locally, but you may be able to get a message to someone outside your area. Make sure your communications plan includes shared out-of-area contacts who might be able to relay messages when you can't contact your loved ones directly. We live in the Pacific northwest, and my wife and I each have a sisters in the southeast who we would use as out-of -area contacts.

[@soulstudioshamradio]

Hey Jason thank you for the great video once again One thing you should touch on is if you have limited cell coverage change your voicemail message including any prudent information you need to convey and the time and date you did the message. 73

[@KM4ACK]

Great tip!

[@HamRadioOnFire]

Solid advice, as usual.

[@halledwardb]

My daughters 13 and 16 welded repairs on their tower and welded up rower guy poles from scratch. The have configured a new Asus 13 Rugged with Ubuntu 24.04 Server direwolf, and linBPQ. They will be adding POCSAC paging soon.

[@Inkling777]

You're right to mention GMRS repeaters, particularly ones hardened for disasters. It'd be a good idea to get behind efforts to establish ones for your community. A high-power mobile with a gain antenna on the roof is also a good idea.

[@KM4ACK]

I just upgraded the amp in my wife's jeep. She doesn't want a radio installed up front so the HT rides in a bag in the back. By just attaching the coax (BNC) to the HT, she will be able to take advantage of the 20W amp.

[@mgentile7]

I currently have GMRS & Ham Base Units, hand held walkie talkies and a GMRS and Ham Hand Held radios. Should be well covered.

[@pale_2111]

Been thinking about getting a 100Ah battery after Helene. I'm the only Ham Operator in the family and 1 of 4 in the community. Got a back up 100w radio just in case the 7300 goes down again. I'm set up on data communications like PSK31, Olivia and RTTY. Tried to get Winlink up, but could never get it up and running. As for 2m and 440, I do have a 5100A in the house and a 400XD in my vehicle. Not to mention my HT's, including Baofengs, Yaesu and Kenwood. Probably need to get some more spare batteries as well. I also have a Jackery 300 portable power station, but it doesn't last as long when running my laptop. That will probably need an upgrade in the future for something larger here at home. The Jackery 300 is great for a day out in the field and that's about it.

[@KO4GAR]

Redodo has 100ah batteries for 179 dollars right now. I built a 200 ah battery box last year for under 500 dollars. Their 300 watt inverter works well with no RFI. Its on sale also

[@davidg5308]

Good info and urges me to do the same. Living in EQ country, and the recent fires around LA, we have see repeaters go down all too easily (distribution lines to Mtn top repeaters torched). I have been playing with the Tidradio H3 that does ham and gmrs (maybe not exactly legal), but "having it all" sure is nice. 73!

[@lyledal]

Great information. Thanks!

[@angelscomputers]

I have tried GMRS and cant even reach my house from work 6 miles away, we dont have repeaters in the area so GMRS its out the window. Because my wife is not licensed a CB in her car its the best solution for us so far. For the after mass in NC everyone its jumping in the Baofeng bandwagon I guess because they are tiny and easy to carry but I feel so sad when the next emergency happen and they figure out that would be able to just talk to a neighbor down the road while they are expecting to talk with family hundreds of miles away.

[@Siskiyous6]

Is there a hill in the way? If not you need better antenna.

[@Siskiyous6]

Rank cellphone texting ahead of voice. When Crescent City CA was under tidal wave alert, I could text my kids but voice calls were busy,.

[@k5wxp22]

Excellent ideas, Jason. I have been focusing on batteries and usb C connectivity lately. I picked up several 22k mah bricks that include an attached usb C cable. My cell phones have usb C and now my HT'S do as well. Haven't bought a Yaesu yet, but do like the double A capability your offers. Wish the big 3 would get a clue on the need for usb C! Thanks for your videos, and 73! Brett K5WXP

[@timk7749]

Excellent info and good food for thought.

[@KM4ACK]

Glad it was helpful!

[@nimroddiaries_]

Good stuff Jason! 73

[@Niteskate1]

A timely video, something I will work on to keep in contact with my family. I live on the west coast of Canada and in the last week we have had a series of small earthquakes, four alone today. 73 de VE7WNO.

[@gusfiebig5960]

Jason, apparently newer i-phones 15 and beyond will default to satellite comm when there is no cell service. Initially for emergencies only but may be extended to other messages.

[@jamesalderman4162]

This disaster illustrates why the FCC's GMRS repeater linking ban is so insidious. Even a modest portable repeater with Starlink capability would be worth its weight in gold.

[@BlueElwood]

Awesome video!

[@KM4ACK]

Thanks!

[@Philip-KA4KOE]

32 hours without power here. We got off easy. My inlaws will be at least a couple of weeks without power.

[@kaboom4679]

Been around these parts since 77 . About the only weather I haven't experienced in TN is a major earthquake . And that is absolutely on the table . I am constantly amused by the newcomers who invariably believe " TN doesn't get ( insert weather event ) " . This includes feet of snow , blizzards , sub zero temps , etc .. Seen those too . Oh , and ice storms . Think EF 1 -2 scale damage across the entire region . The roads may be intact , but , they will not be passable or navigable . The grid is gone , figure at least a week , maybe 2 or more before power is back . Heliene is not unique , either . It's not the first tropical system I have seen cause catastrophic flooding . And half the major floods I have seen had no relation to a tropical system . Never underestimate our weather . It didn't get kicked out of everywhere else for no reason .

[@Siskiyous6]

Mobile CB, maybe over legal power is a good legal alternative for non ham family

[@surplusdoctor]

GMRS is online only application

[@hikingfish3]

The biggest shocker in this video, is finding out that rubbermaid action packers can have black tops and not grey ones like we have here in Canada!

[@KM4ACK]

😂😂😂

[@KM4ACK]

I can’t tell you how many years I have had that box

[@AndrewLockhart]

DO you have a sanitized copy of your sheet you showed?

[@soeikl]

I came to the comments to ask that very question. Jason, very nice video.

[@KM4ACK]

Not at the moment but let me see what I can do

[@robwill9649]

How are they going to vote?