WSEM281 Posted January 3 Report Posted January 3 Discuss non-emergency protocol to assist neighbors via simplex radio operation during extended grid failure or natural disaster
WSEM281 Posted January 3 Author Report Posted January 3 Greetings, I hope you will find this topic valuable. I, like few others want to know if help is out there should communication be non-existent via cellular or landline phone during a natural disaster resulting in an extended grid failure. The scenario and my situation: I am unable to access the Vista Woods repeater due to various obstacles and obstructions from my home location near Ramoth Church but wish to attempt contact with others nearby should the situation arise that I cannot use my phone. I am requesting that we establish Vista Woods Tac on simplex using the same receive frequency and tone; users could monitor this for distress calls. I hope others will benefit from a mesh network of simplex users within the undetermined coverage area perhaps from American Legion Road, Mountain View, Ramoth, Roseville, Garrisonville, Shelton Shop, and other nearby locations or within a set boundary. A relay from radio to radio could even prove essential for those without access to a phone network. Opinions and input kindly appreciated! - WSEM281
WSGE216 Posted January 7 Report Posted January 7 I'm rather new to radios, but this is exactly what I am looking to do! I only have handheld radios and if Vista Woods goes out, I only have about 1-2 mile range where I am near the 2nd Wawa off of Garrisonville.
WSEM281 Posted January 8 Author Report Posted January 8 216, you could conduct an assessment. Determine the likelihood of a communications failure in your community and if anyone benefits from having an alternative method of communication to contact neighbors and family members nearby; the winter storm of 2022 is a great place to start as it paralyzed much of our infrastructure, including cellular and landline phones. As the result of that storm my elderly parents who live 4 doors down, now have the ability to communicate with me during communications outages with a simple bubblepack GMRS radio and a simplified plan to check in, in the event of an emergency. I'm attempting to advocate for others to do the same. Learning to prepare for any emergency situation is absolutely crucial to our community's resilience during a disaster. Through the previous experiences with summer and winter storms that impacted communications, we have developed a method to mitigate these issues, based on what we have learned. I think what 649 is doing will greatly improve the footprint of communication as well. I look forward to building a partnership with others so we can overcome community emergencies, should we become a community united during a disaster. - WSEM281 WSDH649 1
WSGE216 Posted January 8 Report Posted January 8 While my neighbor and I have radios (he just got his GMRS license), I'm not sure anyone else in my locale does. I have a total of 4 handheld GMRS radios. Maybe my next step to set up a more powerful home base station or set up a vehicle as a mobile base station.
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