Emergency portable local radio communication

[Kayaker530]

I am also an Amateur Extra Class Licensed Amateur Radio Operator. We have some folks looking into the Garmin system. We would only need to have one for each trip team. The camp program committee is looking for funds to undertake their use for this season. As you may have seen from something I shared earlier I'm also looking into the use of Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) automatic radio beacons as an interim measure for notifying the home camp and public safety agencies of a life or death emergency. If I had the money I would have already been on the phone to Micro Trak to request the restart of production on the Micro Trak All In One (MT-AIO). 15 MT-AIOs would equip each trip group team of counselors with a selectable signal automatic transmitter that they could use to summon help from their home camp and/or from public safety responders. Just one more thing that we are looking for money to implement.

Tom Horne

We have learned a great deal about the Garmin System. I am happy to share what we have learned. Prior to purchase most of my learning about the system were posts from long distance through hikers that use them on The Pacific Coast Trail and other long trail systems. We gained a lot of valuable information from them.

 

[mightysparrow]

That rule 97.403 only covered stations, not individual operators, they seem to revoke what they have not given in a first place, not to mention it is only their rules not a law, still not illegal to own a radio.

Rules issued by government agencies are laws.

 

[TD-Horne]

This is something that a lot of people do not understand. No government agency, at any level, can issue enforceable regulations in the absence of enabling legislation that empowers that agency to do so. The regulations can not go into effect until after a public comment period which allows members of the elected legislative body and that government's executive to object to the regulation as written and demand changes. If a sufficient number of legislators want a change or withdrawal of the regulation they can vote to refer it to the committee or other body, responsible for oversight of the issuing agency for hearings and possibly legislation that will forbid the enforcement of the regulation or take other action that the legislature wants to apply. If the executive will tolerate the interference in the executive agency's action he will sign the bill and the corrective action by the legislature will take effect. Absent such legislative action the regulation becomes enforceable as law pursuant to the original enabling legislation. Any government regulation adopted pursuant to law is then enforceable as law because the original legislation says so. The regulating agency is functioning as the legislatures agent and as such they exercise the power that the legislature gave them in the original enabling legislation.

The long and short of all that is that whether you or I like it or not claiming that the regulation is not law once the elected legislature enabled its adoption and enforcement and did not exercise their oversight power over the agency to change or cancel the regulation It is law. How on earth would the FCC be able to levy fines in multiple thousands of dollars without the legislator having given them permission to. The courts would simply enjoin enforcement permanently if the regulation was adopted without the authority conferred by the legislature and excepted by the executive.

Tom Horne

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

When the cell towers are out, I would like to communicate with friends and family within a five to ten mile radius reliably (within hilly territory) and perhaps up to fifty miles away. I would like to be able to limit the distance so as not to hear conversations hundreds of miles away.

It would be good to hear the local police and maybe, be able to communicate with them.

Recommendations?

@Poppy Have everyone you want to communicate with, get a landline phone. As I understand it, regular LL phones have battery backup through the phone company. So even if cell towers are down or overloaded, you may be able to get through. I say maybe, because official traffic has priority, and you could be bumped and have the call drop. I highly doubt if you had fiber optic internet with VoIP that that would happen though, due to the high volume capability.

To listen to public safety agencies, contact scannermaster.com, and they can tell you whether or not you need a trunk tracking analog or digital scanner, and what digital systems to plug into the radio. They can pre-program it and set it all up for you.

 

[M@elstrom]

@Poppy Have everyone you want to communicate with, get a landline phone. As I understand it, regular LL phones have battery backup through the phone company. So even if cell towers are down or overloaded, you may be able to get through.

This may be purely a regional consideration but our local Telecomunications network publically advised they would no longer be maintaining the old copper line networks and directed everyone to change over to the VoIP (which fails during a power outage), in contrast mobile phone towers have (I believe) battery back up so are a better option, alternatively local radio communications would be an excellent choice as they are not reliant on local infrastructure (but communications traffic is not secure), the standard desired will be determined by the willingness of those involved to obtain equipment and/or licensing.

In Australia you're lucky if you can hear much on a standard scanner these days as most of the services have transitioned to digital (with Police going fully encrypted), I believe America has significantly more options but a digital trunking scanner will maximise your options/flexibility.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

Probably the easiest way to solve the communication scenario would be with a GMRS repeater on the highest point in the area of interest, and have everyone involved get GMRS mobile radios and handie talkies. I believe each household would have to purchase a GMRS license, but all can use the repeater with the repeater owner's permission. If all involved chipped in they could form a group to purchase and maintain the repeater.