Ham Radio and Emergency Survival

NOTE:  This post has been edited.  See NEW info at the end of the post.
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More and more digital modes are being used in disaster communications.  Not just IRLP, but modes like PSK31 and PSK63 and Olivia.  Voice communications take up LOTS of bandwidth.  Digital modes use a very narrow slice of bandwidth and you can put several digital QSOs in the same space as just ONE SSB or FM voice QSO.

 Two meters and 70 CM can both do digital modes.  You just need the correct computer to radio interface.  The internet is full of them.  Some disaster nets are now accepting checkins by voice AND by EchoLink and/or PSK31.  More and more mobile rigs are being produced with Echolink built IN!

Here are a few links of interest to the digital modes.

Icom and Yaesu CAT interface Support Page
http://www.xggcomms.com/page9.htm

Ham Radio Service Manuals on CD/DVD
http://www.xggcomms.com/page4.htm

PSK31 audio levels set up page.
http://www.mymorninglight.org/ham/psk.htm

That last one is very important.  Audio levels and RF feedback are the two biggest "gotchas" in using PSK31.

To get the needed interfaces for computer to radio connections, check AES, and eBay.  The best and most reasonably priced PSK31 cables are on eBay.

Now that Baofeng and others are producing low cost hand held radios, the name brands are beginning to produce lower cost models.  Let's hope the same price war comes to mobile and HF rigs.  We would all benefit from that!

In a disaster, no matter how much emergency ham radio training you have had, you might find your self in a situation where you do NO ham radio communications and spend the entire time just trying to survive and take care of your family or coworkers.

You can always use Google to find lots of info on emergency survival and there are books on the subject.  Here is a web page devoted entirely to Emergency Survival.

http://www.SurvivalBlog.com

More info will be added to this blog on Wednesday, the 12th of December (Just 9 days before the end of the world!).

I have been researching HSMM-MESH networks and have found it to be very interesting.  There are several of these networks in use here in Salt Lake City.  This would be an ideal way to handle Stake/Ward communications during a disaster.  Temporary antennas would be needed since it is against Church policy to mount antennas on Church buildings (Liability Problems).  Also, portable antennas would allow having the Communications Center quickly relocated if the main building were damaged so severely that it could not be used.  Here are some of the most informative links I have found.


Ham radio HSMM-MESH networks

http://www.arrl-nm.org/wp/archives/3092

https://www.slvarc.org/all-articles/85-hsmm-mesh-my-first-experience
OR http://tinyurl.com/d8ycgnk

http://www.w7aia.org/Training_files/hb2011/hsmm-mesh-part-1-k7gjt&nd7p.pdf
OR http://tinyurl.com/c2ac6c7


N7OZH