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"No cellphone? No problem! The vintage radio enthusiasts prepping for disaster" - The Guardian

The problem with most of these Ham-EMCOM scenarios, is it boils down to two distinct groups:
1. The group that is too gung-ho, and ends up actually getting in the way of professional emergency responders, or ends up putting their own safety at risk.
2. Groups that talk a good game, wear the polo shirts with their call signs on them, but when the proverbial crap hits the fan, they're nowhere to be found.
 
I used to think ham radio would be somewhat effective in disasters, crises, etc. But that was a couple decades ago, when HF was still used by mariners at sea, and 2 Meters was still regularly active day to day. Today it's different. An example: when there was a tornado watch a year or two ago, 2 Meters in my region was completely MIA. That said it all.
 
boombox4 said:
I used to think ham radio would be somewhat effective in disasters, crises, etc. But that was a couple decades ago, when HF was still used by mariners at sea, and 2 Meters was still regularly active day to day. Today it's different. An example: when there was a tornado watch a year or two ago, 2 Meters in my region was completely MIA. That said it all.
Click to expand...
What you say is true. Even Internet-enabled 2M repeaters that link around the world, sometimes with 100+ repeaters/nodes connected at any one time, can be completely silent/no activity for hours. The same goes for local club repeaters in major cities. They can go for days with hardly any activity.
 
Kelly A said:
The problem with most of these Ham-EMCOM scenarios, is it boils down to two distinct groups:
1. The group that is too gung-ho, and ends up actually getting in the way of professional emergency responders, or ends up putting their own safety at risk.
2. Groups that talk a good game, wear the polo shirts with their call signs on them, but when the proverbial crap hits the fan, they're nowhere to be found.
Click to expand...

I think there's a level of unreasonable reverence applied to an amateur radio license, and many are trying to live the impossible dream of attaining the "Person Who Mistrusts Humankind Becomes Local Hero During Hurricane" headline.

Also, I think GMRS is a better tool for most local level emergencies. A knowledge test is not a barrier to licensing, and GMRS radios can even communicate with no-license FRS radios, increasing the chances that qualified people could participate in organized efforts, not just qualified people-who-have-a-ham-license.
 
Red Plume said:
I think there's a level of unreasonable reverence applied to an amateur radio license, and many are trying to live the impossible dream of attaining the "Person Who Mistrusts Humankind Becomes Local Hero During Hurricane" headline.
Click to expand...
Some I've experienced have always wanted to be involved in some form of first responder; firefighter, medic, or police. Being involved in their local ham radio club with ties to their local municipality gives them that feeling. Many do a great service by volunteering for non-radio-involved tasks during emergencies. Others find themselves getting in the way.
Red Plume said:
Also, I think GMRS is a better tool for most local level emergencies. A knowledge test is not a barrier to licensing, and GMRS radios can even communicate with no-license FRS radios, increasing the chances that qualified people could participate in organized efforts, not just qualified people-who-have-a-ham-license.
Click to expand...
The problem with GMRS is you really need a repeater for added range, especially for search and rescue activities. Also, GMRS does require a license for each individual household/user. Last time I checked, it's something like $80. Our local county emergency management official approached me about whether they could use GMRS radios for search and rescue volunteers. After doing some research and consulting a friend who works at the Commission; it was determined that the County couldn't hold a blanket GMRS license with volunteers under one license. The volunteers would have to pay to obtain their own licenses and could use GMRS radios issued by the County to license holders only.
 
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