[aprssig] Clubs, FRS and Ham Response teams

[Bob Bruninga]

Cheap Radios for Emergency  Preparedness!

We bought 10 pairs of FRS radios amounting to about $14 each and made them available to our entire school ham radio club.  The idea being to make sure that all boots-on-the-ground could contact each other and the local campus EOC during the Hurricane.

Even the Hams found them very handy for short range contact so that their HT could remain on the EOC, AREA/RACES and other vital channels, leaving the FRS channel available for logistics and coordination within the club and on scene.

This sure keeps a lot of simplex traffic off of the HAM channels that are already busy with longer distance traffic.

The FRS radios are 1 watt UHF with 22 channels, PL, CTCSS and DCS  (including CTCSS Scan!) and rechargeable batteries and charger for $28 a pair.  We consider them expendible so they are the ones we use in the rain, over the water, and into the mud.

Plus the unlicensed newcomers to the club can use them to stay in touch with our Cadre of communicators ntil they get thir licenses.

If you are Radioactive, dont overlook these excellent HT's.  PS. I measured several on a Sig gen and ALL are identical 0.2 uV or so sensitive as good as any ham radio.

Bob, WB4APR