By Gordon Williams

 
Almost any event, from a group hike on a summer day to a nighttime evacuation forced by wildfire, goes more smoothly if there is a communications network tying all participants together. And while disaster responders use costly and complex radio systems to keep in touch, you can create your own network using radios that are cheap to buy and easy to use.
 
Do-it-yourself networks make use of two closely related radio systems — Family Radio Service (FRS) and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS). Both make use of inexpensive walkie-talkie radios, operating in what is called the 70-centimeter radio band. But no technical knowledge of any kind is required to operate either FRS or GMRS.
Radios for both FRS and GMRS are widely available at hardware stores, big box retailers and online. FRS radios sell for as little as $20 a pair and GMRS radios start at less than $30 each. Why use them instead of the cell phones you may already have? Cell phone calls costs money, GMRS radio calls cost nothing and there are no long-term contacts. Finally two GMRS radios can communicate even in regions where there is no cellular service.
 
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has assigned a block of 30 frequencies jointly to FRS and GMRS. All radios come with these frequencies already installed. Tune to one and your radio can communicate with anyone else who has an FRS or GMRS radio. At low cost and with virtually no learning curve, you have an emergency communications network in place.
 
No license is needed to operate FRS. Buy the radios, open the packaging, spend a few minutes reading the instructions and you are good to go. GMRS radio does require a license from the FCC. However, all that is required to get that license is applying for it online at the FCC website and paying a one-time fee of $35. In return, you will be notified you have a license and a federally assigned call sign like the one of mine above. No testing is required and that one license, once issued, covers everyone in your immediate family.

One application, one license and you could have a family network involving a dozen people.
You might use it to keep track of people off on a hike or visiting a hugely popular tourist spot. Get friends and neighbors involved and you could have a network to be used to keep everyone in touch should disaster hit your neighborhood. Commands and instructions could be passed in an orderly manner even if an evacuation order comes in the middle of the night.
 
Consider acquiring a radio for every member of your personal support team to monitor each other's daily well-being, especially those most vulnerable. Check with your county department of emergency management for advice on what else might be useful to know in a local disaster.
 
YouTube is loaded with tutorials on how to choose and operate FRS and GMRS radios. Again, all you really have to do is turn on the radio, pick a frequency, get someone to tune to the same frequency, and you are in business.
 
Maximum range on an FRS radio is probably no more than two miles. But for keeping hikers together or building a network in your immediate neighborhood, that is all the range you need. A GMRS radio can cover around five miles.
 
Radio relay stations, called Repeaters, can vastly extend the range of a GMRS radio. Repeaters are high-powered radios, sited atop tall buildings or mountaintops. Once your weak signal reaches a repeater it is rebroadcast at high power--extending its reach by many miles. They are often run by local amateur (ham) radio clubs, emergency management operations or others, and are free to use. You locate nearby repeaters by searching the Internet for GMRS repeaters in your area. Find your local ham radio club to see if it operates a GMRS repeater. My club’s repeater has helped me make contacts as far as 30 miles away.

Building a family or neighborhood radio net is a great way to involve others for recreational purposes that also may come in handy in difficult communication environments like power outages or worse. It’s an additional tool to help you be prepared for whatever might come up!