[KYHAM] KEN Training for Nov. 18: Which Radio Is Best for Emergency Comms? Part 1

[Ron Dodson]

This week, we start a new 3 part series that I hope will
evoke some thought on rigs and their
advantages/disadvantages with respect to emergency
communications.  One caveat here, while the author discusses
many rigs by name, in no way do I or the operator of this
listserv promote the use of one brand or model over any
other.  Your individual tastes and BUDGET will likely be the
number one factor in any rig you choose to purchase.  I am
using this article as a tool to start you considering your
options, not to sell any particular brand of product.
73, KA4MAP
======================

Which Radio Is Best for Emergency Comms? Part 1
Ed Harris, KE4SKY,
Virginia RACES State Training Officer
� 2002 Virginia RACES, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Used here with permission of the author.

The most common question among amateurs newly interested in
emergency and public service is "what radio should I get?" I
hesitate to recommend specific rigs, but I offer my thoughts
based upon experience. It's tempting to get "one" rig, with
"everything in one box," such as the IC706MkIIG or FT100D. 
They are neither the best 2-meter rigs nor the best HF rigs,
but they do work.   I don't favor this concept, but many do. 

Rigs for EmCom should have been on the market long enough to
have established a deserved reputation for reliability.  If
you favor the "one rig does-all" approach, I lean towards
the IC706 simply because it has been in production long
enough to for them to get most of the "bugs" out of it.  You
don't see many used IC706s when you consider that over a
million have been sold worldwide. Many FT100s and FT817s are
listed on the Internet, all the time, which suggests that
impulse buyers were less than satisfied. 

Keep equipment that works and sell what doesn't. Don't
change every time a new rig comes out.  Encourage others in
your unit to quasi-standardize on proven rigs. 

Seek equipment, which is simple to use, rugged and
reliable.  Controls should be intuitive and easy to "figure
out."  Personally, I find neither the IC706 nor the FT100
very user-friendly.  Small displays, controls, layered menus
and keystroke combinations defy anyone not familiar with it,
to use one effectively without the manual. 

Practice Redundancy! Multiple radios are better than one.
Otherwise if your only rig fails, you then have nothing!

Get a 2-meter or dual-band FM mobile first. A good mobile
costs no more than a HT, but has far better simplex
capability.  If you don't drive or have impaired mobility,
THEN get a HT first.  An HT is still needed as a spare and
for "walk and talk" operation, but most people should get it
later.  If you have a General license, an IC706 makes more
sense for your "go kit" instead of a 2-meter or dual-band
mobile.  If you can only afford one rig, get the very best
that you can afford.  In rural areas, a sturdy single-band
2-meter mobile is still an entirely viable choice. 

In suburban areas I recommend a dual-band mobile which also
has DUAL RECEIVE.  In high RF urban environments 2 meters
sometimes is not useable at all due to intermod.  Often two
meters simply is less effective in the urban environment
due to terrain and building attenuation.  Emergency nets in
urban areas may require you to work from inside, out of and
around steel-reinforced buildings where VHF simply doesn't
work very well. UHF and 220 are often more effective.  Every
urban RACES member should seek at least an HT, which works
on
either 220 or 440.

The 220 band has much to recommend it for EmCom.  It has a
lower noise floor, much quieter signals and fewer problems
with intermod. "220" gets in, out and around buildings
almost as well as UHF, but has better simplex range which is
similar to 2 meters.  If you must tie up a repeater or
simplex frequency for an extended period for a public
service event, you won't inconvenience many users if you
use 220.  An advantage of 220 is that most scanners don't
receive it.  We also recommend 2m SSB for new, sensitive
traffic that you would rather not have the public and news
media listening to.