Tag: emcomm
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What Is JS8Call?
JS8Call takes the weak-signal power of FT8 and turns it into real keyboard-to-keyboard conversation and messaging. Here is what it does.
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NVIS vs. Vertical DX Antennas: Two Completely Different Jobs on the Same Bands
Same bands, opposite goals. Here’s how NVIS and vertical DX antennas actually differ, and how a low-mounted 40m EFHW can blanket a state like Arizona.
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The Key Parts of a SHTF Communications Plan: PACE, Rally Points, and Roles
A SHTF comms plan needs more than a radio and a frequency. Here are the actual components: PACE planning, rally points, defined roles, and a common list everyone can reference.
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Emergency Communications and Preparedness
A practical roadmap to EmComm capability, covering ARES and RACES, message formats, digital tools like Winlink, and what actually holds up when it matters.
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Tactical Team Comms vs. SHTF Comms: Why You Can’t Copy-Paste the Playbook
Why the PACE-driven, locked-down comms plan of a tactical team doesn’t hold up in a grid-down scenario, and what your radio setup actually needs instead.
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SkyWarn and Weather Spotting: How Ham Radio Ties Into Storm Reporting
Long before radar could see everything, ham radio operators were the eyes on the ground reporting severe weather in real time. SkyWarn still relies on that today, and it is one of the most genuinely useful volunteer roles in the hobby.
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ICS-213 and Message Formats: How EmComm Traffic Actually Gets Passed
Passing a message accurately over a radio net is a specific skill with its own format, and ICS-213 is the standard form most served agencies actually expect. Here is how real message traffic gets handled.
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ARES vs RACES: How Emergency Communications Are Actually Organized
Nearly every EmComm post on this blog assumes a general familiarity with how volunteer emergency communications are organized. ARES and RACES are the two structures actually behind most of it, and they are not the same thing.
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What a Real SHTF Communications Plan Actually Looks Like
Most people’s SHTF comms plan is a radio in a drawer and a vague hope it’ll work when it matters. Here’s what an actual plan looks like, and why it’s mostly about people and documentation, not gear.
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The Fldigi Family: Fldigi, Flrig, Flmsg, and the Other FL Apps
The FL suite is a collection of free, connected ham radio programs for digital modes, rig control, and message handling. Here is what each one does.