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This guide is a recommended items list to set up an Emcomms Station and keep you relatively comfortable for at least 72-hours. Feel free to add or remove items as necessary.

 

Identification

• Copy of Amateur Radio License

• ARES / RACES / REACT Identification Card, if appropriate

 

 

Clothes

• Warm jacket

• Sturdy work shoes or boots

• Extra socks and underwear

• Extra pants and shirts

• Rain suit

• Hat with wide brim

• Work gloves

• Reflective vest (Deployment Vest)

 

 

Bedding

• Blanket or sleeping bag

• Folding cot or plastic tarp for ground cover

 

 

Basic 72-Hour Disaster Kit

 

 

Miscellaneous Items

• Spare eyeglasses or contacts and solution

• Cash, including small bills and coins for public phones, etc.

• Fanny-pack/Back-pack

• Space Blanket

• Small refillable water bottle

• Large trash bags

• Flashlight w/extra batteries (white LED type preferred)

• 100 feet of 550 Paracord (the good stuff is the 7 strand MIL-C-5040H Type III)

 

 

Tools

• Swiss army knife and/or Leatherman-type multi tool

• Screwdrivers, Phillips and flat

• Needle nose pliers

• Vise Grips

• Diagonal cutter

• Crescent adjustable wrench

• Hammer

• Electrical tape

• VOM multimeter

• Duct tape

• Crimper and wire stripper

• Soldering Iron w/solder

• Assorted adapters, connectors, nails, screws

 

 

VHF/UHF Radio Equipment

• VHF / UHF radio

  • HandiTalkie (dual band if possible)

  • Spare battery packs (charged) or AA-cell battery adapter with extra batteries

  • Speaker-mic

• or

  • Mobile Radio (dual band if possible)

  • Switching power supply (A/C)

  • 50 feet extension cord

  • Multi-outlet power strip

• Headset

 

 

Operating Station Equipment

• Notebook or paper pad

• Pens and pencils, including a larger marker pen

• Clip board

• Watch

• Maps (BRYAN’S Sectional Map)

• Blank message forms

• Printed list of local frequencies

• Printed list of ITU Phonetics

• Printed list of Q-Signals

• Printed list of QN Signals

• Printed list of ARL Codes

• Printed list of Emergency Phone Numbers

• Paperweights, to keep all the forms and other papers from blowing around.

 

 

Computer Equipment

• Laptop for digital and email (optional)

• Laptop computer pre-loaded with ham programs, etc

• Laptop power supply and cord

• Power strip (surge protected)

• Optional UPS Backup

• USB or desk lamp

• Connection cables from laptop to rig

• Interface unit (ex: Signalink, RadioBoss, RigBlaster, etc.)

 

 

Optional items

• Nut Driver set

• Folding set of Allen/Torx wrenches

• 50Ft Roll of Zip Cord

• Transistor radio

• Binoculars

• Scanner

 

 

HF Radio Items

• HF rig (12V dc preferred) with:

• Antenna tuner with built-in SWR meter

• Microphone

• Key or paddle

• Head phones

• Headset adapter (Heil)

• Footswitch

• External speaker

 

 

Antennas, Tuner and Coax

• 50 ft and 100ft rolls of RG8X or better

• NVIS antenna: (NOT a mobile vertical)

• 75m dipole w/ ladder line or 130 ft of wire or equivalent

• Insulators

• 3 Masts, 8 ft or more, preferably non-conductive

• Guy rope

• Pegs for guy lines

• Lead weight and 50 ft light line for tossing over tree branches

• Bright marking tape to warn passers-by of guys and lines.

• 2M directional antenna w/tripod, mast, guy rope and pegs (Optional)

• Vertical 1/4 wave or larger mag-mount / ground plane antenna, dual band 2M / 440

• BNC or SMA to PL259 adapters if needed

• UHF-UHF barrel adapters

 

Power Source

• 12V gel cell 75 A/H with charger

• Vehicle with 12V battery and gas

• 20-30 amp switching power supply

• 50 ft extension cord

• Multi-outlet power strip

 

 

Portable shack:

• Canopy or shelter tent

• Folding table and chair

• Portable light

 

 

For public service events

• Cooler with snacks and drinks

• Folding table & chair

• Umbrella (sun or rain)

 

 

 

In addition to a First Aid Kit, you should also consider having an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on hand in your emcomms deployment kit and know how to use it.