C. Edward Harris, KE4SKY, State Training Officer, Virginia RACES
Many of us take a HT along on our daily activities. Obvious accessories are an extra nicad battery pack, external power cord, some sort of gain antenna and comfort and safety items in case of some unexpected disaster. It only takes your nicad to "go south" when you need to access the autopatch to report a traffic accident, or to get lost or break down on the road in an unfamiliar place to appreciate the value of being "prepared."
The best kit for you may not fit a "canned" list, but should be based upon your operating mode, experience and local conditions. It is better to have the bare essentials always handy than to leave a bulky pack someplace where you can't get to it. A larger kit bag is more practical if you are almost always in or near your home or car.
The trunk is the best place to store emergency gear because it is dry, relatively secure and is accessible either at home or away. I actually have three kits. An "everyday" kit accompanies my HT and is small enough to fit in a briefcase. A larger "backup" bag stashed in the car provides 24 hours of auxiliary power, a spare HT, brick amp, coax and accessories for extended operating. The "disaster " bag has emergency cash, food, water, rain gear, a larger gel cell battery, clothing and shelter to sustain a 3-day activation or evacuation. The ARRL ARES Field Resources Manual provides excellent guidance on "Go" kits. If you travel through rural areas, you should also include fire making supplies, a pocketknife and a compass in the kit. In the suburbs, you'll want a local street atlas, change for a pay phone and emergency cash or a credit card. A compact, sturdy flashlight, extra batteries, first aid kit, extra HT battery pack and spare eyeglasses of your current prescription are useful everywhere. If you regularly take prescription medications, you should carry those.
A typical "go" kit should sustain a day of continuous operation and be easily supplemented for overnight or weekend trips. The bare essentials are a 2-meter or dual-band HT, some sort of "gain" antenna, auxiliary power source, writing materials, comfort and safety items. You can do a lot with a minimum kit, if you plan its contents carefully. There is risk of not having something you may need if you go "too" light, but obvious "bells and whistles" should stay home.
My "every day" kit stays within easy reach. Including a dual-band HT, it weighs 5 pounds and is 4"x5"x10." It fits in a small waist bag and includes the following:
The "Backup Bag" contains "24-hour" items in a sturdy shoulder bag with carrying strap. I am trying to reduce mine from its 12"x8"x6" size and 18-lbs. weight. I use a padded, ballistic nylon camera bag with external pockets marked as to contents. It stays in the car until needed. Suggested contents are:
The "Disaster Bags" -- are packed in a duffel, stowed with the "backup bag" in a Rubbermaid storage locker in the car trunk, until needed. Their contents are inspected and changed seasonally to provide a complete change of clothing, shelter, food and equipment to support a weekend activation or evacuation, such as operating a remote SkyWarn Net Control station during a power outage accompanying a severe storm event:
* 1 gallon of water per person/day is needed for drinking and washing. Good are canned soup, beans, tuna, juices, fruits, veggies which can be eaten cold, or warmed without further preparation; also peanut butter, cheese spread or jam in plastic jars, lots of hard candy, instant coffee, tea, dried fruit, crackers. Sterno is best for warming. Military MRE's are lightweight and convenient, but some find them both expensive and boring. You get better variety, more appetizingly and cheaply at the grocery store, if weight is not a problem.
All of the above seems like "overkill," but ARES mutual response teams must be entirely self-sufficient, otherwise they cease being an asset and become a liability. The above is not the "last word," but is offered as a "thought starter" for your family or group disaster planning.
The purpose of a brick amp for emergency use is to provide better range and clarity with a HT while providing maximum endurance when operating on battery power. When choosing a portable amp to augment a hand held for ARES, it should weigh no more than 1.5 lb., provide 10-15w output when driven by the HT transmitting on its low power setting and 25-40w output when the HT is operating at full power from its normal nicad battery pack.
A portable brick amp should draw no more than 8 amps of current at its maximum output, so that it can run safely from a Series 1545, .093 pin Molex connector and fused cigarette plug. FM mode only is fine. No preamp is wanted or needed, because a preamp usually increases intermod.
Low-priced, no-name amps may overheat and "quit" under heavy use. It is more important to buy a rugged amp with an ample heat sink than the smallest "box." Our ARES group has found the Mirage B-23, BD-45 and RF Concepts Mini-144 to be satisfactory in our experience.
Page Last Updated, 05/09/09