Hey guys and gals,,,
Tom here on Maui, was wondering what we can do to get rolling with the fire and police to set up a civilian radio program that piggybacks with the system that the officials have so that when there is a tsunami or earthquake or storm etc we can still be able to comunicate, I think it could be a good thing and be a good tool for the first responders and those who are able to assist in a dizaster,,, we all gotta stick together even if the color glasses we wear are different if you know what I mean, and being able to get word out that there is a situation when there has been an event is a big first need. anyways, hopefully some thoughts can come from this, maybe a civilian safety and responder group that works like a volunteer fire department so we can piggyback training etc with the fire and police and assist if needed.
Aloha

CB / ham radio would work good for this I think. Is there an amateur ham network here in Hawaii?

I know there is a pretty good network of HAM Radio Operators on the BI. So I would suspect even more so for Oahu and Maui.

EARC for Honolulu   http://www.earchi.org/

This link (http://www.qsl.net/ah7e/hcda.html) seems like good info for the subject, as well.

You can buy a NOAA weather radio from Radioshack. That will give you up to date weather and emergency alerts around the clock. Some CB radios come equipped with those channels as well.

You can also subscribe to various sms text or email services on your cellphone and computer.

You can receive emergency alerts and weather on any tv or radio. News channels spend millions of dollars to bring you the latest, greatest, breaking news first. You aint gonna hear about something before the networks.

A scanner is also helpful, though PD and FD are all digital now, and that's expensive. The most you can hope for is to catch the few EMS that still operate on analog, and maybe some aircraft and boaters.   

Get a bridge to bridge radio and an AC to DC converter. They have good range, and lots of people have them already for their boats. If the SHTF, that wel be the most common communication device here in Hawaii.

The bridge to bridge sounds like where i was headed, VHF?
Im not really up on the CB or similar radio systems, I just know the cell phone and internet was dead or frozen during the last tsunami and the earthquake a couple years ago so trying to find something that we the peeps can use to com plus be able to contact fire, rescue, or the PD,
Does anyone know if channel 9 on the CB is still an emergency freq? And does it get monitered by the PD or 911 dispatch?

Question on HAM radio
How do i go about setting up a license etc for ham radio and does anyone know anything about the handheld units advertised on some ham outlet sites? ie are they good?

For equipment reviews try http://www.eham.net/reviews/

Download the question pool here:  http://www.arrl.org/question-pools

Check with Maui club for next testing period: http://www.kh6rs.org/

I took both the amateur & general class tests on the same day.  I used this guy http://www.hamwhisperer.com/p/ham-courses.html to go over the amateur class material.  He didn't have the general class material up yet so I used Gordo's 2011 General Class Study Manual; General Class Study Manual.  https://ssl.qrz.com/bookstore  If you find a used book, make sure it says 2011-2015 because they changed a few questions last year. 

Then take the quizzes on qrz.com (you need to sign up).  Get a consistent 75-80% on those online quizzes and you should be ready.

Good luck.

You might want to look at GMRS as well.   $85(no test) for 5 years vs $30(tech & gen tests) good for 10 yrs and renewal fee every 10 years.

Police trunking scanners are pretty cheap on line or at radio shack.... you wont hear it all but decent enough.

Weather band only emergency alert radios are pretty cheap on amazon and sports authority...

Down loaded local scanner and weather band app. on smart phone.... (only weather works, scanner very sporatic)

Keep a two CB radios... one a portable, the other a 12volt easy plug in car model.... also a magnetic mount antennae for the truck or home roof in case of emergency... Havent been on in ages but its good for back up communications...

Also a couple decent walkie talkie radios... good for a couple miles in good conditions...

Looking to upgrade to MURS or HAMM as time and $$$ permits...!!!

Just my 2 cents....

 
Good input, Thank you,, the $$$ is definitely the biggest limiting factor,,,
be cool to somehow maybe start a network? anyone on the site who sees the post and buys a radio connect through one channel? Thinking Im going to start out with a bridge to bridge or cb type radio, stick a solid unit in my pickup and a base station at the house, then a couple hand helds, maybe not in that order,,,, water proof is big, shockproof is big too, the GMRS sounds interesting, but the range sounds like there isnt much of a benefit over the hunting radios you can get from wherever,,, but Im not sure,, need to look into it a little more, right now cost makes the CB style radio the most affordable and flexible. can buy into the system that Harmer comunications has over here, repeater charge is pretty high, like 25 per unit per month, and then there is a monthly fee for the system plus the costs of the hardware,, but it is the same system as the fire and rescue etc use, I just wish that there was a civilian band that connected with these agencies through one channel, never can tell who you will need to get ahold of,  the marine radio system sounds like the next best thing though since the coast gaurd monitors and we live on islands surrounded by water. \
Ahuihou
 

You might also want to think about how many people will be on 40 channels on CB. 

Maui scanner info: http://www.qsl.net/ah7e/mctrunk.html

Honolulu county scanner info: http://www.qsl.net/ah7e/trunking.html

emcomm by Ron Hashiro:  http://www.qsl.net/a/ah6rh/am-radio/emcomm/

Ron Hashiro, has by far, the most comprehensive ham radio info for Hawaii.

A ham is better for a disaster scenario IMHO. Most state, county, and many private businesses have in place HAM equipment to use as a "last ditch" comms when all their fancy stuff goes down. State Civil defense, Honolulu DEM, and Healthcomm all have these in place already. RACES and EARC are well established groups who exercise frequently and have many very capable operators that love to help the new guys.

As for equipment (or "rigs" as they are known in the HAM community), you can get anything from high-end multifrequency base stations to handheld walkie-talkies, from a variety of sources. Several folks I know have been using E-Bay as a source as the real enthuiasts upgrade their equipment regularly and often put their "older" stuff there. JayDawg had some very good references for both the equipments and testing preparation. I would second his recommendations that you get on one of the sites where you can take the test (practice) until you can pass it on a regular basis. I would add that when you take the test, it will give you the correct answer at the end. So review what you got wrong, and try again.....

WH6DMN 73's (My call sign and HAM speak for have a good one...)

Thank you, the ham has always been in the back of my mind, just a little intimidated by the testing and hardware but figure its sorta like reloading, scary till you shoot the first 20 rounds you loaded,

Good input, Thank you,, the $$$ is definitely the biggest limiting factor,,,
be cool to somehow maybe start a network? anyone on the site who sees the post and buys a radio connect through one channel? Thinking Im going to start out with a bridge to bridge or cb type radio, stick a solid unit in my pickup and a base station at the house, then a couple hand helds, maybe not in that order,,,, water proof is big, shockproof is big too, the GMRS sounds interesting, but the range sounds like there isnt much of a benefit over the hunting radios you can get from wherever,,, but Im not sure,, need to look into it a little more, right now cost makes the CB style radio the most affordable and flexible. can buy into the system that Harmer comunications has over here, repeater charge is pretty high, like 25 per unit per month, and then there is a monthly fee for the system plus the costs of the hardware,, but it is the same system as the fire and rescue etc use, I just wish that there was a civilian band that connected with these agencies through one channel, never can tell who you will need to get ahold of,  the marine radio system sounds like the next best thing though since the coast gaurd monitors and we live on islands surrounded by water. \
Ahuihou
 

Your post actually made me pull out some Motorola GRMS radios I bought back in the day for hunting... Only used them once or twice cuz our line got pulled....

Charged them up last night and gonna test them tomorrow....The whole 16 to 30 mile is complete bullshit...

I expect about less than a mile or so in town... and maybe a couple miles in clear land... will test...

Now that they are charged im gonna see... maybe invest in murs or ham after i the "bug".... heh heh....

No Dis to the Ham guys but what if you bought a ham radio and just held it in case? if SHTF who's gonna stop you? Just curious... no dis intenteded....

No Dis to the Ham guys but what if you bought a ham radio and just held it in case? if SHTF who's gonna stop you? Just curious... no dis intenteded....

I am not a HAM Radio operator anymore but I am very familiar with the rules and regs. However, a lot has changed since I was into it so what I am about to say may no longer be accurate.

The rules may still be that you can lose your license if you knowingly engage with a non licensed operator. I am not saying that in an emergency that I wouldn't let that go out the window. Just saying some hardcore guys may not and may just ignore you.

Here's the deal with that. While no one will stop you, your chances here in Hawaii of getting in trouble are slim to none. The FCC used to REALLY monitor the bands and crack down on the rule breakers and fine them. This includes those who operate without a license. Yes, they would comb the neighborhoods with their directional antennas and track them down. Not sure if they do that any more and especially would they even be here in Hawaii? With that said, if they are still cracking down on people then someone who is licensed could possibly turn you in. Again, not saying it will happen or even if they are still active in cracking down on the rule breakers. Just that it used to be this way.

Was looking at some garmin gps radio combos, if they have GMRS channels and freq you i guess need to buy the license to use them? And what do they mean when they talk about illegal repeaters? Does a repeater need a different license? I guess the range is around 20 miles with a repeater, but who knows, wouldnt a ham setup be limited by line of sight like the others? Or are there built in public repeaters or does it have to do with wave length and frequency? Just a couple questions,
Ham is sounding better for long range

No Dis to the Ham guys but what if you bought a ham radio and just held it in case? if SHTF who's gonna stop you? Just curious... no dis intenteded....

Legitimate question.  I don't feel dissed at all. 

It's like saying, " I'm going to stash this AK just in case."  Wouldn't you like to know if your equipment works, how far the range, what kind of antenna, get to know other ham operators etc.  Maybe it needs "MO POWA!!!" or a directional antenna.  Just a thought.

As for those walkie talkies, I wouldn't discount them.  They would be good for scouting and radio back to the house.  Certainly not for long range use.