Emergency Communication Equipment For Your Kit

By Serena Price


During a natural or man-made disaster, you will want to be able to communicate with government agencies and family members . Suggestions for Emergency Communication Equipment for your kit are a ham radio, satellite phone, walkie- talkies, cell phone, or a hand crank radio . Having fresh batteries or choosing equipment that use solar power will ensure you are not left uninformed.

For more than 100 years, the Ham radio, also known as shortwave radio, has proven critical during all types of disasters and crisis. There are several reason why this is so. They use a shortwave frequency that is able to literately bend or curve around the earth because the radio wave is at such a low frequency it bounces off the ionosphere. Also their signals can be sent and received from one continent to another or several thousand kilometers in distance. Most operators know and use Morse code which can be transmitted if voice cannot and they do not require any outside source of power to operate.

A Satellite Phone does not rely on cell networks in order to operate. Instead they connect to orbiting satellites and provide the same functions a cell phone offers. These are voice, short messaging and limited internet. Any overload to the cell phone network will not have an effect on this option. As long as the satellites are orbiting the earth you will be able to make use of this option.

Another option that does not use cell networks, is the Walkie-Talkie. Modern units resemble a cell phone but are instead a two-way radio that also uses radio waves for transmittal. Good for short distance communication, they can reach a person 1 to almost 35 miles away as long as there are no obstructions such as buildings or a mountain between the sender and receiver.

Though the previous recommendations are for items that do not use the same network as a cell phone, that does not mean cell phones cannot still be useful during a disaster. Text messages and the internet use different bandwidth than voice calls do so if the network should be overloaded, you can still get a text message through. You should also be able to access the internet through your data plan to communicate with others. Do not forget that social media has proven to be useful in the past during times of crisis.

A Hand-crank radio will not allow you to send voice messages but it is a most useful tool. First it provides access to information being transmitted on AM/FM and weather stations. Modern units also have a built-in port for charging cell phones, they can be used as a flashlight, reading light, have emergency flashing light, and many other important extra's. In addition, the energy it needs to operate is fulfilled provided by turning a crank by hand or from the solar panel that most have now.

Add a solar panel and converter to your preparedness bag. You will also want to keep a fresh stock of batteries. Also check your equipment to make certain they are in proper working order. Disasters are never pre-planned or scheduled for our convenience so be prepared.

During a natural or man-made disaster Making Contact with Emergency Communication Equipment is going to be vital. Be certain you have been properly trained in how to use your equipment. Also have plenty of batteries and a solar converter on hand in order to keep the lines of communication open.




About the Author:



Links to this post is subject to copy-and-paste
URL
HTML
BBCode