The SW Area radio test is designed to test the range of our GMRS or FRS radios when combined with an antenna set up at the SW ICP.
The Plan
- We will meet at the Conex box and set up the antenna and the Message Center.
- One or two people will remain at the Conex box as Message Center operator and scribe.
- Other attendees will be given scenarios and will be sent to various points in the Southwest Area (TBD).
- Upon reaching their assigned point, attendees will call into the Message Center and report the salient information in their scenario.
- If you have two scenarios, you’ll be asked to drive to another location to radio in for the second one.
- We will use channel 10. Remember to preface each message with the line, “This is a test for Pleasant Hill CERT.”
- Return to the ICP after finishing your scenarios. We will dismantle the antenna and Message Center and return everything to the cache.
- Debrief
Objectives
- Discover any areas with obstacles to radio signals getting through.
- Practice writing a radio message (25 words or less) from a scenario. In other words, you can’t call in and read your scenario. You need to decide what is important to report to the ICP and write your message in a succinct and clear way. When you radio in, you will read the message as you’ve written it. (We will talk about this before going out).
- Practice sending a radio message.
- Practice for Message Center operator and scribe in receiving messages, writing them down, logging them in, assigning Message IDs, responding to callers, and coordinating calls that overlap.