Amateur Radio Ready Kit

 

BASIC DEPLOYMENT CHECKLIST
When responding to an emergency event, or even a training exercise, there is a minimum set of equipment and personal gear you should bring with you to get the job done. Basic items include:

 

 

ARES ID Card		Paper and Pencils
Copy of FCC License		Message Forms
2-Meter HT and Extra Batteries		Appropriate Clothing
2-Meter Gain Antenna and Coax		Food and Water and Snacks
Headphones		First Aid Kit
Flashlight and Extra Batteries		Cell Phone and Charger

The majority of these items should be kept in a "Ready Kit." Just pick it up on your way out the door for deployment. You might also consider the items on the following list for inclusion in this ready kit, designed to allow you to stay in the field for up to 72 hours.

EXTENDED (72-HOUR) DEPLOYMENT CHECKLIST

• CONTENTS OF BASIC KIT, PLUS:

Additional Radios, Packet Gear		Personal Toiletry/Hygiene Items
Power Supplies, Chargers		Personal Prescriptions
SWR Meter (VHF and HF)		Aspirin, Lozenges, etc.
Extra Coax		Additional Snacks and Drinks
RF Connectors		3 Day Supply of Non-Perishable Food
Patch Cords		3 Day Supply of Drinking Water
Spare Fuses		3 Day Change of Clothes
VOM - Multimeter		Foul Weather Gear
Basic Tools		Portable Stove (Sterno)
Soldering Iron and Solder		Mess Kit and Utensils
Electrical and Duct Tape		Shelter (Tent and Sleeping bag)
Electrical Connectors  (Anderson PowerPole)		Candles and  Waterproof Matches

 

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Power -- Your 72-hour kit should have several sources of power in it, with extra battery packs and an alkaline battery pack for your HT. For mobile VHF and UHF radios, larger batteries are needed. Gel-cell or deep cycle marine batteries would be good sources of battery power, and you must keep them charged and ready to go. 

It is also wise to have alternate means available to charge your batteries during the emergency. You can charge smaller batteries from other larger batteries. You can build a solar charging device. And, if you’re lucky, you may have access to a power generator that can be used in place of the normal electrical lines. Have more battery capacity than you think you might need. Have several methods available to connect your radios to different power sources.

Gain Antennas -- You can expect to need some kind of gain antenna for your HT, as well as an additional gain antenna that can be used on either your HT or your mobile rig. The extra antenna might be needed by someone else, or your first antenna might break. 

For VHF and UHF, you can build a J-pole from a TV twinlead, for an inexpensive and very compact antenna. Have several lengths of coax in your kit, totaling at least 50 feet and with barrel connectors to connect them together.

 Personal -- This include staples: water, or a reliable water filtration and purification system; enough food for three days; eating utensils, a drinking cup and, if needed, a means of cooking your food. 

Shelter is also important. Here, you are only limited by the size of your kit and the thickness of your wallet. Some hams plan to use their RVs as shelter, conditions permitting. Other disaster conditions may make the use of an RV impossible, so you should have several different plans for shelter. 

Light -- This is important psychologically during an emergency. Make sure that you have several light sources available. Various battery-powered lights are available, and propane or gasoline-fueled lanterns are also good possibilities.