OutpostCore

Where we go deepest

Communications

Phones fail in the same moment everyone needs them. This pillar covers what still works: licence-free radio, GMRS, amateur bands, LoRa mesh, scanners and the plans that make any of it useful.

Guides

Resources worth your time

19 vetted links for communications, annotated so you know what each one is for before you click.

  • Government or standards bodyDownloadFree

    Make a family emergency plan (opens in a new tab)

    FEMA

    A fill-in plan covering meeting points, out-of-area contacts and who collects the kids. The out-of-area contact is the single most useful line on it, because long distance often works when local calling does not.

  • Government or standards bodyToolFree

    ShakeAlert (opens in a new tab)

    USGS

    Earthquake early warning for the West Coast. It buys seconds, not minutes, which is enough to get under a table and nowhere near enough to leave a building.

  • Government or standards bodyStandard or rulesFree

    Amateur Radio Service (opens in a new tab)

    FCC

    The rules themselves. Read the part on emergency communications before you decide what you are allowed to do with an unlicensed radio in a crisis, because the answer surprises people in both directions.

  • Government or standards bodyStandard or rulesFree

    General Mobile Radio Service (opens in a new tab)

    FCC

    GMRS licence rules, including the part people miss: one licence covers your whole immediate family, there is no exam, and it lasts ten years.

  • Government or standards bodyDataFree

    FCC licence search (opens in a new tab)

    FCC

    Look up any United States callsign or check that your own licence records are current. Also the fastest way to confirm someone is who they say they are on air.

  • Established nonprofitNonprofitFree tier

    ARRL, the national association for amateur radio (opens in a new tab)

    ARRL

    Licensing information, band plans, technical references and a club finder. Much of the genuinely useful material is free without membership, including the band plan and the exam session search.

  • Established nonprofitNonprofitFree

    Amateur Radio Emergency Service (opens in a new tab)

    ARRL

    The organised volunteer side of emergency radio. Joining a local ARES group is how a licence turns into something you can actually use under pressure, because you practise on a schedule.

  • Practitioner or communityToolFree

    Meshtastic (opens in a new tab)

    Meshtastic

    Open source LoRa mesh messaging on cheap hardware, no licence needed. Range claims vary wildly with terrain, so test yours before you plan around it.

  • Practitioner or communityDataFree

    RepeaterBook (opens in a new tab)

    RepeaterBook

    Directory of amateur and GMRS repeaters by location, with tones and offsets. Print the page for your county and put it in the radio bag, because you will not have internet when you need it.

  • Practitioner or communityDataFree tier

    RadioReference (opens in a new tab)

    RadioReference

    Frequency database for public safety, aviation, rail and business bands. The scanner community's reference, and the fastest way to find out what your local agencies actually use.

  • Practitioner or communityTrainingFree

    HamStudy.org (opens in a new tab)

    HamStudy

    Free practice exams built on the real question pools, with a study tracker. Combined with a local exam session, most people get a Technician licence in two or three weeks of evenings.

  • Practitioner or communityToolFree

    Winlink Global Radio Email (opens in a new tab)

    Winlink

    Email over radio when the internet is gone, used heavily in real disaster response. It requires a licence and some setup patience, and it is the closest thing to normal messaging without infrastructure.

  • Practitioner or communityCommunityFree

    r/amateurradio (opens in a new tab)

    Reddit

    Active and welcoming to beginners, provided you have read the rules first. Good place to sanity check a first radio purchase before you spend money on the wrong band.

  • Practitioner or communityCommunityFree

    r/meshtastic (opens in a new tab)

    Reddit

    Where regional mesh networks get organised and where honest range reports show up. Search your metro area name before assuming there is no local mesh.

  • Practitioner or communityCommunityFree

    r/gmrs (opens in a new tab)

    Reddit

    Licence questions, repeater etiquette and radio recommendations for family use. The most useful forum for people who want radio without an exam.

  • Practitioner or communityDataFree tier

    myGMRS (opens in a new tab)

    myGMRS

    GMRS repeater directory with access requests, plus an active forum. Many GMRS repeaters need permission before use, and this is where you ask.

  • Practitioner or communityCommunityFree

    QRZ forums (opens in a new tab)

    QRZ

    Long-running amateur radio discussion with deep archives. Search before posting: most antenna questions have been answered at length, more than once, by people who measured.

  • Practitioner or communityTrainingFreeOurs

    CallSignReady (opens in a new tab)

    CallSignReady

    A free study game for the United States amateur radio Technician exam, built on the current question pool. One of our own projects. HamStudy is the established alternative and it is also free.

  • Practitioner or communityTrainingFreeOurs

    Ditdah (opens in a new tab)

    Ditdah

    Learn the Morse alphabet with sound and picture mnemonics, one letter at a time. One of our own projects, adapted from Ace Centre's open source Morse Learn.