Amateur emcomm (2026 edition)

Andrew Watson

What I hope to cover tonight

• Have us all think broader and deeper about emcomm services we might offer our served agencies ...
• ... while considering the communications media that they take for granted today
• How can we stay relevant in emcomm as (secure) comms technology and user demands advance?
• Look at a couple of examples of things we can do right now
• Ponder: what other services should we be considering?

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Amateur emcomm aspects NOT under consideration

These are all important during an incident BUT they are grist for others to grind:

• Health and welfare information distribution
• NTS, NTS 2.0 (ARRL + RRI)
• Countywide H&W nets
• Ad-hoc neighbourhood/community communications systems
• Self organized nets. GMRS / FRS / CB / MURS, etc
• We will (may) interface with them
• Any other spontaneous comms

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What is an amateur emcomm service?

Appropriate technology that addresses our served agency’s specific comms need; probably deployable

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Relevant and dependable technical knowledge; efficient skills and administration

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Customer service skills

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First, some questions

Thinking about CARES and amateur emcomm

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What are we really good at?

Thinking about CARES and amateur emcomm

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What emcomm services are we confident that we can provide today?

Thinking about CARES and amateur emcomm

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Assertion: The way the world communicates is changing rapidly

How does this affect us and the services we provide?

How?

We should look beyond Part 97

A couple of interesting examples

Part 97 is:

• An amazing playground!
• A great place to experiment and try new things
• Very limited for emcomm use:
• Very narrow bandwidth, rickety tools and is ...
• Insecure - by design
• Ham only!
• (can be) self-limiting. Part 97 bubble syndrome
• Think outside the bubble for effective emcomm!

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PACE planning

A method for comms systems planning. Origin: military

Used in the para-military and civilian domains today

Example:

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PACE planning

Service quality generally deteriorates from P to E

Typically:

• P compared to A isn’t too bad. More real-time human intervention required
• P to C - performance / bandwidth - significant deterioration
• What about P, A and C compared to E?

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Upping our game

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Could we provide high quality, secure contingency or even alternate level of service?

Here’s a couple small ideas

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Basic portable, secure satellite internet service

Portable, secure satellite data service

Use case: Our served agencies expect high bandwidth, secure internet to use their regular tools

Learn to efficiently deploy secure CCDM or personal Starlink* systems for our served agency teams

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* Yes, there are other satellite internet systems - but none portable -- yet!

Mobile satellite data services

Skills required:

• Identify a good operating location
• Be able to use a simple cell phone app to connect to Starlink system
• Orient a Starlink antenna using that app
• Connect your to the Starlink system
• Help others connect to the Starlink system
• Bonus: basic networking skills to deploy a wired or wireless LAN (or two)

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Practice 1: checking into the Winlink net via sat

Really easy to do:

• Deploy Starlink system in the field
• Connect Winlink PC Starlink’s onboard router or operate passthrough mode via your personal pocket router
• Standby mode ($10 / month)
• Use Telnet mode

nnn, callsign/M, Telnet, STARLINK, 0.000, location, county, state

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• Extra credit: send picture + ICS 213

Note: still limited to 120 kb / message

Practice 2: Wifi-based voice and texting

Simple to do:

• Deploy Starlink system in the field in the field
• Connect cellphone to router
• Make internet calls and text
• Texting works with Standby mode
• Extra credit: go camping. Have your family connect their phones to your Starlink system.
• Extra credit: send images via text
• Not limited to 120 kb!!

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Practice 3: email and Zoom calls

Pretty simple to do:

• Deploy Starlink system in the field in the field
• Connect computer or cellphone (or both) to router
• Send / receive your regular email
• Join a Zoom call!
• Extra credit: create and laminate a sheet with simple instructions on how to join your or CCDM’s Starlink system.

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Concerns with current sat services

• Starlink is currently the only useful provider for portable
• Hughesnet / Viasat - neither has a mobile/portable option
• Both use GEO satellites - although Viasat is beginning to use LEO
• Amazon LEO is on its way
• Will Starlink degrade service during an area-wide incident?
• Starlink - there is a cost for your personal use:
• Starlink Mini: $200
• $55 / month for full 100 GB service
• $10 / month for standby mode - great for Winlink and texting

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Secure instant messaging without cellular service

Secure instant messaging without cellular service

Question: How might we go about providing this service?

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How about MeshCore or Meshtastic?

• MeshCore and Meshtastic provide secure texting services
• Including private channels (like talkgroups)
• Decentralized, off-grid - no centralized accounting
• Cellphone app + radio
• Relatively inexpensive hardware that uses LoRa
• Ad-hoc mesh architecture (duh!)

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Meshtastic & MeshCore: things to think about

• There is a steep learning curve for the mesh administrators
• Radio settings: Medium Fast? Long Fast? etc and effects on bandwidth and system performance
• Channel assignment and security
• Internet linking?
• ... and much, much more
• Each operator requires a radio + cellphone app
• Really needs LoS repeater nodes deployed at elevation

Pre-planning is key

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End