Communication Equipment

Depending on your assignment, your choice of communications equipment may vary. This list represents the basic equipment and tools you will need for any Washoe County Amateur Radio Emergency Service assignment, as well as items tailored for some different tasks:

Recommended basic communications equipment:

Not all of this equipment will be applicable to every WCARES member, or needed for every assignment. It is more important that you pick-and-choose the equipment that is right for you, and that you keep the equipment ready to go.

• Handheld VHF or VHF/UHF transceiver

• Speaker/microphone and/or earphone for handheld

• Extra (fully-charged) rechargeable battery pack for handheld

• AA battery pack for handheld, and extra AA alkaline batteries

• Antenna adapter for handheld antenna connector to SO-239

• 12Vdc power cable for handheld, with PowerPole connector

• AC adapter/battery charger for handheld

• VHF or VHF/UHF mobile transceiver

• HF mobile or portable transceiver

• 2m or 2m/70cm J-pole antenna with mount

• 2m or 2m/70cm portable Yagi antenna with mount

• Multi-band HF antenna and mounting rope

• HF antenna tuner

• Antenna mast and tripod or guy ropes

• Coaxial feed line and barrel connectors

• Ground rod or pipe clamp, and ground wire

• AC power supplies for VHF/UHF mobile and HF radios and accessories

• Large battery source for VHF/UHF mobile and HF radios, with charger

• All related power, data, audio and RF cables and adapters

• Headphones, for noisy areas and privacy, with proper connectors and adapters

• TNC, cabling and adapters for packet or HF digital modes

• Notebook computer, for packet or HF digital modes

• Computer DC power adapter or AC adapter with AC inverter

• Specialized equipment for Amateur TV or other modes

• Copies of manuals for all equipment

• Multi-band, trunking scanner, or weather radio

• Handheld GPS receiver

• Personal cellular telephone, pager, and extra batteries

Recommended equipment for Net Control Station operators:

• 50-watt VHF/UHF base or mobile transceiver with power supply

• J-pole or portable Yagi antenna with mount

• Battery with enough capacity to last your shift

• Folding table and chair

• Pop-up shade canopy, if operating outdoors

• Recommended basic communications equipment (above)

• Recommended tools (below)

Recommended equipment if you're on foot:

• Handheld VHF or VHF/UHF transceiver with at least a 1-watt output level.

• A hot-rod style gain antenna or roll-up J-pole antenna

• Recommended basic communications equipment (above)

• Recommended tools (below)

Recommended equipment if you're mobile in an automobile:

• Handheld VHF or VHF/UHF transceiver with at least a 3-watt output level, or

• VHF or VHF/UHF mobile transceiver with large battery source

• Mag-mount antenna, mounted on the exterior of the vehicle

• Recommended basic communications equipment (above)

• Recommended tools (below)

Recommended tools:

Not all of these tools will be appropriate for every assignment. For example, a minimal tool kit will better serve the Amateur operator on foot, rather than lugging every conceivable tool around. But, this kit could be left in a vehicle nearby, in case heavy maintenance becomes necessary.

• Antenna analyzer or SWR/wattmeter

• Multimeter

• Flashlight with extra batteries

• Utility knife

• Lineman's pliers

• Needle-nose pliers

• Diagonal cutting pliers

• Flat screwdrivers, 1/8" and 1/4"

• Phillips screwdrivers, #1 and #2

• Soldering Iron (25 watt) and solder

• PowerPole connectors

• PowerPole crimping pliers

• Wire terminal crimping pliers, with wire stripper

• Assorted wire terminals

• PL-259 connectors, and adapters for RG-58 and RG-8X coax

• Cyanoacrylate adhesive ("super glue")

• 5-minute epoxy

• Nylon cable ties

• Liquid electrical tape

• Gaffer's tape

• Electrical tape

• #10 AWG 2-conductor wire

• #16 AWG 2-conductor wire