When there are no emergency communications

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I had a similar discussion with parents recently, who were travelling through the outback and complaining that their mobile service provider didn’t provide a signal everywhere they went. They said that they may change service provider when they get back to civilisation. I said that they should be careful as even Telstra, which has possibly the best rural coverage, has no reception outside (and areas adjacent to) major towns and highway routes.

I suggested that if they wished to have communications at all times, use a number of different communication options (UHF/VHF radio, satellite phone, EPIRB, mobile etc to guarantee some sort of service at all times when travelling). The costs would be significant and they might not have much room left in the vehicle for some things they usually take when travelling.

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  • Mobile coverage I’d look at Telstra or Boost (full Telstra network) which are an order or more in magnitude better than any other carrier in remote areas. That said, mobile is essentially useless for emergency comms in the outback.
  • For more general coverage, HF Radio/RFDS for example something like VKS737, noting that HF requires an antenna of a type that is more likely to be damaged in vehicle accidents/rollovers and few people have the knowledge or skill to MacGyver an antenna, though it can be done.
  • For satellite, while EPIRB is good, it lacks what I’d call any form of reassuring self-test function (ie, one that actually tests the whole ‘circuit’ with remote end confirmation afaik). I’d much prefer the Garmin InReach for self contained comms, or something in that class - self contained two way messaging both for emergency and routine purposes. Note that some of these devices are not fully self contained for messaging purposes.
  • If budget isn’t an issue, pack an EPIRB as well, but have it checked/maintained at the recommended intervals.
  • Dual batteries in the vehicle. Spare batteries for all devices plus the ability to power/charge from an external source.
  • 20 litres of water per person will give 2 or more days … usually … take a life-straw as well, as the reason one is stranded can be the presence of too much water (speaking from experience :wink: ) Take food that can survive a car accident, and something to open it.
  • First aid kit. Not the band, though they might be nice to listen to while you wait for help …

Might seem like overkill … but … I wonder if the gentleman in the story above had water and food? could he reach it? Yes, it was a routine trip that he takes every two weeks, but on a road far less travelled it would seem. Probably familiarity is one of the enemies in this story - in more remote areas it is possible to be on roads that are travelled less than monthly, and if one is going cross-country, then far less than that …

The ‘failure’ seems to be the difference between “No Service” and “Emergency Calls Only” - the phone should report the correct status of the network accordingly but in this case it apparently said “Emergency Calls Only” when an emergency call was not possible. This is not really surprising, as my handset often reports “BOOST” but refuses to make a call because the signal is very poor being so far out of town. Similarly, the phone probably only needs to get a sniff of another network signal to report the presence of a network that might allow an emergency call and give the impression an emergency call is possible - then it all comes down to signal strength/etc just as with one’s own carrier …

From the article:

A spokesperson for the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) said if a person is without mobile coverage from their own provider, but there is another mobile network in the area, an emergency call can be made to triple-0.

… unless as above the signal from the other network is bad, leading to a misleading situation for some people …

“If there is no coverage available from any mobile network, you will not be able to reach the emergency call service via a mobile phone,” the spokesperson said.

… unless you can throw the handset a very very long distance :wink:

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So, is there an argument for CB radio? I’ve been wondering about this very issue since the fires this year and even more so as we come into summer. I live in a heavily treed area, but its not too dangerous. Still, what do we do, in suburbia, if both the NBN and the mobile network go down…

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CB radios have limitations,

  • range (5-30km without repeaters depending of terrain and radio output)
  • noise…more using a channel the more difficult to get ones two bobs in or be heard.
  • interference from other transmitter sources causing signals to be impacted,
  • some needs to be listening at the other end

A solution could be epirbs or satellite phones.

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Strictly speaking it is not an EPIRB that would be good in this situation, but a PLB. The former is for boats, and registered to a boat, the later for personal use.
A satellite phone would be ideal, if you can afford the costs.

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EPIRB/PLB, Satphone, UHF CB, UHF/VHF radio, mobile phones, the NBN, legacy Telstra copper.

Personal emergencies vs area emergency and disasters.

Is the primary need to stay informed and know what you need to do?

Interestingly - those who live in high risk areas should be familiar with the simple advice:
“Be Prepared”

Staying informed requires a decent portable radio and fresh batteries, if all else fails.

Keeping safe is about following any emergency directions. The ABC radio network remains the port of first and last call, as in a major event every other means of communication can and often does fail. Politely assuming here Govt does not squeeze the last cents out of the national broadcaster to kill this service off too.

One other feature of major events where communications often fail. The scale of the events are typically so significant resources are overwhelmed. The types of event can also prevent any support getting to those seeking assistance, assuming they can get a call out.

Having more options to communicate both ways during an emergency is always a benefit. Better also to be well prepared and follow the advice of the local emergency services to minimise the need to call out for assistance.

I’d suggest we should also be discussing how our emergency services can better monitor and assess events. That way they can offer more timely advice on what to do in the lead up, during and after.

Note:
We found the greatest resource available during a major emergency event were our neighbours. When cut off during flooding and cyclones (experiences of both) and having zero mains power or services. They are all you may have able to respond in a timely manner, comms or no comms.

In the instance of a major fire,
plan A - leave early,
plan B - leave earlier,
plan C - ensure the home and contents policy is up to date and follow plans A and B.
We now live in a bush fire hazard zone, which makes this all very relevant.

It’s inevitable, there will always be circumstances in which the ability to communicate out in an emergency will simply not be there. Being in suburbia might be less vulnerable, between duplication of services, neighbours and many support services in the same or nearby suburbs. Outside suburbia it would seem a very different scenario, with much greater risks.

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I checked into those some time ago, nearly passed out when I saw the costs. What’ a PLB?

Always. But what if I need to contact someone else for any reason? Carrier pigeons? I live alone, friends who are close by and could help are in the same suburban situation. It would be good to be able to contact, oh i dunno, my cousin who lives in a safe area and with whom I could stay, but I can’t just lob up because she is often away up country. So… need to be able to contact. Outgoing contact.

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EPIRB, PLB and ELT are all emergency beacon devices that use much the same technology - COSPAS-SARSAT - what differs is mostly the standards compliance/runtime/packaging and sometimes the complementary features involving more accurate geolocation, activation methods, voice recording/etc, for the sake of this discussion they can be considered similarly.

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Sat phones seem to be getting more available, and affordable. I found some good articles on the various networks and plans with a quick Google.

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Having used Sat phones they indeed work where there is zero other comms. It is also worth considering they are not reliable. They can fail due to weather and atmospheric effects, geographical features, vegetation blinding, and of course being inside a house with a tin roof or foil insulation. Often needed to walk towards the northern side of a large hill to get a service. Telstra does offer Sat phone plans and options including fixed aerials starting at around $2000+/- for the first 12 months, usage extra?

For some having a 100% reliable call out service is obviously critical. The alternative might be to ask, just how often will you need to make an emergency call and find you do not have the internet or mobile service? In particular for those in urban locations it seems a very uncommon and unlikely situation. It would seem far more common for those alone at home or isolated suffer events and are unable to get to the phone to call for assistance. House fires, elderly falling etc.

Within current technology, those at risk do have the option of wearing 24x7 a personal monitor, linked to emergency numbers, optionally with voice capability and 24x7 monitoring service. Some are even GPS location tracking enabled to assist you to be located.

P.S.
a location beacon EPIRB type device is possibly not an ideal solution for the more urban environment. It simply sends out a distress call. There are no other details hence the responders need to first arrive to assess what the need might be. It is also not as quick to respond as a triple 0 call.

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This article is quite informative on sat phones. There is more out there than just Iridium.
https://www.carsguide.com.au/adventure/advice/satellite-phone-5-best-sat-phones-reviewed-79754#:~:text=Costs%20per%20call%20can%20range,the%20call%20plan%20you%20choose.

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This is all important. I’m not prepared to fork out for a Satphone I might use once in 10 years. Ditto the PLB/EPiRb stuff which would be useless for someone like me. I’m sill thinking CB Radio for local contacts.

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Well @SueW, why not UHF CB, as that seems to be what you seem to need. You and your friends could communicate on a fixed channel or channels. There is a coding system called CTCSS that allows groups of users to talk over a channel without hearing others. And there are the emergency channels 5 and 35 there if needed. Pretty cheap for those devices. No licence required unlike VHF, and no call costs.
Added…range. A handheld 1 or 2 Watt unit is not going to get the range of a 5 Watt unit with an external aerial.

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Sounds good, Greg. We will look into it!!

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In the wake of our recent bushfire catastrophe, it has become evident how vital communications are at such times. It was brought home to me recently when our daughter-in-law faced such an emergency and rang to ask for advice. I gave the usual emergency services advice which included keeping a battery operated radio handy. She replied that they didn’t have one. It then dawned on me that we don’t have one either and I dare say, most people these days wouldn’t have one and the young may not even know how to use one. We have become so reliant on TV, phones and social media. These means of communication are the first to go in emergencies. Power supplies go, TV is out, the internet is out, phone towers are out and phones go flat and can’t be recharged. Radio communications is good for maybe 50km so it’s always there from somewhere. The only thing is… does one have a radio, is it battery operated, are the batteries full?
This then raises a number of further issues:

  1. Which is the best radio? Features it should have might be:
    • battery operated
    • portable, possible able to be clipped on a belt so that one can continue preparations while listening
    • loud and clear enough to be able to be heard over possibly bushfire noise
    • battery life should be at least maybe 24 hours
  2. Which radio band is best for emergencies in your area, AM, FM or digital?
  3. Which radio station is best for your area?
  4. Which batteries have the longest shelf life and what strategies should one have to ensure that batteries are always reasonably fresh?

OK, some of what’s here is outside the scope of Choice but a review of radios suitable to be kept handy for emergency situations, might be a worthwhile community service.

PS: The current issue with Facebook highlights how reliant we have become on media that was never really designed or suited to serve the community in emergencies.

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Who needs batteries?

I agree that battery-powered radios are good, and have two of them (both tuned to AM, but have access to other bands). Also plenty of spare batteries.

What I don’t really have is an earpiece to plug into the radio - although both have the available socket.

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I have a couple of battery operated radios, but I’ve no idea what the range is. They are not digital, just am/fm/sw

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Hi @BobT,

I have moved you post to an existing thread about a similar topic. The information in the existing thread may contain useful information and answer some of the questions you have posed.

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Several hundred kilometres or more on AM. It’s why the ABC maintains some AM broadcasts in each state. We still have a battery capable radio from our decades living in various parts of North Queensland. They are one of the essentials from our cyclone preparation kit. There is always a set of fresh long life alkaline batteries just in case.

No matter where you are, the radio will always pick up the ABC. Assuming they stay in business.

For batteries quality alkaline are perfectly ok. There are very expensive lithium long life batteries, but it’s long life in respect of storage life more than massive amounts of extra stored energy. Follow the link. A fresh set of lithium batteries may last up to 30% longer than a fresh alkaline battery. Better to have a second set of alkaline batteries.

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Yep, I spent many hours listening to various crystal sets I built as a kid. I suspect that’s partly why I don’t hear so good in one ear now :rofl: Wound my own coils too.

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