Community Communications

We learned during the massive wildfires of 2003 that normal communications systems are prone to failure. Here in the Campo area we lost our power for 6 days as the main transmission lines were lost. Telephone and cellular communications were on and off during the same period.

Telephones. The AT&T land line phone system is battery powered and usually works quite well during a power failure if you have an old style, hard line telephone. The new wireless handset phones plug into a wall outlet and are worthless in a blackout. Find a hard wire phone for your disaster kit, one that plugs into your wall jack and is wired directly to a handset with a dial pad.

2-way Radio. I would bet every family, especially ones with children, has at least 1 FRS radio. Advertised with a 2 to 30 mile range these "walkie talkies" will usually travel 2 miles if you are out in the open. Here in the Mountain Empire (Far East San Diego County) the Campo Fire Department and the Mountain Empire CERT has designated FRS Channel 1 as our monitored FRS frequency in an emergency. Use this channel to contact your local community volunteers for information and assistance during disasters. Remember, if your phone is working and you have an immediate emergency Call 9-1-1. Our FRS network is not an official communications system but a way for community members and volunteers to communicate in a emergency with equipment we have on hand.

Scanners. In the Mountain Empire Area fire and law enforcement agencies are dispatched on multiple frequencies and bands. For a list of these frequencies and information on equipment required to monitor these agencies in an emergency follow this link.

Amateur ( HAM ) Radio. San Diego County and the Mountain Empire Area are well covered by Amateur Radio Systems and operators. The San Diego County Mountain Empire Disaster Preparedness Council and local area CERT Teams have representatives from the San Diego County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) group and the Mountain Empire Amateur Radio Club. ( MERC ). Click here for my Ham Radio page.

If you are an Amateur Radio Operator you are encouraged to contact us and become a part of our local disaster preparedness groups. If you are interested or wish further information on our local Amateur Radio activities please contact Craig Williams, at . Also you can usually find us at 7 AM on the local SANDRA VHF Repeater. ( 146.640, minus offset, 107.2 PL )

Mountain Empire Emergency Communications Plan

During a local or area-wide emergency the Campo / Lake Morena Disaster Committee and our local CERT Teams will use the following radio frequencies for in and out of area communications. Amateur frequencies will be manned by licensed operators.


Communications at Local Sites/shelters/ evacuation points
FRS Channel #1. Family Service portable radios (W/T)
Red Dot "Jobcom" low power W/T, 151.625 MHz
Amateur Radio National Simplex, 146.520 MHz


Between Sites - Between any staging location
FRS Channel #1. Family Service portable radios (W/T)
Amateur Radio, National Simplex, 146.520 MHz, 80 Meters
3.960 MHz.
"Red Dot" low power VHF, 151.625 MHz.


Between Sites and Communities in San Diego County
Amateur Radio Repeaters

Campo, MEARC KK6FBC, TX-146.010/RX-146.610, PL 100.0 Primary for Mountain Empire Area
Lyons Peak, SANDRA, TX-146.865 /RX-146.265, PL 107.2 (Secondary)
White Star (Boulevard), SANDRA, TX-144.68 /RX-145.28, PL 107.2
Otay Mountain, SANDRA, TX-146.04 /RX-146.64, PL 107.2
RACES/County EOC, Primary VHF - RACES, Red 1, RX-147.195. A voted system.
80 Meters 3.960 MHz. 40 Meters 7.233 MHz, 20 Meters 14.300 MHz international center if interest frequency.

Radio Frequencies, Details.


Repeater Location, Owner

Receive

Transmit

Offset

Direction

PL Tone

Assignment

Campo MEARC KK6FBC

146.610

146.010

 600 kHz

Minus

100.0

Primary HAM Net Control

Otay Mt. SANDRA

146.640

146.040

600 kHz

Minus

107.2

Secondary HAM Net Control

Lyons Peak SANDRA

146.265

146.865

600 kHz

Plus

107.2

Secondary HAM Net Control

Hi Pass (Boulevard) SANDRA

145.280

144.680

600 kHz

Minus

107.2

Secondary Campo Area

White Star (Boulevard) RACES GOLD 7

448.780

443.780

5.00 MHz

Minus

Controlled

RACES Mt. Empire Area

RACES RED 1 Voted System

147.195

147.795 

600 kHz

Plus

114.8 

RACES 1 Primary Voted

 2 Meter Simplex

 146.520

146.520 

 

 Simplex

 

Local short range 

Community Radio Frequencies

Receive

Transmit

AKA

 

PL Tone

 

Red Dot "Jobcom" low power W/T

151.625

151.625

Red Dot

 

None

Local Site and Site to Site

Family Service Radio (FRS) W/T Channel 1

462.5625

462.5625

Channel 1

 

None

Local Site and Site to Site

Emergency Ham Radio Nets

3.905 MHz 09:00 Hrs SD ARES Sunday RACES ARES

3.933 Imperial RACES Sunday  08:30 RACES ARES

3.945 MHz 08:30 Hrs Riverside RACES Sunday RACES ARES

3.992 ( 3.960 alternate ) SD RACES EOC STATE OES Monday 20:00 Net Primary SD HF Emergency Frequency

3.965 09:00 Hrs Orange Co. ARES Sunday RACES ARES

3.990 AZ RACES NET Sun. 07:30 MT RACES ARES

7.233 MHz 09:00 Hrs SD ARES Sunday RACES ARES

7.2500  Cal. EMCOMM Net 8:30 AM RACES ARES

3.9100 Skywarn Primary Night Skywarn

3.9500 Skywarn Tertiary Night Skywarn

3.9650 Skywarn Secondary Night Skywarn

7.2400 Skywarn Primary Day Skywarn

7.2650 Skywarn Secondary Day Skywarn

7.2850 Skywarn Tertiary Day Skywarn

Emergency Center of Activity Frequencies
International frequencies to listen for emergency communications.
Move off frequency after initial contact.

15m - 21,360 kHz
17m - 18,160 kHz
20m - 14,300 kHz
40m - 7,060 kHz
80m - 3,760 kHz

updated 8/4/2019

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