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Range-test the estate and agree a neighbour channel plan

Real range depends on terrain, trees, buildings and antenna height. A test walk shows where radios work and where they do not, so you can fix gaps before you need them.

How

1. Use the radio-horizon calculator in this module to see the theoretical line-of-sight limit for your antenna heights. Real range is usually shorter because hills and trees block signals.
2. Walk the estate with two radios on low power and mark on the map where contact fails.
3. Fix dead spots by talking from higher ground, or (where your licence allows) by a fixed base station with an outdoor antenna.
4. Meet nearby neighbours and agree a shared channel, a daily check-in time and a simple roll call order.
5. Agree simple, plain-language signals for 'all well', 'need help' and 'medical emergency'. Do not use secret codes on amateur bands (comms-4).
6. Write the results on the channel card from comms-3.

Sources

1. Family Radio Service (FRS). US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), accessed 2026-11
2. General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS). US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), accessed 2026-11
3. Radio horizon range (RHR). ATIS Telecom Glossary, accessed 2026-11

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