Grab-and-go radio kit

• Handheld radio, charged, programmed with local repeaters and simplex
• Spare battery or AA battery case
• Better antenna than the stock one
• Charger, car charger and the cables they need
• Printed local frequency list and your call sign
• Notebook and two pencils
• Headlamp and spare batteries
• Earbuds or headphones
• Water, a snack and a warm layer

More detail: Emergency Radio Kit.

First contact and net check-in card

• Calling on a repeater: “VE6___ listening.”
• Answering: “VA6___, this is VE6___. My name is ___, in ___. How copy?”
• Net check-in: “VE6___, ___ (name), ___ (location), no traffic.”
• Handing over: “VA6___, VE6___.” Then release and pause.
• Signing off: “Thanks for the contact. VE6___ clear.”
• Identify at the start and end, and at least every 30 minutes.

Portable antenna and field setup

• Check the weather and wind before setting up
• Clear the area before throwing a line or raising a mast
• Guy lines bright, staked and out of walkways
• Coax connected and hand tight, with a choke at the feed point
• SWR checked at low power before transmitting
• Battery fused at the battery, polarity checked
• Log sheet and pencil ready
• Everything packed up and the site left clean

More detail: Field Setup Checklist.

Monthly station check

• Charge and test every battery, including the handheld spare
• Check SWR on each antenna and compare with last month
• Look over coax, connectors and weatherproofing
• Check ground and lightning protection connections
• Test the backup power source under load
• Make one contact on each radio you rely on
• Back up radio programming files
• Update your printed frequency list