Skip to content

Fortune Favors the Prepared

Semper Paratus, Semper Gumby

Menu
MENUMENU
  • Boomer
    • Day 1 – The Journey Home
    • Day 2 – First Day in the New Home
    • Day 3 – More Training
    • Day 4 – Dad Goes Back to Work
    • Day 5 – A Day at Home with More Training with Dad (Boomer’s version)
    • Day 6 – More Training with Dad at Home
    • Day 7 – Dad Goes Back to Work, Boring Day
  • About
        • The Why
        • Vision and Mission
        • Services
          • Business Resiliency
        • Testimonials
  • Communications
        • Stump Knocker
          • SOI
          • STUMP KNOCKER DMR UPDATES
          • MMDVM Hotspot
        • Family or Group Communications Plans
          • Communications Options
          • Communications P.A.C.E.
          • Communications Resiliency
          • Finding Information for Your Communications Plan
          • Communications Plan Annex
          • SHTF HF Communications
        • Communications Security (COMSEC)
          • Communications Security (COMSEC)
          • Book Cipher
          • One Time Pads (OTP)
          • One Time Pads (OTP) Live Video
          • One Time Pad Training
          • Decrypting One Time Pad Message
        • MESSAGE HANDLING
          • Phonetics
          • Procedure Words (Prowords)
          • Date Time Group (DTG)
          • NTS Radiogram Form
            • ARL Numbered Radiograms
          • Formatted Messages
        • Personal Radio Services
          • FCC Rules for Personal Radio Services
          • Family Radio Service (FRS)
          • General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)
            • GMRS Repeaters
            • Getting a GMRS License
          • Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS)
        • Other Radio Services
          • Cell Sites and Their Services
          • Radio over LTE and Rapid Radios
          • Communications Continuity Programs and Capabilities
          • Satellite Communications
        • Wired Communications
          • MAG Phone System
        • Baofeng/BTECH Radios Quick Guide
          • Manually Programming a Baofeng Radio – Video
          • A User’s User Manual for Baofeng Radios
        • Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) Networks
          • WR3IRS Interstate DMR Network
            • South Central PA (SC PA)
            • North East PA (NE PA)
            • Washington-Baltimore (W-B)
            • West Central Florida (WCF)
          • Florida Digital Amateur Radio Network (F-DARN)
          • Southeast Florida DMR Repeater Network W2GGI
          • Virginia DMR (DMRVA)
          • NC PRN DMR Network
          • SC Hospital Emergency Amateur Radio Team (SCHEART)
          • HEARS – Hospital Emergency Amateur Radio System
          • New England Digital Emergency Communications Network (NEDECN)
        • DMR Programming
          • DMR Programming – Talk Groups
          • DMR Programming - Roaming
          • MMDVM and Yaesu System Fusion (YSF)
          • Encryption in DMR Radios
        • Amateur (HAM) Radio
          • Why Do I Need a Ham License?
          • How to Obtain Your Amateur Radio License
            • Amateur Radio Learning Resources
            • Finding a Ham Exam
            • HAM Exam Accommodation
            • Getting Into Ham Radio – Video
          • Why You Should Upgrade to a General Ham License
          • What Radio to Buy?
            • What Radio to Buy? – video
            • Live – What Radio to Buy?
          • Ham Radio on a Budget
          • Portable Radio Kit
          • Mobile Communications
          • HF Communications
            • Simple Antenna Builds for HF – video
        • Communications Knowledge Library
          • Communications Resiliency
          • Analog versus Digital
          • CTCSS and DCS
          • Radio Etiquette, Jargon, and Best Practices
          • Are You Expired?
          • Programming Radios with Software
          • AmRRON RESOURCES & REFERENCES
        • COMMUNICATIONS REFERENCES
          • Anytone Programmable Keys
          • Phonetics
          • FRS / GMRS / MURS Frequency Card
          • HAM Simplex Frequency Card
          • CB Frequency Card
          • COMMUNICATIONS RESOURCES – pdf download
  • Insider
  • Blog
    • Mountain Readiness Fallout Workshops
    • Mapping DMR Repeaters
    • COMMUNICATIONS RESILIENCY
    • Getting The Message Through
    • What are you preparing for?
    • Never Let an Opportunity Go To Waste
    • Consequences
    • DO NOT REPLY
    • Space Weather Warning
    • Good, and Sad, News
    • Necessity vs. Luxury
    • Don’t Put off Until Tomorrow
    • No Plan Survives First Contact
    • Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA)
    • Live – What Radio to Buy?
    • Big Daddy Unlimited Affiliate
    • Food – Tue 16th 7pm MST
    • Live from 2021-2-3
    • Live 2021-01-26
    • FLASH SALE
    • Live 2021-01-11
    • What Is Freedom?
    • Preparedness for Pets
    • What If The Lights Go Out?
    • Hoarding or Prepping?
    • Why Do I Need a Ham License?
    • How Bad is the SolarWinds Orion Issue?
    • How To Begin Prepping
    • Members Only Live Videos
    • Live 11/24
    • Ham Radio VoIP Phone
    • Training Calendar
    • A Chat (with some whisky)
    • Blog 2020 11 02
    • Live with Charlie Hogwood
    • EARTH EX 2020
    • A Live with Angery American
    • Have You Woken Up Yet?
    • BUG OUT READY
    • The Gray Man
    • Area Intelligence – Now!
    • Being Prepared for Civil Unrest
    • It Depends
    • The Art of Being Prepared – The New Prepper
    • Get Home versus Bug Out Bags
    • Why You Need an IFAK AND Training
  • Book of Knowledge
        • Threat Assessment
          • Area Intelligence
          • Being Prepared for Civil Unrest
            • Civil Unrest – Area Intelligence
            • Civil Unrest – Be Prepared
            • Civil Unrest – Defense
            • Civil Unrest – Defense (part 2)
          • Weather Awareness
        • Intelligence
          • The Gray Man
          • Community Intelligence
            • Area Intelligence – Now!
          • Operations Security (OPSEC)
          • Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) – the basics
          • Signals Intelligence – Information Gathering Basics
          • Communications Intelligence (COMINT)
            • Short Wave Scanning
            • Communications Continuity Programs and Capabilities
            • State Emergency Capability Using Radio Effectively (Operation SECURE)
            • Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)
          • Electronic Counter-Surveillance
        • Medical
          • Immediate Care – Rapid Assessment
          • Medical Kits
            • Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK)
            • BooBoo and IFAK Kits Video
            • BooBoo & IFAK Kit Mind Map
            • Large Kit
          • Medical Myths
            • Medical Myths – Tampons
            • Medical Myths – Ingested Poisoning
          • MEDICAL REFERENCES
        • Food
          • Why You Should Start a Food Storage Plan
          • Food Storage Quick Start
          • Buying in Bulk
          • FOOD PRESERVATION RESOURCES
        • Power
          • UPS
        • Water
        • Bags etc.
          • Bug Out versus Get Home Bags
          • Get Home Bag – Contents
            • Get Home Bag – video
            • Get Home and Bug Out Bags - video from live 2-10
        • Navigation & Signalling
          • Sketched Strip Map
          • Emergency Signaling
        • Animals
          • Preparedness for Pets
        • Transportation
          • Transportation Plan B
          • Improvised Transportation
          • Preparedness For Winter Travel
  • Planning
        • Family Emergency Plan – The Basics
          • Family Emergency Plan
            • Family Emergency Planning Form
        • Family Contingency Binder
          • Family Contingency Binder MindMap
        • Triggers
          • Preparedness Conditions – PREP-CON
            • Preparedness Conditions (PREP-CON) MindMap
          • Space Weather
        • Inventory Tracking
        • Planning Your Preps
          • Charity in Planning
        • Mutual Assistance Group
  • Resources
        • Training
          • Training Videos
          • One Time Pad (OTP) Exercises
            • 45662
            • 222135ZDEC22
        • MEDICAL REFERENCES
        • COMMUNICATIONS REFERENCES
          • Communications Continuity Programs and Capabilities
        • COMMUNICATIONS RESOURCES – pdf download
        • FOOD PRESERVATION RESOURCES
        • Amateur Radio Learning Resources
        • General Resources
        • AmRRON RESOURCES & REFERENCES
        • Amateur Radio Colorado
          • Colorado Linked Repeater Systems
  • Friends
        • Angery American
        • Signal Stuff
        • Bullets Both Ways
        • Forward Observer
        • Optima Batteries
        • Colorado Ready
        • Patriot Volunteer Examiner (VE) Team
        • The Patriot Outpost
  • Shop
  • Contact
    • Mailing List
Menu

Communications P.A.C.E.

2024 04 08

Primary
Alternate
Contingency
Emergency

P.A.C.E. has long been used by military communications planners to designate the order in which you would go through different communications methods should one not be available or compromised. In has become a mainstream term in the preparedness world and now even the DHS Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Administration (CISA) is bringing it into the mainstream of planning for public safety communications (Leveraging The Pace Plan Into The Emergency Communications Ecosystem).

Your PACE plan is not a frequency plan, it is a systems plan. The systems are methods that you have available to you, and all those within your group you need to maintain comms with. This could be such things as cell phones (obvious, but more on this below), GMRS radios and repeaters, MURS, HAM radios and repeaters or HAM HF (requires a higher license and more equipment, or satellite (more interest in this since the recent large scale outage of a major cell phone provider). Read this article on some basic methods for your family communications plan. I also have a number of articles on each of these different “systems” under the communications heading.

Having different systems and capabilities is part of having a resilient plan, and communications resiliency is probably one of the most important capabilities that you can have. In fact the government has a number of contingent communications capabilities and many are underused because, like everyone else, we have become so reliant on what we use day-to-day, and we forget to practice with the other systems. You also need to understand the capabilities and limits of each system you choose.

RADIOS

Radios general fall into two main categories:

  • direct radio to radio, without the use of repeaters or other infrastructure (often called “simplex”) – these can be your handheld or mobile with the common VHF & UHF (2-meter & 70cm) frequencies or a mobile or base with HF
  • radio that use a repeater that ‘repeats’ your transmission – these can extend the range to 30-100 miles depending on the location of the repeater, power and surrounding terrain

Repeaters can have backup power, either a generator or solar power and sometime both.
Repeaters can also be linked, through the internet, to other repeaters anywhere in the world. There are 2 that work with analog radio (IRLP and Echolink) and then there are those that use digital radios (Fusion, D-STAR, DMR etc.). For more information on these different linking capabilities see this article.

The use of radios is going to depend on how far you need to reach on a “normal” day or under some contingent need.

Planning for the use of radios includes:

  • mapping out what/how far you can reach simplex or direct radio-to-radio
  • what repeaters and other systems you can reach
  • the type of radio (handheld or mobile) you have, or can afford
  • your antennas (handheld, mobile/mag mount, fixed on a higher pole, etc.)
  • the license requirements and availability of any frequencies you want to use

Another consideration with radios is what method(s) do you want to use, i.e., voice or some digital mode. This is going to depend on who and how far you want to communicate. For example, most tactical comms are going to be by voice. Tactical comms are those around your area, quick situational updates or instructions, etc. For more in-depth or longer distance comms you might want to consider some digital methods.

Digital Comms

There are many digital modes used in ham radio, all developed by hams. Some are designed to make a quick contact, mostly for competitions, others are more practical for our applications and fall into two categories: keyboard to keyboard chat and messaging including email.

One of the most common programs that incorporates many of the different digital modes in Fldigi and it has several companion programs; Flrig (for controlling your radio) Flmsg (a mail type program that includes some standard forms used in emergencies) and more. Within Fldigi you will find programs like Contesta, MT63, Olivia and THOR which are commonly used.

Unless your radio has a built-in sound card you will need something like Signalink which acts as the interface between radio and laptop. Signalink options include cables and a module for almost every radio on the market.

Winlink is an email application that is popular within emergency communications (EMCOMM) in many areas. Initially developed for sailors to get email it proved its capabilities during Hurricane Katrina. Until recently one disadvantage was its use of Pactor modems, which are quite expensive. Recently VARA, a software modem, was developed for use with Winlink, and other programs. You can use without a license, which operates at about 10% of its full capacity, a license is $65. If one person has the licenses the speed between both is at the full rate.

VarAC is a digital chat program that works with VARA. It has an inbuilt mail program as well as a chat mode. It has a beacon mode so you can see who is ‘out there’ and what bands are open. It also has a FM version for use on 2-meters and 70cm for more local comms.

The government, at all levels, utilize comms on a daily basis, usually VHF or UHF and more commonly trunked radio systems. These are tactical comms. At the state and federal levels HF voice and digital comms are used for backup comms. Winlink, VARA, and other digital modes are used.

CELL PHONES

During an emergency local cell towers can be overloaded with people trying to make calls, or stream video. Sometimes a text message will get through, even if delayed.

Other options with a cell phone include a radio-type app called Zello. This is a one-to-many app and you can set your own groups up for friends and family.

If you are a first responder, emergency manager or similar you can get FirstNet. This is a service established only for responders and has exclusive use of band 14 in the cellular range. Responders can also get issued Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) cards which provide priority access when using landlines. Wireless Priority Service (WPS) is also available with gives priority access when cell circuits are busy.

SATELLITE

There are three general types of satellite capability; voice just like a cell phone, text and radio. The radio option is expensive and you have to have matched units, its not like a radio where you can change the channel, it has to be programmed. As will cell phone satellite phones are one to one and the charge is per minute on top of the unit cost and a monthly fee.

The Garmin inReach mini is an affordable capability. There is a low monthly fee which for about 10 messages. The consideration is whether you are texting a terrestrial device that might be in the impact area i.e., no local cell service, someone outside of the impact area or another inReach device.

Final Thoughts

Some thought and planning needs to go into your PACE plan so that all your eggs are not in one basket. Utilization of different types of systems makes for redundant capabilities which in crease your chances of maintaining communications with your friends and families during and after an emergency. It is important to TEST all these capabilities BEFORE an emergency as well.

Remember, Fortune Favors the Prepared
Semper Paratus, Semper Gumby

Login with Patreon

Login with Patreon

Products

  • BREVITY CARDS FOR ONE-TIME PADS BREVITY CARDS FOR ONE-TIME PADS $24.95
  • Personal Preparedness Assessment Workbook - loose leaf Personal Preparedness Assessment Workbook - loose leaf $24.95
  • Programming Radio Programming Radio $49.95
  • Setup Your MMDVM Setup & Codeplug Setup Your MMDVM Setup & Codeplug $75.00
  • Codeplug development for your AOA Codeplug development for your AOA $249.95
  • Family Emergency Plan Workbook - book format Family Emergency Plan Workbook - book format $24.95
  • Family Emergency Plan Workbook - loose leaf Family Emergency Plan Workbook - loose leaf $24.95
  • Preparedness Mind Map (16x24) 2022 updates Preparedness Mind Map (16x24) 2022 updates $19.95
  • PREP-CON Mind Map (16x24) 2022 version PREP-CON Mind Map (16x24) 2022 version $19.95

Login with Patreon

Login with Patreon

Log In

Login with Patreon

Search Site

Recent Posts

  • Mapping DMR Repeaters
  • Communications Resiliency
  • COMMUNICATIONS RESILIENCY
  • Personal Preparedness Assessment Workbook
  • Getting The Message Through

Site Map

  • About
    • Testimonials
    • The Why
    • Vision and Mission
  • Affiliate Programs
  • Angery American
  • Blog
    • Being Prepared for Civil Unrest
    • Boomer – The Journey
      • Day 1 – The Journey Home
      • Day 2 – First Day in the New Home
      • Day 3 – More Training
      • Day 4 – Dad Goes Back to Work
      • Day 5 – A Day at Home with More Training with Dad (Boomer’s version)
      • Day 6 – More Training with Dad at Home
      • Day 7 – Dad Goes Back to Work, Boring Day
    • Is Ham Radio Dead in California?
    • Live 2021-01-26
    • Members Only Live Videos
    • The Art of Being Prepared – The New Prepper
  • Book of Knowledge
    • Animals
    • Bags etc.
      • Bug Out versus Get Home Bags
      • Get Home and Bug Out Bags
      • Get Home Bag – Contents
      • Get Home Bag – video
    • Communications
      • Amateur (HAM) Radio
        • Amateur Radio Learning Resources
        • Are You Expired?
        • Baofeng/BTECH Radios Quick Guide
          • A User’s User Manual for Baofeng Radios
          • Manually Programming a Baofeng Radio – Video
        • DMR Programming
        • DMR PROGRAMMING – ROAMING
        • DMR Programming – Talk Groups
        • Finding a Ham Exam
          • HAM Exam Accommodation
        • Getting Into Ham Radio – Video
        • Ham Radio on a Budget
        • HF Communications
          • HF Antennas
          • Short Wave Scanning
          • Simple Antenna Builds for HF – video
        • How to Obtain Your Amateur Radio License
        • Mobile Communications
        • Portable Radio Kit
        • What Radio to Buy?
          • What Radio to Buy? – video
        • Why You Should Upgrade to a General Ham License
      • Analog versus Digital
      • Communications Continuity Programs and Capabilities
      • Communications Knowledge Library
        • AmRRON RESOURCES & REFERENCES
        • CTCSS and DCS
        • Radio Etiquette, Jargon, and Best Practices
      • Communications Options
      • Communications P.A.C.E.
      • COMMUNICATIONS REFERENCES
        • Anytone Programmable Keys
        • COMMUNICATIONS RESOURCES – pdf download
        • FRS / GMRS / MURS Frequency Card
      • Communications Resiliency
      • Communications Security (COMSEC)
        • Book Cipher
        • Communications Security (COMSEC)
        • Decrypting One Time Pad Message
        • One Time Pad Training
        • One Time Pads (OTP)
        • One Time Pads (OTP) Live Video
      • Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) Networks
      • DMR UPDATES
      • Encryption in DMR Radios
      • Family or Group Communications Plan – The Basics
        • Communications Plan Annex
        • SHTF HF Communications
      • Finding Information for Your Communications Plan
      • Florida Digital Amateur Radio Network (F-DARN)
      • HEARS – Hospital Emergency Amateur Radio System
      • MESSAGE HANDLING
        • Date Time Group (DTG)
        • Formatted Messages
        • NTS Radiogram Form
          • ARL Numbered Radiograms
        • Phonetics
        • Procedure Words (Prowords)
      • MMDVM and Yaesu System Fusion (YSF)
      • MMDVM Hotspot
      • New England Digital Emergency Communications Network (NEDECN)
      • Other Radio Services
        • Satellite Communications
      • Personal Radio Services
        • Family Radio Service (FRS)
        • FCC Rules for Personal Radio Services
        • General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)
          • Getting a GMRS License
        • GMRS Repeaters
        • Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS)
      • Phonetics
      • PRN DMR Network
      • Programming Radios with Software
      • Radio over LTE (internet)
      • Radio Services
      • SC Hospital Emergency Amateur Radio Team (SCHEART)
      • Signals Operating Instructions (SOI)
      • Southeast Florida DMR Repeater Network W2GGI
      • Stump Knocker
      • Virginia AWS DMR Network
      • Virginia DMR (DMRVA)
      • Wired Communications
        • MAG Phone System
      • WR3IRS Interstate DMR Network
        • DelMarVa
        • North East PA (NE PA)
        • South Central PA (SC PA)
        • Southern MD (S MD)
        • Washington-Baltimore (W-B)
        • West Central Florida (WCF)
    • Food
      • Buying in Bulk
      • FOOD PRESERVATION RESOURCES
      • Food Storage Quick Start
      • Why You Should Start a Food Storage Plan
    • Intelligence
      • Communications Intelligence (COMINT)
        • Communications Continuity Programs and Capabilities
        • Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)
      • Electronic Counter-Surveillance
      • Operations Security (OPSEC)
      • Signals Intelligence – Information Gathering Basics
      • Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) – the basics
    • Medical
      • Immediate Care – Rapid Assessment
      • Medical Kits
        • BooBoo & IFAK Kit Mind Map
        • BooBoo and IFAK Kits Video
        • Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK)
        • Large Kit
      • Medical Myths
        • Medical Myths – Ingested Poisoning
      • Medical Myths – Tampons
    • Navigation & Signalling
      • Emergency Signaling
      • Sketched Strip Map
    • Planning
      • Family Contingency Binder
        • Family Contingency Binder MindMap
      • Family Emergency Plan – The Basics
        • Family Emergency Plan
          • Family Emergency Planning Form
      • Inventory Tracking
      • Mutual Assistance Group
      • Planning Your Preps
        • Charity in Planning
      • Preparedness Conditions – PREP-CON
      • Preparedness Conditions (PREP-CON) MindMap
      • Triggers
        • Continuity of Government (COGCON)
        • Information Operations Conditions (INFOCON)
        • Space Weather
    • Power
      • UPS
    • Threat Assessment
      • Area Intelligence
        • Civil Unrest – Area Intelligence
        • Civil Unrest – Be Prepared
        • Civil Unrest – Defense
      • Community Intelligence
      • Weather Awareness
    • Transportation
      • Improvised Transportation
      • Preparedness For Winter Travel
      • Transportation Plan B
    • Water
  • Bullets Both Ways
  • CB Frequency Card
  • Cell Sites and Their Services
  • Checkout
  • Civil Unrest – Defense (part 2)
  • Colorado Ready
  • Contact
    • Mailing List
  • Family Emergency Plan Workbook
    • Bug Out Bag & Bins
    • Communications Plan
    • Emergency Evacuation
    • Emergency Food Supplies
    • Family Contingency Binder
    • Get Home Bag
    • Message Drops
    • Miscellaneous
    • P.A.C.E.
    • Rally Points
    • Vehicle Emergency Supplies
  • FRIENDS – AFFILIATES – PARTNERS
  • HAM Simplex Frequency Card
  • Hazard and Capabilities Assessment Workbook
  • Helping You Protect Your Family
  • Insider
  • Mountain Readiness Fallout Workshops
  • My Account
  • My Cart
  • Optima Batteries
  • Patriot Volunteer Examiner (VE) Team
  • Prepping
  • Resources
    • Amateur Radio Colorado
      • Colorado Linked Repeater Systems
    • General Resources
    • MEDICAL REFERENCES
  • Services
    • Business Resiliency
  • Shop
  • Signal Stuff
  • State Emergency Capability Using Radio Effectively (Operation SECURE)
  • The Patriot Outpost
  • Training
    • One Time Pad (OTP) Exercises
      • 45662
    • Training Videos
©2025 Fortune Favors the Prepared | Built using WordPress and Responsive Blogily theme by Superb

PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS ASSESSMENT WORKBOOK NOW IN STORE - bundle with the Family Emergency Plan and use "bundle" discount code. .Get your MMDVM while they are still available. Join Stump Knocker net Monday evenings.