Fall Emcomm Drill Checklist for East Tennessee
Quarterly drill ideas before winter storms — go-kit, repeater check-in, and neighborhood PACE revie…
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KI4TQN · Johnson City, TN
Ham radio, GMRS, Meshtastic, and emergency comms when the grid goes dark.
Offline field tools · East Tennessee reference · property consulting when cell and grid fail.
Amateur Extra
GMRS Licensee
20+ Years IT/Networks
East Tennessee & Nationwide
Avery Parker, KI4TQN — 113 offline field tools and East TN reference data. Consulting & credentials →
New to radio?
Technician today? Plan your Technician → General upgrade before your first HF net.
Emcomm operator?
Workflows work in any county — East TN is the example implementation.
Amateur Extra / HF liaison?
FT8/VARA/NBEMS, radiogram precedence, 60m channels, and ICS demob — peer-level Extra hub.
Property owner?
Estates, ranches, and remote acreage — PACE-based comms when cell and grid fail.
Week 1
Your first week on the air
Studying, just licensed, or switching from GMRS — one checklist covers ULS, CHIRP, NOAA, local freqs, and your first net.
Just licensed wizard
6 steps with saved progress — ULS, program, listen, first net.
17 beginner tools
Band quiz, flashcards, CHIRP, Baofeng, GMRS channels.
Exam prep bundle
Study order, offline drills, and VE session links.
First week — GMRS
No ham exam — license, program, and family comms plan.
FAQ
Which path is for me?
I am brand new to ham radio — where do I start?
Take the four-question path quiz on Start here, then follow the Just licensed wizard for CHIRP, local frequencies, and your first net. Filter beginner tools for drills.
I am an ARES or RACES emcomm volunteer — what is the workflow?
Open the Emcomm deployment workflow for five ordered steps from go/no-go through ICS close-out. Works in any U.S. county; East Tennessee nets are the worked example.
I am an Amateur Extra / HF liaison — is there depth beyond beginner content?
Yes. The Extra operator hub and Digital emcomm hub cover FT8, VARA, NBEMS, Winlink, radiogram precedence, 60m channels, and ICS demob.
I own a ranch or remote property — can KI4TQN help?
Start with the free assessment checklist and PACE worksheet on Free downloads. For integrated design across acreage and staff, see Consulting for assessment, design, and on-site tiers.
Learn
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Latest articles
Explore
Depth for every operator level
17 beginner tools
Exam prep, CHIRP, band quiz — filtered hub view.
All 113 offline tools
Calculators, ICS forms, East TN reference, digital modes.
Digital emcomm hub
FT8, VARA, NBEMS, Winlink, APRS — nationwide workflows.
Extra operator hub
60m, radiogram precedence, HF liaison checklists.
Gear on Amazon
Radios, antennas, batteries, go-box parts — curated picks.
Free GMRS reference card
Printable channel sheet for the glove box. Used on first-week GMRS and resources. Occasional ham and emcomm tips; unsubscribe any time.
A Beginner's Guide to Ham Radio and GMRS for Emergency Preparedness
Licensing, gear, programming, and emergency plans for total beginners.
About the book
Free sample
I am Avery Parker, KI4TQN — Amateur Extra class ham operator, GMRS licensee, and 20+ year IT/network infrastructure veteran. When the grid fails and the towers go dark, the people who prepared are the ones who can still reach each other.