Broadcast radio may seem like a thing of the past, now that we have smartphones and widespread internet access. But it remains hugely important during disasters, as well in any part of the world that has less reliable access to electricity and internet service. Regardless of where you live, a basic AM/FM radio will make sure you have access to important information during emergencies like wildfire evacuations, the aftermath of a tornado storm, or just keep you company while waiting for the power to come back on after the neighbor’s tree knocks out the line on your block.
Radios are usually listed on disaster preparedness checklists, but don’t get as much attention to explain why and how it can be useful. The examples here are US-specific, but similar options should be available in many parts of the world. Below I’ve outlined several use cases and what you’ll need to try it. I also included important two-way radio options that can be used to stay safe and help others.
Stay cozy during a power outage
With a battery-powered AM/FM radio, you’ll be able to pick up music, news, and other local channels even if your power and internet are out. I like to leave mine tuned to 89.9FM, our local classical station. The signal tends to be strong, and it’s the kind of thing I can leave on all night if I want to block out the noise of a storm.
Wikipedia has lists of radio stations by state or region, if you want to see what’s out there before you start scrolling. But for me, part of the fun is searching the dial for something new. Smaller radio stations tend to come and go, particularly on AM. Also a cool thing about AM is that the signal can carry over long distances at night — so try tuning in a channel from the next city over and see what you pick up. Maybe it’ll be the same talk radio crud as you have in your town, but AM is also where you’ll find non-English language content and maybe even a station run by the local high school.
And also — at a time when every action we take is being surveilled and sold to advertisers, especially our media consumption, it’s pretty great to have an option where absolutely no one knows what you’re listening to unless they’re close enough to hear it.
Keep a channel open with your partner when they’re out in the storm
In severe weather, it can be really useful to have a way to communicate with someone who’s in the house while you’re outside, or even down the block. With a pair of FRS/GMRS radios, you can leave them on and tuned to the same channel, so whoever’s out there trying to shovel a path can easily check in or ask for help. This way you can save your phone battery and won’t be limited by cell service.
One of my NET teammates brings their radios camping so the kids get in the habit of checking in while they’re out running around. I recommend trying to work in some practice with whatever your regular activities are too. Speaking into the radio can feel a little weird at first, but once you know the basics it’s pretty straightforward.
There are a bunch of options out there — anything from Motorola or Midland should be fine. I recommend getting one that covers the GMRS channels and not just the cheaper FRS-only options. Our NET teams use them to stay in touch around the neighborhood, and depending on terrain that could be a mile or more. The FCC requires you to register for a $35 license to use those channels, but I’ve never heard of it being enforced.
Get the current weather forecast
One of the nifty things our National Weather Service does is run a 24/7 radio broadcast of weather forecasts and current conditions. You’ll need a radio that specifically can pick up these channels. It’s one of the options on my GMRS radio, and I also have one of those all-in-one emergency radios from Midland that has a weather mode.
It’s going to be a complete clusterfuck if the current administration were to shut this service down, but I feel I should mention that the NWS is part of NOAA and at this point who knows what they’ll take a hammer to. Still, I think a weather radio is a good piece of kit to have and could be crucial for staying safe during emergencies.
Receive emergency alerts
Another feature of the weather radio system is emergency alert broadcasts. According to NOAA, this is an all-hazards system that ties into the FCC Emergency Alert System. So it’s not just for tornados and flash flood warnings. Weather radio sets typically have a button to turn the alert mode on. This leaves the radio off unless an alert comes through. I haven’t used this mode much, but plan to give it a test the next time we have storms or wildfires that might trigger alert messages.
Monitor breaking news
Throughout the US, a network of public radio stations offers international and national news reporting, along with local journalism and other public interest programming. Even if you’re outside a metro area, stations run repeaters to extend coverage throughout their region. Most are on FM frequencies, although a few older AM stations remain.
Stations purchase the programs they run from the national NPR organization, as well as other public radio networks like APM. Typically, stations will run a 5 minute news break at the top of the hour, which means you can leave a radio on in the background and turn it up when you hear the news come on. During disasters and other major emergencies, scheduled programming will be bumped for breaking news coverage, much like you might see on local TV stations.
If your local NPR affiliate isn’t enough, there are also independent community radio stations that offer a wide mix of content. In Portland we have KBOO, which carries Democracy Now! along with programs on indigeneous issues, incarceration, and other marginalized communities. Many of these programs are distributed through the Pacifica radio network. Shows are also available as podcasts, if you’d like to sample a few. Searching for community radio podcasts is how I found The Ship Report, which is a great source of information on Columbia River maritime issues. If I ever spend the night in Astoria I’ll have to try to catch it on the air.
Follow local sports
You likely think of AM radio as a cesspool of right-wing talk radio (which is definitely an issue) but it’s also where you can find sports radio stations broadcasting baseball, soccer, football, and hockey games. Some sports work better than others in an audio-only format in my experience, but given the mess of tv and streaming packages you need to catch all the games from a local team, it’s neat to have another option that’s completely free. Things tend to be spread out over several channels, so try searching for a team name and ‘radio schedule’ to find out where to tune in. Maybe we’ll even see NWSL games get picked up.
Meet fellow radio enthusiasts and improve your skills
Amateur radio (aka ham) gives anyone who can pass the technician-level exam the opportunity to talk to people across town or even around the world, completely independent of internet access or phone service. It isn’t private, but that’s part of what makes this a community. Hams tend to be very eager to help newcomers learn the ropes. You don’t need a lot of fancy gear to get started, a basic handheld transceiver is around $70.
If you want hands-on assistance, look for a local radio club through ARRL. I recommend Ham Study for exam prep — don’t feel like you have to understand everything in the questions, a lot of people get through the technician exam by rote then find it makes more sense once they have some experience.
Call for help
There’s countless examples of how ham radio is used to help people during disasters. Especially if you live in a remote area or have limited mobility, this could be an essential communication option. Your local radio club may run a net or repeater where people typically make contact.
Assist in disasters
If you want to get more involved with the disaster response side of things, ARES is a national program that trains people for emergency communication. There may also be opportunities through your local CERT program (which is part of FEMA, but run by local cities and counties). In Portland, you can join a NET team as their ARO (amateur radio operator) and participate in training exercises, plus be a key link in passing information between the emergency operations center and people on the ground in our community.
Learn what else is happening in the world
Here’s the really fun part, in my opinion. Much like AM and FM broadcasts, there’s another range of frequencies called shortwave that can be picked up over long distances. You’ll need a radio that can pick up these frequencies specifically — I have a Tecsun PL-880 that I’m very happy with. It includes a long wire antenna which is important for picking up long range broadcasts (also called Dxing).
While shortwave broadcasting has been in decline for years, it’s still used in parts of the world where there’s less infrastructure or large distances between towns. That includes maritime communities like the Pacific islands. In the US, most broadcasting is either weird religious dudes or remanants of the cold war — I recommend the latter because they have better taste in music.
What you can pick up will depend on your location, the time of day, season, weather, and conditions in the ionosphere. It’s a good idea to keep a log of what you find. It can help you track when the best time to tune in is, and it’s fun to have a list of some of the unexpected stations that come in.
Over the past few years, I’ve been able to pick up news broadcasts from Radio New Zealand, a Voice of America repeater in Botswana, music from Radio Nacional Amazonia, Cuban stations (when they’re online, power outages have sidelined the usual stations for a while), assorted broadcasts from Japan, China, and both North and South Korea, plus the various broadcasters in the US running hours of creepy preachers (seriously, don’t look them up unless you want to read about grifting and abuse). And of course, there’s also China’s Firedrake jammer getting in the middle of anything they see as foreign propoganda, which leads to a lot of noise for those of us on a line of transmission between East Asia and Cuba.
If this is enough to get you interested, try listening in on a web SDR like the ones from Northern Utah. Current schedules can be found at EiBi, and Glenn Hauser’s World of Radio podcast and weekly logs are the best way to find out what else is going on. You’ll get a sense of what sorts of things are out there, and see if you’d like to pick up your own receiver. I sincerely hope that there’s never a situation where the only news I can get is from shortwave signals traveling halfway around the world — but I’m glad I have the option, and it’s been a fun hobby in the meantime.