FRS/GMRS Radio Mapping Guide: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Radiomappingb.jpg|thumb|500x500px|''Radio mapping is a useful team response planning activity.'']]
[[File:St-Johns-mapping-exercise.png|thumb|350x350px|''A sample of a team's (in this case, St. Johns) radio propagation map.''<ref>Taken from https://portlandprepares.org/net-resources/radio/frs-gmrs-radio/frs-gmrs-team-topics/.</ref>]]
Radio mapping<ref>Also referred to as '''Service Area FRS/GMRS Radio Voice Quality Survey''', but we truncate to "radio mapping" to keep it simple and save money on digital ink.</ref> is the process of creating a visual representation of radio signal strengths and coverage areas across specific geographic locations; in this case, a team's [[Team Service Areas|Service Area]]. A radio map highlights areas with strong, weak, or no signal, helping organizations understand coverage patterns, identify dead zones, and optimize communication infrastructure.  
Radio mapping<ref>Also referred to as '''Service Area FRS/GMRS Radio Voice Quality Survey''', but we truncate to "radio mapping" to keep it simple and save money on digital ink.</ref> is the process of creating a visual representation of radio signal strengths and coverage areas across specific geographic locations. A radio map highlights areas with strong, weak, or no signal, helping organizations understand coverage patterns, identify dead zones, and optimize communication infrastructure. Creating and keeping updated a radio propagation map of a team's [[Team Service Areas|Service Area]] is an important part of disaster response planning in NET.
 
The purpose of this job aid is to take radio propagation mapping "soup to nuts" and guiding volunteer team leaders through creation and maintenance of a Team Service Area radio propagation map they can include in their [[Earthquake Response Framework]].  


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== Introduction to Radio Mapping ==
== Introduction to Radio Mapping ==


=== Scenario ===
=== Scenario and Objectives ===
''A disaster has struck the Portland metropolitan area. Routine communications methods (e.g. cell phones) are disabled, and NETs are self-deploying to their [[NET Staging Areas|Staging Areas/Incident Command Posts]]. After making some initial assessments, Incident Team Leaders begin deploying strike teams to render aid in the surrounding neighborhoods.''
''A disaster has struck the Portland metropolitan area. Routine communications methods (e.g. cell phones) are disabled, and NETs are self-deploying to their [[NET Staging Areas|Staging Areas/Incident Command Posts]]. After making some initial assessments, [[Incident Team Leaders]] begin deploying [[NET Strike Teams|strike teams]] to render aid in the surrounding neighborhoods.''


''After dispatching a strike team to travel a specific route, the Incident Team Leader discovers they cannot establish FRS/GMRS radio communications with them. Time passes and nothing is heard. Is the team in a radio dead zone? Have their radios failed? Is the team in trouble? Should the Incident Team Leader dispatch a runner to their last known location? Does the strike team need the assistance of a follow-up strike team? Where are they?''
''After dispatching a strike team to travel a specific route, the Incident Team Leader discovers they cannot establish FRS/GMRS radio communications with them. Time passes and nothing is heard. Is the team in a radio dead zone? Have their radios failed? Is the team in trouble? Should the Incident Team Leader dispatch a runner to their last known location? Does the strike team need the assistance of a follow-up strike team? Where are they?''
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''Meanwhile, the strike team discovers they can no longer communicate with the NET Incident Command Post. How can they reestablish communications? Should they double back to the last point of communication, risking wasted time and physical exertion? Should they continue forward and hope to reestablish communications at a future location? How long will that take? If the team is in serious trouble, should they detour from their route to call for help? If so, in which direction?''
''Meanwhile, the strike team discovers they can no longer communicate with the NET Incident Command Post. How can they reestablish communications? Should they double back to the last point of communication, risking wasted time and physical exertion? Should they continue forward and hope to reestablish communications at a future location? How long will that take? If the team is in serious trouble, should they detour from their route to call for help? If so, in which direction?''


'''The purpose of FRS/GMRS radio mapping is to provide some solutions for addressing these types of questions in an already stressful situation.'''
'''The general purpose of FRS/GMRS radio mapping is to provide solutions for addressing these types of questions in an already stressful situation.''' FRS/GMRS radios are helpful communications tools, but they have known limitations; particularly range and signal strength.
 
There are two reasons for developing a radio propagation map. First, it is important to have a realistic idea of what the limits of your radios are. Every team needs to know where this kind of communication can be relied on and where other means of communication, such as runners, will be necessary. Second, you will discover that a relay station, strategically located according to the topography and obstacles in your specific area, can provide a way to link operators to one another.
 
=== Acronyms and Technical Terms ===
The table below lists acronyms and technical terms relevant to this article. Note that some terms below may have a different meaning in contexts outside this article.
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 65%;"
|+
!'''<big>Acronym or technical term</big>'''
!<big>Definition</big>
|-
|'''DAQ'''
|"Delivered Audio Quality", a measure of audio quality over a transmission medium (such as radio waves). You can read more about DAQ at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delivered_Audio_Quality. Rhymes with quack.
|-
|'''FRS'''
|"Family Radio Service". You can read more about FRS/GMRS radios in the NETwiki article titled [[FRS/GMRS Radio - General]].
|-
|'''GMRS'''
|"General Mobile Radio Service". You can read more about FRS/GMRS radios in the NETwiki article titled [[FRS/GMRS Radio - General]].
|-
|'''Rover'''
|A volunteer or team of volunteers moving to different points on a predetermined route and using radio to check in with the exercise lead when they arrive at each point. The DAQ of their signal supplies the data that is mapped onto a propagation map.
|-
|'''Scribe'''
|For the purposes of creating a radio propagation map, a scribe is paired with a radio operator at a fixed point. The scribe records the DAQ from strike teams as they check in from different locations.
|}


=== Method ===
=== Method ===
FRS/GMRS mapping may be conducted by placing a two-person team, one Radio Operator and one Scribe, at a proposed NET Incident Command Post location. Rover Teams report to the Radio Operator as they stop at specific locations throughout the NET Service Area. The Radio Operator and the Rover Teams record the radio voice quality for the conversation, as they heard it, at each location. The radio voice quality values for each reported location are then used to create color-coded maps for Incident Command staff and Strike Teams for use during large-scale disaster response.
The process of FRS/GMRS propagation mapping is relatively straightforward and can involve all members of a team. This article structures the method as a formal team exercise to help ensure accurate results. However, PBEM encourages Team Leaders to take a more informal approach as suited to the mood and availability of team members.
 
FRS/GMRS propagation mapping is conducted by placing a two-person team (a radio operator who is also the exercise lead, and a scribe) at the team's planned NET Incident Command Post. "Rover teams" report to the exercise lead as they stop at specific locations throughout the NET Service Area. The exercise lead and the rover teams record the radio voice quality (DAQ) for the conversation, as they heard it, at each location. The radio voice quality values for each reported location are then used to create color-coded maps for Incident Command staff and strike teams for use during large-scale disaster response.


=== Goals ===
=== Goals ===
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Upon arrival, the Listening Post checks in with the Command Post and records the radio voice quality value for the conversation. The Listening Post then listens passively to and evaluates the Radio Voice Quality of Rover Team broadcasts for the duration of the Survey Session. The participants will collaborate to decide on a radio voice quality value.
Upon arrival, the Listening Post checks in with the Command Post and records the radio voice quality value for the conversation. The Listening Post then listens passively to and evaluates the Radio Voice Quality of Rover Team broadcasts for the duration of the Survey Session. The participants will collaborate to decide on a radio voice quality value.
=== Radio Voice Quality Values ===
Radio voice quality is rated on a six-point scale, from 5 for the "best" to 1 for the "worst" and 0 for no signal at all.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Intelligibility<ref>Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delivered_Audio_Quality. </ref>
!Value
!Color
|-
|No noise, full quieting. Broadcast/phone quality.
|5
|Dark green
|-
|Slight noise, fully readable.
|4
|Light green
|-
|Marginal voice communication. Occasional unintelligible words, noisy; weak audio level.
|3
|Yellow
|-
|Unreliable, difficult to copy, frequent repeats are needed.
|2
|Orange
|-
|Unintelligible, signal is barely evident.
|1
|Red
|-
|No audio signal is detectable.
|0
|Black
|}
== Radio Mapping Session: Process ==
The Radio Survey Session begins with participants gathering at the Radio Survey Command Post. Survey participants should check in using NET Form 2A Personnel Check In and provide mobile phone numbers on the form to provide a backup communication channel.
Listening Posts are provided with copies of the Radio Survey – Command/Listening Post Log form and the location of the Listening Post. Rover Teams are provided with copies of the Radio Survey – Rover Team Log form and the Survey Area Map for their assigned Survey Area.
It is good practice to assign Rover Team participants to parts of the NET Service Area with which they are less familiar. Rover Teams should examine the Survey Locations in their designated area to develop a travel plan. Generally, each Rover Team should start by reporting from locations nearest the Command Post and record results at each Survey Location while traveling away from the Command Post.
Expect that the SRO will be handling Rover Team messages at the rate of one message every two minutes or less.
Modifications to the Radio Coverage Survey Action Plan may be announced at this time.
=== Listening Post and Rover Team Dispatching ===
Listening Posts and Rover Teams must perform a radio check with the Command Post before leaving the Command Post area. This radio check ensures that radio equipment is operational and set to the correct channel. The radio channel used for the survey should be the channel specified in the NET Operations Plan.
Rover Teams and Listening Posts should be provided with the mobile phone number for the Command Post for backup communication.
Listening Posts should be dispatched first. Rover Teams should be dispatched after Listening Posts have been set up and checked in with the Command Post.
Each dispatch should be recorded by the Survey Team Leader using the NET Form 3 Team Leader Assignment Tracking Log.
=== End of Survey Session ===
Rover Teams should inform the Command Post when they have completed their survey and then return to the Command Post. The Command Post should recall the Listening Posts when all Rover Teams have reported the completion of their surveys.
The Command Post may terminate the survey at any time with a radio message to the Listening Posts and Rover Teams. At this time, Listening Posts and Rover Teams participants should return to the Command Post. If radio communication is lost, the Command Post may use backup mobile phone numbers to recall participants.
The return of each Listening Post and Rover Team should be recorded using the NET Form 3 Team Leader Assignment Tracking Log.
All participants should participate in a “Hot Wash” to share their experiences, what went well, and what could be improved.
Participants will check out at the end of the session using NET Form 2A Personnel Check In.
The Command Post Scribe is responsible for collecting all Rover Team Log and Command/Listening Post Log forms along with NET Form 2a and NET Form 3.
== Processing Radio Mapping Data ==
Information collected during the Survey Session is recorded in a Radio Voice Quality Summary Spreadsheet and then plotted using My Google Maps to produce a NET Service Area FRS/GMRS Radio Voice Quality Map.
=== Radio Voice Quality Summary Spreadsheet ===
Information from the Log forms used by the Command Post, Listening Posts, and Rover Teams should be transferred to a Summary Spreadsheet before being plotted using My Google Maps. The spreadsheet should include these columns:
* Time    – Use military time, (24 hour clock),
* Rover    Team Name,
* Survey    Location – street intersection, address, or landmark place name,
* Command    Post Voice Quality Value – as heard by the Command Post,
* Rover    Team Voice Quality Value – as heard by the Rover Team, and
* Listening    Post Voice Quality Value – as heard by the Listening Post. One column    should be used for each Listening Post.
Organizing this information into these columns permits the sorting of messages by time, team name, location, and Voice Quality Values. The Survey Location is entered into two columns, one for each street at the intersection.
Each row in the spreadsheet represents a report for a single Survey Location. Compare the recorded times and Rover Team Survey Locations to correlate reports across Log forms.
Set the background color of each cell to reflect the Voice Quality Value recorded in that cell.
Each Survey Session should be recorded in a separate spreadsheet or tab in a single spreadsheet. A sample spreadsheet is located here. (add full URL as well as hyperlink)
=== Radio Voice Quality Map Plotting ===
Create separate NET Service Area FRS/GMRS Radio Voice Quality Maps for the Command Post and each Listening Post. A guide to using My Google Maps to plot Radio Coverage Survey information is located here. (add full URL as well as hyperlink)
==== Voice quality markers ====
Add Voice Quality Markers to each map at each Survey Location. Set the color of each marker to reflect the reported Voice Quality Value reported for that Survey Location. If the Command Post or Listening Post and Rover Team report different Voice Quality Values for the same message, use the lower value. Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, the quality of a conversation can be considered to be only as strong as its weakest message direction.
After all Voice Quality Markers have been added, use a Shape to enclose adjacent markers that share the same color. The Shape color should match the color of the enclosed Markers.
==== Other markers ====
Other markers may be added to each map to indicate locations for:
* NET    Primary Incident Command Post,
* NET    Alternate Incident Command Post,
* Listening    Posts - BEECN sites, Fire Stations, etc.
* Community    Resiliency Pod Assembly Areas, and
* Other    satellite locations.
The shape and color of these markers should be chosen to distinguish them from Voice Quality Markers and from each other by type. For example, all BEECN markers should share the same shape and color but differ from all other markers.
=== Radio Voice Quality Map Publishing ===
The NET Service Area FRS/GMRS Radio Voice Quality Maps may be published in large-scale and notebook-size formats.
Large-scale printed maps could be used in the Incident Command Post by the Incident Command Leader, Amateur Radio Operator, Neighborhood Radio Operator and their Scribes.
Notebook-size maps may be printed in 8-1/2” by 11” format for use by deployed Strike Teams. The Strike Teams may use these maps to identify locations where they can more likely establish communications with the Incident Command Post.
=== Additional Radio Coverage Survey Sessions ===
Additional Survey Sessions may be used to fill in gaps, perform spot checks, or to identify any changes in Radio Voice Quality due to variables that include:
* Radio    Type – the difference between FRS and GMRS radios,
* Vegetation    Density – changes in the amount of tree foliage, and
* Obstructions    – Construction or removal of structures that may affect signal    propagation.


== Notes and References ==
== Notes and References ==
<references />
<references />
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