Outside of increasing the height of your antenna, another way of increasing your range is increasing the power of your radio. However, it has so many factors involved that it would require formal radio technician training. There’s no easy formula for this one, and jury-rigging your radios for more wattage is ill-advised— transmitting over the signal strength guidelines for each band is illegal (even for those with a license) since it can interfere and jam other communication devices.

‍Beyond this, your only recourse to increase your range is using repeaters. Repeaters are radios that receive signals and re-transmit them to cover longer ranges, or get around large obstacles such as a mountain. Most cities with at least a thousand people will have at least one repeater.

1. Find a repeater. People often find out about nearby repeaters either through online sites such as repeaterbook.com, or by word of mouth. You’ll need to find out the following data about the repeater:
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- Its input frequency (the frequency the repeater expects information to come in through),
- its output frequency (the frequency at which the repeater outputs your signal through),
- its  frequency offset (the difference between input and output frequencies. For example, if the input is listed at 146.200 MHz and its output at 146.800 MHz, the repeater has a frequency offset of -0.6 MHz) and
- its access tone (a special tone needed to use the repeater).

2. Tune your radio. Change your listening frequency to the output frequency of the repeater. If anybody’s speaking through it, you can listen on.
If your radio is able to transmit, you’ll need to tune your offset. Find a setting called Offset or Duplex Mode and set the offset to the one you have written down.
Finally, set the access tone. Your radio should have a setting called Tone or CTCSS for this. For example, if an entry has the access tone “123.0”, then you have to set the tone to 123.0 Hz.
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3. Transmit. Your signal should now pass from the input frequency, into the repeater and broadcasted out through the output frequency you’re listening on.

If the Internet is still available in your area when trying to use a repeater, sites like Repeaterbook.com can be invaluable resources. If not, 146.2 is the most common frequency to find a repeater on and is a good first place to try.

Radio signals are finicky, varying with things like the wind, time of day, humidity, or simply just the whims of the medium (the air). To keep exchanges useful and direct, radio communicators will often use specific procedures. These are designed to make letters, numbers and messages more distinct from each other, and make messages easier to understand, even without the best signal.

1. If your radio has a "push-to-talk" PTT button, pause for a moment after pressing it and before speaking.

2. Start your first message with “Emergency, emergency, emergency”. Stating the purpose of your message three times is common procedure, but also generally a good habit to make sure you’re intelligible.

3. Be short. Don’t hold your PTT for longer than 30-45 seconds.

4. Do not transmit while the other person is transmitting. Even if you’re being quiet, keep your PTT off if they're transmitting.

5. Speak clearly, and directly. Take your time to relay your information. Repeat it if needed or prompted to.

6. Bad signal can swallow up a few seconds of your message. Use the NATO phonetic alphabet for spelling out addresses, names, license plates, etc.

RADIO EXCHANGE EXAMPLE

‍— "Emergency, emergency, emergency. This is Brandon on repeater frequency 145.1100. I need medical assistance."

‍Pause and listen for response. If no response, repeat with more details. Relay your location first, then the nature of the emergency. Do not add superfluous details.

‍— “Emergency, emergency, emergency. My name is Brandon. I am located at 601 Zennia St. Somebody’s unconscious. Is anyone able to assist?”

— (response)“Hey Brandon, this is W5STX. I hear your emergency call. I can contact emergency services for you. Stay on this frequency and remain as calm as possible. Can you spell your address?"

‍Somebody having a callsign (such as W5STX) will mean they’re licensed. If asked to spell, utilize the NATO phonetic alphabet. If you don’t remember it, try to speak as clearly as possible before confirming that the correct information was relayed.

‍— “601 Zennia Street. Six-zero-one, Zulu Echo November November India Alpha, street.”

The body of this text mostly contains basics on radio functioning and protocols— a pragmatic rundown of ham radio and similar technologies. There’s always more to learn, and more ways to stay connected that go beyond what was covered in this document. The rest of this paper will be references and tables for different frequencies. Emergency frequencies will be highlighted.

Stay safe, stay prepared, and most importantly—stay in touch.