Go-Kits

There are many kinds of equipment kits that emergency responders and amateur radio operators might want to assemble. There are two particularly important kinds of kits that we recommend as auxiliary communication operators:

• 2-hr Kit: This small kit enables an operator to travel home while remaining in radio contact with city and county responders in the event of an emergency before or in the initial phases of an activation. This kit it intended to be very small and easy to carry, with the expectation that members keep it near them. The expectation is that an operator has access to this kit while away from their home.

• 12-hr Kit: This kit enables an operator to function as a low-power voice communicator within range of local repeater infrastructure for a full 8-hr ICS operating period. It is designed to be compatible with whatever power/battery and antenna connector situation the operator might be assigned to use at the location of an assignment. This kit is designed to be carried by the operator.

As of Oct 2025, Hayward ACT does not yet officially mandate carrying these Go-Kits for members, as the contents are an ongoing project.

2-hr Kit

Required Contents

• A 2m/70cm dual-band HT or mobile radio with a minimum of approximately 5W power on both bands

  • Pre-programmed channels on the radio: K6EAG, K6EAG output simplex, N6HWD simplex, and W6RGG 2m

  • Sufficient charged batteries to operate for 2 hours on 5W

• A vehicle-compatible antenna and mount (such as a mag-mount) with coax to reach the driver's seat. This does not need to be a permanent installation.

• A notebook or other writing surface and pencil/pen

• A container to store this equipment that is durable (not a plastic bag), ideally partially protective of the contents

• A completed RF-safety worksheet for any radios more powerful than 5W

Recommended Contents

• A cheat-sheet or manual for the chosen radio (specifically the instructions to program a new channel)

• A copy of your FCC amateur radio license (wallet format highly encouraged)

• Power adapters for your radio (fused)

  • To charge from a 12V car cigarette lighter port

  • To charge from a wall outlet

  • To charge from USB power (USB-A and USB-C, both, ideally)

  • To charge from a Powerpoles-style connector 12V battery (noting "12V" often means 13.8 +/- 15%, so anywhere from 12.0V to 16.V)

• Spare fuses for your radio(s) and any power adapters that have them

• A method of carrying all your personal equipment while activated, such as a chest rig

• Some sort of shelf-stable food and drink (assume bridges and other structures unsafe and this might be the only meal you have access to for several hours). Common examples are a bottle of water and some sort of snack you might take hiking, like an energy bar, to keep in your personally-owned vehicle.

• Vehicle mounting solution for use with a personally-owned vehicle:

  • A fixed mount inside the vehicle for the radio head unit (or entire HT) so that the radio is not considered "handheld".  This is for legal compliance with CA motorvehicle safety regulations on the use of handheld electronic devices. If you do not have a mount that is "fixed" to the vehicle then you could be accused of motor vehicle safety violations if you operate the radio while driving. Without a mount, the expectation is that an operator will pull over (if you are the driver of a vehicle) before using the radio. There are many popular options that might fit with a personal vehicle such as a suction-cup mount, air-vent mount, CD tray mount, or cup-holder mount.

  • A handheld microphone with extension cable to permit the radio to remain "mounted" while using the radio and driving.

12-hr Kit [ DRAFT ]

Required Contents

• All the elements from the 2-hr Kit Required list

• A high-visibility vest

• A method of carrying all your personal equipment effectively such as a chest rig

• Offline maps (digital downloaded or paper) of the city and county.

• A set of common ICS forms

  • 2x ICS-211A Incident Check-in Form

  • 2x ICS-214 Unit Activity Log

  • 2x ICS-309 Communications Log

  • 5x ICS-213 General Message Form

Recommended Contents

• Some sort of identifiable name badge or ID