Emergency Radio Channels & Frequencies
| Service | Channel | Freq (MHz) | Max Power | Role |
|---|
| GMRS / FRS | Ch 20 | 462.6750 | 50W / 2W | NATIONAL EMERGENCY / TRAVEL |
| FRS / GMRS | Ch 1 | 462.5625 | 2.0W | Primary Calling Channel |
| FRS Only | Ch 8 | 467.5625 | 0.5W | Low-Power Tactical Survival |
| MURS (VHF) | Ch 1 | 151.8200 | 2.0W | Dense Forest Canopy Penetration |
| MURS (VHF) | Ch 4 (Blue) | 154.5700 | 2.0W | Common Tactical Calling |
| Marine VHF | Ch 16 | 156.8000 | 25.0W | DISTRESS & SAFETY (MAYDAY) |
| CB Radio | Ch 9 | 27.0650 | 4.0W AM | Emergency & Traveler Aid |
| CB Radio | Ch 19 | 27.1850 | 4.0W AM | Highway Information |
Meshtastic & LoRa Packet Radio (915 MHz US / 868 MHz EU)
Default Preset: LongFast (Bandwidth 250 kHz, Spreading Factor 11, CR 4/5)
Hop Limit: Set to 3 (Urban) or 5 (Remote Wilderness) to prevent network congestion.
Public Key: AQ== (Standard default AES-128 public broadcast channel)
Antenna Rule: Never transmit without antenna connected (destroys SX1262 power amplifier).
Field Solar & Battery Budgeting Math
Daily Watt-Hours Needed: Wh = Watts × Hours/Day (e.g. 5W Pi × 24h = 120 Wh)
Required Solar Panel: Watts = (Daily Wh × 1.35) ÷ Peak Sun Hours
Example: (120 Wh × 1.35) ÷ 4.5 sun hours = 36W Solar Panel required for 100% autonomy.