Cellular
Primary everyday voice, messaging, maps, traffic, location sharing, and emergency calling when the network is available.
Cellular · GMRS · amateur radio · APRS · linked systems · Winlink
No single signal gets to be the whole plan.
No single system is expected to solve every problem.
Redundancy is not owning five radios. It is having multiple ways to fail less badly.
GMRS
The age-appropriate family layer. Both boys actively use GMRS for local coordination, travel, activities, and operating discipline.
Amateur radio
Direct simplex, repeaters, APRS, Winlink, linked systems, and field operation under the privileges of K6RCS and K6KEG.
APRS
Position and message awareness on 144.390 MHz, especially for long road corridors and field movement.
Linked access
QSO One, EchoLink node 206608, openSPOT4 Pro, and digital networks extend reach when internet connectivity is useful. QSO One is not itself RF; properly configured linked-system connections can terminate on licensed amateur RF nodes and repeaters. openSPOT4 Pro remains the local physical-radio/cross-mode appliance.
Starlink
For joint-group operations or shared base activity, Starlink is readied as an internet-backhaul layer when terrestrial connectivity is weak or unavailable. It supports the communications stack; it does not replace direct radio or local fallback plans.
Rendezvous
Plain-language meeting points, timing, and fallback actions that still work when every battery-powered device becomes a paperweight.
Public channel plan
| Amateur primary simplex | 147.510 MHz |
|---|---|
| Amateur secondary simplex | 146.570 MHz |
| Crossband | 439.775 MHz |
| Team Stone tone | CTCSS 110.9 Hz where specified |
| GMRS family fallback | Channel 6, DCS 073 |
| APRS | 144.390 MHz in North America |
Bridge frequencies are labeled as bridge frequencies.
433.775 MHz and 145.670 MHz are hotspot or bridge-access channels in the system. They are not presented as ordinary direct family voice channels.
International and service boundaries
GMRS is not used in Mexico. Amateur radio, GMRS, marine radio, public-safety monitoring, cellular service, and internet-linked systems remain legally and operationally distinct.
Radio law by jurisdiction
The public K6RCS legal & regulatory reference tracks PRB-1 and antenna siting plus mobile-radio rules for California, Washington, Oregon and Nevada. The travel rule remains simpler than the statutes: driver first, service boundaries matter, and a state-line crossing can change the legal posture before the radio display changes at all.
The boys on GMRS
A real role, not a toy microphone.
GMRS lets the boys practice listening before transmitting, speaking clearly, using call signs, keeping messages short, changing channels deliberately, and reporting useful information. It also gives them a path into future amateur licensing without pretending they already have amateur privileges.
Linked access is a layer, not a replacement for RF.
The current public doctrine keeps the family fallback simple: GMRS Channel 6, 462.6875 MHz, DCS 073. Memory numbers and radio-specific labels stay with the radios that actually use them.
| System | Current public access | Use |
|---|---|---|
| GEARS VHF | 146.850 − / PL 110.9 · AllStar 57364 · EchoLink W6RHC-R 7818 | Primary home-area monitor and linked path. |
| GEARS UHF | 440.650 + / PL 110.9 · AllStar 56934 | Local UHF path; WIN 2560 can be linked on request. |
| W6EK | AllStar 51018 · EchoLink 4128 · WIRES-X 62545 | Sierra foothills / I-80 regional anchor. |
| Bay-Net | DMR 31075 · AllStar 55915 · WW6BAY-ROOM | Bay Area linked-system family. |
Schedules and volatile access details live on the K6RCS Nets & Access page; direct simplex, APRS, GMRS and rendezvous plans remain independent layers.
v30.34 fleet update · October 12, 2026
The UV-5R Mini is now the Team Stone family field handheld.
Four programmed Baofeng UV-5R Mini radios replace the failing BTECH UV-5X3 handhelds for routine family field use: Randall has orange, Krista yellow, Rhys blue, and Karden green. The Mini is a distinct radio, not the standard UV-5R.
These are compact, basic analog FM handhelds. Their size is the reason to carry them; their short stock antennas are the compromise. Use a better antenna or a higher-capability radio when terrain, distance, or link margin calls for it.
| Operator | Color | Speaker microphone |
|---|---|---|
| Randall | Orange | Two inexpensive wired microphones needed for the adults |
| Krista | Yellow | Two inexpensive wired microphones needed for the adults |
| Rhys | Blue | Already issued |
| Karden | Green | Already issued |
Use a 2-pin Kenwood K-plug speaker microphone and test plug seating, PTT, transmit audio, and receive audio on the exact Mini. The radio's internal Bluetooth is for wireless programming through OLA Radio, not native Bluetooth microphone audio.
OLA evaluation: hardware validation is pending. Test one radio only, read and save its current image first, write a noncritical change, verify every expected memory afterward, and expand use only if the round trip is reliable. Keep the known-good programmed file as the fleet source of truth.
One UV-5R3 remains as a demoted legacy reserve because its proprietary charger adds a separate support burden. It does not set the fleet standard.