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420-450 mHz is pretty much the gov't band. So yes, you can get emergency info there. You might wish to add SW, CB, and 2m HAM radios to your list. You do not need a license to listen to ham radio; only if you wish to transmit is it needed, unless you have a real emergency. HF, VHF, and UHF are important to monitor in any emergency, given that the gov't may not broadcast everything you need to know. It may be helpful to listen to broadcasts from other countries, and "the man down in the street" (CB and Ham). Much of this gear is available reasonably if used, as many folks go into it and end up not doing anything with it, so you can land a great deal on a hardly-used radio and antenna.
Location: ๏̯͡๏﴿ Gwinnett-That's a Civil Matter-County
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For general information, an ordinary am/fm radio will do.
If you're interested in public safety comms, you'll need to find out where your local public safety operates and where they are likely to be operating (if at all) in a disaster situation.
Many agencies have or are in the process of migrating to digital trunking systems in the 700/800mhz bands, and a number of them are encrypted. But in a disaster those systems will probably be down and they may be operating on old faitful analog VHF (150-160). Or they may be using 450-470. Some cities (LA, NYC, Boston for example) use the T-band 470-520 but days of the t-band are numbered. You might find the ham bands useful too. (144-148 and 430-450)
websites like radio reference can help you find your local frequencies.
I came across a radio I want to buy, made by Yaesu called the VX-8R which is a portable transceiver. I really like this one because it works on 500Khz all the way to 999Mhz. I know you need a HAM license to transmit with it, and I am not completely sure but technically not only could you receive EMG frequencies, but transmit on them as well (super illegal). An added bonus is that this radio can be fully under 3 feet of water for 30 minutes and survive. Also within that range you would get people on 27mhz CB radio, as well as some TV broadcasts. It also has a battery carriage that will take AA batteries in place of the Ni-Cad. Plus you can program it from a PC which is a huge help. check it out:
A good trunking scanner is very good to have. Old time scanners can be bought cheap because they are obsolete. Some can still be useful in rural areas where fire departments and ambulance services still use the old frequencies, but most will soon switch to the new systems.
The best radio for general receiving in my opinion is the Grundig Yacht Boy. They are about $100, but can be found on sale for as low as $79.
As a local Ham licensee or volunteer fireman about scanners and systems for your area.
What frequencies should an emergency radio receiver be able to receive? Is the 420-450 mHz band still an important one in an emergency?
It depends.....amatuer radio ops have some frequencies in this area. The area between 442 and 445 MHz are repeater frequencies which are often utilized in the event of an emergency. Also 144-148 is an amateur radio frequency which uses repeaters in emergencies. Keep in mind you may listen to amateur radio frequencies, but to transmit you must possess a valid FCC license.
Someone mentioned CB....truthfully there's not much (if any) emergency traffic found on CB radio excpept maybe an occasional road accident report.
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