Playbooks

Neighborhood Communication Network

50–500 households4–12 weeks$200–$2,000

Regulatory references (licensing, frequencies, equipment certification) reflect US rules (FCC) unless otherwise noted. Requirements differ outside the US — verify with your national radio authority before operating. Full disclaimer →

A playbook is an operational guide — specific enough to follow, flexible enough to adapt.

Before You Start: Situation Assessment

Answer these questions before acquiring any equipment:

  1. What are your likely failure scenarios? Power outages? Severe weather? Flooding? The answer shapes your technology choices.
  2. What's your geography? Flat suburban neighborhood, hilly terrain, dense urban, rural? This determines radio range and node placement.
  3. Who are your key people? Identify 3–5 neighbors who are interested and reliable. You need a small core team.
  4. What do you need to communicate? Safety status checks? Resource coordination? Information sharing? This determines what applications you need.

Establish a Radio Network

Weeks 1–2

Get licensed

  • (US): $35 for a 10-year household license, no exam required. Apply via the FCC's Universal Licensing System. Outside the US, check your national radio authority for an equivalent licensed short-range service (e.g. PMR446 in Europe).
  • (Technician/Foundation): Free or low-cost exam, covers VHF/UHF, enables use and more capable equipment. Study at HamStudy.org.

Acquire radios

  • Minimum: 2 radios per household in your core team
  • For GMRS (US): Use an FCC Part 95-certified radio — Midland GXT1000, Motorola T600, or similar. Baofeng and most Chinese imports are not Part 95 certified and cannot legally be used on GMRS frequencies regardless of license status.
  • For amateur radio: Baofeng UV-5R (~$25) is legal under Part 97 for licensed hams and is a reasonable learning radio. Yaesu FT-60R (~$160) is more durable for operational use.
  • See radio technology comparison → and always confirm certification before purchase.
  • Program all radios with the same frequencies before distributing

Establish frequencies

  • Primary: A local licensed — check RepeaterBook.com
  • Secondary: A frequency for local use when the repeater is unavailable
  • Emergency: Weather radio frequency for your area
  • Write all frequencies on a laminated card for each radio

Conduct a radio check

Schedule a time when all core team members test their radios. Verify coverage across your neighborhood, and identify dead spots (basements, concrete buildings) and plan workarounds.

Deploy Meshtastic Text Messaging

Weeks 2–4

Acquire hardware

  • 1 LILYGO T-Beam per household in your core team (~$30–40 each from lilygo.cc or resellers)
  • 1–2 additional for elevated placement (rooftops, second floors)

Configure devices

  • Flash latest firmware from meshtastic.org
  • Set region (US, EU, etc.) — this sets the correct frequency for your country
  • Create a private channel with a shared name and
  • Set node names to something identifiable (street address or name)
  • Enable GPS on T-Beam devices for position sharing

Deploy nodes

  • Place at least one node at elevation — at ground level have significantly reduced range
  • Test coverage: can all households reach at least one other node?
  • Document node locations on a neighborhood map

Install the Meshtastic app

Each household installs the Meshtastic app (iOS or Android), pairs with their T-Beam via Bluetooth, joins the private channel, and sends a test message. See mesh networking technology overview →

Create a Communication Plan

Week 3

A written communication plan is as important as the hardware.

Check-in protocol

  • Daily check-in time (e.g., 7:00 PM)
  • Check-in format: name, location, status (OK / needs assistance / emergency)
  • Who is (rotates weekly)
  • What to do if you miss check-in

Emergency escalation

  1. text message to neighborhood channel
  2. Radio call on primary frequency
  3. Radio call on secondary frequency
  4. Physical knock on neighbor's door

Out-of-area contact

  • Designate one person outside your area as a message relay
  • Everyone knows their contact information
  • Check in with out-of-area contact if local communication fails

Resource list

Document who has a generator, who has medical training, who has a truck. Keep physical copies. See also: portable power options →

Train and Practice

Ongoing

Monthly net

A 15-minute radio net at a regular time. All core team members check in, practice rotation, and discuss any equipment issues.

Quarterly drill

Simulate a scenario (power outage, severe weather). Test all communication paths. Identify what didn't work. Update the communication plan. See the Annual Communication Drill playbook →

Annual review

Check battery condition on all devices. Update frequency lists (repeaters change). Update resource lists (people move, skills change). Recruit new members to replace those who have left.

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