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Turning the Radio On/Off and adjusting the Volume
Turn the On/Off/Volume knob [12] clockwise (looking from the top) to turn the radio on. The LCD
display [8] will briefly show the battery voltage while the speaker double-beeps twice (the battery
ranges from ~8.2V when full to ~6.1V when empty, depending on its size and other factors).
Turn the knob further clockwise to increase the speaker volume. To test the volume setting, press the
Monitor button [7]. Turn the knob counter-clockwise, past the “click,” to turn the radio off.
The current channel name (e.g.
GNOAKR
) and number (e.g.
31
, on the right side) are displayed.
The backlight will come on whenever a button is pressed or a knob is turned.
Selecting a Channel
To change the channel, turn the center Channel knob [11] in either direction to move up or down
through the list of channels, or press the Up/Down buttons [10]. Holding an Up/Down button down
moves quicker through the list. The channel for the GENOAK emergency network repeater is
GNOAKR 31
(Channel 31).
Transmitting
To transmit (talk) on the current channel, press and hold the Push-To-Talk (PTT) button [4], wait a
couple seconds, and then speak. Hold the radio about 6 inches from your mouth and talk at a normal
volume. When finished speaking, wait a couple seconds before releasing the PTT button.
You should begin every transmission by stating your GMRS call sign, and repeat your call
sign every 15 minutes or so during a long conversation.
When and How to Use the Radio in an Emergency
The GENOAK network is designed to enable neighborhood-to-neighborhood communications. During
or after an emergency, the radio can be used to connect with other neighborhood group(s) nearby or
further away to report on incidents, provide status updates, share resources, mobilize volunteers and
coordinate needed assistance, among many other tasks. It can also be used to connect separated
family members. For additional uses, visit:
www.genoak.org/use/
In an emergency
,
you should select the GENOAK repeater channel
GNOAKR 31
.
Listen for any
“traffic.” If you don’t hear anything, you can
state your GMRS call sign
and ask if there are any other neighborhood groups listening. If so, you can
share information as appropriate. Only one person can talk at a time so if
someone is already talking, please wait for a break in the conversation to jump in.
At some point, as more neighborhoods join in, there needs to be some control over who is
transmitting. Otherwise, everyone may be trying to talk at the same time. This is called a Directed Net
and the person directing the conversations is called Net Control. For more information on a Directed
Net, visit:
www.genoak.org/communications/
