Technology, preparedness, and lessons in emergency communications — written slowly, when there is something worth saying. For anything happening right now, the Live Feed is the place.https://sierragridteam.orgen-ushttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-09-04-mesh-listen-before-talkhttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-09-04-mesh-listen-before-talkMeshCore's August firmware reworks how a repeater senses a busy channel before it transmits — the shared-airtime problem that costs the most where relays are few.Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTTechhttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-08-29-household-comms-planhttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-08-29-household-comms-planSeptember is National Preparedness Month — a prompt to settle, in advance, how your family reaches each other when the cell network is congested or dark.Sat, 29 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTPreparednesshttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-08-21-ares-county-responsehttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-08-21-ares-county-responseAfter an EF-3 tornado, a Wisconsin emergency office called in an amateur-radio team for damage assessment — the same organized volunteer model that already backs the sheriff and OES in our counties.Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTField Reporthttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-08-20-weather-radio-foothillshttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-08-20-weather-radio-foothillsA NOAA Weather Radio pulls official alerts off the air with no cell tower or account — but foothill terrain thins the signal, so program your county code and test reception before you rely on it.Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTPreparednesshttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-08-15-gmrs-repeater-linkinghttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-08-15-gmrs-repeater-linkingAn FCC citation over nearly two dozen internet-linked repeaters is a reminder that GMRS is a local service by design — and what that means for a home radio plan.Sat, 15 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTTechhttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-08-10-red-flag-warninghttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-08-10-red-flag-warningA Fire Weather Watch and a Red Flag Warning are not the same alert — one is lead time, the other means the conditions have arrived — and the difference is the part worth knowing.Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTExplainerhttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-08-03-meshcore-trademark-licensehttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-08-03-meshcore-trademark-licenseA former contributor has moved to trademark the MeshCore name, but the firmware the project ships is MIT-licensed and stays open no matter who ends up owning the name.Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTTechhttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-07-29-calaveras-grant-applicationhttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-07-29-calaveras-grant-applicationThe alliance has applied to the Calaveras Community Foundation for funding to add solar-powered mesh repeaters along the Highway 4 corridor and run free public workshops on off-grid communication.Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTMember Submissionhttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-07-23-community-radio-netshttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-07-23-community-radio-netsTwo mountain communities built volunteer GMRS radio networks for fire season — and the routine behind them is what makes them work.Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTField Reporthttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-07-17-psps-backup-power-deadlinehttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-07-17-psps-backup-power-deadlinePG&E's third Public Safety Power Shutoff of 2026 is a reminder that cell service during an outage runs on a fixed backup-power clock, not indefinitely.Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTPreparednesshttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-07-14-find-your-evacuation-zonehttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-07-14-find-your-evacuation-zoneCalaveras and Tuolumne counties use zone codes and a two-tier warning/order system — where that information lives, and how to look up your own zone now.Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTExplainerhttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-07-08-priest-landrum-fireshttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-07-08-priest-landrum-firesTwo small early-July wildfires in the Highway 4 / 49 corridor, both fully contained — the official figures.Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTRetrospectivehttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-07-06-meshcore-firmware-solar-relayshttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-07-06-meshcore-firmware-solar-relaysMeshCore's June firmware release trims a repeater's background chatter and power draw, the kind of change that matters most on a short winter day.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTTechhttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-07-03-what-this-blog-is-forhttps://sierragridteam.org/blog/2026-07-03-what-this-blog-is-forThe slow channel — technology, preparedness, and lessons in emergency communications, written when there is something worth saying.Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTExplainer