Ground Wave Emergency Network - EmComm 
Roll-over Southern Ontario for county names. Click-on Middlesex County, Niagara Region, Frontenac County, Wentworth County, Peel County, Norfolk County, York County and Haliburton County for more information. To add your group or join, contact David, ve3bbn @ gmail.com. We need your help to connect Southern Ontario.
Map Credit: http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/countyatlas/SearchMapframes.php
The goal of the Ground Wave Emergency Network is to set up a volunteer GWEN - EmComm Network across southern Ontario to supplement the Amateur Radio Emergency Service or ARES in the unlikely event of total repeater, telephone, mobile, internet and satellite failure during a lengthly system wide power and communication black-out due to weather, solar, tectonic and/or human generated events.
The Ground Wave Emergency Network has adopted a back to basics County Map of the 1800's to distinguish regions of Ontario where amateur radio operators reside and operate. Many localities still go by their legacy name despite the formation of regional governments, amalgamations and consolidation. This is only a guide. Amateurs may wish to adopt their legacy name or modern local regional government name as has GWEN Niagara. The GWEN Niagara area includes the original counties of Lincoln and Welland. GWEN Frontenac is active in the City of Kingston and Frontenac County. The circles show the approximate 100 km range of reliable 100% coverage with less than 100 watts of power in all conditions on the 80 metre band with a vertical antenna, sufficient radials and good soil conditions. Southern Ontario can be covered by ground wave propagation with nine strategically positioned amateur radio operators. Further experimentation with modes and power levels will attempt to extend the coverage to 160 kilometres per station and reduce the number of stations required.
Ground wave communications is not affected by time of day, solar or seasonal conditions. Ground wave is not limited by line-of-site. You do not need a tower. This makes it ideal for base and portable emergency communications. All you need is an eighty metre vertical antenna with a good radial system of eight plus radials (preferably elevated) at least one eighth wavelength in length (one quarter is ideal) to get out.
If you have 80 metre capabilities with a quarter wave vertical antenna or a multi-band vertical antenna mounted on the ground with sufficient radials (preferably elevated), we can use your help to map ground wave propagation in Southern Ontario from Windsor-Sarnia to Ottawa-Kingston.
According to the 2006 Census, this area has a population of over 11 million, representing approximately 93% of Ontario's total population and 36% of the total population of CANADA.
Census info: http://www.feddevontario.gc.ca/eic/site/723.nsf/eng/00238.html
Locate the Distance between GWEN Stations.
www.nhc.noaa.gov/gccalc.shtml or www.earthtools.org or www.qrz.com
If you have 80 metre capabilities with a quarter wave vertical antenna or a multi-band vertical antenna mounted on the ground with sufficient radials (preferably elevated), we can use your help to map ground wave propagation in Southern Ontario from Windsor-Sarnia to Ottawa-Kingston.
Please contact one of the following individuals for more information:
David SK,
@ at GWEN Niagara or
David,
va3orp @ kos.net at GWEN Frontenac or
Ian, va3um at idrnkwtr @ gmail.com at GWEN Peel or
Russ, ve3fi at russ @ halcom.ca at GWEN Haliburton or
Matt, va3mgn @ bell.net at GWEN York.
GWEN - EmComm Ontario North Coverage 
