Comm's

[bacpacker]

There hasn't been much traffic on the comms area of the forum. So he is an effort to get a little bit more going. I'd like to hear everyone's ideas and how you plan to communicate if TSHTF. Here is mine going on a secnario similar to this. Some event has caused total failure of all landline and cell phone comm's.

For close in comms, say 2 miles or less, the wife and I have 2 pair of FRS/GMRS radio's. range of 2 miles effectivly or less. They run on 2 AA rechargable batteries. I also have a small solar charger to keep them running. We use them a lot when I'm in the garden and she's up in the house. They are light weight so no problem carrying one.

For longer distance comms, we are both hams and we both have similar equipment. Handhelds for when we are on foot or if we were on horseback, atv's, or bucycle's. 5 watts power, adjustable down to 1/4 watt to conserve power. On high power and working thu repeaters I have worked stations 50+ miles away. Working simplex (radio to radio) they are capable of 5-10 miles at least depending on terrian. You can get aftermarket antennas that help extend the range.
Mobile radio's for the home and vehicles output between 10 & 25 watts. They are capable of working up to 50+ miles on simplex. They require a 12 volt source to supply it, either a power supply or some type battery. I have chosen a Gel Cell for power down periods of times. These radios can be had, as can the handhelds, with dual bands (VHF/UHF) which equals many more frequencies. Also a very wide choice of antenna's.
I also have a HF mobile radio that outputs 100 watts and is capable of talking to folks around the world or just across the state. Again battery or 12v power supply. Many antenna options, which has a huge affect on the HF bands.

What about you?

[The Stig]

SMS text messaging when cellphones are overloaded/jammed

FRS/GMRS for very short range

MURS handheld for several mile radio to radio conversations

CB for over the road comms (although my cheapo Cobra CB died and needs replaced).

A lot of holes in this plan I admit. Too much reliance on batteries, no HAMs, nothing to rugged. Thanks for bringing it up.

Wish there was a technology that offered the range of a HAM without the hassle of getting the license (I know it's an easy test but I flat don't have time for it now). Then again, I wish the mid 1990's Tiffani Amber Theison would swing by the house later tonight too.

[bacpacker]

Then again, I wish the mid 1990's Tiffani Amber Theison would swing by the house later tonight too.

That would be nice!

I will find the site and post it for a very good study guide. I used it to upgrade and it worked well for me. Maybe some others that it would help as well.

[mitunnelrat]

I'm in much the same position as The Stig, except I don't even have the MURS radio. Its a definite weak area.

In other news, is this close enough?
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn165/mitunnelrat/tiffani-amber-thiessen-1024x768-3287.jpg

[bacpacker]

Works for me.

[RedJohn]

I only had to take care of myself only most of my life, so it is a big black-hole in any prep I ever did. I am going to have to think about it soon though.

[izzyscout21]

my brother gave me a mobile CB. I've got a handheld to go with it. And 2 GMRS radios. I'm looking to get into HAM

[ehughes1488]

I got a couple Garmin Rhino's really good handhelds. They also show a small grid location for navigation.

[izzyscout21]

I am now up to 2 CB base stations, 2 handheld CB's, and 2 FRS radios. Still waiting on the HAM......

[rentprop1]

got the GMRS, 2 CB's for the vehicles and I just got my HAM license

only thing is I always thought HAM could work with CB freq's and was sorely mistaken

[bacpacker]

got the GMRS, 2 CB's for the vehicles and I just got my HAM license

only thing is I always thought HAM could work with CB freq's and was sorely mistaken

Congrats on the ham ticket. GMRS & CB have their place, but the ham bands and freq's give you so many more options.

Also, here is the linked I had promised for the study information I spoke of.
HAM RADIO - AMATEUR RADIO - HAM RADIO INFORMATION, LICENSE INFO!, PLANS - PROJECTS (http://www.hamuniverse.com)
On the left side of the home page is a section called license practice or something along those lines. The way this test is set up so that you can pick which level test you want to take and as you repeat the test it wil cycle thru all the test question out of the pool the real test are selected from. If you go thru them enough you will see all the questions. Once your consistantly scoring 80-85% your ready for the real thing.

[cwconnertx]

My biggest holes in communications is someone to talk to. I have CB, and I have GMRS handhelds for use around the home to communicate locally if someone happens to be working with me, but I have no real other need to communicate long range.

[alaska]

have 2 sets(4) of midland short range and 3 hand held cb's. 1 each for mama,the boy and mysself Havnt gotten base unit going yet or a cb for the jeep. Right now I have concentrated on close to home. I am thinking it will either be a short range patrol n the neighborhood or a check in with the house if one of us is away and something happens. Make sure the coast is clear kind of thing

I defintely need a longer range solution.

[bacpacker]

Alaska, what is the terrian like in your area, say out to 10 miles? I assume not many people around?

[alaska]

I live in a neighborhood on a hill. Trying to think how to describe. If you start at the bottom on the main drag in the town I live in, its half a mile up to my road that you turn on and then if you continue past its another .7 miles until the hill levels out. I don't know much about radios but if I am on my roof I have a fair line of sight downwards. any one above me would have the same so, I think that's good. I actually just tested the midlands last week. I was up the street a mile away and it was a lil static but we could understand each other on them. The whole area i am in is base on a hill. Anchorage for the most part is your basic flat ass city

Why do you ask?

[bacpacker]

Pretty good description. I was just thinking thru your next to last post.
Vhf and to a slightly less degree is line of sight for comm's. Not 100% but close. You being on the hill will help with that. You just won't make it to the back side of the hill much at all.
CB's are lower in freq., somewhere around 29 mhz. You still get some line of site but not as much as vuf/uhf.
Gmrs freqs are all on uhf. Ham has bands on both, plus hf for longer distance work.

[alaska]

uhhhh. now in engrish pwease??? lol

[alaska]

I basically need to get off my ass and look into the ham thing. My grandpa has always had one.
I am great learning hands on, but outta a book not so. gotta be a ham club around here that should help me.............wanders off..............

[bacpacker]

Was it trashed? I'm on my phone and fingers are fat.

[alaska]

lol no . Like I said I am a newb so you start spouting off frequencies and such and I get lost easier then a fat kid at Willy Wonka's.
It's All good

[bacpacker]

Lol I might be that fat kid. I wi try and find some helpful links for you to look at tonight. I net down at work now.
Also PM sent.l

[alpmco]

I'm like Bacpaker ... I have two HF Rigs, on in the house and the one in the truck is a Yaesu FT-859 HF plus VHF/UHF. The one in the truck is quickly removed by undoing a Velcro strap the power coupling and antenna connector. It is very portable and I have a small tub in the truck with a G5RVjr, a 40m and 80M dipole, and a old chair bag with an Eagle one collapsible vertical if I need to go with a base type antenna. I have a PVC Tube slung under the bod filled with various ham sticks. All my vehicles are prewired to move the 857 around. I can even run it from my power cart.

I also have Dual band VHF/UHF in the truck and house and a 2M 60 watt in the Jeep. CB Radios in my vehicles and the motor home. I have several hand held VHF/UHF and CB radios and FRS/GMRS out the wazoo.

Best of all ... I have a hard wired phone in my office. None of that VoIP or modern crap. That old phone system was designed to withstand an attack by the USSR! Even when all else is out of order that phone is still up and running.
Below is the Whacker mobile ... CB is out of the shot.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/alpmco/iPhone/02f15ad0.jpg

The office / Radio shack. With the exception of the TV everything here can or does run on 12VDC. There is also an Icom PCR1500 computer controlled receiver mounted on the back side of the desk Most of the handhelds are in a case in the closet. I need to make an EMP proof box for radio storage and to keep an extra spark box for the old Jeep.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/alpmco/iPhone/Desk1s.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/alpmco/iPhone/Desk2Small.jpg

[alpmco]

OH!! My most valuable piece of equipment! Abduction prevention!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/alpmco/Alliance/UDOD_lg.jpg

[bacpacker]

Nice set up in the ham shack. I also like the photo's above the monitor.

[jmrdrgz]

I have considered getting two different types of radio. One is the cheap frs/gmrs (i believe) that anyone can buy at the local stores. Most people would have these types of radios and you can scan the frequencies to try to get a hold of someone if need be. This would be (at least in my mind) a good option since it is common. The other radio I am looking at would be a Frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) radio like the Motorola DTR series. There is one made by Trisquare but it is not as powerful as the Motorola in privacy. Here is a link that I would like to share about these types Establishing Private Radio Communications Using Consumer Grade Equipment, by R.E.G. - SurvivalBlog.com (http://www.survivalblog.com/2011/01/establishing_private_radio_com.html).

Anyways, point behind that is, having these two different radios, I can communicate with a good amount of people. If I had to talk in PVT for whatever reason (OPSEC) I would use the Motorolas.

[dragon5126]

Pretty good description. I was just thinking thru your next to last post.
Vhf and to a slightly less degree is line of sight for comm's. Not 100% but close. You being on the hill will help with that. You just won't make it to the back side of the hill much at all.
CB's are lower in freq., somewhere around 29 mhz. You still get some line of site but not as much as vuf/uhf.
Gmrs freqs are all on uhf. Ham has bands on both, plus hf for longer distance work.

CB starts at 26.965 and stops at 27.405 Mhz. 29Mhz is 10 meter ham, just an fyi...

[dragon5126]

The FHSS equipment is designed to be used with mated equipment. It is very similar in operation to trunked equipment, so unless someone is using the same equipment running the same settings a single rig will be worthless. Our County Coroner uses them just to tick off the County Sheriff who wants every agency on his trunked system. So the Sheriff went and bought a DTR for the Dispatch office bit the Coroner keeps changing settings when the SO figures them out. Coroner wants ALL calls routed through the office anxwering system so there is a paper trail. Smart man...

[The Stig]

OH!! My most valuable piece of equipment! Abduction prevention!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/alpmco/Alliance/UDOD_lg.jpg

Alp......I missed this the when you posted it originally. Does it come in flat dark earth?