I am a newby on the forum and looked through the threadst for nonelectronic comms and did not notice a topic on that. I am a fan of the old western movies and always loved the "Indian" use of owl hoots, bird calls, wolf howls and so on for signals.. The old Bluejackets Manual had whole sections on flag meanings and semaphore signals. We tend to forget that while the battle of New Orleans was fought weeks after the peace treaty was signed in London, word had not yet arrived to either side, Napoleon on the other hand, with his semaphore stations, could get word from Russia to Paris in a couple of hours. System was not improved upon until the telegraph was put in. For the invasion of Normandy each soldier was given a small "crickit clicker", one click was challenge, two clicks was ok answer. They had many different units, from different countries speaking different languages, and it worked out fine. Jerry Young has used challenge coins and code words in several of his stories and they seem well thought out . Even if you have radio comms, how do you establish a contact with a new group and how do you know that an old group has not been compromised and is now a threat? Hand signals at the squad level or lower allow sound security and signals can be used to identify you to a sentry without revealing his location and a given light, flag, window shade, or whatever might indicate to a unit the security condition of a retreat or neighbor's site, before you are commited. While all of this is covered in small unit tactics by the military,they have a very different focus and establishing contact is not a question. .
The thing about SECURE nonElectronic Comms, is that it must be either Short Range, or Line of Sight..... AND have a prearranged Set of Signals, that might be universally known, for interaction with non-Known Groups, but then that blows the Secure aspect..... with MonkeyNet, we solve that issue by distributing Secure Phrase PADs, to Network Members, and then it really doesn't matter what is used for the Comms Link, as long as the PADs are SECURE. We also use SECURE Phones for local AoO Comms (3 MIles or so) which allows Known MonkeyNet Members, to have SECURE Comms without giving away their Exact Locations. This allows for setting up FaceMeets, by just getting close enough, (In Comms Range) but not revealing either parties location, and then passing the required Authentication Messages, over the SECURE Comms Link. Then FaceMeet Criteria can be negotiated, for further contact. Melbo and I used this method a few years back, whin I was moving thru his AoO, on a Freeway, early one morning... We still have never had a FaceMeet, but we did have a Secure Chat for about 7 minutes, while I was in Comms Range.
If I remember right, the only secure system that can not be broken by computer, is the one time pad or a variation of it. Problem is both sides must have the same pad. Have wondered if you could use a modified page, line, letter, book system using melbo's posts or someone else on the net where we both have access to the same pages on the net? The first real survival book I read was Alas Babalon and the title was their code word for WTSHTF and it is still an impressive book.
I've always likes markings on trees, a light placed on a specific hill at a specific time of a specific color, coded articles in a newspaper, a car parked on a certain street in a specific manner (wheels turned toward the curb means one thing, away from the curb another); you know... spy stuff.
I'm guessing here, but I think the hard part would be getting me to tie the message around their little legs.
Technical question. Can I replace the tin cans in the network with tinfoil hats? A good wife like a good wine improves with age.
No, you need the hard diaphragm action of the can bottom to transfer sound vibration to and from the string. Tinfoil would not fulfill this vital property. And I would go with bigger cans for better sound quality. (Never skimp on your comms gear)
Can't see the flags without glasses and my yarn isn't long enough for the cans.... hmmm back to smoke signals I guess.
Well some of the people I know wearing tin foil hats have empty heads that would probably resonate better than an empty can.
