If you downloaded my Tips for Survivors you know that my approach to survival is Get Home, Stay Put and Network. But I didn't cover ways to network with other preppers using a radio. There are dozens of threads here at SM about the importance of Comm gear before, during and after a local, national or global disaster. Here are two resources here at Survival Monkey to get you started... Grid Down Communications - sparks31 Communications 9 PDF eBooks (.zip file) This thread is my attempt to add what I've been doing to find like minded preppers in my area using a 2-meter HAM radio. Yes, I researched Citizen Band (CB), General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), Family Radio Service (FRS) and Multiple Use Radio Service (MURS) radios. But I already had a HAM license and a HAM radio, so I decided not to invest time and money in any of those radios and focus on what I already had. There are a zillion blogs on the Internet to help you decide which radio would best serve your requirements. Here's a link to one... Types Of Two Way Handheld Radios: Ham vs. CB vs. FRS vs. GMRS vs. MURS You need a license to legally operate a HAM or GMRS radio. The HAM license does, and the GMRS license does not, require you to pass a written test. But during a disaster, especially an apocalyptic SHTF scenario, you are likely to find yourself in a world Without Rule Of Law (WROL). Before that it's probably wise to get a license. The test for a Technician HAM license is not very difficult. Here's a link to a resource at Survival Monkey to help you prepare for the HAM license... FCC Element 2 Technician Class Question Pool with Answers Meanwhile, here's a brief summary of my approach to comm preparations. My Yaesu FT-250 is a 2-meter, 4-watt handheld HAM radio with a rubber ducky antenna. The small antenna (5 inches), short wavelength (2 meters) and maximum power (4 watts) of my radio limits my transmit and receive range to line-of-sight communication. I've been able to talk from my radio to another 2 meter radio as far as 10 miles away when there were very few buildings or mountains between our radios. I decided that a line-of-sight distance of 10 miles would limit me to only a small percentage of the preppers where I live. So I researched antennas that would extend my line-of-sight range beyond 10 miles. Lots of choices, but I settled on an 11-inch Smiley antenna to replace my 5-inch rubber ducky antenna... With the Smiley antenna I was able to talk with another HAM about 15 miles from me. But it was a line-of-sight communication between a hill above my place and a hill where the other HAM lived. So once again I thought I should find ways to either get a radio with more power or find an antenna I could install in my condo. HAM radios with more power (50 watts and up) are typically mobile radios designed to operate on the battery in a car, truck or dune buggy. My Get Home and Stay Put approach meant I wanted a radio in my condo, not in a bug out vehicle. That also meant I would have to buy a power supply large enough to handle the current draw (typically 20 amps) when I pushed the transmit button. And when the grid goes down, I'd have to have a battery in my condo to operate the mobile radio. Or a 12 VDC to 120 VAC inverter to keep the power supply operational until the grid came up again. The cost of a mobile radio (typically $200 and up), a power supply (typically $150 and up) and an inverter (typically $100 and up) convinced me to stick with my 4 watt handheld radio and find an antenna I could install in my condo. The CC&Rs prohibit external antennas. So I researched antennas that worked well indoors. Once again, lots of choices. I settled on a Slim Jim antenna sold by... N9TAX Labs And here's how I installed it on the baclony of my condo... The two basic ways to communicate with another HAM operator are simplex and duplex. Simplex is between your radio and another HAM's radio. Duplex is between your radio, a repeater radio and another HAM's radio. Repeaters are typically installed on hill or mountain tops to limit obstructions (buildings, trees) to line-of-sight communication. You can read more about repeaters here... https://www.hamradioschool.com/post/fm-repeaters-an-introduction Only one of the repeaters in my area has backup power in case the grid goes down. And that repeater uses an Uninterruptable Power Source (UPS) that will only keep the repeater operational for an hour. That wouldn't be enough for 99% of the brownouts and 100% of the blackouts in my area. And if an EMP takes the power grid down? Well, repeaters are a valid way to meet and network with other HAMs before SHTF but not after. I have not yet attempted to establish a network of preppers in my area with my setup but when I do I'll come back to the Comm Forum and post my results. Meanwhile please add your suggestions, comments and corrections. Keep in mind that even when you find people with which to network, it's vital to evaluate their survival supplies, skills and mindset. And one of the tools for doing that is the Conflict playing cards. Check it out at... Conflicted The Survival Card Game - Start Playing Today If a majority of you think this could be a resource, I'll PDF it and put it up there. Cheers!
Brings up a good point, in a shtf situation we want 2 way comms. No good if no one is listening nor if it is three way and the information is used against you, either to locate you or to use the message to the third parties advantage. A lot to be said for testing out comms and groups before the event. Might even save your life after the event. Good post, thank you for sharing it with us. Lots to think about.
@Qwertyportne I think you are on the right track. When I first got back stateside and settle here in North Idaho, I helped start a radio club, mainly so I could have eyes and ears in all 4 directions from me. We've had to do a lot of hand holding, training and etc. but all-in-all it's been a huge success. We got 40-50 active members at all times now. Sure, some folks come and go but 40 pairs of eyeballs are a huge plus! We have a face-to-face meeting once a month and a net check-in twice a week. All of us have a license and assist others to obtain their license. We normally don't do prepper stuff - well - sometimes. We have first aid training and even NBC type training but mostly it is comms oriented. Why? Because in North Idaho everyone with good sense does what the world calls 'prepping' not because we're all nutcase survivalists but because it's prudent and makes good sense so most don't need to be told or taught about canning food, treating water, etc. They need communications, electronic, and electrical training so that's main our focus. Some of the members have expanded the approach to their local neighborhoods using MURS. In the past, I was sort of against this as didn't make much sense to me as the FCC test is simple and you get much better distance when using the Ham bands; however, I am having a change of heart. Why? Because some people simply are afraid of taking the test and doing something like this is an excellent way to bring them along. Once they have operated the MURS or other non-license radios, they will want better comms. Anyway, keep at it and best of luck! You're definitely on the right track!
I'm persistently surprised at how many people don't have ham licenses. People stare at me kind of funny when they find out that I have my ham radio license. I feel like I should stare at them funny, why the heck don't you have a license and at least a single radio?
I echo the poster who is surprised at low number of hams. @BTPost Is always a great source for ham info here.
I have told many over the years that I don't take them seriously as a prepper or survivalist or (?) without a ham ticket. Not because you get frequencies to talk on, but because of the skills you can learn from simple communication to electronics to digital communications. I laugh at the guys who say they won't need a license after SHTF. It isn't, and never was, about the license. It's about knowing how to use the gear and knowing where and how to communicate.
Yeah, I don't get it either, especially now that it is so easy not having to learn CW and they basically give you the answers in the practice tests. The only things I come up with is either they are too lazy, too afraid of failure, or they simply aren't serious about it. I suppose there could be the issue that people don't think they can learn the electronics part of it which I counter by saying my wife doesn't understand how a car works but she knows the basic parts of one and can operate it. She's actually a better driver than me. LOL! (I expect people to do the right thing in driving. She expects them to do the wrong thing, growing up in the 3rd world does that to you. LOL!) @Tempstar "It isn't, and never was, about the license. It's about knowing how to use the gear and knowing where and how to communicate." Bingo! This is what I always tell people when they give me that old excuse, this and what are you going to do if you have a problem and haven't a clue about your equipment. I also ask them if they shoot, and they think they should wait to learn to shoot until SHTF.
I am electronically challenged but I managed to ace the general test, HOWEVER, my problem here in SE Michigan, particularly in this communist stronghold, is that all of the folks I’ve run into on the 2 meter band aren’t the slightest bit interested in prepping/survival and look at those that are with disease. SO, if there are any Monkies in the SE Michigan area that are interested, shoot me a PM and let’s try to set something up.
Look at the demographics of your area, and you will understand why there are few Prep’ers/Survivalists within Vhf/Uhf range… if you were further north, you would run into the likes of @VisuTrac, and others… Now if you communicate down on the HF Bands, there are more of us to choose from…
I'm in the red county surrounded by blue counties. We are a 2nd amendment sanctuary county and I think the commies hate us.
Wow, lots of really valuable comments. My plan is to use 2 meters to vet people in my area for a local network I'd like to start. I know it won't be easy to find like-minded survivalists, especially since it would not be wise to divulge my exact location, supplies, preparations and so forth. Bandit99 did it with a focus on radios. Not sure how I can do it with a focus on survival.
