“We have one. They’re very small, and unattractive.”
I know nothing about Ham, short-wave, etc., but is there anything that allows you to communicate to a range of about 40 miles? In case cellular and internet are jammed, what are the options?
I know it’s a movie, but in “The Shining” what was that radio thing they used to communicate to the outside world?
Also, when I managed the office for a construction department in Alaska, I had a base station radio to contact guys in the field. It was pretty long range, as the service area was large. Of course, that was the ‘70s and I’m sure things have changed since then. (Call letters were KVA438, if that format helps.)
My family and are are worried that we’ll have no way to talk if/when the SHTF.
40 miles is beyond the range of most hand held radios, unless you can hit a repeater. A enhanced CB may do it depending upon terrain.
There is something called the Family Radio Service (FRS), q.v. But it doesn’t have a range anything like that. Depending on the terrain, architecture, etc., it can be even less than the couple of miles usually advertised.
Think about getting a ham radio license. The technician level isn’t difficult to achieve.
http://www.arrl.org/getting-your-technician-license
The short answer is no.. There is no legal radio you can use without a license to go that distance..
However there are a couple of exceptions. In a real emergency, anyone can use any frequency to call for help, so if you have the radio, you can use it, no license required.
Secondly, A tech license is easy to get. Literally you just have to spend a week or so running through the practice test, and you will pass the real one, given by your local hams. You don’t really need more than a vague understanding of the jargon or theory to pass. Once you have that you can get one of the local hams to help you set up your cheap baofeng (available from Amazon). Naturally, everyone in your family that will be carrying a radio will need to be licensed.
Once you have that, most areas have one or more repeaters near enough to boost your signal so you can communicate over your metro area. These are set up and run by your local ham clubs or private operators.
I think GMRS will do but as with anything there is a cost and learning curve. Search for GMRS and repeaters for GMRS service if you need the 40 mile distance. This is not ham radio but similar with only a small fee to license yourself and family. Digital service (text messaging over the air, not through the 'net) is possible.