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HAM Radio
As a commenter points out, a 3-band “handy talky” HAM radio (I have a Yaesu) that’s perfect for communication both point-to-point and relay. During an emergency or even a SHTF situation, you’re not likely to take grief from the FCC for using the HAM bands to communicate. If they find you, they might fine you, but in my experience, they’ve not been big on enforcement.
A real HAM will broadcast his call sign every 10 minutes and at the beginning and end of all communications per regulation. A non-HAM is easy to spot. Emergency comms are acceptable, but keep it short. Others might be trying to use the band.
HAM is best, but not everyone can afford to do it. More affordable however, is a CB (Citizen’s Band) radio. Some here at FR laugh at suggesting CB during SHTF times, but CB WORKS even if everything goes down. If there’s an EMP attack, the CB itself could become disabled but otherwise is a cheap way to ensure some communication ability with the outside world.
My suggestion - smoke signals: When the nearest big city goes up in smoke, that’s a communication that it’s time to lock and load.
Alternate suggestion - the Baghdad Bob sign: When the Community-Organizer-in-Chief comes on the news to announce that there is nothing to worry about and everything is or shortly will be under control . . .
The walkie-talkie range is under the best of possible conditions - regardless of what they say. Practical range is likely to be not much more than 5 miles.
Re: cell phones, switch to text messages. they are smaller in size and more likely to get through an overloaded system than trying to contact by voice.
I’m studying for my Technician license and am looking to use ham radio to assist my communications to home as well as to be able to communicate farther.
CB and walkie-talkies have utility, just got to recognize the range requirements/limitations.
Two cans and a string.
When tornadoes knocked out power, we kept up to date on where gas, ice, food, etc were on Facebook. A local radio station kept us informed. The site even had a page for recovered pictures and animals. I don’t know what people would have done without it. I kept my phone charged by my car battery.
It worked very well in testing and has good range. It has three power options including crank.
Second layer..high power/long range capabilities from 10 meter ham to 11 meter CB.
CB for vehicles...working on getting handhelds for that.
Redundancy is key.
It's also a good idea to install a base station at a central high ground point for relaying messages if not everyone is within range. If SHTF, I don't think anyone will care if you "boost" it a little...
http://www.varmintal.com/ahamp.htm#Sunday
Many of the nodes are located on mountain peaks and are solar powered and do not depend on commercial AC power.
Good Hunting... from Varmint Al
Eventually, I'll get a couple spare radios and Faraday cage them.
Anything you say on CB or ham can be picked up by anyone tuning around the band. Still, either one is a good idea.
I have an old time phone that plugs into the wall, just a plain phone. When power went out due to Ike, my phone worked. My son called from England to check on me, and the phone worked. A friend in the Texas hill country also called to make sure I wasn’t dead. The phone worked.
In a really disasterous situation, when even an old type phone doesn’t work, I have zilch to communicate with someone else. I have a Sony Short Wave receiver but no way to talk myself to anyone.
If a cheap walkie talkie would work for a distance of 10 miles, I could give a friend one of the walkie talkies and I coiuld reach her if needed.
If a CB works on batteries, and I gave one to my friend here, we could talk to each other via these CBs? Distance of no more than 10 miles - would it work?
Would two walkie talkies work the same way and would work for the maximum of 10 miles to my friend's house?
Marine band will be wide open especially if you’re not near navigable water. Might be less likely to be picked up by unfriendly ears.
Good news.
Be sure you have “texting” available on your cell .. that way if the cell tower goes down, you can just text people instead.
The reason is simple .. one is voice the other is data. They operate separately.
I wasn’t going to have texting, until my geek son told me about this clever trick. I rarely use texting .. but in an emergency where I might have no voice access, I can still text.
On the lower end and for shorter range small team operations, Motorola makes a low output digital 900mhz system.
For economical and realistic preparations, I second the other posters who recommend amateur (HAM) radio and CB.
