i've had an icom-ic H16 programmable for years 
Posted on 08/30/2013 4:20:57 PM PDT by Kartographer
Why worry about which type of radio is best for emergency and prepper use, when you can have them all at once? In one radio! Turn your walkie talkie into a super SHTF survival radio with HAM-FRS-GMRS-MURS-MARINE-WEATHER-BUSINESS channels. The secret is in the programming.
In an emergency, you may need to communicate with others on the channels they have in their radios. Are they using an FRS radio? Or is it MURS or GMRS? Or are they on HAM? Whatever it is, you are now prepared with all those channels in your radio. Just dial them up and talk.
A Prepper SHTF Survival Comms frequency file for programming VHF-UHF handheld transceivers (VHF-UHF HT) is provided here. This file turns your HT into a wonderful HAM-FRS-GMRS-MURS-MARINE-WEATHER-BUSINESS radio.
(Excerpt) Read more at radiofreeq.wordpress.com ...
Many of them are streamed (during normal times), but I don't much care for that because you can't customize anything. You're stuck with the talkgroups and whatever the streamer has chosen.
Pretty much the same thing. They have a new one out with even more initials; Not much functional difference.
You might get 60 miles from mountain top to mountain top 'if the wind is blowing in the right direction'. Pretty much need to have base station antenna to do it reliably, and even then terrain is the key.
You might be surprised how much of the nation is covered with repeaters though, which if you know how to work them, (I don't) you can talk a LONG ways.
I don’t know if you can find the Chinese radios locally. You can find the traditional brands like Yaesu at a radio-oriented store but they’re not in the same price range for sure. I bought a Wouxun from Ed. I don’t have my license (and probably will stay off the lists and not take the test) so I just listen for now and take with me in the woods in case of real emergency.
I receive only, but the 2m/440mhz Larsen antenna definitely increases the received VHF signal on my Wouxun.
Also made up a rat-tail in case I transmit some day. A homemade version of this:
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamantht/2714.html
It’s why HF is where it’s at...Or will be...Talk/listen to the world completely off the grid if one desires.
No. 60 miles with a handheld would be impossible UNLESS you're flying in an airplane. I've flown with my HT and reached 100 miles plus, but then again I was at 20,000 feet so it was easy to do. On the ground, no way. I was really pushing it just being able to key my own repeater from the distance I did. Likely any audio I'd have tried sending would've been unintelligible.
I can easily get 60-90 miles on my 2Meter rig using my beam. My vertial (omnidirectional) I've managed to get as far as 150 miles, but that was with a good amount of ducting going on.
I don't see the UV5R being markedly better than the UV5. Might have a few bug fixes here and there, otherwise same functionality.
Your elevation has alot to do with it also. My elevation is 950' sitting here in Will County, IL. I'm about 35 miles SW of the city and can see the city skyline from where I live. I head Northeast of me and the elevation drops about 250' in three miles. Heading west it drops about 200 feet in 8 miles. Straight East of me is relatively level with me while straight South drops off about 150-200' within a few miles. (Seen that with my GPS) My signal on 2M around here KILLS. I'm the king of the mountain where I live. My 2M/440Mhz is 85' up in the air so I transmit and hear very well. I often hear some folks down in Champaign, IL (120 miles..) on 2 Meters my receive is that good.
Of course the design was taught to me by a guy who could build a weather radar from a box of radio shack parts.
Guessing you built a double or quad-wave 2M vertical or a beam to get that distance with your antenna on the 2nd story of your house. VHF/UHF requires the antenna's to be fairly high up to get that kind of range under normal conditions, or add an amplifier to it.
I also do some 2M SSB weak signal and moon-bounce with my beam. That's cool IMO.
Damn' Straight! Worked Israel on Tuesday afternoon on 20Meters. Had the Mosley Tri-Bander pointed his direction, got him on the third attempt over a massive pile-up.
I didn't even need the amplifier (2KW) for it. Never bothered to turn it on.
Last night I got Russia (RU1A) over the north pole on 20M using my beam and 1500 Watts. Today I managed to get E77DX (Bosnia-Herzegovina) on 20 Meters with the beam and 100 Watts.
Over 140 confirmed countries under my belt thus far.
“No. 60 miles with a handheld would be impossible UNLESS you’re flying in an airplane. “
1,500 above the surrounding areas on a small mountain top (Mt Herman, Palma Lake, CO) and we hit 60 miles. About the limit at 5 watts and that height.
I can see that at 1500 feet above everything else...
I don’t know a thing about radios and communications-it’s on my list of things to learn. We do have a couple of multiband portable radios that allow us to get weather stuff, and hear broadcasts from all over the world.
My prepping during the end of summer is primarily just doing the normal living thing, and canning our produce, and dehydrating stuff to use up this winter. Just finished pulling up a bunch of garlic and onions, braided them, and hung from the ceiling in the basement.
Have to can a batch of tomatoes tomorrow.
Ping to read in detail later
Clearly, you guys know HF. I don’t want to have to rely on repeaters. Can you recommend an HF radio to start off with? Nothing too fancy, too heavy or too powerful. If we’re off grid we have to consider our capacity to generate enough power. Thanks!
To add more to the confusion, is there a reason to go with the Baofeng UV-5R+ rather than the UV-5R?
i've had an icom-ic H16 programmable for years
Any idea what I have here? Is it an asset for the SHTF scenario? Is there some sort of chrystals I should buy to make it more versatile?
Imagine it might be useful if I could figure out what sort of antennae it uses and stack it up with the marine VHF and CB that I keep in the boat.
This is an area I need to improve on the 'Gulch"!
I do hate to be a downer here but much of what is being advocated here is illegal. Licensing and/or type acceptance is required for use of most all of these bands:
HAM - Tech License gets you UHF and VHF, General License and Extra License gets you HF. Otherwise verboten to transmit.
FRS - legal for anyone but very short range - carry on.
GMRS - technically requires an $85 license for the whole family to operate at 5 watts.
MURS - Legal for anyone BUT with type accepted radios (which the radios in the OP aren't for MURS and thus illegal)
MARINE - Illegal to use on land - period (unless you're a bridgetender or something)
WEATHER - receive all you want but don't transmit on those frequencies licensed or not
BUSINESS - technically falls under the other VHF/UHF license requirements but you'll need a licence to "own" a frequency.
All of this applies to transmitting - nothing says you can't receive on a radio set up like this (though it is technically illegal to do so on some bands). To those who think that they don't need "no steenkin' license" I would simply point out that it's gonna be hard to master the skill of communication on several bands in the cold and dark. Good luck with that.
The scanner idea is a good one and an excellent entree into the world of radio. Get your license (it isn't really that hard) and learn to use your stuff. You'll be a lot more valuable to your loved ones when the shit really does hit the fan.
73
I used both, passed both tests missing zero questions. I spent about 10 hours total studying for my Tech license, about the same amount of time studying for my General Class license.
The Tech License test is 35 questions based mostly on operating principles, FCC rules and common sense. A 10 year old can pass it easily.
The General Class is a little harder requiring some basic electronics principles, more FCC rules, operating principles and common sense.
I've been a "ham" for 5 years. Great hobby, absolutely love it. It's the one hobby where you can spend as little as you want and still talk great distances, or spent alot of money (like I did) putting up towers, big beams, etc.. and talk the world.
I'm not a "full blown" SHTF prepper like some are on here -- we have our food reserves, fuel reserves, own power generation and can live off-grid for about 6 months before we get into trouble. My amateur radio station I can operate completely off-grid via my generators and do so on Field Day each year.
A Tech License grants 10M phone permissions between 28.300 and 28.500, which is basically useless with propagation the way it's been (terrible.) My last 10M contact was into Japan last summer on my beam and 100 watts. That's the ONLY time I've heard Japan in 5 years on any band sitting here in the midwest.
If ya have time Al ....your opinion is valued ....stay safe !
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