Preparedness

Communications

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  • Get your portable solar panels, long range walkie-talkies, food, guns and ammo in order.
  • Shortwave radio.
  • A decent 50watt mobile HAM radio on Amazon is in the $250 range, plus antenna.  With that you can hit repeaters if you know the frequencies.
  • Also, a mobile radio operates on 12-13.5 volts…car battery voltage.  So you can rig it as a base station if necessary.
  • A HAM license is technically needed to operate on HAM frequencies, and above 1 watt.  After the SHTF that probably won’t be a problem…
  • Any suggestions for particular manufacturers, or models?
    • For the sake of simplicity I would just start with some FRS/GRMS radios and a shortwave receiver with a decent antenna. Really the antenna is more important. A longwire antenna or a loop depending on your noise level. Maybe then branch of to HAM stuff if interested. Listening is most of the battle anyway. Maybe get a general communications receiver that will basically be a scanner and shortwave receiver all in one. I have had a ham license since 1983. In terms of my transceiver I use an ICOM 7300 and have a Icom mobile rig and a Kenwood handheld. I also have a couple of cheap ***
  • Wind up version. One is in my bug out bag