Midland MXT500 High Power GMRS Radio alnk.to/7Bb3Fdr (Use the promo code PROVIDENT to get 10% off your order) Midland ER40 Emergency Weather Radio alnk.to/7Bb3Fdr (Use the promo code PROVIDENT to get 10% off your order) HybridLight hybridlight.com/discount/provident (Use the discount code PROVIDENT to get 20% off your order) The Provident Prepper: A Common-Sense Guide to Preparing for Emergencies amzn.to/3OsabeE Learn more at TheProvidentPrepper.org A Prepper's Guide to Communicating in an Emergency theprovidentprepper.org/a-preppers-guide-to-communicating-in-an-emergency/ Social Media: Valuable Tool for Emergency Communication theprovidentprepper.org/social-media-valuable-tool-for-emergency-communication/ Empowering Yourself by Preparing for a Power Outage: A Prepper's Guide theprovidentprepper.org/empower-yourself-by-preparing-for-a-power-outage-a-preppers-guide/ Preparing for Grid Down: My Step-By-Step To-Do List theprovidentprepper.org/preparing-for-grid-down-my-step-by-step-to-do-list/ How to Organize Critical Documents for Emergency Evacuation theprovidentprepper.org/how-to-organize-critical-documents-for-emergency-evacuation/ Newbie Prepper: Ten Simple Steps to Get Started theprovidentprepper.org/newbie-prepper-ten-simple-steps-to-get-started/ Thanks for being part of the solution! Follow us! *Instagram - theprovidentprepper instagram.com/theprovidentprepper/ *Facebook - The Provident Prepper: Building Your Family Ark facebook.com/ProvidentPrepper *Pinterest - The Provident Prepper www.pinterest.com/TheProvidentPrepper/ TheProvidentPrepper.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.
Don't be overwhelmed be over prepared. The more you prepare the more you can do. Rome was NOT built in a day, but the sooner you start the closer you are to being ready.
Of course if hackers get in or looters, they can find your whereabouts and know your info too. Don't trust the internet . Also some families just don't care .
I really love you guys. Wish you lived closer. I just went into the Meetup website and searched for preppers - nothing in my area. So disappointed. I know that none of my immediate neighbors are preppers. Our closest relative is 3 hours away and she is not a prepper. The sister who is a prepper, is 5 hours away. My hubby and I would love to find some like-minded folks to meet up with. People say to not be lone wolves. but it is hard when there is no one else around to hang with.
When military helicopters fly over from sun up to sun down ham radios did not work. There is a new nation wide emergency system that citizens can not use . Only Verizon cellphones work to call 911. This was all areas of the Helene distaster. I want to be active volunteer with hamradio. Alot of disabled folks could be able to volunteer also.
An impprtant thing for people to know about the small solar chargers is that they will take forever to charge if the sun is all you have. If they are already charged, they will charge things fine. But to recharge them with solar, really, can take a week or more. Don't count on them. Not good enough. I have found that most people who have them, haven't really used them. Your video is really helpful overall. Thx.
You need larger panels, especially for cloudy days. 100 watt & up panels are not expensive. Get a good charge controller. MPPT is needed for maximum charge rate.
@@billryland6199 im talking about the chargers that are on those emergency radios and the chargers that are phone size. Not the Jackery, Bluetti, and the like.
Personal recommendations: 1. Skip FRS (unless supremely strapped for cash). Since GMRS covers the same frequencies and with more power its a no brainer. Since the license is only $35 for 10 years and covers the entire family, it's the way to go. The hardest part by far in the whole process is navigating the FCC website to get the license. Only the government can screw up something so simple. By the time you are done you may want to slit your wrists. 2. With GMRS get to know the repeaters in your area and use them. They can be quite handy, even in a disaster. Many have backup power and will run for a couple/few days even with total loss of grid power. The info you can get may be critical in those days. 3. Ham radio. Technician class is easy to get (there are 5 year old technician class operators, nuf said). It's also a $35 license for 10 years, but only covers the person taking the test. However, it opens up many more options. There are also repeaters for VU frequencies in ham. Many ham radios will tune in the gmrs and cb frequencies so you can also listen to them with that. So, a ham rig will do more in many ways but keep in mind, if they are fcc compliant they will not transmit outside the ham frequencies so you can't talk to gmrs and cb folks with them...legally. 4. CB. This has been considered to be the wild west of radio with people being disorderly and channels being crowded. But, this also means there are a lot of people using them so you might be able to glean some useful info here. Notes: 1. The higher the frequency the more line of site it is. So, frs/gmrs/ham VU freq, etc are very line of site. So you may need to find a hill/building/whatever to reach out. Often it's the repeaters the help you get around this, as they mention in the video. Don't underestimate the usefulness of repeaters. 2. The lower the frequency (in general) the more you can propagate long distances. But this is where your licensing comes into play because you need to understand ionosphere bouncing etc so you can be successful. This is where the general class ham license comes into play. Here's how the ham radio classes effectively shake out: A. Technician class, lowest/easiest to obtain. Allows VHF and UHF plus 10 meter HF. So you are mostly limited to local contacts, though not entirely. Easiest enty. B. General class. Technician class + Majority of frequencies in HF bands. So, you can do local contacts or long distance (aka DX in ham lingo). Most bang for buck though radio costs can range from relatively cheap to off the wall. C. Extra class. Technician + General + rest of frequencies/modes in HF bands. That last 10 % allowing you to do it all. There is a small company called better safe radio. He sells shtf radio equipment. For instance he sells a Wouxun UV9GX which is a gmrs radio but is also an 8 band radio(I don't recall all of them but gmrs, a couple hams bands, NOAA weather, AM broadcast, FM Broadcast, and whatever else) so it receives on a ton of frequencies and comes programmed with all the emergency frequencies in the radio so you can scan them. There is also an equivalent ham version of the radio. I would recommend covering as many bases as possible. Have one good radio for two way coms then something to listen on as many others as possible. I have several radios but if I had to have just one I would probably use the UV9GX. Read radio reviews. Each has their own pros and cons and spec sheets are only part of the equation. I have a midland mobile for my wife because I wanted the simplest touch and talk radio I could. For mine I have a Wouxan which can do more but isn't as straightforward to operate. If you want a rather humorous channel to learn about gmrs you can watch notarubicon. There is some occasional salty language but not often and he is hard on sad hams but lots of god info. Don't forget to get extra batteries, battery eliminators, better antennas, etc.
Agreed. My 2 girls testing for Extra in the next 2 weeks, 11yr daughter taking the General test Tuesday, and learning CW for fun. We have GMRS and bought 3 of the Wouxan 1000G Plus on the Black Friday sale.
@@mwngwGrid down won't last forever and when normalcy comes and you have violated FCC laws and some neighbor keeps a record, you could go to jail. Just get the license.
@@debbieengland163 Try to find a HAM radio club in your area and attend. I haven't done much in a few years so, though I have kept up my license, I will do that next month. 2-meter handheld radios are often cheap but to understand all this tech stuff, go to a meeting and listen and ask. This radio stuff Isn't super easy and it will take a while to learn.
I also got a ham radio license because my husband has one. It is fun! It took some studying but it wasn't that difficult! We knew a guy that started a ham group for teen girls several years ago and they got more into it than the boys because they liked the social aspect of it.
My 11 yr is testing for General on Tuesday, and my 14 yr old will be testing for Extra soon. Both are learning CW for fun, but will be doing Winlink, and NVIS for local coms.
GREAT production!!! We have FRS, GMRS, and Baofeng (I know it's HAM but is really a class of it's own - HAM Lite?) and hand-held CBs. We establish Comms with our daughter's families every few months and know what frequencies to go to in a SHTF situation. I was an early deployer to both the first Gulf War and Iraq. Our unit brought Motorola Walkabouts to Baghdad to supplement our SINCGARS and TA-312s we were the most informed company in the brigade. Communication is key. Keep 'em coming.
The absolute most important is getting information. The giving of it at a bare minimum is for emergency services. Everything else is icing in the cake.
If people have some protected equipment, that will be very useful for both getting and sending information. Whether that is GMRS or Ham or other platforms, they can make life better. Thanks for your comments...keep doing great things!
People should have emp protection. A simple metal garbage can with the lid taped shut with metallic tape will do. Cost is cheap and all you have to pay for ongoing is the metallic tape you ruin as you put it in and take it out for general use. Otherwise it should always be stored in the faraday cage. But realistically, the emp component that will take out radios is the high freq and those are line of site etc. So people that are behind mountains/hills and even some buildings will be protected if those devices are not plugged into the wall at the time of the event. Pretty risky to assume though. In reality, you need the faraday cage and just deal with the inconvenience of getting equipment out when you need it.
I'm working with my Pastor to get a Base Station Ham setup in his Apartment. . He lives only 4 Miles or so away. We can ALMOST talk handheld o handheld, but not quite. I was THRILLED when our Pastor got HIS Ham License! He went all the way, as I did-We both hold an EXTRA Class License. My wife has her Technician Class. A simple vertical antenna on each of our homes about 20 Feet up, will give us the direct comms we need. Our Head Elder had a Tech license, but he let it expire. I'm working to get him to re-certify. There are Two other Men in our church whom I would like to see get THEIR Licenses; Then we could cover the ENTIRE Area our Members live in.
I talked on the CB radio and had a license even for it since the late 70s. Years later I got the ham test and took it practicing at home but never went and took it physically. I don't have the money to buy any equipment now but I do have 2 CB radios. Not sure if they work yet as I don't have a power plug or mic. One of these days I'll be able to do a lot more and I will have all that.
Sydney Sweeney a controversial team actress was it a disaster movie about meteorite the earthquake Play broken to a radio shack she grabbed it turned it on and she gave out her dad's call sign how did you know how to do that she said to her older sister Sydney Sweeney and she said to her younger sister dad taught me how 😅😊😊 MTV actress Jamie Chung has a ham radio license you'd be surprised how everyday ordinary people got ham radio license
Great information, much of which I was not aware of. We've prepped on so many other levels, but not on communication. This will be a new goal for us, to get prepared in that area. Thank you so much for all your valuable research. I'll be looking into GMRS radios for our family. Our older boys are only 7 miles away so that should work. Blessings from Under the Median.
I am a Ward & Stake Emergency Communications Specialist (ECS). We use a tiered system form our Emergency Response Communications (ERC) program. FRS for "neighborhoods", GMRS, and Amateur radio. To cover the Wards & Stakes, and to reach to the Council & Area.
I think this video is fantastic it's so clear and needed at this time that we know how ahead of time to ready in case of an emergency I feel so many times that we're not ready for emergencies thank you because this was a great reminder that I need to get myself set up so that I'm safe❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Winlink: It's what people use for email when sailing on their boats at sea. Ham Radio: 80-meter NVIS voice link. Reliable skywave communication to all other stations within a few hundred mile radius. Not to mention routine global voice or data contacts, depending on frequency and radio propagation conditions. If you're a serious prepper, you need to be a ham also. Suggest you view explore this for your subscribers.
We have a wide variety of people in our Ham radio club. We have a nurse, a couple of guys who are electronics experts, a retired Marine A6 pilot,a truck driver, corrections and police type people and the list goes on. It seems no matter what problem you have, one of the club members can solve the problem. Good group of people with a vast experience base.
I like that you’ve actually tried stuff and can speak to what had to be done to work around problems. Also, I didn’t know privacy codes (maybe ‘noise filter codes’ would be more apt 🤔 ) existed.
21:22 "Inverter generator " ! made my day. Also you may transmit on a ham radio with out a license only for saving life or notifying of a great disaster / catastrophe. No Bla Bla Bla rag chewing.
Another good thought provoking video, I have been prepping for a few years. There is always something that can suprise you, recently my phone, my backup phone and both my laptop's crashed, as a consequence l lost all photos, videos, contact lists. I know I should have everything backed up, but didn't.
You don’t need a license to have a HAM radio only to broadcast. If it is an emergency situation, you can broadcast for help, so it’s worth having a ham for emergencies. You can also just listen to frequencies to hear what is going on from people on the radio in your area.
Always write down your contact numbers in some place you can quickly find, if you can get your friends, family community to meet at the public library first Saturday of a disaster, just get the word out now and keep sharing, would be the best bet if all communications are down..
I love your channel...I've got this subject matter taken care of. And I bought a fairly good supply of rechargeable batteries to compliment those devices. Tossing depleted batteries is verboten in the family. Reuse, reduce, recycle. Always Be Prepared
@@halledwardb I takes very little knowledge to pass either tech or general and extra doesn't help you that much. I only have a general and I can listen and talk 500 miles with ease.
My name is John and my wife was an ob/gyn nurse practitioner after being an ob/gyn nurse. My degree is in industrial education, shop teacher, close to engineer but less math. I knew there was some magic in Mrs. Provident Prepper. She is excellent.
I have, as I've said before, set us up with several ways to charge 12V devices with simple, practical solar. Two panels I got from Harbor Freight. They work just fine.
Getting a ham radio license isn't all that difficult. I took a free class through the AARL and bought a study guide, Easy Way Ham Radio. I studied and got both my Technician and General licenses. I'm in a great Ham Radio club!
Great video guys. Like everything, no lost is ever complete. I see suggestions for Zello. I'd add to the one-way comms a scanner that can decode your local emergency communications systems. Police, fire, EMS etc. Good source for up to date local information. Unfortunately none of the radios are very budget friendly. There are apps out there. Most if not all are on a few minutes delay. 73 Have a Merry Christmas!
Great video. You can talk all over the world on ham radio with a tech license using systems like IRLP and EchoLink. A 5 watt handheld that can hit a IRLP repeater can talk all the world.
Wide spread power outages such as an emp pretty much wipes out all your contacts and repeaters. Leaves you with just your short range devices, if they were protected.
Nice vid - Also consider when there is no power - none. No fuel for the generator, no sun for the solar charged batteries, and so forth. And consider becoming a member of the local emergency oriented ham club, often associated with the local city or county. Knowing how to use the radio is of prime importance, and knowing how the local systems are set up and how they operate. Practice with the club and others. Incompetence is obvious especially in an emergency.
I have an HF Antenna setup on my property.. It's a simple Dipole, cut for the 80 Meter Band. I use an Antenna Tuner to work ALL of the Low Bands with it. The Dipole is simple 14 Gauge Wire Antenna with Black Insulation on it. Unless you KNOW I'm a Ham, you can drive by my House and NEVER see the Antenna. I did this on purpose, because in a SHTF situation, I don't WANT to Advertise that I have the gear! The people who NEED to know, do.
In a SHTF situation, you may want to think twice about transmitting from your QTH. Giving away where you sleep, eat, and store your supplies may not be a good move, depending how bad the situation.
Yes, you will be able to do that. Since you have the radio, and probably some aptitude, I encourage you to get a license so you can practice and become extremely efficient. Keep doing great things!
Good day, we have load shedding basically on a daily basis. When the cellphone towers batteries ran out of power then cellphones are useless. What else can be used except cellphones? The same with the internet towers.
Does a satellite phone help you anymore than a cell phone? Do the SATS communicate directly from the user to the satellite? If the cell tower is down can a SAT still meet one’s communication needs?
What would we do if all power, electricity no water, no natural gas goes out? There wouldn't be any cell phone or land lines to work if it was an EMP then what? Or if there was an earthquake?
@@rbmwiv So if the grid is down, then you will just drive your vehicle around until the radio batteries are charged? I guess you would be about the only vehicle on the road since gas stations won't operate. But who could you call unless everybody else has your setup?
@@PatrickThreewit come on… you can idle to charge the batteries. You don’t have to drive around. A car will run a long time at idle. I’m guessing that you are probably 12 and don’t have any real world experience. Probably use what gas is in the car to charge for a month.
@@rbmwivIf you are into amateur radio very much and I'm not that much, you'll know that if you charge, discharge, and recharge a regular car battery It won't last long. That's why many HAMS use a deep cell battery or two. I don't have one for a radio but I bought one online a few months ago. It was a small one and only weighed 60 pounds, but you can get them that weigh a few hundred pounds. Mine cost $230, Amazon, and I have it as a back up to run my flour mill or drill and I will either charge it by Idling my little tractor or by a small solar panel. I will use it with an inverter. My tractor is diesel and makes very little noise, and I keep it in a shed most of the time. I don't really see how HAM radio will be that useful. A few years ago I organized two different 2-meter nets, but the problem was that people had too much to do and interest is hard to keep. The trouble with running a gas engine is that they make noise. I live across a canyon from a house about a mile away and whenever the power was out, I could hear a generator, not real loud but I could hear. If hungry refugees are in the area, they can hear also. I usually check into a net each morning but that net is made up of a lot of stations in 8 states plus a province in Canada. I can transmit and receive 800 miles but that big of a net is how nets can last. And it's a fallacy that when someone thinks there is an emergency then he can use any radio without a license. Wars don't last forever and whenever normalcy returns and you have broken the law, you might be arrested.
Which net do you guys check into? I participate in the Herriman and sometimes Draper group. Also, during an emergency, non-licensed people are allowed to broadcast. Also, technicians can use 6m which can theoretically reach around the world using atmospherics.
Came here to say ^this. Also, a Tech can use 3.525 to 3.600 on 80 meters CW only, and 7.025 to 7.125 CW only in the USA. "but I don't know morse code" No, problem, there have been significant advances in morse decoders the last 2 years. For Example Prepcomm radios.
What if there is no electricity, cell phones or social media? If the cell service and internet goes down you better have a satellite phone or ham radio in a faraday box and pray your faraday box worked.
CB radios. Walkie talkies and short wave radios are a must. If you can afford it get some extra walkie talkies to pass around to family and friends. Or even perhaps your neighbors. Neighbors can be turned into neighborhoods waches. Just so others can take shifts on watching to inform others of dangers
Keep your electronic devices in metal containers, underground if you can (ammo cans are good but even a regular sealed metal container can help). This will help protect them in case of an EMP and make the easily portable and locatable in case you need to bug out. Basically you are creating a Faraday cage. I have not tried Faraday bags if anyone has I would be interested in your experience.
Thanks for your comments...find some way to to build or buy a Faraday protection container...there are some great options out there, including many of the bags. Thanks for the progress you are making...keep it going!
Can't afford the fabric and not sure about the bags as I've had no feedback on them. So we do our best and plod on. Metal containers in our basement at least afford some bit of protection. Fingers crossed!
@@pikayla5749 Some bags are pretty sketchy. I was watching a channel and they put a phone in one and then attempted to contact it and were able to. But there is one bag that Dr emp tested that worked. Basically, I'd go with dr emp suggestions. th-cam.com/video/gVFF9i60VZw/w-d-xo.html
The Midland HH50B is a good portable battery operated NOAA weather radio. It’s simple for those of us who are technologically challenged. There are no SAME codes to input. Turn it on and it works. An old fashioned hard wired landline always works. Your cable tv phone is out if your provider is out. The electric grid can and will go out. We had a 50 mph wind come in that took out electricity for a city of 100,000. It snapped electric poles and 100 year old oak trees in half. Traffic lights were out. Cell towers were not working. No talk, no text, no power for three days. The electric company had out of state crews making repairs. It took 8 hours per pole to dig the old one out, replace with a new one, and wire it up. The only way we were able to get news or find shelters was through a local radio station that operated on a generator. It was like living in the stone ages. Great video!
I should add that you can program an FM radio station and NOAA weather station for your area in a Baofeng portable ham radio. You are not allowed to talk on them without a ham license unless it is a dire emergency. However, it’s perfectly fine to listen in. The Midland HH50B and the Baofeng are small enough to take along to your kid’s baseball game. I have several weather apps on my phone and watch that notify me immediately if something bad is coming. Then turn on the radio. We have a network going where I relay the weather warnings to 7 people via group text messages.
Because of my speech disabilities/challenges, 2-way radios or speaking on the phone just won't work for me. Texting, on the other hand, would work. S'pose email would too, but that is dependent on the internet being up. I'm much better at monitoring communications then relaying the information by group text or group FB post.
I am new in the prepping community and am trying to figure out communications, since I have my dad who lives 20 miles away in New York, and my mother lives in Florida 1135 miles away. Still very confused on which option can help me get in contact with both! Would appreciate if someone could direct me in the right way. It also seems as if even if a ham radio can reach them, I will not be able to privately speak to them, it seems to me like satellite phone is the only option for that?
Pretty much no handheld radio, by itself, is going to get you that range with any reliability unless at least one of the users is standing on a mountain. The manufacturers can technically claim those distances because range for such radios is entirely dependent on elevation, and it is possible from the top of a mountain, but in real world use you're not going reach 35 miles away.
Late great General Curtis LeMay said "Congress can make you a General, but only communications can make you a commander." We too need communications to manage emergency response.
Anyone can use ham w/o a license in an emergency. If there's a widespread total grid failure, by definition that IS an emergency. Nobody's going to go around taking names. They'll have too much else to do.
Two-factor authentication for many Internet sites often requires access to a cell phone to verify you. To some extent, if the cell network goes down, you may get locked out of your Facebook group.
The only problem I have with a ham license is you are putting even more of your personal information out there for everyone to see. For me my info is everywhere why put more .CB are nice.
As I type this, there are more radios on and communicating on the CB band than everything else combined. Any SHTF communication plan that doesn’t include CB falls short in the real world.
CB (11 meters) is right next to the 10 meter ham band and has some unique propagation properties (particularly at night). Also, one can get a fairly decent CB radio (with SSB capability), antenna, and cable, for less than $250.
Couple things: I recommend looking into adding Zello to your communication plan. It is an app for most devices. It allows voice communication even if there is only texting available. Uses a very tiny amount of data. If the towers are loaded this usually still works. Also MURS is not AM. It is FM.
Zello is only useful for practice while the grid is still up. Only radio will still work after the internet and grid go down. Have plenty of backup battery power.
I want to get a ham for my two sons and me for Christmas. One is 3 miles away; the other is 15 miles away. So, now I understand that I need 2 hams for each and three faraday cages so we can keep our extra ham protected. All I need is a recommendation for the hams and cages. I get overwhelmed on Amazon trying to figure out what to get. We all have generators, but I'm hearing that they may be useless in an EMP event, so do I need to get us all some sort of solar powerbank to put in the cages, too? Just tell me what to buy, please! I want to be able to communicate with my sons and their families, and I want to order before the rail strike. Thank you so much! We're all smart enough to pass the ham test.
look up empdoctor on youtube. You can seal a garbage can or better yet, take the rubber gasket out of a ammo can, and replace it with a metallic gasket and get over 70 db protection. Also take the antenna off the radio when storing it. All the info is on his channel. HamStudy software is the usual recommended way to study for licenses. It's not that hard. My 11 yr daughter is taking General Class on Tuesday, then she and her 14 sister will be taking Extra in about 2 weeks. While there are better radios out there, the Boafeng H7 radios on Amazon are only about 50 dollars and come with all the accessories. For that price you can get 2 and just leave one in the ammo can.
The problem is - All of these EMP "solutions" and schemes are THEORETICAL. None of it has been tested in a real world EMP event which is really the ONLY way one could know if their product works. The EMP bags are just silly. One vendor has gone so far as to warranty their product if it doesn't work. Pretty clever on their part since it will be highly unlikely the vendor will even exist (much less communicate) after a war starting EMP event.
If choosing HAM you should at least go for the General class. It opens up so much more than the Technician class. If the grid goes down most repeaters have enough gas or diesel for a few days or more. HF on a QRP rig will reach farther.
Midland MXT500 High Power GMRS Radio alnk.to/7Bb3Fdr (Use the promo code PROVIDENT to get 10% off your order)
Midland ER40 Emergency Weather Radio alnk.to/7Bb3Fdr (Use the promo code PROVIDENT to get 10% off your order)
HybridLight hybridlight.com/discount/provident (Use the discount code PROVIDENT to get 20% off your order)
The Provident Prepper: A Common-Sense Guide to Preparing for Emergencies amzn.to/3OsabeE
Learn more at TheProvidentPrepper.org
A Prepper's Guide to Communicating in an Emergency
theprovidentprepper.org/a-preppers-guide-to-communicating-in-an-emergency/
Social Media: Valuable Tool for Emergency Communication
theprovidentprepper.org/social-media-valuable-tool-for-emergency-communication/
Empowering Yourself by Preparing for a Power Outage: A Prepper's Guide
theprovidentprepper.org/empower-yourself-by-preparing-for-a-power-outage-a-preppers-guide/
Preparing for Grid Down: My Step-By-Step To-Do List
theprovidentprepper.org/preparing-for-grid-down-my-step-by-step-to-do-list/
How to Organize Critical Documents for Emergency Evacuation
theprovidentprepper.org/how-to-organize-critical-documents-for-emergency-evacuation/
Newbie Prepper: Ten Simple Steps to Get Started
theprovidentprepper.org/newbie-prepper-ten-simple-steps-to-get-started/
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A wonderful and important channel that supports my content on Tiktok. I am grateful to you both ❤
The iPhone 14 and above with the IoS 18 update allows you to text via satellite without wiFi or Internet
If anything happens we should all remember that we shall not fear the lord is with us. ❤❤❤❤
AMEN!
Amen hallelujah it's good to be prepared with stuff
Holy crap! The more I learn, the more I am overwhelmed
Don’t fear the lord is with you ❤
Don't be overwhelmed be over prepared. The more you prepare the more you can do.
Rome was NOT built in a day, but the sooner you start the closer you are to being ready.
Same here!
Yup me too
Of course if hackers get in or looters, they can find your whereabouts and know your info too. Don't trust the internet . Also some families just don't care .
I really love you guys. Wish you lived closer. I just went into the Meetup website and searched for preppers - nothing in my area. So disappointed. I know that none of my immediate neighbors are preppers. Our closest relative is 3 hours away and she is not a prepper. The sister who is a prepper, is 5 hours away. My hubby and I would love to find some like-minded folks to meet up with. People say to not be lone wolves. but it is hard when there is no one else around to hang with.
I bet I'm further away - London UK
Trust in father God he will be near to you and pray he will bring someone like-minded in your lives
I have been a licensed amateur radio operator for 60 years since 1962. W2CH
Well done...you have 30 years on me...licensed in 1992. 73's KB7ARK
yall both old af lmao
@@nklundy565if you play your cards right, you will be old af too someday.
When military helicopters fly over from sun up to sun down ham radios did not work. There is a new nation wide emergency system that citizens can not use . Only Verizon cellphones work to call 911. This was all areas of the Helene distaster. I want to be active volunteer with hamradio. Alot of disabled folks could be able to volunteer also.
An impprtant thing for people to know about the small solar chargers is that they will take forever to charge if the sun is all you have. If they are already charged, they will charge things fine. But to recharge them with solar, really, can take a week or more. Don't count on them. Not good enough. I have found that most people who have them, haven't really used them.
Your video is really helpful overall. Thx.
You need larger panels, especially for cloudy days. 100 watt & up panels are not expensive. Get a good charge controller. MPPT is needed for maximum charge rate.
@@billryland6199 im talking about the chargers that are on those emergency radios and the chargers that are phone size. Not the Jackery, Bluetti, and the like.
Personal recommendations:
1. Skip FRS (unless supremely strapped for cash). Since GMRS covers the same frequencies and with more power its a no brainer. Since the license is only $35 for 10 years and covers the entire family, it's the way to go. The hardest part by far in the whole process is navigating the FCC website to get the license. Only the government can screw up something so simple. By the time you are done you may want to slit your wrists.
2. With GMRS get to know the repeaters in your area and use them. They can be quite handy, even in a disaster. Many have backup power and will run for a couple/few days even with total loss of grid power. The info you can get may be critical in those days.
3. Ham radio. Technician class is easy to get (there are 5 year old technician class operators, nuf said). It's also a $35 license for 10 years, but only covers the person taking the test. However, it opens up many more options. There are also repeaters for VU frequencies in ham. Many ham radios will tune in the gmrs and cb frequencies so you can also listen to them with that. So, a ham rig will do more in many ways but keep in mind, if they are fcc compliant they will not transmit outside the ham frequencies so you can't talk to gmrs and cb folks with them...legally.
4. CB. This has been considered to be the wild west of radio with people being disorderly and channels being crowded. But, this also means there are a lot of people using them so you might be able to glean some useful info here.
Notes:
1. The higher the frequency the more line of site it is. So, frs/gmrs/ham VU freq, etc are very line of site. So you may need to find a hill/building/whatever to reach out. Often it's the repeaters the help you get around this, as they mention in the video. Don't underestimate the usefulness of repeaters.
2. The lower the frequency (in general) the more you can propagate long distances. But this is where your licensing comes into play because you need to understand ionosphere bouncing etc so you can be successful. This is where the general class ham license comes into play.
Here's how the ham radio classes effectively shake out:
A. Technician class, lowest/easiest to obtain. Allows VHF and UHF plus 10 meter HF. So you are mostly limited to local contacts, though not entirely. Easiest enty.
B. General class. Technician class + Majority of frequencies in HF bands. So, you can do local contacts or long distance (aka DX in ham lingo). Most bang for buck though radio costs can range from relatively cheap to off the wall.
C. Extra class. Technician + General + rest of frequencies/modes in HF bands. That last 10 % allowing you to do it all.
There is a small company called better safe radio. He sells shtf radio equipment. For instance he sells a Wouxun UV9GX which is a gmrs radio but is also an 8 band radio(I don't recall all of them but gmrs, a couple hams bands, NOAA weather, AM broadcast, FM Broadcast, and whatever else) so it receives on a ton of frequencies and comes programmed with all the emergency frequencies in the radio so you can scan them. There is also an equivalent ham version of the radio.
I would recommend covering as many bases as possible. Have one good radio for two way coms then something to listen on as many others as possible. I have several radios but if I had to have just one I would probably use the UV9GX.
Read radio reviews. Each has their own pros and cons and spec sheets are only part of the equation. I have a midland mobile for my wife because I wanted the simplest touch and talk radio I could. For mine I have a Wouxan which can do more but isn't as straightforward to operate. If you want a rather humorous channel to learn about gmrs you can watch notarubicon. There is some occasional salty language but not often and he is hard on sad hams but lots of god info. Don't forget to get extra batteries, battery eliminators, better antennas, etc.
Agreed. My 2 girls testing for Extra in the next 2 weeks, 11yr daughter taking the General test Tuesday, and learning CW for fun. We have GMRS and bought 3 of the Wouxan 1000G Plus on the Black Friday sale.
In a grid down scenario in America, do you really think non-licensees and even the FCC will care? Every law in America will be violated.
@@mwngwGrid down won't last forever and when normalcy comes and you have violated FCC laws and some neighbor keeps a record, you could go to jail. Just get the license.
I know I’m a year late to this party, but this is the absolute best information I’ve come across. Thank you!
@@debbieengland163 Try to find a HAM radio club in your area and attend. I haven't done much in a few years so, though I have kept up my license, I will do that next month. 2-meter handheld radios are often cheap but to understand all this tech stuff, go to a meeting and listen and ask. This radio stuff Isn't super easy and it will take a while to learn.
I also got a ham radio license because my husband has one. It is fun! It took some studying but it wasn't that difficult! We knew a guy that started a ham group for teen girls several years ago and they got more into it than the boys because they liked the social aspect of it.
yes - and we look for YL's (Ham for Young Ladies) to contact as it is encouraging for them to keep with it.
oh, and XYL's as well (married YL's)
My 11 yr is testing for General on Tuesday, and my 14 yr old will be testing for Extra soon. Both are learning CW for fun, but will be doing Winlink, and NVIS for local coms.
GREAT production!!! We have FRS, GMRS, and Baofeng (I know it's HAM but is really a class of it's own - HAM Lite?) and hand-held CBs. We establish Comms with our daughter's families every few months and know what frequencies to go to in a SHTF situation. I was an early deployer to both the first Gulf War and Iraq. Our unit brought Motorola Walkabouts to Baghdad to supplement our SINCGARS and TA-312s we were the most informed company in the brigade. Communication is key. Keep 'em coming.
The absolute most important is getting information. The giving of it at a bare minimum is for emergency services. Everything else is icing in the cake.
After an EMP, all that's going to work are semaphore flags and Aldiss lamps. I have both. Best wishes to you all.
Be sure to have a hard copy of how to read semaphore. I have a card in my wallet.
If people have some protected equipment, that will be very useful for both getting and sending information. Whether that is GMRS or Ham or other platforms, they can make life better. Thanks for your comments...keep doing great things!
Where do you buy those merchandise from I haven't heard anything about the product you have wow
People should have emp protection. A simple metal garbage can with the lid taped shut with metallic tape will do. Cost is cheap and all you have to pay for ongoing is the metallic tape you ruin as you put it in and take it out for general use. Otherwise it should always be stored in the faraday cage. But realistically, the emp component that will take out radios is the high freq and those are line of site etc. So people that are behind mountains/hills and even some buildings will be protected if those devices are not plugged into the wall at the time of the event. Pretty risky to assume though. In reality, you need the faraday cage and just deal with the inconvenience of getting equipment out when you need it.
@@NickFrom1228 Also a steel ammo can sealed with the aforementioned metallic tape is good for smaller electronics. And you can take it with you.
Oh boy, if I mention this to my kids they will have me committed for sure !!! They think I’m crazy for just storing food and supplies 😏
Mine too.😊
Yup...
Same. I’m the only one responsible for everything and I’m def in over my head. It’s overwhelming.
Mine too! Need to pray more for them to accept the inevitable!!!😢
@@lindaschwartz5836 one chore at a time and one day at a time, trust in the Lord and he will make your work and provisions be enough !!!
I'm working with my Pastor to get a Base Station Ham setup in his Apartment. . He lives only 4 Miles or so away. We can ALMOST talk handheld o handheld, but not quite. I was THRILLED when our Pastor got HIS Ham License! He went all the way, as I did-We both hold an EXTRA Class License. My wife has her Technician Class. A simple vertical antenna on each of our homes about 20 Feet up, will give us the direct comms we need. Our Head Elder had a Tech license, but he let it expire. I'm working to get him to re-certify. There are Two other Men in our church whom I would like to see get THEIR Licenses; Then we could cover the ENTIRE Area our Members live in.
That's fantastic. Most Pastors would never do that.
I talked on the CB radio and had a license even for it since the late 70s. Years later I got the ham test and took it practicing at home but never went and took it physically. I don't have the money to buy any equipment now but I do have 2 CB radios. Not sure if they work yet as I don't have a power plug or mic. One of these days I'll be able to do a lot more and I will have all that.
Welcome to the fraternity of amateur radio! You can extend your range a bit by using a tape measure yagi or fold up j-pole 😀
Sydney Sweeney a controversial team actress was it a disaster movie about meteorite the earthquake Play broken to a radio shack she grabbed it turned it on and she gave out her dad's call sign how did you know how to do that she said to her older sister Sydney Sweeney and she said to her younger sister dad taught me how 😅😊😊 MTV actress Jamie Chung has a ham radio license you'd be surprised how everyday ordinary people got ham radio license
One of your best AND VERY important! You think of things we probably dont! You are such a great teacher and leader. Thanks so much.
Great information, much of which I was not aware of. We've prepped on so many other levels, but not on communication. This will be a new goal for us, to get prepared in that area. Thank you so much for all your valuable research. I'll be looking into GMRS radios for our family. Our older boys are only 7 miles away so that should work. Blessings from Under the Median.
I am a Ward & Stake Emergency Communications Specialist (ECS). We use a tiered system form our Emergency Response Communications (ERC) program. FRS for "neighborhoods", GMRS, and Amateur radio. To cover the Wards & Stakes, and to reach to the Council & Area.
I think this video is fantastic it's so clear and needed at this time that we know how ahead of time to ready in case of an emergency I feel so many times that we're not ready for emergencies thank you because this was a great reminder that I need to get myself set up so that I'm safe❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Winlink: It's what people use for email when sailing on their boats at sea.
Ham Radio: 80-meter NVIS voice link. Reliable skywave communication to all other stations within a few hundred mile radius. Not to mention routine global voice or data contacts, depending on frequency and radio propagation conditions.
If you're a serious prepper, you need to be a ham also. Suggest you view explore this for your subscribers.
Used to be you needed a pricey PACTOR hardware modem for Winlink. Nowadays an inexpensive software packet modem that runs on a PC is replacing that.
@@R50_J0 Signal link works, and I have found that Masters Communications DRA series sound modems to work great, especially with VARAFM on 2m.
We have a wide variety of people in our Ham radio club. We have a nurse, a couple of guys who are electronics experts, a retired Marine A6 pilot,a truck driver, corrections and police type people and the list goes on. It seems no matter what problem you have, one of the club members can solve the problem. Good group of people with a vast experience base.
How does one find such a group?
Do a search for Amateur Radio clubs in your area.
I like that you’ve actually tried stuff and can speak to what had to be done to work around problems. Also, I didn’t know privacy codes (maybe ‘noise filter codes’ would be more apt 🤔 ) existed.
21:22 "Inverter generator " ! made my day. Also you may transmit on a ham radio with out a license only for saving life or notifying of a great disaster / catastrophe. No Bla Bla Bla rag chewing.
Remember a technician can talk around the world if power grid is up via Echo Link, DMR and other RF/Computer.
You both did an excellent video!
Along with power, the internet also needs to be fully operational for Echo Link and DMR.
Another great video. Thank you Jonathan and Kylene. Terrific information. Happy trails!
Great video. I am an Extra class ham radio operator .I teach radio stuff in my county an will use your video for my group
Another good thought provoking video, I have been prepping for a few years. There is always something that can suprise you, recently my phone, my backup phone and both my laptop's crashed, as a consequence l lost all photos, videos, contact lists. I know I should have everything backed up, but didn't.
This is important in all countries ! Emergency communication is key in all kinds of emergency situations !
Here in northern California where I live, we have Everbridge alert system installed on our smart phones.
You don’t need a license to have a HAM radio only to broadcast. If it is an emergency situation, you can broadcast for help, so it’s worth having a ham for emergencies. You can also just listen to frequencies to hear what is going on from people on the radio in your area.
Well stated again...anyone can listen anytime, and In a emergency/crisis situation, it can be used to relay emergency traffic. Thanks again!
Always write down your contact numbers in some place you can quickly find, if you can get your friends, family community to meet at the public library first Saturday of a disaster, just get the word out now and keep sharing, would be the best bet if all communications are down..
Ya'll are impressive human beings 🖖👽
You are way too kind...just a family that wants to help others prepare. Thanks...continue to be part of the solution!
The ham radios that I get ads for constantly on social media stating you can talk to anyone 500 miles away, won't work for us until we license them?
Thank you! Excellent video, very useful.
I love your channel...I've got this subject matter taken care of. And I bought a fairly good supply of rechargeable batteries to compliment those devices.
Tossing depleted batteries is verboten in the family. Reuse, reduce, recycle.
Always Be Prepared
Do you have the means to recharge those batteries without utility (or generator) power?
My dad was a ham operatoe, i believe he was extra class. He loved talking to people about it. I wish i had gotten into it when he was still with us.
You can still do it, it's much easier than it was to get a license. HamStudy is the best software to pass the test.
@@halledwardb you are right. I just wish i had taken the time to do it with my Dad. Thanks for the info. I'll look into it.
@@halledwardb I takes very little knowledge to pass either tech or general and extra doesn't help you that much. I only have a general and I can listen and talk 500 miles with ease.
My name is John and my wife was an ob/gyn nurse practitioner after being an ob/gyn nurse. My degree is in industrial education, shop teacher, close to engineer but less math. I knew there was some magic in Mrs. Provident Prepper. She is excellent.
I have a solar phone charger, along with a landline phone. Also if need be I have the capabilities for a CB radio.
Off grid texting with Meshtastic is a great option.
I have, as I've said before, set us up with several ways to charge 12V devices with simple, practical solar. Two panels I got from Harbor Freight. They work just fine.
how to determine what size generator to get?
Amazing content! Thank you! ❤🙏🏻
Hmmm charge the battery...there is a thought...thanks
Thank you guys. ❤❤
Absolutely awesome.
Getting a ham radio license isn't all that difficult. I took a free class through the AARL and bought a study guide, Easy Way Ham Radio. I studied and got both my Technician and General licenses. I'm in a great Ham Radio club!
What will work in the city for say 30 or more miles?
Great video guys. Like everything, no lost is ever complete. I see suggestions for Zello. I'd add to the one-way comms a scanner that can decode your local emergency communications systems. Police, fire, EMS etc. Good source for up to date local information. Unfortunately none of the radios are very budget friendly. There are apps out there. Most if not all are on a few minutes delay.
73
Have a Merry Christmas!
Great video. You can talk all over the world on ham radio with a tech license using systems like IRLP and EchoLink. A 5 watt handheld that can hit a IRLP repeater can talk all the world.
Wide spread power outages such as an emp pretty much wipes out all your contacts and repeaters. Leaves you with just your short range devices, if they were protected.
Nice vid -
Also consider when there is no power - none. No fuel for the generator, no sun for the solar charged batteries, and so forth.
And consider becoming a member of the local emergency oriented ham club, often associated with the local city or county.
Knowing how to use the radio is of prime importance, and knowing how the local systems are set up and how they operate. Practice with the club and others.
Incompetence is obvious especially in an emergency.
Why would the sun stop shining when the power goes out?
I suppose someone forgot to plug it in - @@g-whiz286
I live in West Virginia I use CB radio and Ham Radio I get about 30 to 50 miles on My CB Radio and on Ham Radio around the world
Thanks for the video.
I have an HF Antenna setup on my property.. It's a simple Dipole, cut for the 80 Meter Band. I use an Antenna Tuner to work ALL of the Low Bands with it. The Dipole is simple 14 Gauge Wire Antenna with Black Insulation on it. Unless you KNOW I'm a Ham, you can drive by my House and NEVER see the Antenna. I did this on purpose, because in a SHTF situation, I don't WANT to Advertise that I have the gear! The people who NEED to know, do.
In a SHTF situation, you may want to think twice about transmitting from your QTH. Giving away where you sleep, eat, and store your supplies may not be a good move, depending how bad the situation.
Hmm, will that metal umbrella work as an antenna??? But dont use in lightning storm.
...and what about feaf , hard of hearing?
Anyntips?
Ok, can someone explain: if satellites at e knocked out how do you get cell signals and wifi? Or do I have this wrong?
I don't have a Ham license but in a emergency I will use and TALK on the one I have .
However, you may not be able to use it very efficiently because you haven’t been able to practice.
Yes, you will be able to do that. Since you have the radio, and probably some aptitude, I encourage you to get a license so you can practice and become extremely efficient. Keep doing great things!
What about the hard wired landline phone?
They’re getting damn hooked up to the Internet. Soon there won’t be any landline though old-fashioned way.
@@idenq11 I like the old fashioned way it's more reliable
I'm a recent widow !! Can you please tell what books I can order to live off grid ....I don't want to run on FEAR !!!
There are so many
HELP ❤❤❤
How far will each of these work in the city?
I have a question, I am not a HAM radio pro. As far as I understand it HAM runs on repeaters, what happens when those go off???
Good video , thanks for sharing , God bless !
Good day, we have load shedding basically on a daily basis. When the cellphone towers batteries ran out of power then cellphones are useless. What else can be used except cellphones? The same with the internet towers.
Definitely Need some backup ways to communicate. Keep being part of the solution!
I have a Baofeng, but I have no idea how to use it and no one I know has any idea either!😕
I bet if you google that and search YT also, you'll find plenty of help. Just about all user manuals are online now. Good luck.
@@frostyfrances4700 Thanks, Frosty
Oh my gosh. I have been really worried about communicating to my daughter in Maryland.
You got this!
So important!
Does a satellite phone help you anymore than a cell phone? Do the SATS communicate directly from the user to the satellite? If the cell tower is down can a SAT still meet one’s communication needs?
What would we do if all power, electricity no water, no natural gas goes out? There wouldn't be any cell phone or land lines to work if it was an EMP then what? Or if there was an earthquake?
I have been thinking about this exact thing.
I live in LA and my daughters live in MS. It is about 180miles.
Any ideas for us?
Don’t forget about using your car to charge your stuff. It’s clean power, and convenient.
Why would you use your car?
@@PatrickThreewit why not it has a fuel source and a way to generate power? Also it’s already there ready to go.
@@rbmwiv So if the grid is down, then you will just drive your vehicle around until the radio batteries are charged? I guess you would be about the only vehicle on the road since gas stations won't operate. But who could you call unless everybody else has your setup?
@@PatrickThreewit come on… you can idle to charge the batteries. You don’t have to drive around. A car will run a long time at idle. I’m guessing that you are probably 12 and don’t have any real world experience. Probably use what gas is in the car to charge for a month.
@@rbmwivIf you are into amateur radio very much and I'm not that much, you'll know that if you charge, discharge, and recharge a regular car battery It won't last long. That's why many HAMS use a deep cell battery or two. I don't have one for a radio but I bought one online a few months ago. It was a small one and only weighed 60 pounds, but you can get them that weigh a few hundred pounds. Mine cost $230, Amazon, and I have it as a back up to run my flour mill or drill and I will either charge it by Idling my little tractor or by a small solar panel. I will use it with an inverter. My tractor is diesel and makes very little noise, and I keep it in a shed most of the time.
I don't really see how HAM radio will be that useful. A few years ago I organized two different 2-meter nets, but the problem was that people had too much to do and interest is hard to keep.
The trouble with running a gas engine is that they make noise. I live across a canyon from a house about a mile away and whenever the power was out, I could hear a generator, not real loud but I could hear. If hungry refugees are in the area, they can hear also.
I usually check into a net each morning but that net is made up of a lot of stations in 8 states plus a province in Canada. I can transmit and receive 800 miles but that big of a net is how nets can last. And it's a fallacy that when someone thinks there is an emergency then he can use any radio without a license. Wars don't last forever and whenever normalcy returns and you have broken the law, you might be arrested.
Is garmin in wave the same as spot-x?
Which net do you guys check into? I participate in the Herriman and sometimes Draper group. Also, during an emergency, non-licensed people are allowed to broadcast. Also, technicians can use 6m which can theoretically reach around the world using atmospherics.
as A TECH you can use 10 meters between 28.300 and 28.500 voice and 28.000 28.300 cw and digital
Came here to say ^this. Also, a Tech can use 3.525 to 3.600 on 80 meters CW only, and 7.025 to 7.125 CW only in the USA.
"but I don't know morse code"
No, problem, there have been significant advances in morse decoders the last 2 years. For Example Prepcomm radios.
I was wondering what type antana you upgraded with ?
Great content thanks. One thing, MURS is FM not AM
What if there is no electricity, cell phones or social media? If the cell service and internet goes down you better have a satellite phone or ham radio in a faraday box and pray your faraday box worked.
Well stated...thanks! Keep being part of the solution!
Great channel
CB radios. Walkie talkies and short wave radios are a must. If you can afford it get some extra walkie talkies to pass around to family and friends. Or even perhaps your neighbors. Neighbors can be turned into neighborhoods waches. Just so others can take shifts on watching to inform others of dangers
Can you suggest a ham radio that is inexpensive but yet will do the job?
Keep your electronic devices in metal containers, underground if you can (ammo cans are good but even a regular sealed metal container can help). This will help protect them in case of an EMP and make the easily portable and locatable in case you need to bug out. Basically you are creating a Faraday cage. I have not tried Faraday bags if anyone has I would be interested in your experience.
Thanks for your comments...find some way to to build or buy a Faraday protection container...there are some great options out there, including many of the bags. Thanks for the progress you are making...keep it going!
Can't afford the fabric and not sure about the bags as I've had no feedback on them. So we do our best and plod on. Metal containers in our basement at least afford some bit of protection. Fingers crossed!
@@pikayla5749 Some bags are pretty sketchy. I was watching a channel and they put a phone in one and then attempted to contact it and were able to. But there is one bag that Dr emp tested that worked. Basically, I'd go with dr emp suggestions. th-cam.com/video/gVFF9i60VZw/w-d-xo.html
empdoctor on youtube. Pretty good channel.
Doe s your book have air pump during nuclear event? Thanks for another informative video!!
The Midland HH50B is a good portable battery operated NOAA weather radio. It’s simple for those of us who are technologically challenged. There are no SAME codes to input. Turn it on and it works. An old fashioned hard wired landline always works. Your cable tv phone is out if your provider is out. The electric grid can and will go out. We had a 50 mph wind come in that took out electricity for a city of 100,000. It snapped electric poles and 100 year old oak trees in half. Traffic lights were out. Cell towers were not working. No talk, no text, no power for three days. The electric company had out of state crews making repairs. It took 8 hours per pole to dig the old one out, replace with a new one, and wire it up. The only way we were able to get news or find shelters was through a local radio station that operated on a generator. It was like living in the stone ages. Great video!
I should add that you can program an FM radio station and NOAA weather station for your area in a Baofeng portable ham radio. You are not allowed to talk on them without a ham license unless it is a dire emergency. However, it’s perfectly fine to listen in. The Midland HH50B and the Baofeng are small enough to take along to your kid’s baseball game. I have several weather apps on my phone and watch that notify me immediately if something bad is coming. Then turn on the radio. We have a network going where I relay the weather warnings to 7 people via group text messages.
google voice is so much better than facebook... you can login via computer or phone with a web browser.. and you can text... or all etc..
Telegram is also another great option.
Great video!
Because of my speech disabilities/challenges, 2-way radios or speaking on the phone just won't work for me. Texting, on the other hand, would work. S'pose email would too, but that is dependent on the internet being up. I'm much better at monitoring communications then relaying the information by group text or group FB post.
Winlink.
I am new in the prepping community and am trying to figure out communications, since I have my dad who lives 20 miles away in New York, and my mother lives in Florida 1135 miles away.
Still very confused on which option can help me get in contact with both! Would appreciate if someone could direct me in the right way.
It also seems as if even if a ham radio can reach them, I will not be able to privately speak to them, it seems to me like satellite phone is the only option for that?
I have a radio…it says bk radio on it. Is it any good?
Social media imcl FB are never “private”
I have not been able to figure out how to listen on my Ham! I’m so amateur
Are there any FMS radios that will reach 35 miles that's how far my daughter is
Pretty much no handheld radio, by itself, is going to get you that range with any reliability unless at least one of the users is standing on a mountain. The manufacturers can technically claim those distances because range for such radios is entirely dependent on elevation, and it is possible from the top of a mountain, but in real world use you're not going reach 35 miles away.
Late great General Curtis LeMay said "Congress can make you a General, but only communications can make you a commander."
We too need communications to manage emergency response.
I would like to know. What is going to happen if u don’t have a license? At that point ( shift). Who is goi g to come find a person without a license
Anyone can use ham w/o a license in an emergency. If there's a widespread total grid failure, by definition that IS an emergency. Nobody's going to go around taking names. They'll have too much else to do.
Okay but what happens when they jam those frequencies?
Just pray it's a natural disaster and not a manmade one.
Who is "they"?
Two-factor authentication for many Internet sites often requires access to a cell phone to verify you. To some extent, if the cell network goes down, you may get locked out of your Facebook group.
That is the reason I started switching from sms (cell phone) 2f to YubiKey months ago.
If cell networks are down, it's highly likely that the internet will be down as well. Getting into FaceBook will be the least of your problems.
The only problem I have with a ham license is you are putting even more of your personal information out there for everyone to see. For me my info is everywhere why put more .CB are nice.
You can register your ham license to a PO box, but then you have to pay the monthly box fee. The FCC will still want "a" name to put on the license.
As I type this, there are more radios on and communicating on the CB band than everything else combined.
Any SHTF communication plan that doesn’t include CB falls short in the real world.
CB (11 meters) is right next to the 10 meter ham band and has some unique propagation properties (particularly at night). Also, one can get a fairly decent CB radio (with SSB capability), antenna, and cable, for less than $250.
Couple things:
I recommend looking into adding Zello to your communication plan. It is an app for most devices. It allows voice communication even if there is only texting available. Uses a very tiny amount of data. If the towers are loaded this usually still works.
Also MURS is not AM. It is FM.
Zello is only useful for practice while the grid is still up. Only radio will still work after the internet and grid go down. Have plenty of backup battery power.
I want to get a ham for my two sons and me for Christmas. One is 3 miles away; the other is 15 miles away. So, now I understand that I need 2 hams for each and three faraday cages so we can keep our extra ham protected. All I need is a recommendation for the hams and cages. I get overwhelmed on Amazon trying to figure out what to get. We all have generators, but I'm hearing that they may be useless in an EMP event, so do I need to get us all some sort of solar powerbank to put in the cages, too? Just tell me what to buy, please! I want to be able to communicate with my sons and their families, and I want to order before the rail strike. Thank you so much! We're all smart enough to pass the ham test.
look up empdoctor on youtube. You can seal a garbage can or better yet, take the rubber gasket out of a ammo can, and replace it with a metallic gasket and get over 70 db protection. Also take the antenna off the radio when storing it. All the info is on his channel. HamStudy software is the usual recommended way to study for licenses. It's not that hard. My 11 yr daughter is taking General Class on Tuesday, then she and her 14 sister will be taking Extra in about 2 weeks. While there are better radios out there, the Boafeng H7 radios on Amazon are only about 50 dollars and come with all the accessories. For that price you can get 2 and just leave one in the ammo can.
The problem is - All of these EMP "solutions" and schemes are THEORETICAL. None of it has been tested in a real world EMP event which is really the ONLY way one could know if their product works. The EMP bags are just silly. One vendor has gone so far as to warranty their product if it doesn't work. Pretty clever on their part since it will be highly unlikely the vendor will even exist (much less communicate) after a war starting EMP event.
When you just say, “this radio,” we don’t know what kind it is… Brand, model?
MURS is FM (frequency modulation) not AM (amplitude modulation.)
If you know what you are doing hand held can go far
If choosing HAM you should at least go for the General class. It opens up so much more than the Technician class. If the grid goes down most repeaters have enough gas or diesel for a few days or more. HF on a QRP rig will reach farther.