The place for general talk about gun, shooting, loading, camping, survival, and preparedness related tools and gear, as well as gear technology discussion, gear reviews, and gear specific "range reports" (all other types of gear should be on the back porch).
it cant be jammed, and no one can listen in on you.
Actually, they can, but at that point you've got other problems (like unfriendlies inside the wire)
Well, yeah, maybe I should have added "easily".
Strictly speaking it can also be jammed or cut. But as you said, at that point you'll have more serious problems.
When I did my service we were actually told that if we were under attack we shouldn't bother to use the phone, a gun shot would send the same message much faster.
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid."
John Wayne
Wow, thanks for that Randy. My .mil experience was heavy on using HF and UHF (with a bit of VHF thrown in).
Need to re-read that a couple times.More scenarios there than I had in mind addressing around the neighborhood. Has me thinking about having some SHTF comms for the family (beyond just neighborhood watch) if cell service gets interrupted. We're spread out over a ~20 mile area everyday. It would be good to have a 2-way radio in each vehicle or backpack. I'd be the only one of us inclined to get licensed so that's a constraint on family comms. Though I could see having more capability for myself for comms outside the family.
Thinking I should be getting some gear to evaluate coverage and to see how much activity is on those bands in our area. Maybe a couple FRS/GMRS handhelds that will take an ear piece and also a handheld CB that can be used with a car kit.
I can always make good use of them on roadtrips and in the field when hunting and on family hikes/outings.
"The Guncounter: More fun than a barrel of tattooed knife-fighting chain-smoking monkey butlers with drinking problems and excessive gambling debts!"
"The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic;" Justice Story
I'm interested in any thoughts any of you have to contribute on this.
Blackeagle, please keep us apprised of your ongoing thoughts.
I'm interested in getting this started for road tripping and for hunting in hilly areas with lots of trees and a mile in between people and camp.
Given my neighborhood and family situation, I'd probably be going about 25 miles away for a serious shtf situation, but one of the guys works about 1.5 miles from me, so comms for that situation are an interesting problem.
Note to self: start reading sig lines. They're actually quite amusing. :D
For FRS/GMRS handhelds in midrange price any here have experience to share on particular brands or models?
Esp, 'stay away from/don't waste your money' type advice? The little MOT units I've tried just frustrated me. May have been the nut on the other end or may have been my really messed up flight deck ears.
"The Guncounter: More fun than a barrel of tattooed knife-fighting chain-smoking monkey butlers with drinking problems and excessive gambling debts!"
"The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic;" Justice Story
Weetabix wrote:How mobile can you get with this? Vehicle rigs? Handheld rigs?
What kind of minimum equipment prices are you looking at for beginner entry if you're starting with minimum knowledge? (i.e. I'm not building anything.)
Here's a thread we had recently on Amateur Radio. We've had several (some linked from that thread).
Amateur radios come in handheld, portable, mobile and base station flavors.
JAG2955 wrote:One of the up and coming radios for homestead use are the MURS radio systems. I don't know much about them other than not many people use them, so they have security in that aspect. MURS also can have motion detectors rigged into it that will alert over the radio.
randy wrote:
MURS (VHF Business Band) would be better as fewer people even know it's out there, let alone have equipment for it. IIRC the FCC dropped the license requirement for these freqs, but you would need to research.
MURS (Multi-Use Radio Service)does not require a license. FCC website
The Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) is in the 151 – 154 MHz spectrum range. The most common use of MURS spectrum is short-distance, two-way communications using small, portable hand-held devices that function similar to walkie-talkies.
The Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) is licensed by rule. This means an individual license is not required to operate a MURS device. You can operate a MURS device regardless of your age and for personal or business use so long as you are not a representative of a foreign government.
Which makes it easier to stay legal since you are supposed to get a license for GMRS (i.e. Business Band UHF).
Due to recent FCC mandated narrow banding of Public Safety VHF frequencies, you might be able to pick up surplus VHF gear cheap (i.e. older stuff that cannot be narrow-banded) and convert them to MURS as Narrowbanding did not affect MURS .
(same for amateur radio, it was not affected by Narrowbanding, so older Public Safety VHF gear could be re-purposed, IF you have a license).
...even before I read MHI, my response to seeing a poster for the stars of the latest Twilight movies was "I see 2 targets and a collaborator".
blackeagle603 wrote:For FRS/GMRS handhelds in midrange price any here have experience to share on particular brands or models?
Our local Water Rescue team bought several Motorola MS350R for "expendable" on scene radios. I.e. they'd rather dump a $50.00 FRS radio into the drink than a $5,000.00 800 MHz portable. These are used basically line of sight (shore to boat).
They've had them since June and I haven't heard any complaints, but I don't know how much they've been using them.
...even before I read MHI, my response to seeing a poster for the stars of the latest Twilight movies was "I see 2 targets and a collaborator".
Having had the pleasure of visiting Rancho de Blackeagle (and it was an honor, sir), I do believe your geography, needs, and level of neighborhood training would best be suited with the Motorola Talkabouts.
They're not secure AT ALL, but if you're dealing with a group of armed men who are able to listen in on your radios, and then use that information to communicate with each other and re-orient their attack based on that evolving intel,... well, you have problems that better radios aren't going to solve.
And may I say, from a moral point of view, I think there can be no justification for shoving snack cakes up your action.
--Weetabix
I can mostly echo what Workin had to say. I too visited Rancho de Blackeagle and did get a brief opportunity to look around. Any of the frs/gmrs inexpensive rigs would do for most events.
I would suggest a closer look at the MURS systems for short range family comms.
I spent many years in the greater area frequented by BE and family. During many of those years I was quite active on the 2 Meter (147.030 mhz) band. Most of the county is well covered by repeaters, most of which, at that time, could be linked into the telephone system. I would highly recommend the entire BE family become Tech licensed and 2 meter or 440 radio active.
If considering a "nasty" shtf situation, a set of the chinee MURS radios that allow tuning anywhere in the Frequency Range 136-174MHz & 400-470MHz would allow maximum flexibility if not concerned about legal issues. Two units at each side of the conversation provides duplex comm and denies easy eavesdropping.
NRA Life Member
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NMLRA Field Rep
North Central Arizona
OK I know this is a dead thread but has anyone heard of or used the TriSquare FHSS radios or anything like them? Also as far as I can tell the company is no longer in business but they seem like they would be just the ticket for some semi secure shtf comms
Keep your booger hook off the bang switch.
But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg. -Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782
