So if and when the net goes down and the cable goes dark which emergency radio is the one to get. More importantly, is there a better option than just a crank radio? Maybe both? Definitely a prepper question
Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
There are ways to transmit on non-licensed frequencies. I don’t want to say it in a public forum. Because technically it is illegal. But if you think about what frequencies are used and where, those frequencies are pretty much open to use in other areas and do not need a license whatsoever to use.Just to be clear, the Ham license allows you to transmit. You don't need a license to receive. But get your ham license anyway.
There must be something wrong with your configuration. A lot of repeaters have a code/tone for the receiving frequency as well and you need to program that tone in or your radio will stay squelched.Picked up a Btech and programmed in all the local freq. Can't find anything active despite N. Dallas being home to the oldest HAM group in the country. Just NOAA broadcasts. Still practicing the license questions though.
Frequency | Offset | Tone In/Out | Location | County | Call | Use | Modes | |
442.0750 | +5 MHz | 110.9 / 110.9 | Dallas | Dallas | W5DCR | OPEN | FM | |
442.2750 | +5 MHz | 110.9 / 110.9 | Dallas | Dallas | N5ZW | OPEN | Fusion | |
442.4250 | +5 MHz | 110.9 / 110.9 | Dallas | Dallas | W5FC | OPEN | FM Fusion | |
442.4750 | +5 MHz | Dallas | Dallas | WO5E | CLOSED | FM | ||
442.5000 | +5 MHz | 110.9 / 110.9 | Dallas | Dallas | N5ARC | OPEN | FM | |
443.0000 | +5 MHz | 110.9 / 110.9 | Dallas | Dallas | N5DA | OPEN | FM |
+100You don't need a license to transmit if it's an emergency. However, if you don't know how to use the equipment and a lot of it is complicated, it won't be very valuable to you and you learn to use the equipment by studying for your license. The big issue with emergency communications is maintaining adequate power to run your equipment.
There must be something wrong with your configuration. A lot of repeaters have a code/tone for the receiving frequency as well and you need to program that tone in or your radio will stay squelched.
Radios can be programmed to not require a tone to break the squelch. All of my radios are programmed like this.
None of those came up for my area, McKinney, TX. I'll need to double check, Chirp is only showing one tone value which was populated for me when I imported from RepeaterBook.
Mine are all set to tone mode with a tone value. This could be wrong.
- Tone: A single CTCSS tone is transmitted, receive squelch is open or carrier-triggered. The tone used is that which is set in the Tone column.
That sounds right. There are no tones shown in the ToneSql column, correct? You never need a tone to open the squelch unless you program a channel to require it.None of those came up for my area, McKinney, TX. I'll need to double check, Chirp is only showing one tone value which was populated for me when I imported from RepeaterBook.
Mine are all set to tone mode with a tone value. This could be wrong.
- Tone: A single CTCSS tone is transmitted, receive squelch is open or carrier-triggered. The tone used is that which is set in the Tone column.
Correct. Perhaps I'm just not checking at active times... I'm not leaving the radio constant on, just listening/scanning at times.That sounds right. There are no tones shown in the ToneSql column, correct? You never need a tone to open the squelch unless you program a channel to require it.
You just have not met the cool kids yet who work with digital modes, mesh networks, etc.honestly....in a "grid down" scenario....have your group of contacts buy SAT phones.
1) handheld HAM have a range of 20-50miles depending on terrain.....in heavily wooded areas, that jumps down to 1-5 miles.....in an actual emergency, when i need to get ahold of someone, i dont want to rely on a shitty walky-talky.
2) every tom, dick, and jane is going to have a fucking baofeng, and the airwaves are going to be like early 2000's CB radio.
3) "HAM people" are fucking miserable to talk to....they are either boomers who want to only talk to their boomer friends.....or they are neckbeards....
its the 21st century.....HAM radio is largely outdated and irrelevant...its good for local shit, we use them when hunting to keep in touch.....but in an actual emergency, they are shit.
hell, try hosting a Net sometime...fuck....even an organized one like ARES/ RACES.....they are complete shit-shows 90% of the time.....and thats under ideal conditions.
i treat HAM radios like a high quality Blisterpack FRS/GMRS radio.....and i dont really expect any more out of it.
...are you typing that with a straight face?....i cant tell behind a keyboard...You just have not met the cool kids yet who work with digital modes, mesh networks, etc. Part of the problem may be your attitude.
It appears from your statements that you have a preconceived notion about ham technology and operators and you only look for evidence to support this notion. There are multiple, excellent youtube channels run by people who could be called boomers and neckbeards only by the types who would call black conservatives "White supremacists"....are you typing that with a straight face?....i cant tell behind a keyboard...
my attitude towards ham is shaped by my experience with ham.....not the other way around.
Have your local ARES net try to communicate a message to another ARES net 1,000 miles away, and then get back to me and tell me if HAM is a reliable form of communication.
...or, more reliable than just using a SAT phone...
There are multiple, excellent youtube channels run by people who could be called boomers and neckbeards only by the types who would call black conservatives "White supremacists".
im not stirring shit.....im offering a realistic opinion on HAM....And the facts supporting you stereotypical bashings are?
If you do not like ham technology or the people using it, fine. Don't use it. You do not need to justify your choice by deriding those who come to different conclusions.
On a positive note: 27 intelligent posts before the "stir up the shit" posting started is actually pretty good for the pit. With that I return this frequency to normal use. Out.
why?......they arent just going to fall out of the sky.....If the interest is two-way communication then something like a ham radio is probably best. Seems to me sat-phone by definition relies on satellites and if so, if the grid is really down I imagine that means no satellites.
all sat phones have a base level of encryption....but like anything, that can be bypassed.@mcameron I assume you can encrypt SAT phones? What is a good option there? If things are really disorganized, I'd be more worried about minutes being used up with no way to buy more
Pretty much. I was just looking for opinions and brands to look at. Not sure if there are that many different brands to begin with. Then, where are they made, customer reviews, actual reviews etc... They HAM idea is great and to be honest i had no Idea it was that involved. I still may do something as my house has a huge antennae tower coming up from the ground going up above the trees, It has the old TV antennae on the top and the tower itself is supported with tension wires (3) that are footed to the ground. I am thinking its a shame to have a nice tower and not use it.I'm guessing the OP wanted something one-way - something he could use to keep up with public news: what's going on in the outside world. Hence the question about a hand-crank radio of which there are several inexpensive models. I've got one. Somewhere. When the SHTF it's not high on the priority list in terms of breaking it out of storage. I don't rely much on public airways radio now for info but in a grid-down situation it may be the only real news source. Though to be honest - it's only likely to be worth anything if the grid is just down locally. If the national or world-wide grid is truly down I imagine any news will be scarce and "unreliable".
If the interest is two-way communication then something like a ham radio is probably best. Seems to me sat-phone by definition relies on satellites and if so, if the grid is really down I imagine that means no satellites. I've got a couple of handhelds, ham as well as some of the Blisterpack FRS/GMRS and CB, for using very locally. I got my technician license thinking it would help learn how to use them, but honestly I found nothing interesting to listen to otherwise, and nobody I was interested in talking to, so I don't use the radios for much except for weather reports. As long as there's no (or not much) fee for renewing I'll probably do it just to keep the callsign for the rare occasion I might want to use/test the radios pre-SHTF. But I concur that if things truly fall apart having a license won't matter.
....Where are they going?.....Not starting a pissing match....
Satellites will be the fisrt things to go if SHTF.
Exactly. And it isn't just the radio, but much more importantly, the antenna that matters. Get whatever radio you want.You don't need a license to transmit if it's an emergency. However, if you don't know how to use the equipment and a lot of it is complicated, it won't be very valuable to you and you learn to use the equipment by studying for your license. The big issue with emergency communications is maintaining adequate power to run your equipment.
because govts gonna govt....and if they can make a buck selling you privileges, they are going to.really stupid question but why do you need a license to HAM? I admit, I know very little about this space but the topic has my interest
ha...gotcha and thanksbecause govts gonna govt....and if they can make a buck selling you privileges, they are going to.
but the answer in the back of the book is pretty much:
"many of the frequencies used in HAM are close to frequencies used for other things (emergency frequencies, MARS frequencies, Aviation, Radio, other comms equipment) and many ham radios can be tuned into these frequencies, given the power they are capable of putting out, its easy for HAM radios to interfere with those frequencies and cause trouble"
Realistically, the only reason licenses are even still required is because the Boomers who have their ticket like to think of themselves as Ersatz FCC deputies.....and will track you down and turn you into the FCC if they think you are operating without a license, whether you are doing anything inappropriate or not.....
fuck, go onto a HAM forum, and ask about using a baofeng on FRS/GMRS channels.....they will be frothing at the mouth quoting FCC guidelines, and threaten you with fines and jail time for doing so....as if it were their fucking job.
one of the reasons i got the baofengs when i did was the idea that the government (or anyone else) didn't want me to have one.because govts gonna govt....and if they can make a buck selling you privileges, they are going to.
but the answer in the back of the book is pretty much:
"many of the frequencies used in HAM are close to frequencies used for other things (emergency frequencies, MARS frequencies, Aviation, Radio, other comms equipment) and many ham radios can be tuned into these frequencies, given the power they are capable of putting out, its easy for HAM radios to interfere with those frequencies and cause trouble"
Realistically, the only reason licenses are even still required is because the Boomers who have their ticket like to think of themselves as Ersatz FCC deputies.....and will track you down and turn you into the FCC if they think you are operating without a license, whether you are doing anything inappropriate or not.....
fuck, go onto a HAM forum, and ask about using a baofeng on FRS/GMRS channels.....they will be frothing at the mouth quoting FCC guidelines, and threaten you with fines and jail time for doing so....as if it were their fucking job.
one of the reasons i got the baofengs when i did was the idea that the government (or anyone else) didn't want me to have one.
in any case, i don't need to transmit like john conner, i would just use them to stay in contact with my family if i was out foraging for food or ammo after the zombie apocalypse.
Have you ever been driving 50 miles outside of a city and started picking up their radio stations on the radio?really stupid question but why do you need a license to HAM? I admit, I know very little about this space but the topic has my interest
Another aspect is, say you like to listen to Smooth Jazz 99.2 FM, but some other asshole has some modified HAM equipment and constantly broadcasts over the top of your favorite station.really stupid question but why do you need a license to HAM? I admit, I know very little about this space but the topic has my interest
because govts gonna govt....and if they can make a buck selling you privileges, they are going to.
How do you like idiots showing up on your range and skipping rounds over the berms and doing other stuff that could cause a closure of the range? Like everyone vies for real estate on the planet's surface, there are multiple parties who are just looking for a reason to snatch up another part of the electromagnetic spectrum. How people behave on their assigned air bands is as important as how people behave on a gun range. Plus, stupid and reckless people are just annoying in any hobby. Everyone expects newbies to have some basic decorum and respect or to stay out of the adult space.but the answer in the back of the book is pretty much:
"many of the frequencies used in HAM are close to frequencies used for other things (emergency frequencies, MARS frequencies, Aviation, Radio, other comms equipment) and many ham radios can be tuned into these frequencies, given the power they are capable of putting out, its easy for HAM radios to interfere with those frequencies and cause trouble"
Realistically, the only reason licenses are even still required is because the Boomers who have their ticket like to think of themselves as Ersatz FCC deputies.....and will track you down and turn you into the FCC if they think you are operating without a license, whether you are doing anything inappropriate or not.....
The problem with FRS/GMRS on a Baofeng is that these folks inevitably end up on the ham bands with the most power they can get out of that box. OTOH, if you know what you are doing and use your Baofeng to talk to a hunting buddy who has a dedicated FRS/GMRS radio, nobody is going to give a shit about it. The point is not so much whether the action is legal or not but whether it interferes with other people's opportunities to pursue their activities - like in the example with the shooting range.fuck, go onto a HAM forum, and ask about using a baofeng on FRS/GMRS channels.....they will be frothing at the mouth quoting FCC guidelines, and threaten you with fines and jail time for doing so....as if it were their fucking job.
The big issue with the more powerful rigs is that they can transmit WITHOUT modification on many bands, including those set aside for public broadcasting, emergency services, etc.Another aspect is, say you like to listen to Smooth Jazz 99.2 FM, but some other asshole has some modified HAM equipment and constantly broadcasts over the top of your favorite station.
There is a reason why HAM equipment only transmits on certain frequencies. It's because it is all regulated.
Cel phones onward on to traditional broadcast TV on to regular old AM/FM radio have to share the air (in some flavor or another of the same thing).
Is very much a hobby that requires knowledge of the "why" as well as the "how" to get the most out of it.The big issue with the more powerful rigs is that they can transmit WITHOUT modification on many bands, including those set aside for public broadcasting, emergency services, etc.
The ham licensing requirements intend to equip new operators with enough knowledge how not to become a nuisance to other services. How they actually get their 'job' done needs to be learned through other avenues like books, videos, or by talking to more experienced ham operators.