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Comm question

tomcatmv

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Apr 13, 2017
2,481
3,906
Central Texas
So I've been a member here for several years (before and during the Scout excursion even though it shows I joined in 2017, not sure what happened there) and don't post a heck of a lot. So given the current situation in this fragile Republic, we all know we are all likely on some alphabet agency's list.
My honest question is, how do we communicate/connect with like minded folks in our AO with out being sky lined?
Now that I'm thinking this through, it's probably a stupid question to post on a public forum.
I did take note of neighbors who like me had Trump signs and fly the stars and stripes or Gadsden flag so been thinking of just walking around and introducing myself and start a conversation about what they plan on doing if SHTF happens without trying to look like some paranoid nutcase.
 
They already know you exist. You're in the system. They don't have the resources to watch everyone, and won't come for you unless you make it a point to stand out. Don't do anything illegal, or the appearance of being illegal, and you'll be Ok.
 
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Introducing yourself isn’t a bad idea for a variety of reasons but just beware any leftist asshole or ABC can hang a Trump or Gadsden flag to lure people under false pretenses for purposes of making lists. Not saying that’s always the case by any stretch but something to keep in mind. Same applies to on-line comms.

definitly get to know/vet them over time before discussing anything firearms related.
 
I was just having this discussion this morning with friends. We are (mostly all) caught in the digital spider web. They know you exist. They have your info, phone number, address, birth records, drivers license, SSAN, bank account info, credit card purchase history, credit history, travel habits, employment history, etc, etc.

You can minimize much of that by turning off or disabling many of your personal features and settings on your smart phone. Facebook and Google are notorious for collecting data and tracking you.

Most Applications you download on your computer or smart phone collect data on you.

Even though I exist, I can easily disappear from the digital world by dropping my smart phone in the shitter, let my driver's license expire, stop paying utility bills, car, insurance, mortgage payments, and taxes. Never file for Social Security/Medicare, and never step foot in a hospital again. Unfortunately, I don't have the money to disappear like that, so in essence if I did all those things, I would just be another homeless person living in a cardboard box under the bridge.
 
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I did take note of neighbors who like me had Trump signs and fly the stars and stripes or Gadsden flag so been thinking of just walking around and introducing myself and start a conversation about what they plan on doing if SHTF happens without trying to look like some paranoid nutcase.

This is a good idea. Have been thinking about this myself, and will probably do it this weekend. Instead of talking about SHTF, just introduce yourself and let them know there are other similar minded people in the area.

I'm open to suggestions as well.
 

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Set up meeting to talk about things. Call it a guy's night out or include all the families. Since most HAM radios broadcast a serial number (I was just told this today), the ABCs will know who you are.

Things will have to go back to a simpler way. I hope this only last until the 2022 elections, but that's still along ways off.
 
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Introducing yourself isn’t a bad idea for a variety of reasons but just beware any leftist asshole or ABC can hang a Trump or Gadsden flag to lure people under false pretenses for purposes of making lists. Not saying that’s always the case by any stretch but something to keep in mind. Same applies to on-line comms.

definitly get to know/vet them over time before discussing anything firearms related.

This. I'm moving to a new county next week. I know less than a handful of people there. I plan to be the gray man.
 
Definitely the way to go, low key is the best strategy initially in new AOs.

Existing owner has targets set up in the yard and volunteered that "everyone shoots around here". It'll be a while before I pull a trigger there.
 
This. I'm moving to a new county next week. I know less than a handful of people there. I plan to be the gray man.

You may at least want to go and introduce yourself to your immediate neighbor (s). Some may view you as another asshole liberal who has more money than brains, one of the unwanted crowd buying up rural land. It will ease their fears, and you would be more quickly accepted as one of the good guys to count on when things go bad.
 
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We do plan to meet the neighbors. Just not give them an info dump. If the current owner leaves the flag pole. I'll hoist the Hardee pattern flag. It'll be interesting to see who knows what it is. Lol
 
I’d say the risk of being amongst the enemy is lower in rural areas vs suburbs of major cities where we are prob outnumbered 60/40 in general (Lib vs conservative) and 70/30 to 90/10+ anti-gun vs pro gun specifically.

Still, I always prioritize listening and observing over talking and acting until I’m satisfied I have a good read on my surroundings and the people in them. Then I act accordingly.

@wh20crazy congrats on your new place.
 
Agreed. They don't yet need to know that I shoot. Much less that I can consistently hit hubcaps across the water with irons.
 
Myself and a bunch of shooting buddies/neighbors just installed an app on our phones called Signal. It is supposedly provides end to end encryption for texts and voice calls. It works on iOS and android phones. Both ends of the conversation need to have the app installed to communicate with each other.
 
Set up meeting to talk about things. Call it a guy's night out or include all the families. Since most HAM radios broadcast a serial number (I was just told this today), the ABCs will know who you are.

Things will have to go back to a simpler way. I hope this only last until the 2022 elections, but that's still along ways off.
Told by who? What was their source? If they were talking about their call sign yeah. The radio broadcasting? That's dumb.
 
Regardless of whether a radio transmits a serial number (I have never heard of this, but I am a complete novice) , it's not too difficult to figure out where a station is transmitting from. I don't know what useful info can be derived from a serial number. As Lefty alluded to, an amateur station is required to transmit its callsign once every 10 minutes during and at the end of a communication.
 
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If you're wanting to find the radio itself that's much easier to do. Fox hunting antennas. You can make one at home from lots of different designs.
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If you're trying to find the person that's easy with the call sign. A quick ULS search yields a name and a valid address within the last 10 years.

On the serial number thing that's the same as tracking down the serial number from a gun without the ffl record keeping requirements. Also the existence of home made radios, ham swap meets (private party transfers), analog radios, or buying a radio from somebody else.

Also when you first mentioned it I did a quick interblag search. Best thing that I came up with was a stack exchange where everybody was referring to call signs as serial numbers.
 
So I've been a member here for several years (before and during the Scout excursion even though it shows I joined in 2017, not sure what happened there) and don't post a heck of a lot. So given the current situation in this fragile Republic, we all know we are all likely on some alphabet agency's list.
My honest question is, how do we communicate/connect with like minded folks in our AO with out being sky lined?
Now that I'm thinking this through, it's probably a stupid question to post on a public forum.
I did take note of neighbors who like me had Trump signs and fly the stars and stripes or Gadsden flag so been thinking of just walking around and introducing myself and start a conversation about what they plan on doing if SHTF happens without trying to look like some paranoid nutcase.
Did you read that thread about the guy that survived a year of shtf in Bosnia?
 
Regardless of whether a radio transmits a serial number (I have never heard of this, but I am a complete novice) , it's not too difficult to figure out where a station is transmitting from. I don't know what useful info can be derived from a serial number. As Lefty alluded to, an amateur station is required to transmit its callsign once every 10 minutes during and at the end of a communication.

Radios don't broadcast a serial number. But there are certain characteristics that provide one with the ability to distinguish between individual radios:


It costs about $25 to get into a rtl-sdr USB dongle, and they are entertaining to play with even if one just uses them to sniff the local spectrum.
 
On the serial number thing that's the same as tracking down the serial number from a gun without the ffl record keeping requirements. Also the existence of home made radios, ham swap meets (private party transfers), analog radios, or buying a radio from somebody else.

Don’t let congress hear about "ghost radios" or it'll just be a matter of time before they start pushing legislation to restrict them. 🤫🙄
 
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Just got my Yaesu 991a delivered today. The weekend project for my 7yo an I is to put together a j-pole antenna and do a little lurking on the 2m band.
 
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Pressure and restrictions with strengthen ones resolve and will teach the masses again to improvise, overcome and adapt. We have been down this road before against a superior force at the time.