Let’s talk communication for bit. Communication is one of the least prepared for things for most Preppers. The reason is perhaps that most everyone has no idea where to start. So let’s start at the beginning.
I for one cannot imagine being isolated in a sea of people. Not knowing what is happening around the world, in the state and in my community is difficult for me, and especially what is happening with my family members. Imagine if you will, not having television, or if you do have television state-run television and news. You won’t have radio, and if you do it too will be state run. No internet which means no email, chat, IM or Drudge Report. Most likely in a worse case scenario, cell phones will be down because the power has been turned off or lost because of damage. The batteries will only last a few days at most, and land lines, if the batteries hold out and the diesel generators turn on and are maintained….yeah people have to maintain these things and they have to get there to maintain them. Most people have only a few batteries around the house, and most do not have a wind up radio. Few have solar panels, and even fewer have batteries to store the energy from the sun.
So, there you have it. You’re alone among a sea of people, and you don’t have any idea what is happening anywhere, even in the next neighborhood or on the next street. Your children and their families may be in dire stress and need, and there is nothing you can do about it, because you have no communication capabilities. You don’t even know what is happening at the neighbors, and they at your home.
As a family, if you are located within a few miles of each other, there are some very inexpensive options available. One being Citizen Band (CB) radios. Their range is about 5 miles, on the best days, but beware of “skip” which comes in some days which make it impossible to talk even a few blocks. Skip is AM interference where the transmission bounces off of a layer of the atmosphere and lands sometimes hundreds of miles away. It is very useful in HAM radio, because skip is used to talk long distances. But when the ionosphere is dense, usually due to sun spot radiation, the signal bounces or skips over the local target and hits somewhere far away. This makes local comms very difficult, and there is just no way around it.
The CB band is an old HAM (Amateur Radio) band that was taken away from the HAMS years ago. The Government made this a licensed band, and the cost was $5.00. Presently, there is no cost for a CB license. The band runs on crystals instead of a tuner (VFO) thereby making it very stable and instead of using frequencies to contact someone else, they made channels. There used to be 23 channels, but now they have a total of 40 channels. They also allowed Single Side Band (SSB). Usually the SSB channels used are from 35 to 40, Lower Side Band (LSB). SSB will add some distance to your transmission up to about 15 miles because the power can increase up to 15 watts Peak Envelope Power (PEP).
Summary:
Cost: between $60-200
Range: A few blocks to about 15 miles
Reliability: Moderate-Poor
Notes: Antenna placement and height will affect distance and quality of transmission.
Power source is 12V DC. Must have access to battery and charger for battery.
FRS/GMRS/MURS
Each of these modes are Frequency Modulated (FM) signals. FM modes have some characteristics that make them good and bad for LOCAL communication. FM, unlike AM frequencies are Line of Sight (LOS). That means that instead of bouncing off of the ionosphere, they travel in straight lines. Technically, if you can see the other person, you can talk to them. Hence, most all FM and TV stations are located on the highest mountain or hill they can get to. The higher the hill or the tower, the farther their signal can reach. Usually LOS is maxed out at about 14 miles if there is nothing in the way, and the ground is flat. If there are buildings, trees, hills or other obstructions around, the distance for communication is compromised.
FRS radios are CHEAP. And for their intended purpose they work fine. Since FM static sounds like white noise or a hiss, they can be squelched down so that there is no noise unless someone is transmitting. The transmissions are crystal clear and readable when the distance is not far. Here in lies the problem: Most FRS radios only have ½ watt power so the distance they can be used is very short. For example they work well inside one’s home or around the yard, with the neighbors down the road a house or two (in a subdivision)…on a good day about ½ mile. I know they promise 5-20 miles, but to get that you would have to be standing on a mountain and there would have to be NO obstructions. Guarantee that it just isn’t going to happen.
GMRS radios are included in some FRS radios. The only difference is that the output wattage is about 1 or 2 watts, and the same rules apply to GMRS as apply to FRS as discussed above.
MURS radios are also FM, but they have considerably more wattage, and are mostly used in commercial applications. The can be purchased through Survival Blog. Jim Rawles can guide you to a distributer if you are looking for this type of radio. You do have to have licenses for both GMRS and MURS.
Summary:
Cost:
FRS/GMRS- $30 to $80
MURS - $100 to $150 Refurbished
Range:
FRS/GMRS- 100 yards to 2 miles
MURS - 10 miles (approx)
Reliability:
FRS/GMRS- Excellent when used appropriately
MURS - Excellent for the intended use
Notes: Your antenna placement and height will increase the distance.
Don’t expect more from these units than they can provide.
Powered with rechargeable batteries or AA batteries w/accessory
Must have charging source or 12V inverter sufficient to run the charger
HAM Radio
VHF/UHF
Very High Frequency (VHF) Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radios are probably the best for use in local communications. They are relatively low cost, and the power of the mobile units usually run between 50 and 35 watts. Mobile units can be mounted in an automobile or can be used as a base station. The distance that can be obtained by one of these units can be 14 miles up to 90 to 100 miles depending on the location and height of the antenna. The antennas are easy to make. The distance of 100 miles is based on a friend living in Star Valley, Wyoming hitting a repeater near Arco, Idaho and thus entering into the Intermountain Intertie which allowed him to talk all over Idaho and Utah. Repeaters are simply remote radios placed on high mountain peaks usually mounted on TV antennas or state microwave networks which turn on when a certain frequency is activated. Here we are discussing a topic that takes some background, so we will not discuss this further in this post.
Locally, I can talk about 20 miles or less, and again since VHF/UHF is and FM mode, we are limited to LOS. On the ocean one can only speak 14 miles or so, unless the antenna is mounted on a mast, this is about as far as is useful. We have now to discuss the hand held versions. They are available and transmit at about 5 watts or less. The batteries on most of these units are small and rechargeable. They also come with accessory AA battery holders which operate at a reduced power level.
Summary:
Cost:
Mobile $150 - $900
Hand Held $120 - $400
Range:
Mobile 10-100 miles based on conditions
Hand Held 2-17 miles (repeater usage will extend this to 400 miles)
Reliability:
VHF Excellent – overall performance
UHF Excellent – overall performance
Notes: Your antenna placement and height will increase the distance.
Don’t expect more from the hand-held units than they can provide.
They are powered with rechargeable batteries or AA batteries w/accessory.
You MUST have a charging source or 12V inverter sufficient to run the charger.
UHF is somewhat less able to permeate concrete or large buildings.
Suggestions:
Purchase at least one MOBILE VHF/UHF radio tranciever.
My choices are ICOM 706MKII- about $800 if you can find them (ebay)
Yeasu 857 or 897 – about $700 - $900
Purchase at least 2 Hand-held trancievers
My Choice is: ICOM T90A or comparable Yeasu model
Include the AA battery accessory
Do not purchase a wall charger
Purchase a Quick Charger for your radio model
Local source in Salt Lake City area - Communication Products Inc.
Internet source - AES.com
Purchase at least 2 sets of Motorola FRS/GMRS radios
Purchase a deep cycle 12 volt battery, inverter and charger for the AA Batteries.
If you have interest in further information contact us for a free class.
We will discuss HF (High Frequency) and long distance comms in a later post.
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