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      01-04-2020, 07:14 PM   #1
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Best two-way radio?

If shit hits fan and WW3 starts...grid is down.

What is best long range 2 way radios?
Smartphones will be useless lol
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      01-04-2020, 08:05 PM   #2
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Get your ham radio license. The test is simple with the free online study guides, and there is no morse code requirement. Most prepper-types go with the basic Technician license, which is good for the higher frequencies and regional communications. Most of the SHTF and EotW movies show lower frequency communications, which can cover the entire world but require an upgraded General or Amateur Extra license.

While you're at it, consider volunteering for your local ARES / RACES group, which are organized to provide emergency communications during civil emergencies and disasters.....
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      01-04-2020, 08:28 PM   #3
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I've been running a scanner for years If the shit hits the fan that's where you will here it
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      01-05-2020, 01:15 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nyalpine90 View Post
If shit hits fan and WW3 starts...grid is down.

What is best long range 2 way radios?
Smartphones will be useless lol
Oh dear. Twitter will be down. How will we get our daily bullshit briefings and rants?
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      01-05-2020, 05:36 AM   #5
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RD will still be posting the same anti Trump Memes only nobody will be able to see them.
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      01-05-2020, 12:25 PM   #6
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I bought some Tera TR505 radios a couple yrs ago. Programmed them for MURS (vhf) freqs. Can prob get a couple miles if conditions are good.
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      01-05-2020, 01:51 PM   #7
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I came across 20,30s and 50 mile range.
I did read comments of needing license for owning certain radios.

So far motorola, cobra and another brand cant remember well.
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      01-05-2020, 01:54 PM   #8
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Oh midland and arcshell. My dad use to have cobra radio when he had truck n trailer business.
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      01-05-2020, 03:36 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nyalpine90 View Post
I came across 20,30s and 50 mile range.
I did read comments of needing license for owning certain radios.
Those are all FRS/GMRS radios, and the numbers are essentially meaningless beyond a projection of range between two line-of-sight mountain tops under ideal RF conditions with nothing between then. On anything less than level ground, you'd be lucky to get two miles on a good day. Indeed, Motorola's range estimates are UP TO 6 miles on open water, and UP TO two miles in a typical neighborhood. Why do you think that truck drivers continue to endure the squeals and static of CB radio and not change over to FRS/GMRS FM radios?

We used FRS/GMRS radios at our Nassau Coliseum autocross events when I was running the program, and sometimes had to change channels and privacy codes to avoid chatter from fans when Hofstra University was having home sports events across the street. When SHTF, there will probably be no free channels available when everyone pulls their shopping mall/cruise ship/ski area/hiking/camping radios out of the closet and starts jabbering with no coordination or net control. Despite what the ads say about gazillions of private channels, there are only 23 radio frequencies between FRS and GMRS shared between all of the radios in an area.

I still have two top-of-the-line Motorola waterproof and repeater-capable radios in my race car hauler, if anyone is in the area and wants to try them out on a hike in the woods.

FYI, you can operate them on the FRS channels without a license, but must write the check for a GMRS license to use the higher-power options on GMRS channels the last time I checked. Not that anyone does get the license, since 99% of the buyers don't know what is legal on each of the different channel numbers.

Like I said, if you want *reliable* radio communications in an emergency situation, get the ham radio license and volunteer for those emergency service groups. There are 173 VHF/UHF ham radio repeaters claiming to have emergency power supplies on hilltops all over New York State according to RepeaterBook, each with 10+ miles of coverage with a ham radio walkie talkie and 50+ mile range to a car-mounted or home base station radio. Some of these repeaters are located at and sponsored by county emergency centers, and even networked together (by radio links) to cover large regions. There are prepper resources on the web with details, since it is something that they plan to use when SHTF.....
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      01-05-2020, 04:06 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vreihen16 View Post
Like I said, if you want *reliable* radio communications in an emergency situation, get the ham radio license and volunteer for those emergency service groups. There are 173 VHF/UHF ham radio repeaters claiming to have emergency power supplies on hilltops all over New York State according to RepeaterBook, each with 10+ miles of coverage with a ham radio walkie talkie and 50+ mile range to a car-mounted or home base station radio. Some of these repeaters are located at and sponsored by county emergency centers, and even networked together (by radio links) to cover large regions. There are prepper resources on the web with details, since it is something that they plan to use when SHTF.....
This ^^^^

When the sh*t hits the fan, it will be the Hams who are able to retain communications, send for help, organize, etc. My wife's side of the family are all licensed Hams, do Field Day every year, etc. I used to poke fun at them until i saw just how valuable it is. During Hurricane Maria in 2017 one of my employees was completely distraught because his parents live in Puerto Rico and all communication was down. It had been days since he had heard from them and nothing since the storm hit. Didn't know if they were alive or dead. My father in law managed to get word into their town via Ham radio and someone confirmed they were safe, weeks before cell or land line service was back up.
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      01-05-2020, 04:18 PM   #11
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Great info, how do i get ham license?
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      01-05-2020, 05:32 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nyalpine90 View Post
Great info, how do i get ham license?
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      01-05-2020, 05:36 PM   #13
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If the shit hits the fan that hard I will have my bunker set up with my arsenal. Message me for directions.
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      01-05-2020, 06:17 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by nyalpine90 View Post
Great info, how do i get ham license?
http://www.arrl.org/getting-licensed

There are classroom sessions (sometimes free) to get people licensed that local clubs run. One of the local clubs in our area also runs the license exams before most monthly meetings if you study for it on your own. The usual test fee is $15, and there is no fee for the license after that.

The test is 35 questions out of a 350 question pool for the basic "Technician" license...good for VHF/UHF regional stuff. Because the government is involved, the entire 350 question test pool with answers is freely available online. There are several free web sites that generate sample tests and flash cards to quickly memorize the answers without actually learning the radio stuff. Yes, there are kids who haven't even learned their multiplication tables out there with the most advanced ham license because they memorized the test pools for all three license grades.

As a perk to NY State folks, the amateur radio custom plates are still white and not the hideous (IMO) gold/orange disasters that Governor Patterson signed off for:



Having a police scanner in a motor vehicle is also illegal in NY State, but having a ham license exempts you from that law should any nice officer ask. Not as useful now as it was in the past thanks to the police using digital trunking radio systems, but an added perk none the less.....
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      01-05-2020, 07:33 PM   #15
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I've got a year worth of food, lots of water, and most importantly, a good number of handguns and long guns, with plenty of ammo. Don't need a radio....and if I do, I've got plenty of guns.
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      01-05-2020, 07:46 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave 90TT View Post
I've got a year worth of food, lots of water, and most importantly, a good number of handguns and long guns, with plenty of ammo. Don't need a radio....and if I do, I've got plenty of guns.
You might want to have a radio to get warnings about which area's are either radioactive or infected with a biohazard material and how the wind is blowing.
Guns won't protect you from that and when you notice there's something wrong you're already exposed to a lethal dose.

Then again who's gonna want to warn a triggerhappy lunatic. You might be exactly the person others dont want to have around....you're still in a country with fellow citizens and they're not the enemy.

The key to survival after a global disaster is work with others, not against them.
And that's also the idea behind the whole amateur radio scene: unite people, not divide and alienate them
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      01-05-2020, 07:49 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GuidoK View Post
You might want to have a radio to get warnings about which area's are either radioactive or infected with a biohazard material and how the wind is blowing.
Guns won't protect you from that and when you notice there's something wrong you're already exposed to a lethal dose.

Then again who's gonna want to warn a triggerhappy lunatic. You might be exactly the person others dont want to have around....you're still in a country with fellow citizens and they're not the enemy.

The key to survival after a global disaster is work with others, not against them.
You may have missed the smiley. My apologies if my humor did not come across.
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      01-05-2020, 10:13 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vreihen16 View Post
http://www.arrl.org/getting-licensed

There are classroom sessions (sometimes free) to get people licensed that local clubs run. One of the local clubs in our area also runs the license exams before most monthly meetings if you study for it on your own. The usual test fee is $15, and there is no fee for the license after that.

The test is 35 questions out of a 350 question pool for the basic "Technician" license...good for VHF/UHF regional stuff. Because the government is involved, the entire 350 question test pool with answers is freely available online. There are several free web sites that generate sample tests and flash cards to quickly memorize the answers without actually learning the radio stuff. Yes, there are kids who haven't even learned their multiplication tables out there with the most advanced ham license because they memorized the test pools for all three license grades.

As a perk to NY State folks, the amateur radio custom plates are still white and not the hideous (IMO) gold/orange disasters that Governor Patterson signed off for:



Having a police scanner in a motor vehicle is also illegal in NY State, but having a ham license exempts you from that law should any nice officer ask. Not as useful now as it was in the past thanks to the police using digital trunking radio systems, but an added perk none the less.....
Thank you for valuable info, im going to look into it
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