Basic SHTF Radio A Cops Brief Guide For Understanding Simple Solutions
Basic SHTF Radio A Cops Brief Guide For Understanding Simple Solutions
Basic SHTF Radio A Cops Brief Guide For Understanding Simple Solutions
by Don Shift
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Intro
Have you thought about how you will communicate if the cell
network goes down? The modern telecommunications system can be taken
down through cyberwarfare, hackers, or a natural disaster. Cell towers only
have a limited amount of fuel in their generators to keep running after a
power outage. The regular telephone system is resilient but is now more
than ever dependent on the Internet to facilitate calls. Robust forms of
communications are necessary for your family, information gathering, and
tactical self-defense use.
Cell phone and radio jammers have already been used in South
African farm attacks. Use of these requires sophistication and coordination.
Multi-spectrum jammers are very difficult to obtain in the US but could be
seen if the federal government collapses, allowing imports from China.
Cartels and organized crime already use these. Radio jamming could be
used as well but having a variety of radios to use across different bands can
give someone a vital lifeline to call for help.
Radios are good when you need immediate communication at the push
of a button. You aren’t texting in a gunfight and dialing a call is too long.
Also everyone on your team can hear a radio transmission vs. seeing a text
or picking up a call. Radios will be the primary form of communication in a
major grid-down type disaster. The downside to radio is that in the forms
that you will likely have access to, there is zero privacy, all frequencies are
shared, and are of short range (10-30 miles, max).
The advice here is intended to answer many of the questions of those
who have no experience with two-way radio. This is not a guide on how to
use a particular piece of equipment, a primer for getting a ham radio
license, or a detailed explanation of physics. Hopefully after reading this
you will come away with a better understanding of what the realistic
capabilities are for an average person who just needs a secondary means of
communication.
Much of this work has been grossly simplified for the average person
who just needs a radio to work and isn’t interested in the details that hams
care about. Remember, this is a brief introductory to terms, ideas, and
options.
Terms defined
SHTF: Any emergency event that deviates from our normal condition
of civil order beyond a limited disaster and implies a partial or total collapse
of law and order.
Watt: A measure of how much energy the radio puts out; this could be
understood as “power.” More watts typically give greater range but all the
power in the world can’t overcome basic physics and geography that blocks
signal propagation.
WROL: Without the Rule of Law. This is a situation where police and
courts are non-existent; a total collapse of law and order. Criminals will not
be arrested and prosecuted. It is the law of the jungle; kill or be killed; only
the fittest survive. This situation is essentially lawless and resembles war
more than a disaster.
We will look at the most common bands and types in use. This
entire work is for the average person who wants a mainly plug and play
solution, so we’ll look at the low time investment radios. Much greater
capabilities are available to those who are willing to look at radio
communication as a serious hobby and get involved.
These bands are frequency ranges and bands cannot communicate
with each other anymore than an AM-only radio can tune in FM radio
stations. Dual-band radios have two transmitters installed to allow you to
talk on each like your car radio can get both AM and FM but only one at a
time.
UHF: Ultra high frequency. Usually in the 400 MHz range for
consumer radios and often found in the non-ham radios commonly
available in stores (GMRS and FRS). For hams, this includes the very
popular 70cm AKA 440 MHz band (Technician-level amateur operator
license required at minimum). GMRS requires a $35 license without a test.
Some GMRS radio models are also somewhat customizable. This is for
short range (<5 miles) communication.
VHF: Very high frequency. Usually in the 30-200 MHz range for
civilian radios. This is most common for 2m band (144-148 MHz) ham
radios, like the ever popular Baofeng radio. The 2m band requires at least a
Technician-level amateur operator license at minimum. This is for short
range (<5 miles) communication.
VHF and UHF are line of sight radios, meaning they cannot be used
to talk over obstacles like mountains. Propagation of both will suffer if you
have terrain or large buildings in between users. If you are on top of a high
hill, you may be able to talk out to the often advertised range of 25+ miles if
someone is equally as high as you are. Range is never what is advertised on
the packaging except in those one-off situations.
The long ranges for these radios are predicated on ideal conditions,
such as from one mountain peak to another. Higher wattage radios and
larger antennas help, but for these radios how high you are and the fewer
the obstacles you have, the better. In the city expect 1-2 miles on the ground
between walkie-talkies up to five miles if the antenna is high. Rooftop
antennas (home and vehicle) and more powerful transmitters can extend
range in urban areas.
Realistically, there is no practical difference between the two bands.
UHF radio is better for indoor usage and in urban areas because its radio
waves penetrate buildings better, at least for very close distances such as
across floors. For example, businesses or fire departments use them to
communicate in large buildings. UHF can be blocked by say a city skyline,
but if you are in a building or need to talk amongst them, UHF for short
distances is at the advantage.
VHF tends to be better than UHF outdoors where obstructions are
limited and it has a better ability to penetrate trees and vegetation cover.
VHF does have the drawback of not being able to “bounce” over terrain,
but it will still work although some dead zones may exist. VHF could be
understood as a better rural band while UHF is a better urban one, though
the differences are too slight to matter at short range.
HF/shortwave: High frequency; in the early days of radio, this was the
higher frequency range but now is the low end of the dial. This ranges from
AM/shortwave radio to the CB radio range.
Usually 26.965-27.405 MHz for CB (unlicensed) and 28.000-29.700
MHz for the 10m amateur band.
To drastically simplify, high frequency radio skips off the
atmosphere or follows the curvature of the earth which allows it to cover
long distances and get around terrain. No radio system (unless you’re the
Navy) can go through solid terrain; the signal just finds a way around.
Weather, atmospheric, and space weather conditions can increase or
decrease the distance (skip). An example of this being able to pickup an
AM radio station hundreds of miles away at night. CB radio will have very
poor reception indoors and around electrical lines, just like your AM radio.
These bands can be used for transcontinental and worldwide
communication but that requires specialized transmitters, antennas, and
good technical skills to get true “over the horizon” range. Shortwave
receivers also pickup your standard commercial-type radio broadcasts and
some models can pickup ham bands. The latter feature will give you listen-
only capabilities for long range, amateur communications in addition to
typical shortwave broadcast stations. Shortwave radio was an important
form of freely communicating to occupied Europe in WWII or behind the
Iron Curtain.
You will need a General or Amateur Extra-level amateur license on
the HF bands or restrict use to CB radio. CB is for medium range (10-30
mile) communication. Maximum legal wattage is 4 watts, which won’t
reach far, but if you buy illegal amplifiers, you can increase power to a CB
radio base station to reach out around 30 miles or so under the right
conditions. Surprising distances can be covered by CB radios if you’re
willing to ignore FCC regulations (which many do) and you get a little luck
from the Earth.
If you want to talk hundreds or thousands of miles deliberately
(versus random atmospheric conditions), it is done with this part of the
spectrum. However, doing it successfully requires knowledge about the
electronics themselves, radio theory, and antennas. It is not a plug and play
kind of thing. A dedicated individual who wants to learn about long-range
radio communication certainly can become proficient if they are willing to
invest the time.
Licensed and unlicensed radio
Unlicensed options
FRS v. GMRS
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Mobile_Radio_Service
Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
Recommendations
I recommend a home GMRS watt base station and at least one car with
a 50 watt mobile radio. This would replace a cell phone when driving
around town when the grid is down. Each family member would have a
GMRS walkie-talkie; the older folks would get the more expensive models
with longer antennas and the kids would get the bubble pack ones when
they go play down the street. To talk to friends or relatives across the
county, this would be done with a CB radio mounted on the house.
GMRS is a great radio to have. Many people will already have FRS
capable radios they bought for one reason or another and cheap multi-packs
are sold in all sorts of stores. Neighbors can use the radios they have on
hand to easily communicate without buying all sorts of expensive stuff.
Your more advanced group might have tricked out GMRS radios but can
still communicate with locals who don’t have what you do or are less
interested.
Here I will mention that I don’t recommend things like digital radio
(and ignore a lot of those solutions) because it takes someone who is
interested and technologically savvy to implement a neighborhood-wide
digital solution. I intend my work for people who are organizing at the last
minute and have average technical skills, interests, and middle-class
financial resources. If you have the aptitude and interest, there are amazing
things that can be done.
If you don’t get a license, there are always the unlicensed options but
be aware that the frequencies will probably be clogged with traffic from
other unlicensed users. Ham radio gives you more frequencies and a more
professional experience.
Let’s be honest. Anything with a low barrier to entry suffers the tragedy
of the commons, which is the more accessible something is, the more likely
it is to attract careless users who degrade that common space. We see this in
jerks on CB radio who like swearing and starting fights. The testing and
license requirement tends to filter out a lot of these toads from ham bands
and the variety in available bands also gives a ham the ability to simply
switch to less common bands or modes.
Another reason to obtain a license is to show the FCC that people
still use the Amateur Service. With the baby boomers dying off, ham radio’s
popularity is declining. That changed a bit when the prepper movement got
into it. We as the public need to demonstrate to the government that we are
interested in such programs and use them. Also frequencies that the FCC
would claim as “underutilized” and sell off to telecom companies need to be
used. So get your license if only to thumb your nose at bureaucrats who
might otherwise consider getting rid of the service!
If you just won’t get a ham license for whatever reason, at least get a
GMRS radio. The license is easy to get and many of the capabilities are
similar to what you can get for ham UHF, except with lesser channels.
Ham radio and licensing should be made a priority by someone who
wants robust radio communications and especially for long distance. As you
gain knowledge and experience, your capabilities will increase. Having that
license and contacts within the local ham community or clubs will give you
access to a wealth of people who love to teach and show off their gear.
Using the radio
Radios shouldn’t be intimidating. I understand that many of the
introductory videos are very poorly done and the information is presented
like drinking from a firehose. Websites aren’t much better as someone who
can’t teach, but is knowledgeable on the subject, vomit everything they
know in an inaccessible manner, or hasn’t updated their website since 2001.
Using a radio is not hard. You push the button and talk. Let go of the
button when you are done talking. Most people get the hang of this.
Figuring out what all the buttons, knobs, and switches do is more
problematic, but not impossible. Actually programming the radio is the
really hard part but not as difficult as you might think. Pro tip: get a
programming cable and download the software package to program it over
the computer. If you can program a VCR or use Microsoft Excel, you can
program a radio.
Programming many GRMS/FRS/MURS radios is unnecessary. You can
configure the channels, depending on the radio’s features, to display
different channel names as a memory aid or to plug in repeaters. Ham radio
programming is more complicated. There are not designated channels pre-
programmed into each radio. You can look up your local ham radio
coordinator’s band plan and create channels based off of that.
For instance, you may add the UHF calling channel (446.000 MHz) and
several other frequencies that aren’t being used by repeaters. You would
also want to put in several of the local, open repeaters that you want to
have. If you are going the ham radio route, I would recommend contacting
your local ham radio club and asking for help getting started creating your
own channel list. My group and I have our own personalized list based on
our geographic location and particular needs.
Talking
Think first, then talk. No one needs to hear silence while you key
the mic and think about what you want to say or listen to “um, gee…” If
you need more time to respond to someone, ask them to standby so others
can transmit.
Unless you are using an external microphone, shove your face into
the HT when transmitting. The body mounted mics are not great and need
to be close to your mouth for best performance, especially on Baofengs.
Just keep it far enough away that you aren’t spitting on it.
Be aware of your microphone button, especially if it is a remote mic.
Open mics, hot mics, or stuck microphones are all names for a
condition when the transmit button is depressed but no intentional
transmission is being made. This is really annoying to listen to and
potentially embarrassing when people hear what you are saying off-air.
Additionally, this can cover up actual radio traffic. So pay attention to
where the mic is and that nothing is inadvertently pushing the button; you
probably won’t notice it until you shift just enough for the button to be
released.
Don’t be the guy who narrates everything that he is doing. Keep
transmissions as brief as possible. Don’t be the old boomer ham operators
that talk nonstop without breaking for other people to talk. If you attempt to
transmit while someone else is transmitting, the effect is like jamming. A
buzz called a heterodyne will be heard as the signals try to cancel each
other out. You can only talk and be heard when no one else is talking.
Procedure:
1. Think about what you are going to say. Repeat it in your head if
you have to.
2. Make sure the radio is on and tuned to the proper
channel/frequency. Listen briefly before you talk to avoid
interrupting a conversation in progress or “covering” someone
who is already talking. If you have an emergency, you can
transmit at the first break.
3. Key the mic briefly before you start talking to avoid cutting
yourself off. Give the name of the station you are calling, then
your call sign. If you are Bravo 2: “Alpha 1, Bravo 2, do you
copy?” Be brief. Add “this is” or “calling” if your fellow radio
users are easily confused about who is calling who.
4. Respond. “Alpha 1, affirmative,” would be the above response.
Radio traffic would then proceed.
5. Bravo 2 (you) should confirm that you heard them. “Bravo 2,
copy/roger.” If traffic is concluded, say “out/over” as appropriate.
When talking, attempt to stay calm. You may be using your radio in
exciting circumstances. Once I hit the high pitches of a pre-pubescent boy
when I realized, mid-sentence, I was wet and standing in a path of water to
arcing electrical lines. Realizing you’re about to be electrocuted will really
make you nervous. A panicked voice can be hard to understand as the pitch
goes up and the words ramble out fast and slur together.
RSVP—Rhythm, Speed, Volume and Pitch—is the key to clear
communication.
Rhythm: talk normally as you would face to face. Don’t sound like a
robot.
Speed: speak slowly enough that you can be clearly understood which
is slightly slower than when face-to-face. If someone is taking down
information or you need to be precise, pause slightly between individual
letters/numbers/words.
Volume: use a normal voice. Don’t shout or whisper. Move your face
closer to the microphone if you need to speak more quietly or need to get
louder.
Pitch: as in the above anecdote, try not to go from a tenor to a soprano.
Avoid special codes as much as possible. The layman won’t know it and
will struggle with even basic prowords and the phonetic alphabet. Side
note: If you don’t know the NATO phonetic alphabet, it’s time to learn. If
you are going, “Uh, A for um, apple,” you will sound like a dork.
A proword (procedure word) is radio short hand, like a code. These
are easy to understand and say. Those with experience with military/LE
radio know that certain prowords really grab attention. While in your circle
you may want to use ten codes, military radio parlance, or something else,
here are some very common prowords.
Good: "Team, Bravo 1. Emergency traffic. Six armed bad guys with
ARs taking cover on the northwest corner! I need three guys."
Bad: "Guys!? Hey guys!? Are you listening? They're here. We're all
gonna die! They got guns and they're over by me. There’s a bunch of them!
Somebody do something!”
The former example identifies who is calling, what is going on and the
help needed, and where it is happening. The second example tells you
nothing, except something bad is happening and maybe someone
recognizes the voice. Two more good examples are:
Sound discipline
Most portable radios will come with a cheap, six to nine inch “rubber
duck” antenna, their length often 1/8th of the frequency at that wavelength.
This should be immediately replaced with a longer antenna. For common
VHF/UHF radios, this will be around a 19” antenna. Flexible and folding
antennas exist for easy storage, mounting in a belt holster, or on load
bearing equipment.
When using common handheld radios (handheld transceiver, or HTs,
also known as “handy/walkie-talkies”) hold the radio with the antenna in
the vertical. This applies to your 2m/70cm ham radios, GMRS radios, and
most consumer two-way hand-held radios (which will be FM transmitters).
Do not angle the antenna back as feels natural (or you see everyone on TV
do) as this will reduce its effectiveness by half. Turning it horizontal will be
even more detrimental to your signal. Keep the antenna pointed straight up
by talking into the microphone as it is held right in front of your face.
To properly use these radios and antennas, they need to utilize a
ground plane. This is why antenna angle is important. Think of the ground
plane as a giant reflector of radio signals. The signals are radiated from the
antenna in roughly all directions. This “sphere” of radio waves does much
better if it can “bounce” off the ground plane and up into the air.
Vehicle mounted radios often have their antennas mounted on the
roof or trunk because the metal enhances this effect; even a baking sheet at
home can help. In your hand, your palm is acting as an indirect ground
plane (a weak one). In handheld fashion, the ground plane can be improved
by creating what’s known as a “rat tail” or counterpoise to make a dipole
antenna which is more efficient.
A rat tail is a piece of small gauge wire (22 gauge and higher on the
number line) looped around the threads of the antenna base where it screws
into the radio. This will be cut to a length of your antenna multiplied by
1.05, plus an inch to wrap around the threads.
Note that the length of your antenna will not be how long it is, but
how long it should be electrically. Don’t measure the antenna because wire
may be wrapped around the inside beneath the insulation to make it
electrically longer. Look up what wavelength the antenna is, either on the
packaging or the manufacturer’s spec sheet. Yes, the antenna might actually
be physically as long as the actual fraction wavelength it is advertised as,
but don’t take that for granted.
So, if the antenna is a quarter-wave antenna, that is one-fourth of the
wavelength for the frequency band. 2m VHF is 78” or, at one-quarter
wavelength 19.5”; 70cm UHF is 27.5” or, at one-half wavelength, 13.75”.
Using the above examples, the respective VHF rat tail would be cut to 21.5”
and the UHF cut to 15.5.”[2] A little extra is fine, but in this case, more is
not better.
The looped end needs to be bare, but the rest can be insulated. Some
operators use crimp-on rings to make better connections than just wrapping
wire. There are a lot of different ways to do it and a little Googling will be a
lot of help to you.
When using your rat tail, the wire should be allowed to hang straight
down from the radio towards the ground when the radio is held in a vertical
orientation. This is a dipole antenna in one of its most basic forms. Because
the rat tail is loose, it can be easily stored in a pouch, pocket, or pack. And
yes, it looks just like a piece of wire dangling from your radio. It’s low tech,
cheap, and it works. You can use it with the cheap basic antenna or use it on
your upgraded quarter or half wave antennas to make them even more
effective.
A vertical antenna allows omnidirectional transmission and
receiving. Vertical means perpendicular to the horizon or pointing straight
up into the sky. Antennas can be held in the horizontal position (parallel to
the ground), like you are pointing it at your intended recipient, to get a
stronger signal and decrease the signal interception area. The standard
single element antenna (one thing sticking out) is not the best for this, but it
can be done.
For this to work, both antennas have to be in the same plane
(horizontal to the ground) and preferably aimed at each other’s direction as
closely as possible. A vertical and horizontal antenna will not be in phase
with each other as their polarities are in different orientations; this is what
makes interception difficult as most antennas are going to be vertical.
A multi-element antenna that looks like an old TV antenna is known
as a Yagi. Yagis work best for horizontally polarized transmissions. Think
of Yagi antennas as arrows that are pointing the signal in a general
direction. It’s not a beam like a laser, but it’s more of an elongated blob
aiming where you want it to go. Some designs can very tightly focus the
signal. For basic radio communication a Yagi is not necessary.
For vehicle usage, get the antenna outside the car. A portable radio
inside the vehicle will be transmitting inside a metal cage that will eat up
some of the signal. I don’t talk on ham radio much while moving so I have
a magnetic mount antenna I can slap on the roof and connect to my radio
via a long cable coming in between the door jam and weatherstripping. For
most purposes, a simple quarter to half wavelength antenna on your roof
will do just fine. CB antennas are longer, about six feet, due to the longer
wavelength of those frequencies. You can mount a larger antenna for better
range and reception if you want.
Radios in rural areas
Radios are more important in a rural area than in an urban one. The
lower density and greater distances mean that it is not practical to send a
runner or easily figure out what’s going on. Neighbors will have to alert
each other and coordinate via radio if cell phones are not viable (and even
then radios are better for urgent situations). Tactical communications are
obvious but ordinary communication and even limited broadcasting will
take the place of what is usually done via texts and social media for general
information exchange.
Vehicle radios would be best for mobile communications as they are
higher wattage units with larger and higher mounted antennas. Higher
mounted antennas in rural areas are more important here due to the greater
distances. I recommend dual-band ham radios or GMRS for any rural
defenders.
CB radio is a second choice because they offer less tactical
accessories and are much larger units than newer tech. Find out what is
common in your community because CB radio may already be in common
use between locals. You may live in a place where CB is only used on
major highways and the other channels are practically empty.
Long distance radio communication will be impossible for most. The
most common types of radios that civilians will be using are VHF/UHF
ham and GMRS radios. Business band radios also fall into this category.
With portable HTs (handheld transceivers) running at about 5 watts and
vehicle radios at 50 watts, communications will be short range. At ground
level, in moderately hilly terrain, expect 1-2 mile range for HTs and about
10 miles for vehicle units.
These radios are all line of sight and terrain dependent. You can get
really lucky and hit someone further away or you might be well within
range and yet blocked by a high bluff or something. VHF/UHF
communications are poor at ground level over large operating areas for
these reasons. Flat terrain will not have the same issues, nor will persons
who have altitude on their side with no obstructions, but in the varied
topography that makes up a lot of the nation, line of sight communication of
more than a few miles will be tough.
I recommend a home GMRS 50 watt base station and at least one
car with a 50 watt mobile radio. This would replace a cell phone when
driving around town when the grid is down. Each family member would
have a GMRS walkie-talkie; the older folks would get the more expensive
models with longer antennas and the kids would get the bubble pack ones
when they go play down the street. To talk to friends or relatives across the
county, this would be done with a CB radio mounted on the house.
Note that in a vehicle, range will rapidly change if one or both of the
stations is moving. For instance, two cars traveling in opposite directions
will be increasing their distance once they pass. Every minute at 60 MPH is
a mile apart, so if both cars are doing that speed, the range increases by two
miles every minute. If you’re talking to a house, the range will fall off as
the car moves away. This is regardless of the band used.
As mentioned in the previous books, CB radio or 10m ham radio is
a more viable alternative for medium distance contacts. The frequency
range (band) that these radios operate in works better over longer distances
and varied terrain. They are not magic and cannot overcome all obstructions
but could reach out 20-30 miles with the right antenna, a powerful base
unit, and cooperative geography. A drawback is that to get this kind of
range the radio must be vehicle mounted or in a home base unit.
You don’t need a big, ugly tower in your backyard to get good
reception. On the home, to complement the 50 watt VHF or UHF base
station you have, get a half-wavelength (for 2m VHF) antenna, which is
about six feet long. Mount this with a lightning arrestor and wire it to the
radio inside the house. A similar setup with a larger antenna can be done for
CB radio. There are plenty of reputable vendors who sell quality, high-gain
antennas you can put up.
These would look like a vertical bare flag pole (but a bit longer).
The higher an antenna is placed, the better reception it will get. I’ve
communicated over a 12-mile radius (roughly 500 square miles) in fairly
level urban terrain using such an antenna with a 50 watt UHF radio.
Don’t worry about cutting cables to length and “tuning” antennas.
You can learn those things easily in classes if you want to. Pro tip: pay
someone for a class instead of trying to figure it out from Internet resources.
Pretty much anything you want to do at the average person level can be
purchased and installed with relative ease. TV antenna installers and
electricians can even help with putting in your antennas to running cables.
Ham hobbyists will actually help out newer hams with installations because
many of them actually enjoying doing such things.
Repeaters
Repeaters are what enable easy communication in bad terrain. I’ve
helped setup repeaters for drug interdiction teams searching the mountains
for hidden marijuana grows that permit the teams to communicate with each
other and dispatch. When officers might be ambushed by automatic rifle
toting cartel guards, being able to call for help and communicate with your
teammates is vital. A portable radio, even a large backpack style radio, just
can’t reach out of the canyons and over the ridgelines.
A repeater is just what it sounds like; it retransmits a signal received on
Frequency A on Frequency B. Placed on high points, these are used to
enable communication in varied topography, across long distances, or in big
cities with lots of buildings. A repeater works in duplex mode where it can
listen and transmit at the same time (using two frequencies). Cellular
networks are a form of repeater technology.
Those with the technical ability, the funds, and most importantly the
terrain can and should consider installing a repeater. Repeaters for ham
bands, business bands, and GMRS frequencies are all available. Currently
FCC licensing is needed, but that is not a particular burden to an
experienced radio hobbyist. There will always be someone who can help
get one set up if you get involved with the local amateur radio community.
What precludes a lot of repeater installations is real estate. Repeater and
antenna locations on mountain peaks can be quite lucrative. This puts a lot
of repeaters beyond the financial reach of most people because they can’t
afford the land or the lease for space on an existing tower. Now if you have
land on hilly terrain, own a small hilltop or peak, or even have something
like a silo, you can put in a repeater.
Even small repeaters can have great effects on local communications.
The higher an antenna is, the greater range and propagation the radio or
repeater will get. Economical models with unobtrusive antennas may be
what allows you and your neighbors to effectively radio each other. If you
think a repeater may be beneficial and you have the place for it, connect
with your local ham radio community to see what can be done. Someone
may pay for the equipment, installation, and power just to be allowed to put
one in on your property.
During a large disaster, such as a hurricane, major earthquake, or
Godzilla, repeaters powered by generators or solar power may be your only
way to communicate over medium distances. I would actually endorse
repeaters for disaster communication. However, that all changes when the
world becomes feral. Use of a repeater in a SHTF situation is not always a
viable proposition.
Repeaters transmit over a wide area as part of their purpose. The bigger
the area receiving, the more people who are listening. Additionally, savvy
repeater operators can direction find (DF) your location when using a
repeater. For tactical communications, repeaters should not be used for
these reasons. It’s like switching on a white light on a very dark night and
waving it around. If the zombie apocalypse happens, you’ll want to use as
little power as possible, directional antennas, and the shortest transmissions
possible to avoid interception.
Using a repeater
In a world where phones are down and your neighbors aren’t right next
door, calling for help in an emergency will be difficult. This is partially why
raiders will be drawn to the country; help is long in coming and isolated
properties might be attacked with the aftermath going undiscovered for
days. Even with landline and cellular phones, lines may be cut, signals may
be jammed (a real threat in rural South Africa), and cell towers may be
sabotaged.
A radio plan, not just for ordinary communication and operations
among neighbors, has to be created. Specifically a designated “help”
frequency that anyone can get on and use. This should be monitored 24/7 in
each home and especially by members of your rapid reaction force. Your
911 call will be a “mayday” on the radio help channel. In aviation, this is
known as the “guard” channel or CB channels 9/19 and Marine VHF
Channel 16. For amateur radio, this would be the common calling
channels[4] though local repeaters may be more popular choices for hams.
A “mayday” call consists of starting with the proword “Mayday” three
to six times, followed by the location, nature of emergency, persons in
danger, and help needed. Anyone hearing a mayday should answer the call
(until a more competent authority can take over coordination), record the
information, and either get help started or provide aid themselves.
Morning and evening roll call to make sure no one has been
attacked.
Pre-arranged duress codes to signal a hostage situation.
Arranged communications plans to shift bands/frequencies if
there is jamming.
Dispatcher/control
Unless your radio net consists of a small number of users, you will
need dedicated volunteers to act as dispatchers or net control operators. The
dispatchers can then sound a general alarm over the radio, make calls, or
sound a physical aural alarm. Their duties are very simple:
1. Pass on alarms;
2. Share emergency information;
3. Coordinate the emergency response; and,
4. Tell people who are chattering on the guard frequency to change
channels.
That’s it. The basic skill of being able to pay attention, quickly write
down information, and speak clearly and calmly are good qualifications.
Anyone who can do that can do the job and lots of people are capable. A
pool of volunteers who are scheduled is the best way to avoid fatigue and
burnout; the larger the pool and the shorter the shifts the better.
For major incidents, there should be an experienced and dedicated net
controller. This person should have experience using radios and perhaps
is/was a real dispatcher at one point in their life. An experienced amateur
operator (ham) is another good choice. They need to be able to do more
than just pass information but think on their feet and perhaps even battle
track a little. This person could also be the battle coordinator.
Dedicated net control will keep track of unit movements, assignments,
and needs. They can then allocate resources based on this information. By
listening to the radio traffic, scanner feeds, and utilizing other information,
they can paint an intelligence big picture that the guys in the fight may not
have time to do.
As for alerting others, this can be done via broadcasting alarm tones or
repeating the mayday call until enough responders hear what’s going on.
The muster calls, in addition to being over the radio, could be using the
local volunteer firefighter/tornado siren or someone could install something
similar. Range of an outdoor alarm would be limited to just a few miles in a
noisy environment, however.
Phone calls should utilize a phone tree as long as the telephone
system is working. For instance, the dispatcher calls two specific people,
like patrol leaders. Those leaders each call two designated people and the
two people they call ring up two more people that they’ve been assigned to
call. This way, the dispatcher doesn’t need to call each person individually
and the word can spread fast.
Scanners and just listening
The vast majority of your radio use should be listening and not talking.
Listening gives you information and denies it to the enemy. If you speak,
you can not only give away what you are doing, but your identity and
location. Two-way radios can monitor traffic, and it is perfectly legal to
own a ham-band capable radio to just listen, but radio scanners are better
tools for listening only.
Scanners are excellent tools for information and intelligence.
Scanners are simply a radio receiver and memory bank that rapidly tunes to
potentially thousands of channels in a matter of seconds. Most decent
models can get everything from public safety, aviation, marine, unencrypted
military, business, amateur (ham), and personal use radio traffic. Get a
scanner, learn the lingo of what you’re listening to, and monitor it to know
what is going on.
Never rely on online streaming services; I don’t care how easy or
comprehensive the Broadcastify app on your phone is. The feed is often
delayed, seldom covers anything other than main dispatch channels, and is
totally under the control of the service and the streamer. In a major
catastrophe, the electricity, Internet, and cell service may be down at both
ends. Be able to listen using your own resources.
When buying a scanner, options can be overwhelming. One easy
option is pre-programmed models like the Uniden Home Patrol series.
These scanners are preloaded with frequencies and can also be edited to
create custom lists on your computer. They are expensive but are easy to
use without compromising on features. Simple scanners that take direct
entry are available cheaply, but these come with very limited features, a
narrow range of channels you can save, and can’t capture all radio
transmissions.
Know what kind of radios are used by the emergency services in
your area or you might have a dead scanner. Conventional analog (simplex)
radio is what most people are familiar with; you hear what is transmitted on
the frequency you’ve dialed in. On a scanner, the frequency can be directly
entered and signals received. These systems are common in smaller and
rural communities.
Trunked radio systems are much more complicated and requires a
trunking scanner. These systems share a set of frequencies, but instead of
transmitting on a dedicated frequency, a controller only sends the traffic to
radios tuned to receive specific traffic (called “talk groups”). Skipping the
detailed explanation, one has to program in the control frequencies for a
trunked network and the individual talk groups. Programming is more
complicated because the control frequencies and the talk groups must be
input.
Trunking is why older scanners don’t work with modern systems,
but this doesn’t mean that the radio traffic is encrypted. LAPD uses a
trunked system that is unencrypted. Nevada state agencies, for example, are
on trunked systems, but among those, only Las Vegas Metro Police have
encrypted radio. In another example, St. Louis Police is part of the Missouri
Statewide Wireless Interoperable Network, also unencrypted. Check what
your local agencies use.
One thing to keep in mind when monitoring trunked systems is that
the voice traffic sounds unnatural. It sounds “digital” and “choppy.” If
you’ve listened to online streams, you probably know what I’m talking
about. This has to do with the fact that consumer scanners aren’t often
included with the same technology and antennas to properly receive the
signals in the same quality very expensive public safety radios can.
Unfortunately for the civilian listener, traffic can be garbled, part of the
transmission can be missed, and the lack of detail tends to drop out
important contextual cues like background noises or tone of voice.
Have a hardcopy of all the frequencies you want to monitor along with
the hardcopy instruction manual of your scanner. You can’t get online to
RadioReference.com if the world has ended or the power is out. In fact,
program your scanner now and listen.
I prefer to have pre-set groups of frequencies I want to check. For
instance, for SHTF intelligence I have a list of frequencies that average
people (or bad guys) might be using. The typical radios someone will use in
an SHTF situation will be those that are readily available, meaning
GMRS/FRS, CB, business/MURS, and dual-band Baofeng type radios.
Most criminals are lazy and unsophisticated; they will use what they have
access to and aren’t going to be running some sort of high-tech digital or
encrypted radio but whatever they bought cheaply or more likely stole.
I don’t put much stock in the “Close Call” features that pickup
nearby radio transmissions. In practice, these pickup far too much traffic
and are often inundated on each “sweep” of the frequencies by digital data
when scanning ham bands. I don’t want to check thousands of frequencies
and get a lot of false positives. By scanning the frequencies bad guys are
most likely to be using, I can hear if the neighborhood group in the
development across the arroyo is getting attacked or if a gang is
coordinating a raid.
With an off-the-shelf scanner, I’m using a dinky little rubber ducky
antenna and most likely so is whoever I’m trying to listen to. Transmissions
far away aren’t going to be received if they have a weak signal, so by the
nature of the equipment they are likely to be using, I’m going to probably
only pick up close transmissions anyway. Remember to replace that cheap,
short “rubber ducky” antenna on your radios and scanners with taller, high
gain ones for better range and reception. For tactical use, folding flexible
antennas exist that fit scanners just like your portable HT.
Yes, however you many need to learn the local radio codes, call
signs, and assignments for your emergency services in order to understand
them for monitoring to be useful. Some agencies encrypt their radio traffic
so you may not have access to local fire/police/EMS radio. The utility of
the scanner will depend on the amount of traffic in your area, your ability to
tune the thing to find relevant traffic, and your ability to actually listen and
understand what is being said, both by professional and civilian users.
For the average person who may not understand how to program a
trunking scanner and/or has no familiarity with radio brevity codes, a
scanner may not help much. If you do not have the interest or aptitude to
learn how to use a scanner and learn the “language” of police and fire, a
scanner may not be of much use to you.
Police in particular now are using encrypted radios that you cannot
listen to. You would only receive static or noise if you tuned in. Trunked
radio systems are not encrypted but require a knowledgeable user to
program in the frequencies and talk groups from a database. This is far
more complicated than just punching the six digit frequency into the front
end of a classic Radio Shack scanner. So traffic volume, the ability to
receive that traffic, and the capabilities of the equipment you have or can
afford all must be considered.
While ten codes and other brevity codes can be looked up online, it
takes a practiced ear to hear the traffic and understand it. You may not have
a clear understanding of the call signs, their duties, or geographical
assignments. Often unless you hear a call dispatched, you will not know
what is going on as the units respond. Turning on the radio once you hear
sirens is usually too late.
The same thing goes for listening to bad guys; do you know what
bands to listen to based on what kind of radios they might be using? Do you
have any idea what their verbiage may sound like. A “close call” feature
might alert if someone transmits nearby, but unless you have the ability to
triangulate the signal or analyze what they’re saying, the capability may be
overrated.
For all of these reasons, I recommend finding someone who is
already a ham radio or scanner enthusiast and using them to provide
COMINT (communications intelligence). This person should be able to
handle radio programming and understand what’s going on. Many large
communities have social media accounts by such people who provide
timely information to the public. Check your neighborhood or preparedness
group for your radio operator.
Radio traffic interception will be the bulk, if not the entirety, of your
SIGINT (signals intelligence)[6] and COMINT duties. You’ll do this by
scanning radio frequencies or sweeping whole bands. I recommend having
multiple scanners for this, 2-3. It’s very difficult for a person to pay
attention to three sources of information at a time and what I consider the
maximum aural attention span for an average person. If you have the skills,
a device like a Software Defined Radio (SDR) or Hack RF One could be
used.
A tape/digital recorder can be used, set to the VOX or voice-activated
setting, to record only voice traffic for later review. This will not get you
real time intelligence but the recording can be analyzed later. VOX modes
will also condense the recording to only transmissions without extensive
dead air.
Normal times
SHTF
When you have nearby bad guys coordinating via radio, it’s time to
make the primary emphasis of your radio interception their traffic. You
want to know what the bad guys (or other defenders) are doing and where,
not what the police are doing or how they plan on reacting. Heck, the police
might not even be functional and your safety could be all up to you.
The primary frequencies your scanners should be checking are: 1.
GMRS, FRS, and MURS; 2, 70cm/2m ham; 3, CB radio. These are all the
easiest and cheapest radios to get and the most likely frequencies that bad
guys will be using to communicate on. Next, scan outside the approved
bands on the frequencies Baofengs are capable of using (136-174 MHz and
400-480 MHz). As I discuss elsewhere, traffic can be “hidden” by using
non-standard frequencies illegally because it’s less-likely anyone is
listening. Next I would consider adding in other radios people might be
using surreptitiously, like marine UHF.
Military traffic can be a source of some intelligence. The military
will encrypt anything but the most boring, least important traffic. I would
not put it past a savvy psychological operations officer to deliberately
transmit false information in the clear to trick guerillas or insurgents into
action. For defensive purposes, you might be able to pick up on basic
movements in your area, like motor pool or maybe arrangements for food
distribution.
When you determine a frequency is being used, set a dedicated
scanner to that frequency to monitor it. Scanner cycles can be several
seconds long and might miss a very short transmission of a second or two,
like “Execute!” or “Go! Go! Go!” that might be important to hear. You’ll
want a faster scan time that can pick up short, but vitally important,
transmissions.
COMSEC; Communication Security
Privacy and discretion
Cell phones
Transmission COMSEC
Everything you say on a radio can be intercepted. What you say and
where you transmit from can be easily identified. Dedicated amateurs
practice locating transmitters (especially unlicensed or foul mouthed
operators) and breaking digital mode transmissions (which are not
encrypted). Should you have access to encrypted business radios, those can
be decrypted by the government, if they are so inclined.
Until the federal government is unable to enforce the law, all FCC
regulations apply. This means that licenses are needed on licensed
frequencies, call signs must be used, and no encrypted traffic can be sent.
The FCC can’t monitor everything, but keep in mind that “white knight”
ham radio operators may turn you in or interfere with you for violating
regulations.
The so-called “privacy modes” on your family radios only silence
people outside your group; everyone else can hear you in those modes. It’s
also important to understand that even if you don’t hear anyone else on the
radio, someone could still be listening.
Efficiency of communications helps avoid giving away intelligence and
cuts down the amount of time that traffic can be intercepted. Think of it as
whispering in a dark room; the shorter and quieter you whisper, the less
chance anything you say will be understood and the harder it will be to
home in on your voice. Understand that radio traffic can be detected as soon
as you key the mic without even saying a word.
Keep anything you say to a minimum. Communicate only
information that is vital to your mission. Do not make conversation. If you
have a talkative or joking individual in your group, consider taking away
their radio and ignoring any idle chatter from them. If you are making a
long report, say “break” and stop transmitting every so often so that
someone with emergency traffic can break in. Radios aren’t like cell
phones; you cannot talk over another radio signal at the same time.
Keep any specific information discreet. If you can avoid
transmitting real names, addresses, and your actions, the better. True codes
tend to be frowned upon in normal times, but in a WROL radio procedure
should use special call signs and codes. By “codes” I mean concealing
names and locations, not trying to mimic police or military radio codes.
Use plain speech as much as possible to give orders or request
things, while only obfuscating that which your enemy may intercept. Don’t
use 10-codes or things like that. Average people aren’t going to be able to
memorize and correctly use a whole host of code phrases. Your job isn’t to
sound cool.
As much as possible, generic descriptions and first names should be
used (aside from call signs). Example: “John, this is Dick. Go to southeast
corner and report,” versus the poor “John, Dick Wilson here. Can you go
down Maple Street to the corner of Ash Drive by the Jones’ house? Tell me
what’s going on down there.” The first strikes a good balance between
vagueness to frustrate electronic eavesdropping and quickly transmitting
information. In the second version, John just gave away Dick’s last name
and unwittingly broadcasted his cross-streets.
As far as code phrases, restrict those to only orders that would be
compromised if intercepted by radio, such as ordering a retreat. An example
would be instead of radioing “Retreat, retreat,” you would say “Doghouse,
doghouse.” The bad guys won’t know what “doghouse” means. A bad use
would be “Buick, move with Ford to Dallas. Use the Big Stick to Jet Ski.”
That’s five things to remember and all the code words could be confusing.
Only encode what you absolutely must.
Use first names as they are easy to remember and still somewhat
vague.
Change channels regularly to complicate interception.
Operate outside of approved bands for given licenses.
Never use exact locations except in an emergency; assign code
names to your streets and local landmarks. Your radios won’t be
transmitting that far so you won’t have to rename the whole state.
Perhaps have code phrases for certain common or very important
actions (keep it simple).
Have a duress code if you think someone is listening to the radio
so everyone can be extra discreet. One code word could indicate
to switch to a pre-decided secondary channel.
Electronic warfare basics
Communications security (COMSEC) is about denying intelligence
to your adversary. This goes beyond solely information denial which you
accomplish through encryption or frequency variation. Even if your enemy
can’t understand what you’re saying, knowing when, from where, and how
frequently you transmit can give them valuable intelligence. Each time you
key up, a sophisticated enemy will be able to triangulate your position and
map it. Over time, this will reveal a pattern.
Patterns of life are important to consider. Imagine someone analyzes
your cell phone data over several months and maps out where you usually
go. A large diversion out of state to Grandma’s house or the beach is not
unusual, but suddenly going out of your way to an area where others being
monitored are present is a clue. Even if you turn off your phone a mile out
from the super secret whatever, the investigator can guess where you went.
On the other hand, if your phone stays home, someone will have to
physically be observing you.
Electronic Warfare (EW), also known as communications
surveillance and interference can be targeted or general. In the targeted
sense, your adversary knows you are out there and actively hunting your
signals and monitor them for intelligence. This enables them to track you,
learn from you, avoid you, and harass you.
For instance, a sophisticated looting gang knows that your
neighborhood has a radio plan could have mobile units to conduct radio
surveillance in the surrounding area. More generally, an adversary is not
looking for you specifically, but monitors the electronic spectrum
(airwaves) for signals. These signals are analyzed to produce intelligence.
For instance, your neighborhood’s ham radio guy hears a bunch of bad guys
you weren’t aware of chatting away on their radios and now you know they
are out there.
Militias and opposing partisan forces will likely be targeted by
government, military, or powerful non-governmental organizations. If they
know you exist, they will be checking to see if you are emitting electronic
signals. Once they know that you are, they can then target you for EW.
Cartels in Mexico do this to each other and it is not beyond the possibility
of well-funded or equipped groups in a major collapse situation to develop
these capabilities in America or the first world.
For most people, general monitoring of the electronic spectrum will
likely reveal “interesting” radio traffic. This will eventually lead to the
discovery of someone or a group that is deemed worthy of monitoring. For
the average survivor, this will be how we will learn of a threat using radios,
etc.; we’ll hear the bad guys on a scanner. From this casual capture of
signals, further work reveals more info. Triangulation leads to locations.
Message analysis leads to discovering identity, mission, methods, etc.
EW can be a great asset or a great liability. However you may use it
against an enemy, it can be used against you.
Never assume that anywhere you went or anything you did in the
past is a secret. Who knows how long cell phone or Internet data is actually
kept? Our best defense is a high signal to noise ratio; if they are keeping
everything, we have to hope that there is too much data in a non-cataloged
fashion for them to make use of. Hope is not a plan, so assume that
someone watching you knows whatever you are up to.
Assume that everything you say on the radio is being overheard.
The red flashlight filter under a poncho solution doesn’t truly exist for
radios, but other ways to minimize your radio signature can be utilized.
The first is encryption, which is illegal on ham bands and not
accessible to most radio users. Using code names, codewords, and messages
sent in cypher are all viable defenses, but not foolproof. This obfuscates
who is speaking and what the conversation is about but does not lessen the
chances of interception, signal analysis, or decryption.
You have two ways of obfuscating your radio traffic; encrypt it or
hide it. Hiding radio traffic means getting off the most commonly used and
monitored frequencies to a frequency your adversary does not expect.
Encryption makes it impossible for anyone but the NSA to know what you
are saying. The transmissions sound like electronic noise.
Encryption is like cutting up a letter into puzzle pieces and then
reassembling it on the other end into a coherent message. If it is intercepted,
all one gets is jumbled and pretty much no one except the government can
decrypt the message. It’s not at all like hiding. Anyone can hear and locate
the source of your encrypted transmission; they just won’t understand it. An
encrypted signal is like walking around a mall with a sign written in an
unknown language; everyone can see the sign but they can’t read it.
For most of us, encryption isn’t gonna happen. We can’t afford the
radios that can do this. Digital modes are legal, but those aren’t encryption.
Digital radio is transmission of data versus voice. The radio turns your
speech into data, transmits it to another radio, and the receiving radio turns
it back into speech. A radio that is not able to decode digital signals or not
properly configured to decode your transmissions will just put electronic
noise out of its speaker.
Digital would be a good middle ground halfway to encryption
because pretty much all but the government and very skilled hams would be
able to decode your transmissions. A gang sophisticated enough to monitor
those frequencies would probably be using a consumer grade scanner that
would only get electronic noise. They would know you are out there, but
not who you are or what you are saying.
Now digital is also not foolproof, like speaking in code, but it is the
closest that the overwhelming majority of us are going to get to truly private
radio transmissions. The caveat though is that everyone you want to talk to
digitally all must have properly configured digital radios, which is a tall
order, hence I don’t recommend it here.
Most radios are locked into a set of frequencies (typically your big
box store FRS radios) or a particular segment of the radio band. This means
that a lot of people are using a small number of frequencies. Imagine for a
second you’re in a car trying to travel or escape undetected. You’d choose a
backroad instead of the freeway, right? You can do that with radios as well.
Uncommon or non-voice frequencies are like the backroads of the airwaves.
The fewer radios using that frequency, the fewer ears listening. The trick is
you need a radio that will access a wide range of frequencies.
If you have a VHF/UHF radio that can transmit all over the band,
such as the popular Chinese Baofeng UV-5R model, you have a spectrum of
potentially 136-174 MHz and 400-520 MHz (depending on the model).
Being able to transmit outside of the amateur bands is, in this case, a good
thing. This idea is only applicable to SHTF as it would be illegal otherwise.
Take for instance something in the 156 MHz range. Those
frequencies are allocated to licensed commercial or government users and
maritime VHF radio. 137 MHz is to communicate with satellites. On the
UHF side, there are similar allocations. What you would do is find a set of
unused frequencies in your area, basically outside the range of other radios
or what bad guys would logically be scanning and talk on those. What you
are doing is not making your signals undetectable but making them harder
to detect.
If you’re in the middle of Arizona or Colorado, where no one is
using marine VHF radios, the likelihood of interference or intercept is
lower because fewer people are likely using or monitoring those
frequencies. Using frequencies that don’t ordinarily carry voice
communication is another way to go undetected as ordinary scanners and
radios might not pick up that frequency.
The caveat is that the FCC can detect your traffic being used
improperly outside of the proper allocation. Skilled hams can do the same
thing. A scanner that covers the frequencies you are using can pick up your
signals as well. A microchip controlled device that is monitoring
everything, just in case, could turn out to be your worst enemy.
An analogy I’ll use is this. You veer your car off the highway and
take a path down a dirt road. Someone driving down the highway may
never see your car on the side road. On the other hand, someone flying over
in a helicopter looking for you can easily find you or discover your car
where it doesn’t belong. Having voice traffic on frequencies where it is
prohibited might be a red flag for an interest party to pay attention.
Finally, using non-allocated frequencies in a non-without rule of law
situation can land you in a heap of legal trouble. Hams may hound you and
report you to the FCC just for the pleasure of it. You could also cause
interference with navigation devices (very bad), satellites, critical business
communication, or emergency services. One example is careless Mexican
fishermen using repurposed equipment with very powerful transmitters off
the coast of California. Their conversations bled into the sheriff’s channel
and a Spanish speaking dispatcher would have to attempt to get them to
change frequencies so they would stop disrupting our communications.
Unpopular bands
Want to gain a little more privacy and lesser chance of interception?
Use unpopular or uncommon bands. Most ham and consumer radios operate
in the 2m VHF (140 MHz) and 70cm UHF (440 MHz) bands. These are the
most popular FM frequencies because most cheap radios (Baofengs) utilize
them. The underutilized bands are 1.25m (220 MHz), 6m (50 MHz), and
10m (28 MHz).
I personally would recommend 1.25m (220 MHz) because it’s so
similar to 2m (140 MHz) VHF, but with a lower noise floor. 1.25m is not
widely used and none to very few commercially available radio scanners
are tuned for these frequencies. Because few people have these radios and
it’s highly unlikely any civilian will have a scanner that can pick up this
band, there is a low, but not zero, probability of intercept. Baofeng sells
1.25m handsets and a variety of mobile and rack units are available.
6m (50 MHz) is another uncommon band, but HT units seem to be rare,
so this would be limited to vehicle or home mounted use. 10m (28 MHz) is
quite similar to CB radio in characteristics and it is usually within the
ability of commercial scanners to monitor the frequency range. Again, HT
units are uncommon as this is more of a rack or vehicle mount, but more
easily sourced than 6m HTs. 10m radios are going to be found mostly in the
hands of serious hams and scanners for everyone else.
Please note that repeaters for these bands are uncommon and should
not be relied on. In fact, no repeater should be relied upon. You will need a
2m/70cm radio if you want to talk to most mobile hams, so multiple radios
may be needed.
Again, if you decide to go with an unpopular band, such as 1.25m,
be aware that your communications are not secure. They are less
susceptible to intercept than other frequencies simply because there is a
lesser chance that someone is listening. These are not secure channels but
are the equivalent of having a private conversation in an empty room with
the door open. Someone could walk right in or be listening just outside the
door. All emission control (EMCON) and communications security
(COMSEC) procedures still apply. You are transmitting in the clear.
To truly decrease the chance of interception, the lowest transmission
power to get the job done coupled with a directional antenna (horizontally
polarized) should be used. A radio sending signals that are horizontally
polarized will be difficult for a vertically polarized antenna to pickup
clearly. Remember that using the lowest power possible to make the
connection is always best. Low power is analogous to whispering to defeat
an eavesdropper.
If the rule of law and the FCC hasn’t collapsed yet, but you need to talk
on ham radio without a license or don’t want to identify yourself, borrow
someone else’s call sign. Note that this would be illegal.
Find an active call sign in the Technician (entry level) or General
(intermediate) classes from an entirely different region. Record or
memorize the call sign, the person’s name, and the city and state they’re
from. This way, if anyone looks up the call sign, you can accurately give the
correct name and area while you claim to be traveling.
Alternatively, find a call sign that’s similar enough to yours to be
easily confused, such as a letter or number off. You can just pretend to be a
total idiot if caught, though this would be easier to trace to you.
Obviously do not use your real name or any personal info. Never
transmit from your home or from the same static location. I cannot stress
how important this is; the FCC and experienced hams can determine where
you are transmitting from. Change up the call signs as well but keep in
mind someone with a good memory might notice the same voice using
multiple call signs, doubly so if they have a recorder.
Jamming
Countermeasures
However, in the real world, telling people not to break the law,
especially while breaking the law, is like eating soup from a slotted spoon.
Criminals will break the law and people will do what they feel they need to
do.
Disclaimer
Fiction works include the Ventura Sheriff EMP series, Hard Favored
Rage and Blood Dimmed Tide, where deputies must survive after a
devastating electromagnetic pulse destroys the electric grid. Late For
Doomsday and Limited Exchange (1 & 2) are novels of surviving and
evacuating after a nuclear attack.