Might want to check the Motorola T480 emergency weather radio. Whistle, NOAA weather, flashlight, FM radio, and FRS/GMRS capabilities. The Motorola T800 is similar but also has off grid texting and location sharing.
I find it hard to see you promote Amazon for purchases... Bezos is up there with many that are the real reason we find ourselves in this position I'm the first place! Can you promote any other online services???
My wife and I moved from central Pennsylvania to a small LDS community in central Utah two years ago. A neighbor immediately brought over an 8 1/2 X 11 inch cardboard poster, red on one side, green on the other. On the green side was printed: "We're O K", on the red side "Need Help". The neighbor said everyone looks for those signs in our front windows if there is a storm or whatever. Truly a nice neighborhood!
@@jessicaSmash we lived in central PA (Lewisburg) where we could purchase firewood at a local Amish auction, rarely had to water our garden because of frequent rains, and we had room for several animals (7 acres). Here in Utah we could not afford a few acre lot but the neighbors are very friendly They bring over meals when one of us is sick (I'm 76), they always clear the snow off my sidewalks and driveway . . . I couldn't ask for nicer neighbors. But, we did love PA and my neighbors there were all good people, as well. I grew up in Levittown. I went to graduate school in Philadelphia (U of P) and didn't care for that neighborhood at all (too much crime).
I live in Utah. Our city has a packet for new residents with red and green papers too. During our emergency training once a year we post a colored paper in our window to let authorities know how we are. We know a serious earthquake is over due.
Low tech ways our ancestors used to alert neighbors or the next village: church bell, schoolhouse bell, farm bell, bonfire on hilltop, drums, fireworks, runner carrying a written or spoken message, horse rider carrying a written or spoken message, signal flags on ships and homing pigeon carrying a written message. These old-fashioned ways do not need electricity or computer chips and are not affected by electromagnetic pulses. They do not require a HAM radio license either.
I've live in a very rural area since the 1970's. You had a waiting list to get an 8 person party phone line. We would discharged our rifle to alert our neighbor. 3 fast shots signed an emergency. No cells phones were invented than. If you were lucky a cb radio possibly connected to a neighbor close by If they just happen yo be within hearing to page to them. First responds was 30 to 40 minutes to come to your aid. Thry are volunteers.
Well that homing pigeon won't be much help if the magnetic field goes coo-coo. That's what they use to guide themselves. Spoken or written words by courier is the preferred method. Smoke signals are a close second.
@@davidmiller8030 that works,but if you broke your leg,and laying out in your pasture with your cattle, it's going to take you quite a bit. To crawling in to your house,and out the driveway to post your snail mail. God forbidden if you broken your hip, you would be dead before anyone checked on you.
@@Boone22 Holy cow you got me beat, NorCal boonies here and we had a 3 family party line, no radio, one TV station, no cable and no PG&E back in the day but it is god's country as the locals say. Can you imagine a kid today with a party line or a rotary phone, or an 8 track that click clicks in the middle of the song to change tracks? Good times.
After Hurricanes Katrina and Ida my family members there (Louisiana) were able to call me (in Oregon) easier than they could call one another, so I was the check in point for everyone. I could access info about what roads were open and clear and give that to them. It was so helpful to them and a comfort to me every time one of them checked in.
Chris, could you make a video about prepping for people who don't have the means to buy a house? For example people who rent homes, live in apartments, etc. It seems to me a lot of prepping things are off the table for these people, mostly things like altering their housing for water catchment, gardens, solar, things like that. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on how to maximize their situation for prepping. Sincerely, A 28 year old who can't buy a house because of the ridiculously inflated covid housing market... lol
We are in the same boat. In the next couple of years are looking at buying a more affordable property up north (Canada north) as a bug out/eventual retirement location, but we won't be able to live there for a while due to family obligations in the city, so for now we are doing our best trying to prep in a condo in the city.
What you miss out the most in those situations is based on (A) space and (B) generation. You might want to consider that since skills are portable that you would be better off being mobile. Have a place to go (family, close friend, etc), have multiple plans and means to get there, and then consider your long term preps for that location. This is the traditional "bug out location" model which is very common (and most "bug outs" are to someone else's "bug in" rather than a remote cabin in the wilderness). If you have the space, you can set up an apartment to be a place you can bunker inside of for a very long time (and while water storage is certainly the most difficult, so long as you have good purification you need only map out where the local water sources are to you and how you can get water from those places back to your home - so some sturdy containers and a good method of porting them). Some things you might just have to have in plan rather than hand, which isn't great, but will do. Consider the "water catchment" in the high rise in "28 days later" - what would normally have been an open or common roof was covered with containers to catch rain. Functional (if it rains), but imagine how much more efficient such a system would be with the addition of a few tarps or roll of extra-sturdy plastic drop cloth! If you are renting a house, you certainly can't go and make all the modifications you want today, but if your house has gutters, how hard would it be to keep a stack of large trash bins clean in a corner someplace that you could - in an emergency - use as catch basis under those gutters simply by cutting the gutter off a litter higher and setting them under it.
Same here. The focus for me has been camping supplies and networking. I know many people who live far from the city. If you are particularly close with someone you could trade a small parcel of their land for security/hunting/other skills and services. It’s all about bringing something to the table. I’m also looking at buying land with friends, but that is years down the line probably. Still focus on savings, despite it looking hopeless
Couple questions about your situation: 1) Are you in a high rise apartment? 2) Do you have a patio/balcony? 3) Do you have an onsite storage option or a storage unit company near by? 4) Does your front door lead to a shared interior hallway? 5) Whats the demographic of the average tenant? I live in an apartment and there are a ton of things you can do that would likely be in compliance with any lease and work well in a small space. Giving the right circumstances an apartment dweller may actually be better off than someone trying to survive in a house. The power of community shouldn't be underestimated and people sharing a building have an added incentive to work together during SHTF type scenarios. But make no mistake if the apartment community is already plagued with misfits (drug dealers, gangs, etc) during "peacetime" there is little chance of that ever improving.
Just my observation, we have a real estate crash roughly every 20 years. This bubble is bigger than in the early 2000s. We are due for another crash soon. Maybe, try to save what you can and be ready.
One more thing for consideration: when putting together a communications plan, everyone should think about time intervals for contacting individuals, as well as rendezvous points in case going home isn’t an option. --- And now an aside: Retired Army Signal NCO here. I have 40+ years of communication experience in both garrison and field environments, dealing with everything from telephone wire, tactical satellites, and a lot of stuff in between. One of the highlights of 2021 for me was the acquisition of my Amateur Extra license. I listed all of that in order to say the following: KRIS, YOU BEAT ME TO THE PUNCH!! I was literally working on my second video with this topic on the table. Your presentation today was excellent, with a couple of elements that I had not included (solar power considerations and the usage of signal mirrors) in my efforts. Overall, the community is definitely going to benefit from your upload, and I am jealous that you got yours out there first! 👍🏾😉
We call it a "calling clock" in some groups. Some use the top of the hour, others the bottom (6 o'clock.) You may want to set your own specific calling clock to other intervals, cutting down on certain bands being flooded with traffic at the same time.
Awesome! Since I started prepping, I got really interested in communications. I just got my Tech license and currently studying for my General I am starting to think that if I could rewind 25 years, I was meant to be in the Signal Corps. Congratulations on your Extra, that is a great accomplishment!
Having an “Operator” outside of your area set up before an emergency is a key step in your communication plan. After our big earthquake in Alaska the cell network was slammed but the text and internet was available but VERY slow. I.e. send a text and it was delivered minutes or hours later. Your Operator acts as a relay that everyone in your physical area can let them know you and those physically with you are okay. I would also stress to think ahead of what you absolutely have to send in your text to minimize its size and length. We found short text got through initially faster than lengthy ones. A sample text could be “Me and all 3 kids are safe no injuries, in N. Anchorage. Attempting to get home on foot will contact later when home if possible. love U.” Good video guys!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! You brought up some great points. If you’re interested in this topic, we encourage you to check out our award-winning documentary called Grid Down Power Up - Documentary, narrated by Dennis Quaid. It’s free on UA-cam, and it goes into a lot of detail on these issues. Plus, they’ve got a website where you can take action by contacting legislators and public utilities. Please help us spread the word.
Thank you for mentioning photographs. Imagine the following two conversations: (1) we are looking for our daughter, she is five years old, brown hair, brown eyes, and really cute too VS she is the girl in this color photo, have you seen her? (2) Same little girl screaming, "NO! THAT IS NOT MY MOM AND DAD!! THIS IS A PICTURE OF ME AND MY FAMILY!!!!!! A simple printed family just might be a real life saver. Thanks for your helpful tips.
My husband is a hiker and mountain climber and he also volunteers for search and rescue. The inreach is excellent to have (even before a grid down) for anyone who hikes outside of cell phone range. It helps search and rescue find you quickly if you get lost or injured out in the woods.
Great video. I have just made crystal radio. It picks up AM band and requires no batteries or power whatsoever. The downside is you need to carry about 30mtrs of fine insulated aerial wire ( fits in your pocket) and some small length for a decent ground too. Ok, it is probably not perfect, but it can pick up very distant stations and never goes flat Might just be handy as a last resort to listen to emergency AM broadcasts etc. Cheers
Having multiple layers of communication is crucial. I truly appreciate how you made sure to cover low tech options (mirror and frs radio) as well as next level (satellite) options. The garmins are a really good idea that many don't consider!
Am a ham and Emergency Coordinator for the local ARES group..We drill using em pwr all the time..Simplex with relays ,no rptr's, radio to radio comms.. You never know whats going to be down..Encourage all to get your ticket and join ARES in your area, and drill,test,practice.. "When all else fails, - HAM RADIO"..
Hi Kris, CB radio is alive and well in the IE. I am running a base station setup at my house in Alta Loma and chat with people all the way in Norco and beyond.
This is SO important to me. I have a plan set up with my family so that when the "lights go out", what i call it when the shtf, so that if communication goes out we all meet at a specific spot. Good video. Good to know sir!
Setting up a communications network takes time. Start now with your community. Get familiar with how your radio works. Having a radio and using a radio are two totally different things entirely.
After Katrina, we had one sister we couldn't get in touch with. There was no way to drive around very much. Her son was in the national guard and was able to finally get a cell signal to text us that their neighborhood wasn't terribly damaged but he still hadn't been able to get to them. It was a long 4 days until we heard from her. Since then we all have the hand held ham radio. We really need to practice on it though.
This was one of the things I missed the most before I got a solar generator (no cell service where I live so I rely on WiFi)! Walkie-talkie's work great as long as the other party remembers to turn them on. LOL
lol yup, that turning them on thing is rather important! I've had experience in both a volunteer first aid setting & in a theatre setting (spotlight operator, or at least they were supposed to be) where people have not turned them on! I mean if you're given a radio, surely you turn it on? & even moreso, if you're given it already on, surely you leave it on & listen to it, not switch it off "to save it's battery" & stick it on your belt & leave it there for the next 4 hours while you wander around aimlessly, while those that gave you the radio desperately try to contact you on it! Unbelievable the number of people who will do that! Apparently they think the radio is only for if THEY need to contact someone & doesn't occur to them it's not all about THEM & that other people might have a need to contact them too!
When having battery powered devices stored remember that some battery types may leak in a couple of years (faster with higher temperatures). The leaked electrolyte may destroy battery contacts or the entire device. Alkaline batteries seem to be the worst doing this. Lithium batteries have a long shelf life and don't leak. I store my batteries in a separate plastic bag with the device they power.
Great video! A few important communication items I always keep in my back pack and vehicles are a ruled notepad, some heavy card stock, a few permanent markers (Sharpie Industrial permanent markers are the best imo and can even write on greasy lab glassware), construction pencils, several plastic sleeves and heavy duty freezer gallon and quart zip lock bags, and a roll of high visibility orange duct tape, all stored in a gallon freezer zip lock bag. Leaving notes for people (where you are going, dates and times, contact information, radio channels you’ll be on, telling them you love them for emotional support, etc.) is a super important method of communication. Besides leaving notes for people, the notepad can also be used for copying and logging information sent electronically, which is important in case batteries die, screens break, etc., and the information can’t be re-read or re-transmitted. The plastic sleeves and ziplocks can help keep the paper dry and protected from the elements, especially if notes are taped up outside on trees, doors, or cars. The high visibility duct tape has a ton of uses, including taping notes up, marking trails and trees, making important survival items more visible in the dark, sealing containers, bundling kindling for carry, medical uses including makeshift slings and splints, “SOS” and communication markings such as giant directional arrows, etc.. And the permanent Sharpie can be used to write information directly on the tape as well. Just keep in mind that duct tape adhesive will eventually break down and leave a nasty, gummy residue that may damage some surfaces. Pro tip: When leaving notes on a countertop, always tape down one edge or at least put a weight on the paper so it stays put. This will prevent an air conditioner vent or fan from coming on and blowing the paper off the counter and under a refrigerator rendering it no longer visible. This has happened.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! You brought up some great points. If you’re interested in this topic, we encourage you to check out our award-winning documentary called Grid Down Power Up - Documentary, narrated by Dennis Quaid. It’s free on UA-cam, and it goes into a lot of detail on these issues. Plus, they’ve got a website where you can take action by contacting legislators and public utilities. Please help us spread the word.
@@griddownpowerup Thank you for the kind words and for the information. I’ll definitely check out your documentary. My wife, Deanna, was part of a Dennis Quaid fundraiser years ago. He was so nice at the event.
Before I got my ham license; I paid for a GMRS license (it covers your entire household) through the FCC. That covered me legally to use our handheld 8 watt Baofengs as walkie talkies. I was able to get about a 15 mile range from my sisters house to my house.
We have multiple marine vhf radios with noaa, several handheld ham radios with noaa, and the new package = " marine style " flairs, handgun flairs, parachute launch flairs , hand held flairs , and smoke flairs . In our boat and land vehicles both. Working on current emergency contact list copies at each location.
I have 5000 yards of parachord and two #10 cans as back up. Lol great topic Chris. I still have yet to bite on any solar stuff, but looking into it more and more.
For the neighborhood I use FRS. For local communication I use a CB if my handy talkie VHF/UHF radio is down. I plan on purchasing a GMRS radio. For longer coms I plan to buy an HF rig. For gathering information in listen only mode I have two SW/AM/FM radio the also picks up NOAA weather channels and emergency services plus an external long wire antenn. I also use my nooelect Ser with a pc.
We bought a hand crank radio a few years ago; it also has a small solar panel on it. I went old school and found a new in the box CB radio, bought a whip antenna to go with it. It doesn't have a long range but it's mobile and powers off a car battery. Theoretically possible to create message chains for a longer range since many truckers still have CB's. We also have a hand held police band scanner. If the grid goes down, law enforcement will probably still have power through generators and in their squad vehicles. We can't communicate, exactly, but scanner chatter would let us know of any "hot spots" - and our local dispatch center broadcasts info for "home monitors". Yes on Texting! We had a weekend camping spot on a small lake with non-existent cell signal. But we found we could often still send and receive texts. p.s. Amazon has USB battery charging stations; we purchased one for AA/AAA batteries; it attaches to the crank radio USB port. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! You brought up some great points. If you’re interested in this topic, we encourage you to check out our award-winning documentary called Grid Down Power Up - Documentary, narrated by Dennis Quaid. It’s free on UA-cam, and it goes into a lot of detail on these issues. Plus, they’ve got a website where you can take action by contacting legislators and public utilities. Please help us spread the word.
I can't say all truckers on this one, but there's at least half that have CB radios in their trucks. And half of those are just a little more and slightly illegal. But the FCC doesn't bother us as long as we stay off the HAM radio frequencies. But honestly...... people, get a CB. They sell handheld ones by uniden and cobra. No, they're not the best. But they do work. And depending on weather, you might catch a skip and really be able to get out there. Don't ask me what a skip is or how it works. As far as I know it's some weird phenomenon that has to do with moisture content in the air.
One of the other cool things about radios like the UV-5r is that you can use them to communicate with standard FRS walkie-talkies like the kids use. So they're not just HAM, you can also use GMRS frequencies.
Yes but they do an extremely bad job, especially on frequencies outside of their design parameters. Radios have to be optimized for certain frequencies to be effective. Just get FRS radios for everyone. Foolproof. Baofengs are not even worth the little you pay for them.
@@fauxque5057 I have two Kenwoods, one Yaesu and a 5r. Of course I never tried using the Baofeng for FRS! It's bad enough on the ham bands. You obliviously don't understand QC and emission standards.
I encourage you to investigate GMRS as well. It operates near the 2m band that your UV-5R uses so has the same advantages. It is technically a "licensed" service, BUT... one license is good for the entire family and there is no test - just pay the fee and you are off to the races. The downside is that the repeater network is much smaller that the amateur's, but that really doesn't matter much when you can talk directly radio-to-radio.
GMRS is just above the 70 cm band, not 2m. To-may-to, to-mah-to, it's all radio. If the power is down, 98% of the repeaters will be down - ham or GMRS, so you'll most likely be limited to talking radio to radio.
@@fauxque5057 I've been told that the newest "version" of the Baofeng, GM-5R (?), has had transmit outside the ham bands internally disabled. However, the UV-5R is indeed capable.
The mirror and the whistle are good calls, too. As a scuba instructor I make sure our BCs are equipped with mirror, whistle and inflatable signal buoy. I make sure our bugout bags have a mirror and whistle as well. Our dive/bugout trailer has the walkie-talkies in it. We haven't taken the plunge into the HAM radios yet.
The likes of a Baofeng have such a wide area of the radio spectrum.... In a disaster use will not be policed. You can definitely select a number of random "out there" frequencies, and program the radio, and use these frequencies for "private - within your group" comms
Since I started prepping, I've found communications a very fascinating topic. I got my HAM tech license a few months ago, and am currently studying for my General. I guess the downside to HAM radio, is that since all my family members and friends don't have a licenses, I'm stuck talking with random people I meet on various repeaters in the county. Once I get my General license, I can talk on HF, which means I won't need repeaters, but it just means I'll be talking to random dudes much further away. I know people say you could just have your family and friends get the equipment, and if SHTF, they can just use them anyhow. That's not the way HAM radio works though, and most people wouldn't understand what to do. Obviously cell phone is the best option, until it doesn't work (which it probably won't post SHTF). Same with satellite. I'm simply not sure what ground/grid-based infrastructure satellite depends on? However, what happens when your subscription runs out, or you don't make the payment, or the company no longer even exists? I guess I have no idea. It seems to me the most RELIABLE option (meaning it can't be taken down because of SHTF) is point to point HAM radio, and for long distances that means HF. Second most reliable would be repeater based VHF/UHF HAM radio with repeaters that have SHTF in mind and have backup power. I'm pretty interested in that satellite texting option though, and would like to know what would happen to it in a grid down situation. I mean, it seems obvious that if I'm pinging a satellite overhead with a UHF modulated text message, it is not going straight to my friends hand-held device (I mean, what if they are out of the radio horizon of that satellite?). I could be wrong i guess. It seems the only REAL option for a long term grid down communications of more than like 1 mile, is HAM radio.
About the satellites, it depends on a LOT of factors. Depending on their orbit, how much fuel they have, how autonomous they are, etc, satellites will remain in orbit from anywhere from a few years to several decades. Depending on what device you’re using, and what infrastructure is non-operational and where, you might lose SATCOM immediately or not for a long time. It depends on a lot, really.
I am a ham operator who uses short - to medium range NVIS comms to fill in the skip zone communication area that exists with longer range signal propagation. This does require higher level licensing for the more reliable 80 meter band, but obviously, at one point, that may not matter. It does require scheduled contact attempts with alternative frequency/time rendezvous options and a receiving party that is familiar with radio use. It actually works quite well and is near impossible to pinpoint.
This is awesome! If you're looking for more in-depth information on related topics, we highly recommend checking out an excellent documentary called Grid Down Power Up - Documentary, narrated by Dennis Quaid. It's available for free on UA-cam and covers a lot of important details. We also have a website that lets you connect with legislators and public utilities, which is a great way to take action and stay informed. Please help us spread the word.
Great video and great content. Many little nuggets of wisdom in there like having the important numbers written down and others. I do want to say I shudder each time I hear a prepper say to just buy ham radios for communications when SHTF. As a ham operator and one that's heavily involved with Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) in an SHTF situation I know I will be called upon to provide communications in support of civil authorities trying to provide aid to their respective civilian charges. That's going to be very difficult to do if every prepper out there is trying to chat with their family members on what will already be heavily used repeaters and repeater systems. Yes, I know that anyone can use any radio frequency in times of dire emergency for the protection of life and I'll be the first to fight for your right to do that. I'm not sure what the absolute answer to the problem of sharing an already shrinking radio spectrum between licensed and trained operators and every yahoo that's uncomfortable because they might not know where all there family members are. Perhaps in addition to advising the community to purchase radios (which should not be sold to folks who can't show proof of amateur call sign) you encourage those same folks to go the extra step and get their amateur license and get to know their local amateur communities. This would allow the prepping community to blend into a new group (one that I've found already has a bent toward prepping) which will gain them knowledge of what repeaters systems are available in their area, how to properly access them, as well as what tactical frequencies would be best for use in their areas and such. Just a suggestion but rather than having resources crushed when communities will need them the most maybe everyone can benefit by expanding the skills of the community.
What about flags used in communicating? Atached to a kite's string from a kite flying on a windy day? Also with a whistle you can blow 3 fast bursts of sound and then blow three slow bursts of sound, and then three fasts bursts of sound, with a long pause between each set of three blows on the whistle for an S.O.S. signal. The same can work with a flash light to send morris code.With Line of sight being the only disadvantage.
Don’t forget one of the best old school comms, a CB with upper & lower sidebands. On sideband you can broadcast at 12 watts, enough to broadcast across a large city if you are on high ground, with a good high cloud cover and some nice skip the limit goes up. Old school, but the Uniden Bearcat is a great high power digital new option.
As someone with family in various countries I have two back-ups for long term grid-down, long distance communication; 1) amateur radio, neither I nor any of them have one HOWEVER, I have noted a tall mast in a garden a couple of km down the road (we are semi-rural), my plan is to kindly ask if they have power, would we be able to use their radio to try to get a message to our family members. -This is where barter comes in… Then we would try to get hold of someone in the rough region of our family members and ask them to relay a message (something simple like that we are safe etc.) I am working on the assumption that people are more often than not happy to help in an emergency (based on experience). Hopefully a written note can be passed from one person to another- what is it called, 6 degrees of separation or something? 2) Next option is I would write on some postcards a similar message and family member’s address and go to the nearest port or find someone going there and and ask around (even if only among sailing boats) if there is someone willing to try to pass on the cards, I would number each card eg 2/4 or whatever so people know that multiple identical notes are trying to reach them. I would ask people to pass on the cards to various people heading closer to the destination. - kind of like paper hitchhiking! We have relatives in multiple other European countries and assuming that they got one or more cards I would expect them to try to communicate back in a similar way.
whistle like tip, using your voice, call "Cooee" That's an Australian Aboriginal word for "come here" & it echoes & amplifies in sound beautifully. It's something all Aussie kids grow up learning & using when exploring the bush, cause it's just the best way to be heard from a distance & doesn't tire or strain the voice to repeat it constantly as you move towards the other cooee & figure out exactly where it's coming from. I was actually pretty shocked when I was watching Naked & Afraid & they were using all sorts of calls (very ineffectively) but apparently none of them had ever learnt cooee. Absolute must for voiced communication to find others at a distance! Plenty of videos available to hear the sound, give it a try & I'm sure you'll be hooked :)
My Grandma is 92, she told me back in the day, country living folk would clip the wires of old style telephones ☎️ to the barbed wire fences to speak to neighbours down the way. Worked great, except it was like the old community 'party lines' where anyone with a phone on the line could listen in.
I live in a very mountainous region and cell service is limited in some areas. The folks that live there all of the time still have very modern CB radios. They work fairly well especially if you are on a ridgeline or talking down in the valley.
The problem I have w/the hand crank anything is that most have a plastic handle which in two different radios of mine suffered "metal fatigue" or plastic fatigue and broke off. These should be the last thing you use. And for those who have not used these before.....it takes forever to charge almost anything. Best when in a group to trade off the chore.
Hi everyone Keith from down under (Australia) ... In regards to power supplies and charging of various items, I have arranged our base requirements to use 12VDC, I have built all of our needs to work around and use 12VDC. This also includes 12V > 5V step down chargers for our mobile phone, general lighting, torches, communications etc etc ... once the grid goes down whether it being a short or long term...
I am in Virginia and we just had a massive snow storm lost power and the red crank up radio was a disaster and wasn’t able to use it at ALL!!!! The solar chargers did work
If you use a Baofeng UV-5R, be advised that the antennas are prone to failure and that there are a variety of after market antennae which are superiour. I recommend a spare.
I have a whistle on my car keys and one on my inflatable vest (in case I'm floating down the river🤣) I also have the InReach Mini, with the monthly cost for peace of mind. Ten minutes out of town, no cell coverage and I fish rivers alone 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻.
Grms radios that have rechartgeable batery packs but also take AA batteries. Have ear phones for each radio. Don't store radios with batteries in them. Store batteries separately. If you have to use them get to high ground or a second story window. For more range. Range will likely be only a mile or two. Have a battery tester so you know all of your batteries are good. One bad battery will cause dead battery symptoms. A solar recharger and rechargeable batteries is good to have. A air horn might be a good long range signal.
Fantastic advice!! Communication is something I have just recently been thinking about. I do have a couple of hand crank radios similar to the ones you show. Possibly a ham radio next for me.
One major thing you overlooked: GMRS. You pay the fee, it's good for 10 years, and you get more power output on the same channels as FRS along with the ability to use repeaters. Got mine, gave out GMRS radios to family, and their communications is a lot more clear than before when they were using blister pack FRS radios. Also, have multiple radios that can transmit on multiple services. I know it's illegal and we'll get that sad ham that yammers about it, but from a preparedness standpoint, redundancy and ability to have one radio do multiple jobs can help out a lot instead of one radio per service. I have my Yaesu FT3D with MARS/CAP mod, Baofeng UV5R and a Radioddity DB-25D that transmit on GMRS, Ham, and even MURS. I think you also mentioned this in the past, but GoTenna might be a service a person may want to look into.
Great point! Because of this risk (or vulnerability), everyone should really watch the award-winning documentary, Grid Down Power Up - Documentary, narrated by Dennis Quaid, which is now available free on UA-cam . Additionally, on our website, we provide a mechanism to write emails & make phone calls to your specific legislators, regulators and board members of your public utility to ensure we get action taken to protect our great country. Please help us spread the word.
I have my own unique method for sending messages. I have a roll of trail marker tape and some heavy-duty 2"x3" zip lock bags. If I want to send a message, I put a note in the bag along with a pebble and attach it to about 3' of trail marker tape. I then use my slingshot to shoot the note, preferably at night, into an area where it can be easily found the next day.
Look into higher end GMRS radios.. not just bubble pack radios anymore. Better units with longer range are available. Base stations can be set up as repeaters to really extend range. Mobile. Units can be paired to make a handy portable instant repeater. They are currently trying to set up a nationwide GMRS net. Another way of communicating if the power goes down. Repeaters could be powered by a generator or a bank of batteries. Check it out!
Might want to check the Motorola T480 emergency weather radio. Whistle, NOAA weather, flashlight, FM radio, and FRS/GMRS capabilities. The Motorola T800 is similar but also has off grid texting and location sharing.
Battery operated Walkie-talkies. Checked off on the list. I'd just have to give one to people I talk the most to where I live. Come in sets of more than one. Three or four. Ham radios, but I don't know how many people use those anymore. Truckers can still be using CB radios between each other. Battery operated radios. Have that too. Emergency situation prepping, has become a hobby.
Small brass whistle on my keychain since I live in California with earthquakes so a whistle in case I get pinned in a building or I get lost. Great video, I will checkout some of these options.
You can't really beat the old 27mhz CB. It requires no license, is inexpensive (especially at yard sales and thrift stores),. CB sets are available as AM, AM/SSB, and now FM modulation. Although illegal, many CB operators use linear amplifiers. Some use 1KW or more amplifiers. The CB legal limit is 4 Watts output, equivalent to 12 Watts SSB. With the proper antenna however it can legally reach quite a distance, especially on "skip". They are available as walkie talkies, mobile CB radios, and/or base stations. CB has become much less crowded in the past decade. The only bad part about CB is that there is practically no policing of the band. It has become a radio free for all which is continuously abused. Also channel 9, the FCC designated emergency channel, is also abused and no longer monitored by REAC, police and other emergency organizations and services.
I had a base station with a 500w kicker, and was able to talk to people several states away. Then the neighbors started complaining I was coming over their tv’s. Lol
You list a lot of items for communication, and most cost a lot of money. There are people out here that can't afford that kind of gear. Although I am a ham radio operator, I realize that the best and easiest communication within my local community is a CB radio. For this post, I jumped over to Craigslist, and easily pulled up half-a-dozen CB's for sale on there, most for around $50. A major plus is that they generally run off 12-volt, so if the power is off for an extended time you can use your car battery. As long as you have gas in the tank, you can keep the battery charged and keep your radio running.
No one talks much about them anymore but homing pigeons used to be a way. I know a guy that uses them, other then that idk if anyone other than cartels use them.
@@michaelallsup1 i was almost kidding when i wrote that... but if you send them out to communicate w others.... how do they know where "the others" live? i'm supposing they've been trained to go somewhere; can you train them to go multiple locations... if so, how do they know which place they're going when you send them off w a message? i realize this is getting a little silly, but really the question remains.
The small hand held, FRS radios do not require a license. Ham radios do. Study , take the test, learn how to correctly use it. Radio can be fun, GMRS is another option, Apply for a license with the FCC, ( 35 dollar fee) follow the regulations and you are good to go with gmrs, hint, gmrs and FRS share many frequencies. That gmrs license gets you more power, legally. Some things to think about.
Thank you for your videos I really enjoy watching them. Although I can only use probably 20% of what you produce it’s nice to know. And it’s far more knowledgeable than most news channels!
Thank you. I would love to see a video or any information regarding communication with younger children. Information on a BOB for kids would be great also.
You stated you don't need a license to operate a HAM radio. You should have clarified that. You can with two exceptions. 1. Its life or limb and there is no other means to communicate. 2., Its the apocalypses and no one is going to come looking for you for not having a license.
sorry about that. i recorded this video twice and the first time I mentioned that, but the video file was corrupted. The 2nd time I was a bit rushed and missed that point. Thanks for catching that.
@@CityPrepping you also forgot about trafic nets on ham repeaters. a good source of information and a way to get messages out of and in to the affected areas at no charge
as far as starlink is concerned, it depends of a ground based center to work If grid is totally down so will starlink be down Starlink needs the ground based center to verify your account.
Starlink if fine so long as the conditions are met, but it's more of a primary than a backup line of communication because of that. If anything it'd make sense to have a way to access public LoRa satellites, then have a totally ground based situation if satellites are knocked out
I have been a Ham Operator over 30 years, it started as hobby when I was young, and the last 20 years has changed to emergency related with Amateur Radio Emergency Service and M.A.R.S. I usually don't go anywhere mobile that does not have HF to communicate around North America and abroad, VHF, UHF, APRS & packet data capabilities for more local comms.,all without the need for any infrastructure. Without an interest as a hobby it will be difficult to use this gear effectively without practicing using the equipment and how to program the channels, especially on the fly.
Thank You. Yes indeed, I have the crank up radio, whistle, no signal thing yet, did not think of that. Have the Walkie talkie on list. Garma too expensive for me. God Bless!
Hi Chris, kudos on a good video! Maybe it was beyond the scope of this primer on the topic but military-style field phones for secure comms between strategic points in a community shouldn't be overlooked (perhaps for a communications video primer part II ?...i would mention MESH networks, too) ...Some field phones are sound powered, while others use D cells. Can be effective for a range of up to 5miles of point-to-point reliable comms. Include a 2 meter VHF base unit and/or CB at those strategic points. To complement the said key community points with a human network, stock up on those low-cost CB walkie-talkies or 2 meter VHF handytalkies (such as the popular Baofeng units) for folks in a vehicle, on foot, on bikes or horseback in a community to cover the area, especially well with a low-powered repeater and antenna at a high spot. For comms outside the local area, have a designated radio officer equipped with a Sat phone, Ham Radio HF-VHF-UHF, and also a base station CB. This described setup is what appears in a post-Apocalyptic adventure story script i am currently working on (that could go to a series for streaming TV) where a holdout self--sufficient village in Venezuela led by a mysterious new resident anti-hero relies heavily on radio comms throughout the story to defend themselves against armed marauders, rogue paramilitary units and communicate with "friendlies" across the country. Me: been into Ham Radio, CB, and SWLing since the mid-1970s...and was a Wireless Network Comms Engineer in my corporate 9-to-5 job before ditching it all to be an ex-pat in LatinAmerica, making a living as a writer and business coach-angel investor in the region.
Try to standardize on one or 2 battery types. You can buy battery packs for a baofeng UV5R that take AA batteries. If you buy a crank radio like the Kaiko linked here it runs on AA batteries. There are FMRS radios that run on AAs.
I carry two messenger pigeons in my bug out bag. No need for charging cables or power banks but don't forget to feed them or they won't carry anything for ya
I purchased one of those 28 watt solar panels and it took 7 hours of bright sun to give my phone less than one percent charge? I had my phone completely off and the red recharge light came on so I knew it was indicating that it was working but the draw from sun light was too small for any practical purpose. I must have tried 4 different ones and the performance was the same. I went back to a heavy 30,000 mah power bank. I also tried using. the hand crank feature on my emergency radio that gave me a work out and did some what better, but would prefer it was attached to a bycicle dynamo instead of from the hand crank on an emergency weather radio.
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Good video. I have radios on stand by my self.
I got a new anytone 500m the other day because it's so tiny.
Thank you for the guide.
Might want to check the Motorola T480 emergency weather radio. Whistle, NOAA weather, flashlight, FM radio, and FRS/GMRS capabilities. The Motorola T800 is similar but also has off grid texting and location sharing.
I find it hard to see you promote Amazon for purchases... Bezos is up there with many that are the real reason we find ourselves in this position I'm the first place! Can you promote any other online services???
My wife and I moved from central Pennsylvania to a small LDS community in central Utah two years ago. A neighbor immediately brought over an 8 1/2 X 11 inch cardboard poster, red on one side, green on the other. On the green side was printed: "We're O K", on the red side "Need Help". The neighbor said everyone looks for those signs in our front windows if there is a storm or whatever. Truly a nice neighborhood!
Wow! I’m in PA and I wonder, are you finding that Utah has a significantly better community?
DANG, What a area..Now thats being a neighbor..
@@jessicaSmash we lived in central PA (Lewisburg) where we could purchase firewood at a local Amish auction, rarely had to water our garden because of frequent rains, and we had room for several animals (7 acres). Here in Utah we could not afford a few acre lot but the neighbors are very friendly They bring over meals when one of us is sick (I'm 76), they always clear the snow off my sidewalks and driveway . . . I couldn't ask for nicer neighbors. But, we did love PA and my neighbors there were all good people, as well. I grew up in Levittown. I went to graduate school in Philadelphia (U of P) and didn't care for that neighborhood at all (too much crime).
I live in Utah. Our city has a packet for new residents with red and green papers too. During our emergency training once a year we post a colored paper in our window to let authorities know how we are. We know a serious earthquake is over due.
WOW what a blessing to have neighbors like that!!!
Low tech ways our ancestors used to alert neighbors or the next village: church bell, schoolhouse bell, farm bell, bonfire on hilltop, drums, fireworks, runner carrying a written or spoken message, horse rider carrying a written or spoken message, signal flags on ships and homing pigeon carrying a written message. These old-fashioned ways do not need electricity or computer chips and are not affected by electromagnetic pulses. They do not require a HAM radio license either.
I've live in a very rural area since the 1970's. You had a waiting list to get an 8 person party phone line. We would discharged our rifle to alert our neighbor. 3 fast shots signed an emergency. No cells phones were invented than. If you were lucky a cb radio possibly connected to a neighbor close by If they just happen yo be within hearing to page to them. First responds was 30 to 40 minutes to come to your aid. Thry are volunteers.
Well that homing pigeon won't be much help if the magnetic field goes coo-coo. That's what they use to guide themselves. Spoken or written words by courier is the preferred method. Smoke signals are a close second.
I say "snail mail" with a courier is the best option
@@davidmiller8030 that works,but if you broke your leg,and laying out in your pasture with your cattle, it's going to take you quite a bit. To crawling in to your house,and out the driveway to post your snail mail. God forbidden if you broken your hip, you would be dead before anyone checked on you.
@@Boone22
Holy cow you got me beat, NorCal boonies here and we had a 3 family party line, no radio, one TV station, no cable and no PG&E back in the day but it is god's country as the locals say. Can you imagine a kid today with a party line or a rotary phone, or an 8 track that click clicks in the middle of the song to change tracks? Good times.
After Hurricanes Katrina and Ida my family members there (Louisiana) were able to call me (in Oregon) easier than they could call one another, so I was the check in point for everyone. I could access info about what roads were open and clear and give that to them. It was so helpful to them and a comfort to me every time one of them checked in.
Chris, could you make a video about prepping for people who don't have the means to buy a house? For example people who rent homes, live in apartments, etc. It seems to me a lot of prepping things are off the table for these people, mostly things like altering their housing for water catchment, gardens, solar, things like that. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on how to maximize their situation for prepping.
Sincerely,
A 28 year old who can't buy a house because of the ridiculously inflated covid housing market... lol
We are in the same boat. In the next couple of years are looking at buying a more affordable property up north (Canada north) as a bug out/eventual retirement location, but we won't be able to live there for a while due to family obligations in the city, so for now we are doing our best trying to prep in a condo in the city.
What you miss out the most in those situations is based on (A) space and (B) generation.
You might want to consider that since skills are portable that you would be better off being mobile. Have a place to go (family, close friend, etc), have multiple plans and means to get there, and then consider your long term preps for that location. This is the traditional "bug out location" model which is very common (and most "bug outs" are to someone else's "bug in" rather than a remote cabin in the wilderness).
If you have the space, you can set up an apartment to be a place you can bunker inside of for a very long time (and while water storage is certainly the most difficult, so long as you have good purification you need only map out where the local water sources are to you and how you can get water from those places back to your home - so some sturdy containers and a good method of porting them).
Some things you might just have to have in plan rather than hand, which isn't great, but will do. Consider the "water catchment" in the high rise in "28 days later" - what would normally have been an open or common roof was covered with containers to catch rain. Functional (if it rains), but imagine how much more efficient such a system would be with the addition of a few tarps or roll of extra-sturdy plastic drop cloth!
If you are renting a house, you certainly can't go and make all the modifications you want today, but if your house has gutters, how hard would it be to keep a stack of large trash bins clean in a corner someplace that you could - in an emergency - use as catch basis under those gutters simply by cutting the gutter off a litter higher and setting them under it.
Same here. The focus for me has been camping supplies and networking. I know many people who live far from the city. If you are particularly close with someone you could trade a small parcel of their land for security/hunting/other skills and services. It’s all about bringing something to the table. I’m also looking at buying land with friends, but that is years down the line probably. Still focus on savings, despite it looking hopeless
Couple questions about your situation:
1) Are you in a high rise apartment?
2) Do you have a patio/balcony?
3) Do you have an onsite storage option or a storage unit company near by?
4) Does your front door lead to a shared interior hallway?
5) Whats the demographic of the average tenant?
I live in an apartment and there are a ton of things you can do that would likely be in compliance with any lease and work well in a small space. Giving the right circumstances an apartment dweller may actually be better off than someone trying to survive in a house. The power of community shouldn't be underestimated and people sharing a building have an added incentive to work together during SHTF type scenarios. But make no mistake if the apartment community is already plagued with misfits (drug dealers, gangs, etc) during "peacetime" there is little chance of that ever improving.
Just my observation, we have a real estate crash roughly every 20 years. This bubble is bigger than in the early 2000s. We are due for another crash soon. Maybe, try to save what you can and be ready.
One more thing for consideration: when putting together a communications plan, everyone should think about time intervals for contacting individuals, as well as rendezvous points in case going home isn’t an option.
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And now an aside: Retired Army Signal NCO here. I have 40+ years of communication experience in both garrison and field environments, dealing with everything from telephone wire, tactical satellites, and a lot of stuff in between. One of the highlights of 2021 for me was the acquisition of my Amateur Extra license.
I listed all of that in order to say the following: KRIS, YOU BEAT ME TO THE PUNCH!!
I was literally working on my second video with this topic on the table. Your presentation today was excellent, with a couple of elements that I had not included (solar power considerations and the usage of signal mirrors) in my efforts.
Overall, the community is definitely going to benefit from your upload, and I am jealous that you got yours out there first! 👍🏾😉
thanks for that feedback! your second video? are you uploading to a YT channel? If so, how can I find it?
We call it a "calling clock" in some groups. Some use the top of the hour, others the bottom (6 o'clock.) You may want to set your own specific calling clock to other intervals, cutting down on certain bands being flooded with traffic at the same time.
You might want to look the Wilderness Protocol for the time intervals: just change it around for your particular situation.
Awesome! Since I started prepping, I got really interested in communications. I just got my Tech license and currently studying for my General I am starting to think that if I could rewind 25 years, I was meant to be in the Signal Corps.
Congratulations on your Extra, that is a great accomplishment!
Congratulations on your Army Signal (Corp) career and Extra-class upgrade.
Having an “Operator” outside of your area set up before an emergency is a key step in your communication plan. After our big earthquake in Alaska the cell network was slammed but the text and internet was available but VERY slow. I.e. send a text and it was delivered minutes or hours later.
Your Operator acts as a relay that everyone in your physical area can let them know you and those physically with you are okay. I would also stress to think ahead of what you absolutely have to send in your text to minimize its size and length. We found short text got through initially faster than lengthy ones.
A sample text could be “Me and all 3 kids are safe no injuries, in N. Anchorage. Attempting to get home on foot will contact later when home if possible. love U.”
Good video guys!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! You brought up some great points. If you’re interested in this topic, we encourage you to check out our award-winning documentary called Grid Down Power Up - Documentary, narrated by Dennis Quaid. It’s free on UA-cam, and it goes into a lot of detail on these issues. Plus, they’ve got a website where you can take action by contacting legislators and public utilities. Please help us spread the word.
Thank you for mentioning photographs. Imagine the following two conversations: (1) we are looking for our daughter, she is five years old, brown hair, brown eyes, and really cute too VS she is the girl in this color photo, have you seen her? (2) Same little girl screaming, "NO! THAT IS NOT MY MOM AND DAD!! THIS IS A PICTURE OF ME AND MY FAMILY!!!!!! A simple printed family just might be a real life saver. Thanks for your helpful tips.
My husband is a hiker and mountain climber and he also volunteers for search and rescue. The inreach is excellent to have (even before a grid down) for anyone who hikes outside of cell phone range. It helps search and rescue find you quickly if you get lost or injured out in the woods.
Great video.
I have just made crystal radio. It picks up AM band and requires no batteries or power whatsoever.
The downside is you need to carry about 30mtrs of fine insulated aerial wire ( fits in your pocket) and some small length for a decent ground too.
Ok, it is probably not perfect, but it can pick up very distant stations and never goes flat
Might just be handy as a last resort to listen to emergency AM broadcasts etc.
Cheers
Having multiple layers of communication is crucial. I truly appreciate how you made sure to cover low tech options (mirror and frs radio) as well as next level (satellite) options. The garmins are a really good idea that many don't consider!
Yup, have a plan A, B, C, D... And so on and so forth. Obviously adjusting accordingly to the circumstance
Garmin work with server. You can't keep it if the server are done.
Authentication links will be gone as soon as the generators run out of fuel.
Am a ham and Emergency Coordinator for the local ARES group..We drill using em pwr all the time..Simplex with relays ,no rptr's, radio to radio comms.. You never know whats going to be down..Encourage all to get your ticket and join ARES in your area, and drill,test,practice.. "When all else fails, - HAM RADIO"..
Hi Kris, CB radio is alive and well in the IE. I am running a base station setup at my house in Alta Loma and chat with people all the way in Norco and beyond.
awesome! i'll get my HAM radio license soon enough.
This is SO important to me. I have a plan set up with my family so that when the "lights go out", what i call it when the shtf, so that if communication goes out we all meet at a specific spot. Good video. Good to know sir!
Setting up a communications network takes time. Start now with your community. Get familiar with how your radio works. Having a radio and using a radio are two totally different things entirely.
Living in my ex wife's basement during a bug out situation has made me realize that communicating won't be a problem since we didn't talk before
After Katrina, we had one sister we couldn't get in touch with. There was no way to drive around very much. Her son was in the national guard and was able to finally get a cell signal to text us that their neighborhood wasn't terribly damaged but he still hadn't been able to get to them. It was a long 4 days until we heard from her. Since then we all have the hand held ham radio. We really need to practice on it though.
What brands/model???
Exactly. The only way to practice is to get licensed.
This was one of the things I missed the most before I got a solar generator (no cell service where I live so I rely on WiFi)! Walkie-talkie's work great as long as the other party remembers to turn them on. LOL
lol yup, that turning them on thing is rather important! I've had experience in both a volunteer first aid setting & in a theatre setting (spotlight operator, or at least they were supposed to be) where people have not turned them on! I mean if you're given a radio, surely you turn it on? & even moreso, if you're given it already on, surely you leave it on & listen to it, not switch it off "to save it's battery" & stick it on your belt & leave it there for the next 4 hours while you wander around aimlessly, while those that gave you the radio desperately try to contact you on it! Unbelievable the number of people who will do that! Apparently they think the radio is only for if THEY need to contact someone & doesn't occur to them it's not all about THEM & that other people might have a need to contact them too!
When having battery powered devices stored remember that some battery types may leak in a couple of years (faster with higher temperatures). The leaked electrolyte may destroy battery contacts or the entire device. Alkaline batteries seem to be the worst doing this. Lithium batteries have a long shelf life and don't leak. I store my batteries in a separate plastic bag with the device they power.
Great video! A few important communication items I always keep in my back pack and vehicles are a ruled notepad, some heavy card stock, a few permanent markers (Sharpie Industrial permanent markers are the best imo and can even write on greasy lab glassware), construction pencils, several plastic sleeves and heavy duty freezer gallon and quart zip lock bags, and a roll of high visibility orange duct tape, all stored in a gallon freezer zip lock bag.
Leaving notes for people (where you are going, dates and times, contact information, radio channels you’ll be on, telling them you love them for emotional support, etc.) is a super important method of communication. Besides leaving notes for people, the notepad can also be used for copying and logging information sent electronically, which is important in case batteries die, screens break, etc., and the information can’t be re-read or re-transmitted. The plastic sleeves and ziplocks can help keep the paper dry and protected from the elements, especially if notes are taped up outside on trees, doors, or cars. The high visibility duct tape has a ton of uses, including taping notes up, marking trails and trees, making important survival items more visible in the dark, sealing containers, bundling kindling for carry, medical uses including makeshift slings and splints, “SOS” and communication markings such as giant directional arrows, etc.. And the permanent Sharpie can be used to write information directly on the tape as well. Just keep in mind that duct tape adhesive will eventually break down and leave a nasty, gummy residue that may damage some surfaces.
Pro tip: When leaving notes on a countertop, always tape down one edge or at least put a weight on the paper so it stays put. This will prevent an air conditioner vent or fan from coming on and blowing the paper off the counter and under a refrigerator rendering it no longer visible. This has happened.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! You brought up some great points. If you’re interested in this topic, we encourage you to check out our award-winning documentary called Grid Down Power Up - Documentary, narrated by Dennis Quaid. It’s free on UA-cam, and it goes into a lot of detail on these issues. Plus, they’ve got a website where you can take action by contacting legislators and public utilities. Please help us spread the word.
@@griddownpowerup Thank you for the kind words and for the information. I’ll definitely check out your documentary. My wife, Deanna, was part of a Dennis Quaid fundraiser years ago. He was so nice at the event.
Before I got my ham license; I paid for a GMRS license (it covers your entire household) through the FCC. That covered me legally to use our handheld 8 watt Baofengs as walkie talkies. I was able to get about a 15 mile range from my sisters house to my house.
We have multiple marine vhf radios with noaa, several handheld ham radios with noaa, and the new package = " marine style " flairs, handgun flairs, parachute launch flairs , hand held flairs , and smoke flairs . In our boat and land vehicles both. Working on current emergency contact list copies at each location.
I have 5000 yards of parachord and two #10 cans as back up. Lol great topic Chris. I still have yet to bite on any solar stuff, but looking into it more and more.
A folding solar panel is basically a 12 volt and USB power source. Any USB device works perfectly even on cloudy days.
For the neighborhood I use FRS. For local communication I use a CB if my handy talkie VHF/UHF radio is down. I plan on purchasing a GMRS radio. For longer coms I plan to buy an HF rig. For gathering information in listen only mode I have two SW/AM/FM radio the also picks up NOAA weather channels and emergency services plus an external long wire antenn. I also use my nooelect Ser with a pc.
Actually an RTL is an excellent idea for monitoring. You can use it on a phone or tablet. $30. Decent antenna!
We bought a hand crank radio a few years ago; it also has a small solar panel on it. I went old school and found a new in the box CB radio, bought a whip antenna to go with it. It doesn't have a long range but it's mobile and powers off a car battery. Theoretically possible to create message chains for a longer range since many truckers still have CB's. We also have a hand held police band scanner. If the grid goes down, law enforcement will probably still have power through generators and in their squad vehicles. We can't communicate, exactly, but scanner chatter would let us know of any "hot spots" - and our local dispatch center broadcasts info for "home monitors". Yes on Texting! We had a weekend camping spot on a small lake with non-existent cell signal. But we found we could often still send and receive texts. p.s. Amazon has USB battery charging stations; we purchased one for AA/AAA batteries; it attaches to the crank radio USB port. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! You brought up some great points. If you’re interested in this topic, we encourage you to check out our award-winning documentary called Grid Down Power Up - Documentary, narrated by Dennis Quaid. It’s free on UA-cam, and it goes into a lot of detail on these issues. Plus, they’ve got a website where you can take action by contacting legislators and public utilities. Please help us spread the word.
I can't say all truckers on this one, but there's at least half that have CB radios in their trucks. And half of those are just a little more and slightly illegal. But the FCC doesn't bother us as long as we stay off the HAM radio frequencies. But honestly...... people, get a CB. They sell handheld ones by uniden and cobra. No, they're not the best. But they do work. And depending on weather, you might catch a skip and really be able to get out there. Don't ask me what a skip is or how it works. As far as I know it's some weird phenomenon that has to do with moisture content in the air.
Haven't thought of this before. On my list to talk to my family about. Thanks
Go for it!
One of the other cool things about radios like the UV-5r is that you can use them to communicate with standard FRS walkie-talkies like the kids use. So they're not just HAM, you can also use GMRS frequencies.
Yes but they do an extremely bad job, especially on frequencies outside of their design parameters. Radios have to be optimized for certain frequencies to be effective. Just get FRS radios for everyone. Foolproof. Baofengs are not even worth the little you pay for them.
@@barrybogart5436 you obviously don't own any baofengs.
@@fauxque5057 I have two Kenwoods, one Yaesu and a 5r. Of course I never tried using the Baofeng for FRS! It's bad enough on the ham bands. You obliviously don't understand QC and emission standards.
I encourage you to investigate GMRS as well. It operates near the 2m band that your UV-5R uses so has the same advantages. It is technically a "licensed" service, BUT... one license is good for the entire family and there is no test - just pay the fee and you are off to the races. The downside is that the repeater network is much smaller that the amateur's, but that really doesn't matter much when you can talk directly radio-to-radio.
The baofeng radios work on GMRS and FRS and everything in between, and then some. They have a decent range as well.
GMRS is just above the 70 cm band, not 2m. To-may-to, to-mah-to, it's all radio. If the power is down, 98% of the repeaters will be down - ham or GMRS, so you'll most likely be limited to talking radio to radio.
@@fauxque5057 I've been told that the newest "version" of the Baofeng, GM-5R (?), has had transmit outside the ham bands internally disabled. However, the UV-5R is indeed capable.
The bad part is having to have a license, the good part is you can set up your own GMRS repeater!
The mirror and the whistle are good calls, too. As a scuba instructor I make sure our BCs are equipped with mirror, whistle and inflatable signal buoy. I make sure our bugout bags have a mirror and whistle as well. Our dive/bugout trailer has the walkie-talkies in it. We haven't taken the plunge into the HAM radios yet.
The likes of a Baofeng have such a wide area of the radio spectrum.... In a disaster use will not be policed. You can definitely select a number of random "out there" frequencies, and program the radio, and use these frequencies for "private - within your group" comms
Since I started prepping, I've found communications a very fascinating topic. I got my HAM tech license a few months ago, and am currently studying for my General. I guess the downside to HAM radio, is that since all my family members and friends don't have a licenses, I'm stuck talking with random people I meet on various repeaters in the county. Once I get my General license, I can talk on HF, which means I won't need repeaters, but it just means I'll be talking to random dudes much further away. I know people say you could just have your family and friends get the equipment, and if SHTF, they can just use them anyhow. That's not the way HAM radio works though, and most people wouldn't understand what to do.
Obviously cell phone is the best option, until it doesn't work (which it probably won't post SHTF). Same with satellite. I'm simply not sure what ground/grid-based infrastructure satellite depends on? However, what happens when your subscription runs out, or you don't make the payment, or the company no longer even exists? I guess I have no idea.
It seems to me the most RELIABLE option (meaning it can't be taken down because of SHTF) is point to point HAM radio, and for long distances that means HF. Second most reliable would be repeater based VHF/UHF HAM radio with repeaters that have SHTF in mind and have backup power.
I'm pretty interested in that satellite texting option though, and would like to know what would happen to it in a grid down situation. I mean, it seems obvious that if I'm pinging a satellite overhead with a UHF modulated text message, it is not going straight to my friends hand-held device (I mean, what if they are out of the radio horizon of that satellite?). I could be wrong i guess. It seems the only REAL option for a long term grid down communications of more than like 1 mile, is HAM radio.
About the satellites, it depends on a LOT of factors. Depending on their orbit, how much fuel they have, how autonomous they are, etc, satellites will remain in orbit from anywhere from a few years to several decades. Depending on what device you’re using, and what infrastructure is non-operational and where, you might lose SATCOM immediately or not for a long time. It depends on a lot, really.
I am a ham operator who uses short - to medium range NVIS comms to fill in the skip zone communication area that exists with longer range signal propagation. This does require higher level licensing for the more reliable 80 meter band, but obviously, at one point, that may not matter. It does require scheduled contact attempts with alternative frequency/time rendezvous options and a receiving party that is familiar with radio use. It actually works quite well and is near impossible to pinpoint.
This is awesome! If you're looking for more in-depth information on related topics, we highly recommend checking out an excellent documentary called Grid Down Power Up - Documentary, narrated by Dennis Quaid. It's available for free on UA-cam and covers a lot of important details. We also have a website that lets you connect with legislators and public utilities, which is a great way to take action and stay informed. Please help us spread the word.
Great video and great content. Many little nuggets of wisdom in there like having the important numbers written down and others. I do want to say I shudder each time I hear a prepper say to just buy ham radios for communications when SHTF. As a ham operator and one that's heavily involved with Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) in an SHTF situation I know I will be called upon to provide communications in support of civil authorities trying to provide aid to their respective civilian charges. That's going to be very difficult to do if every prepper out there is trying to chat with their family members on what will already be heavily used repeaters and repeater systems. Yes, I know that anyone can use any radio frequency in times of dire emergency for the protection of life and I'll be the first to fight for your right to do that. I'm not sure what the absolute answer to the problem of sharing an already shrinking radio spectrum between licensed and trained operators and every yahoo that's uncomfortable because they might not know where all there family members are. Perhaps in addition to advising the community to purchase radios (which should not be sold to folks who can't show proof of amateur call sign) you encourage those same folks to go the extra step and get their amateur license and get to know their local amateur communities. This would allow the prepping community to blend into a new group (one that I've found already has a bent toward prepping) which will gain them knowledge of what repeaters systems are available in their area, how to properly access them, as well as what tactical frequencies would be best for use in their areas and such. Just a suggestion but rather than having resources crushed when communities will need them the most maybe everyone can benefit by expanding the skills of the community.
I use both gmrs and ham. One of the best purchases I've made.
What about flags used in communicating? Atached to a kite's string from a kite flying on a windy day?
Also with a whistle you can blow 3 fast bursts of sound and then blow three slow bursts of sound, and then three fasts bursts of sound, with a long pause between each set of three blows on the whistle for an S.O.S. signal.
The same can work with a flash light to send morris code.With Line of sight being the only disadvantage.
Don’t forget one of the best old school comms, a CB with upper & lower sidebands. On sideband you can broadcast at 12 watts, enough to broadcast across a large city if you are on high ground, with a good high cloud cover and some nice skip the limit goes up. Old school, but the Uniden Bearcat is a great high power digital new option.
As someone with family in various countries I have two back-ups for long term grid-down, long distance communication; 1) amateur radio, neither I nor any of them have one HOWEVER, I have noted a tall mast in a garden a couple of km down the road (we are semi-rural), my plan is to kindly ask if they have power, would we be able to use their radio to try to get a message to our family members. -This is where barter comes in… Then we would try to get hold of someone in the rough region of our family members and ask them to relay a message (something simple like that we are safe etc.) I am working on the assumption that people are more often than not happy to help in an emergency (based on experience). Hopefully a written note can be passed from one person to another- what is it called, 6 degrees of separation or something? 2) Next option is I would write on some postcards a similar message and family member’s address and go to the nearest port or find someone going there and and ask around (even if only among sailing boats) if there is someone willing to try to pass on the cards, I would number each card eg 2/4 or whatever so people know that multiple identical notes are trying to reach them. I would ask people to pass on the cards to various people heading closer to the destination. - kind of like paper hitchhiking! We have relatives in multiple other European countries and assuming that they got one or more cards I would expect them to try to communicate back in a similar way.
whistle like tip, using your voice, call "Cooee" That's an Australian Aboriginal word for "come here" & it echoes & amplifies in sound beautifully. It's something all Aussie kids grow up learning & using when exploring the bush, cause it's just the best way to be heard from a distance & doesn't tire or strain the voice to repeat it constantly as you move towards the other cooee & figure out exactly where it's coming from.
I was actually pretty shocked when I was watching Naked & Afraid & they were using all sorts of calls (very ineffectively) but apparently none of them had ever learnt cooee. Absolute must for voiced communication to find others at a distance! Plenty of videos available to hear the sound, give it a try & I'm sure you'll be hooked :)
My Grandma is 92, she told me back in the day, country living folk would clip the wires of old style telephones ☎️ to the barbed wire fences to speak to neighbours down the way. Worked great, except it was like the old community 'party lines' where anyone with a phone on the line could listen in.
I live in a very mountainous region and cell service is limited in some areas. The folks that live there all of the time still have very modern CB radios. They work fairly well especially if you are on a ridgeline or talking down in the valley.
The problem I have w/the hand crank anything is that most have a plastic handle which in two different radios of mine suffered "metal fatigue" or plastic fatigue and broke off. These should be the last thing you use. And for those who have not used these before.....it takes forever to charge almost anything. Best when in a group to trade off the chore.
Can't wait for the starlink review!
Hi everyone Keith from down under (Australia) ... In regards to power supplies and charging of various items, I have arranged our base requirements to use 12VDC, I have built all of our needs to work around and use 12VDC. This also includes 12V > 5V step down chargers for our mobile phone, general lighting, torches, communications etc etc ... once the grid goes down whether it being a short or long term...
I am in Virginia and we just had a massive snow storm lost power and the red crank up radio was a disaster and wasn’t able to use it at ALL!!!! The solar chargers did work
If you use a Baofeng UV-5R, be advised that the antennas are prone to failure and that there are a variety of after market antennae which are superiour. I recommend a spare.
Thanks for the tips, the mirror is a great idea. The whistles we have , but also good. Thanks for sharing.
Great video..great reminders, great double check of bugout kits inventory.
I have a whistle on my car keys and one on my inflatable vest (in case I'm floating down the river🤣)
I also have the InReach Mini, with the monthly cost for peace of mind. Ten minutes out of town, no cell coverage and I fish rivers alone 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻.
Chris, thank you so sincerely for this information. Super timely for me. Greetings from the Sierra Nevada!
Grms radios that have rechartgeable batery packs but also take AA batteries.
Have ear phones for each radio.
Don't store radios with batteries in them. Store batteries separately.
If you have to use them get to high ground or a second story window.
For more range.
Range will likely be only a mile or two.
Have a battery tester so you know all of your batteries are good. One bad battery will cause dead battery symptoms.
A solar recharger and rechargeable batteries is good to have.
A air horn might be a good long range signal.
Fantastic advice!! Communication is something I have just recently been thinking about. I do have a couple of hand crank radios similar to the ones you show. Possibly a ham radio next for me.
One major thing you overlooked: GMRS. You pay the fee, it's good for 10 years, and you get more power output on the same channels as FRS along with the ability to use repeaters. Got mine, gave out GMRS radios to family, and their communications is a lot more clear than before when they were using blister pack FRS radios. Also, have multiple radios that can transmit on multiple services. I know it's illegal and we'll get that sad ham that yammers about it, but from a preparedness standpoint, redundancy and ability to have one radio do multiple jobs can help out a lot instead of one radio per service. I have my Yaesu FT3D with MARS/CAP mod, Baofeng UV5R and a Radioddity DB-25D that transmit on GMRS, Ham, and even MURS. I think you also mentioned this in the past, but GoTenna might be a service a person may want to look into.
Great point! Because of this risk (or vulnerability), everyone should really watch the award-winning documentary, Grid Down Power Up - Documentary, narrated by Dennis Quaid, which is now available free on UA-cam . Additionally, on our website, we provide a mechanism to write emails & make phone calls to your specific legislators, regulators and board members of your public utility to ensure we get action taken to protect our great country. Please help us spread the word.
Cb is &will always be a form of communication that's used everyday
I agree CB radio is one of the best forms of communication. this is stampede 73
I have my own unique method for sending messages. I have a roll of trail marker tape and some heavy-duty 2"x3" zip lock bags. If I want to send a message, I put a note in the bag along with a pebble and attach it to about 3' of trail marker tape. I then use my slingshot to shoot the note, preferably at night, into an area where it can be easily found the next day.
Great communication video. Thank you for sharing this information especially with disasters that we have weatherwise.
I never thought about pictures of family. Fantastic idea!
Look into higher end GMRS radios.. not just bubble pack radios anymore. Better units with longer range are available. Base stations can be set up as repeaters to really extend range. Mobile. Units can be paired to make a handy portable instant repeater. They are currently trying to set up a nationwide GMRS net. Another way of communicating if the power goes down. Repeaters could be powered by a generator or a bank of batteries. Check it out!
Might want to check the Motorola T480 emergency weather radio. Whistle, NOAA weather, flashlight, FM radio, and FRS/GMRS capabilities. The Motorola T800 is similar but also has off grid texting and location sharing.
Battery operated Walkie-talkies. Checked off on the list. I'd just have to give one to people I talk the most to where I live. Come in sets of more than one. Three or four. Ham radios, but I don't know how many people use those anymore. Truckers can still be using CB radios between each other. Battery operated radios. Have that too. Emergency situation prepping, has become a hobby.
Great info.
I have whistles and 2 of those cute little hand crank radios.
We have first three , it’s a start g the thanks , appreciate the info, God Bless for helping people 😊
Great practical advice. Few things I hadn't thought about.
Glad it was helpful!
Wealth of info, ty so much Sir! Be blessed & safe!
I have a couple dozen CB radios to share around.
Small brass whistle on my keychain since I live in California with earthquakes so a whistle in case I get pinned in a building or I get lost. Great video, I will checkout some of these options.
You can't really beat the old 27mhz CB. It requires no license, is inexpensive (especially at yard sales and thrift stores),. CB sets are available as AM, AM/SSB, and now FM modulation. Although illegal, many CB operators use linear amplifiers. Some use 1KW or more amplifiers. The CB legal limit is 4 Watts output, equivalent to 12 Watts SSB. With the proper antenna however it can legally reach quite a distance, especially on "skip". They are available as walkie talkies, mobile CB radios, and/or base stations. CB has become much less crowded in the past decade. The only bad part about CB is that there is practically no policing of the band. It has become a radio free for all which is continuously abused. Also channel 9, the FCC designated emergency channel, is also abused and no longer monitored by REAC, police and other emergency organizations and services.
Actually that is a very good solution...if not too many people use it. I mean MISuse it.
I had a base station with a 500w kicker, and was able to talk to people several states away. Then the neighbors started complaining I was coming over their tv’s. Lol
@@johnboone2581 lol
@@johnboone2581 tell me about it. How about 2kw thru a Moonraker 6? They complained from blocks away. Lol. And they were right to
You list a lot of items for communication, and most cost a lot of money. There are people out here that can't afford that kind of gear. Although I am a ham radio operator, I realize that the best and easiest communication within my local community is a CB radio. For this post, I jumped over to Craigslist, and easily pulled up half-a-dozen CB's for sale on there, most for around $50. A major plus is that they generally run off 12-volt, so if the power is off for an extended time you can use your car battery. As long as you have gas in the tank, you can keep the battery charged and keep your radio running.
No one talks much about them anymore but homing pigeons used to be a way. I know a guy that uses them, other then that idk if anyone other than cartels use them.
I've always wondered how you tell them where you want them to go!!
That would be a great way to do mid ranged comms.
@@christinewallin3185 you dont, they go home.
@@michaelallsup1 i was almost kidding when i wrote that... but if you send them out to communicate w others.... how do they know where "the others" live? i'm supposing they've been trained to go somewhere; can you train them to go multiple locations... if so, how do they know which place they're going when you send them off w a message? i realize this is getting a little silly, but really the question remains.
@cityprepping watching again after todays outage. Feeling motivated to find alternative communication options.
Great information Kris. Thank you.
"Call on the Lord in the day of trouble,
and he will deliver you.'
- Psalm 50 : 15
All this stuff is great to know... especially in a time we are so dependent on technology..
You are very good at explaining things. Thank you so much.
When my kids were younger, I had a specific whistle code yo call them in. They knew when they heard it, it was tim to stop playing. It was great
And how often did they actually "hear" it as opposed to keeping playing cause they "didn't hear it"?
@@lilaclizard4504 they heard it.
Exactly answers my questions.
Thank you for posting this imperative information and links for products😎👍
You can get solar chargers for pretty much anything these days, who's needs the grid when you have hours of daylight to charge your solar panels 🙂
The small hand held, FRS radios do not require a license. Ham radios do. Study , take the test, learn how to correctly use it.
Radio can be fun, GMRS is another option,
Apply for a license with the FCC, ( 35 dollar fee) follow the regulations and you are good to go with gmrs, hint, gmrs and FRS share many frequencies. That gmrs license gets you more power, legally. Some things to think about.
Thank you for your videos I really enjoy watching them. Although I can only use probably 20% of what you produce it’s nice to know. And it’s far more knowledgeable than most news channels!
Thank you. I would love to see a video or any information regarding communication with younger children. Information on a BOB for kids would be great also.
You stated you don't need a license to operate a HAM radio. You should have clarified that. You can with two exceptions. 1. Its life or limb and there is no other means to communicate. 2., Its the apocalypses and no one is going to come looking for you for not having a license.
sorry about that. i recorded this video twice and the first time I mentioned that, but the video file was corrupted. The 2nd time I was a bit rushed and missed that point. Thanks for catching that.
@@CityPrepping you also forgot about trafic nets on ham repeaters. a good source of information and a way to get messages out of and in to the affected areas at no charge
Great topic to cover.
Glad you enjoyed it
as far as starlink is concerned, it depends of a ground based center to work If grid is totally down so will starlink be down Starlink needs the ground based center to verify your account.
Starlink if fine so long as the conditions are met, but it's more of a primary than a backup line of communication because of that. If anything it'd make sense to have a way to access public LoRa satellites, then have a totally ground based situation if satellites are knocked out
I have been a Ham Operator over 30 years, it started as hobby when I was young, and the last 20 years has changed to emergency related with Amateur Radio Emergency Service and M.A.R.S. I usually don't go anywhere mobile that does not have HF to communicate around North America and abroad, VHF, UHF, APRS & packet data capabilities for more local comms.,all without the need for any infrastructure.
Without an interest as a hobby it will be difficult to use this gear effectively without practicing using the equipment and how to program the channels, especially on the fly.
Sat comms are the best option. Iridium go’s an Garmin inreaches. If powers down so are ham repeaters. Goal zero solar panels are the best option
Thank You. Yes indeed, I have the crank up radio, whistle, no signal thing yet, did not think of that. Have the Walkie talkie on list. Garma too expensive for me. God Bless!
Glad to help
The old analog radios walkie-talkies are the best..
We practice these, but keep the batteries out. I may get a few sets for my neighborhood. We found the cheap ones at Walmart are surprisingly good.
Hi Chris, kudos on a good video! Maybe it was beyond the scope of this primer on the topic but military-style field phones for secure comms between strategic points in a community shouldn't be overlooked (perhaps for a communications video primer part II ?...i would mention MESH networks, too) ...Some field phones are sound powered, while others use D cells. Can be effective for a range of up to 5miles of point-to-point reliable comms. Include a 2 meter VHF base unit and/or CB at those strategic points. To complement the said key community points with a human network, stock up on those low-cost CB walkie-talkies or 2 meter VHF handytalkies (such as the popular Baofeng units) for folks in a vehicle, on foot, on bikes or horseback in a community to cover the area, especially well with a low-powered repeater and antenna at a high spot. For comms outside the local area, have a designated radio officer equipped with a Sat phone, Ham Radio HF-VHF-UHF, and also a base station CB. This described setup is what appears in a post-Apocalyptic adventure story script i am currently working on (that could go to a series for streaming TV) where a holdout self--sufficient village in Venezuela led by a mysterious new resident anti-hero relies heavily on radio comms throughout the story to defend themselves against armed marauders, rogue paramilitary units and communicate with "friendlies" across the country.
Me: been into Ham Radio, CB, and SWLing since the mid-1970s...and was a Wireless Network Comms Engineer in my corporate 9-to-5 job before ditching it all to be an ex-pat in LatinAmerica, making a living as a writer and business coach-angel investor in the region.
Invaluable info on here Chris. Thank you for an amazing channel and your efforts to help people work through tough times!
String and a can. An oldie but a good one. 😎
THANkU,, awesome channel and prep info
Thanks for sharing this information and you have some great options as well wich is always nice to have.
D’oh. Didn’t even think about putting the emergency numbers inside the phone case. Thanks for the tip!
Try to standardize on one or 2 battery types. You can buy battery packs for a baofeng UV5R that take AA batteries. If you buy a crank radio like the Kaiko linked here it runs on AA batteries. There are FMRS radios that run on AAs.
I carry two messenger pigeons in my bug out bag. No need for charging cables or power banks but don't forget to feed them or they won't carry anything for ya
You forgot Citizens Band/CB radios, they are cheap and can be "peaked"for more reach. Mobile,hand held or home base unit.
thank you!
Excellent. Very relevant and current!
I purchased one of those 28 watt solar panels and it took 7 hours of bright sun to give my phone less than one percent charge? I had my phone completely off and the red recharge light came on so I knew it was indicating that it was working but the draw from sun light was too small for any practical purpose. I must have tried 4 different ones and the performance was the same. I went back to a heavy 30,000 mah power bank. I also tried using. the hand crank feature on my emergency radio that gave me a work out and did some what better, but would prefer it was attached to a bycicle dynamo instead of from the hand crank on an emergency weather radio.
thank you for the valuable information!!
Thanks, where I live, we lose power quite regular, so I could use these almost daily. I am also a solar power junkie.
Thanks for the tips, they will very usefull here where I live.