Lets talk off grid Communications!

[Asavage270]

It's pretty easy to sink thousands into trick firearms and trinkets that are associated with them when it comes to survival / preparedness. But I've found most people don't have basic communications setups without a cell phone tower and electricity. (Not to mention a backpack already loaded with the gear needed to survive outdoors in the current season)

Communications are on par with; if not MORE useful than being proficient with a gun in the advent of a life disrupting event.
Being able to convey messages over distance is a massive advantage in any scenario. So... Lets talk comms!

What are you guys using for communication in the advent of a scenario where you cant use phones? Do your loved ones have a radio with them or in vehicle that they know how to use? Have you used that gear in the rain, and will it perform?

Do you have handheld radios? Ham, GMRS? Sat phones? Yelling loudly at one another? 2 tin cans with strings attached?

I have found that getting high quality WATERPROOF (oregon winters take no prisoners) communications on your kit is quit expensive. If you guys are looking to buy comm gear I HIGHLY recommend comm gear supply. They have unimaginably good customer service and excellent products.

Wish I would have found them when I first started with comms. I ordered the wrong item over a year ago causing some issues with my peltor headset and transmission. I called them up, explained my issue ( that was my fault by ordering the wrong product) they sent me a shipping label for return and are swapping it out with a bran new product that fits my needs. Thats freakin awesome.

Contact Us

Questions about earpieces, mics, headsets, radio makes/models, batteries, antennas, etc.: Contact Us via Chat / [email protected] / Direct Message FB: @CommGearSupply / IG: @CommGearSupply Call or Text: 805-947-0942(PST) Or Fill out information below and a representative will...

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[arakboss]

 

[JustSomeGuy]

For normal day-to-day operations on the ranch, I have ten 5 watt GMRS handhelds, two 40 watt GMRS mobiles, and another 40 watt GMRS mobile set up as a base station in the office. For SHTF, I have stored an identical setup wrapped in Faraday cloth and stored in a grounded Faraday cage/locker.

 

[brandonlamb]

I didnt go doomsday or super high speed level with manpacks and encrypted comms and atac and stuff, but better than the 99%.

• 6-8 Retevis ham radios, no screens, 16 channels, to hand out to neighbors, preprogrammed
• 8-12 Retevis RT85 for group comms, preprogrammed with ham and gmrs repeaters and channels
• Anytone base station (mobile), retevis base station, and retevis 10w repeater which we will be setting up in Longview within next couple of months (outdoor antenna and whatnot) for gmrs
• 7 Ailunce HD1 DMR radios for digital and encryption and sms/text capability
• Various disco32 ptt gear, antenna relocation and pc/chest rig antennas, as well as short stubbys
• Printed and laminated comms plan in a manilla folder with "OPEN IN SHTF", that also includes other plans like security so we arent figuring that out in the middle of "omg what is happening"

Part of comms plan was to KISS, while also planning for which channels to use for security, local general chat, trading, stuff like that, even if its just a base for a starting point.

 

[bolus]

Bump this old thread.

How about LoRa radio? Completely off grid (solar or battery power, not cellular, not internet) tiny low power radio's that bounce one radio to the next forming a mesh over a large area. As of tonight with my new setup I am seeing radio's mesh across almost the entire state of Hawaii.

All this from radios that starts <$20. My complete setup is a $87 radio, solar kit and a $17 antenna

Its hopping signals from the Big Island to a radio at the top of a volcano on Maui 42 miles away and then hopping to radio's on Oahu

more info: https://meshtastic.org/docs/introduction/

 

[Asavage270]

Bump this old thread.

How about LoRa radio? Completely off grid (solar or battery power, not cellular, not internet) tiny low power radio's that bounce one radio to the next forming a mesh over a large area. As of tonight with my new setup I am seeing radio's mesh across almost the entire state of Hawaii.

All this from radios that starts <$20. My complete setup is a $87 radio, solar kit and a $17 antenna

Its hopping signals from the Big Island to a radio at the top of a volcano on Maui 42 miles away and then hopping to radio's on Oahu

more info: https://meshtastic.org/docs/introduction/

View attachment 2019330

Thats an interesting setup, I haven't heard of these before. Looks sweet!

 

[OrPackrat]

Basic FRS however myself and others are starting to figure out and build some GMRS repeater systems...

First one I'll build will be based at the coast likely, a 10w to start making it a completely independent solar powered system as power wont be available.

The 10w will likely end up being pulled later for a event based portable and replaced with a 50w again with fully independent power source (300ah battery system and 500+w solar panel system) figuring system is being active 12hrs a day (overbuild vs underbuild).


System is being built to help with paintball team large event communications but I plan to expand beyond a bit for other comms...

 

[oremike]

I've no need for that kind of set up here. We go old school with a transistor radio and 9v batteries.

 

[edzz]

Bump this old thread.

How about LoRa radio? Completely off grid (solar or battery power, not cellular, not internet) tiny low power radio's that bounce one radio to the next forming a mesh over a large area. As of tonight with my new setup I am seeing radio's mesh across almost the entire state of Hawaii.

All this from radios that starts <$20. My complete setup is a $87 radio, solar kit and a $17 antenna

Its hopping signals from the Big Island to a radio at the top of a volcano on Maui 42 miles away and then hopping to radio's on Oahu

more info: https://meshtastic.org/docs/introduction/

View attachment 2019330

So... Technologically an updated version of ALOHAnet .

 

[oregunbob541]

Baofeng K5 Plus or BFF8HP-PRO are both solid choices for off grid emergency comms. These can transmit to and receive from local HAM repeaters as well as FRS/GMRS and emergency service frequencies. The K5 Plus is ~25 Bucks on amazon and is a very capable radio for the money.

 

[RVTECH]

I am a relatively new ham (3 years) however not new to radio in general as I used to run 'Chicken Band' back in the day , and mess with old shortwave radios & such however I do not believe any radio system be it ham, GMRS, FRS etc is NOT going to be effective in an emergency situation unless it is used regularly by those involved and they all understand the differences with frequencies, bands, the use of repeaters or Simplex and many other things.

Like anything simply owning something, or handing out radios to people in an emergency situation and expecting it to an effective form of communication might be a little overly optimistic especially if these people have no understanding or idea of how to use them.

Heck, this Saturday there is an off grid exercise being conducted in South Central Oregon with the local hams in the area.

 

[bolus]

So... Technologically an updated version of ALOHAnet .

Bouncing signals from the top of one volcano to another to spread it to all the islands is such a cool modern "the Beacons of Gondor are lit!"

 

[tsmack]

I didnt go doomsday or super high speed level with manpacks and encrypted comms and atac and stuff, but better than the 99%.

• 6-8 Retevis ham radios, no screens, 16 channels, to hand out to neighbors, preprogrammed
• 8-12 Retevis RT85 for group comms, preprogrammed with ham and gmrs repeaters and channels
• Anytone base station (mobile), retevis base station, and retevis 10w repeater which we will be setting up in Longview within next couple of months (outdoor antenna and whatnot) for gmrs
• 7 Ailunce HD1 DMR radios for digital and encryption and sms/text capability
• Various disco32 ptt gear, antenna relocation and pc/chest rig antennas, as well as short stubbys
• Printed and laminated comms plan in a manilla folder with "OPEN IN SHTF", that also includes other plans like security so we arent figuring that out in the middle of "omg what is happening"

Part of comms plan was to KISS, while also planning for which channels to use for security, local general chat, trading, stuff like that, even if its just a base for a starting point.

KISS agreed, unless you are using your gear enough to not lose your perishable skill set of operation, keep is simple. Also use Field cards for a reference.