Poll: SHTF Comms? What are you using?

[The Heretic]

As I have mentioned elsewhere, if an EMP/CME hits, I am not going to be commuting (I don't commute anyway, I am retired), and few other people will either. If the grid is down, most people won't be going into work.

I might try to get supplies, I will certainly be collecting my kids to bring back to my rural house (if they haven't already gotten there on their own), but beyond that, the only reason I (and most other people) will be driving any of my vehicles will be to take someone to get medical help.

Some people might need to "bug out", but I won't. My kids would, but if their car is kaput, I will be going to get them, and at the very least my truck will be running.

 

[Mark W.]

My 48 Willys jeep does have a captive discharge spark box on it. I can switch it out of the ignition in about 10 min. Then I am 1930's ignition tech. Granted the Pioneer Stereo and comm radios will be toast. If my battery is intact after the event. I would be able to start and run the jeep for about 3-4 days on the battery (I have a HUGE series 31 truck battery for my little 4 cyl engine) I can easily push start the jeep on level ground. Did it for about half my senior year in high school when the starter went out.

 

[Cerberus Group]

As I have mentioned elsewhere, if an EMP/CME hits, I am not going to be commuting (I don't commute anyway, I am retired), and few other people will either. If the grid is down, most people won't be going into work.

I might try to get supplies, I will certainly be collecting my kids to bring back to my rural house (if they haven't already gotten there on their own), but beyond that, the only reason I (and most other people) will be driving any of my vehicles will be to take someone to get medical help.

Some people might need to "bug out", but I won't. My kids would, but if their car is kaput, I will be going to get them, and at the very least my truck will be running.

I'll be doing the same...bugging in.

 

[DunRanull]

My emergency SHTF communication device will be my Old Woman. She can shriek or beller loud enuff to cause unusual activity at the cemetery just over the hill from our estancia...
NOTE: We assume no responsibility, express or implied, for the ear drums of anyone, friend or foe, should they be within receiving range...

 

[jkor]

Soup cans and string.

 

[NobullSKS]

I had a thought….what if..
I have couple basic Baofang portable things in protective storage, but haven't taken the training classes for a license or even how to use them. We will, we will.
I know I'm emergencies no handle needed, right?
Is it possible for the radio channels to get "clogged up" especially with folks like me who don't know how to use them properly?
Or is it all just chatter you ignore, and the system keeps running for those that know?
I couldn't imagine normal operation and dialogues in an emergency and panic.
I know I probably can find this answer on the webs or in training material. It's just intimidating at the moment to sort all that out.

 

[oremike]

 

[ATCclears]

I had a thought….what if..
I have couple basic Baofang portable things in protective storage, but haven't taken the training classes for a license or even how to use them. We will, we will.
I know I'm emergencies no handle needed, right?
Is it possible for the radio channels to get "clogged up" especially with folks like me who don't know how to use them properly?
Or is it all just chatter you ignore, and the system keeps running for those that know?
I couldn't imagine normal operation and dialogues in an emergency and panic.
I know I probably can find this answer on the webs or in training material. It's just intimidating at the moment to sort all that out.

I personally recommend you spend some time with those Baofeng handheld transceivers, even if just to listen (you can legally listen).

Figure out what frequencies might be important in your area, including repeaters. Repeaters won't matter if power is out for an extended period, but a SHTF could take so many forms or duration.

You likely won't be figuring those radios out in a SHTF scenario.

If that is too much but you still want some household or close-neighbor communication capabilities, look at the FRS/GMRS radios from say Motorola. No programming required. They're like the old walkie talkies one may have had as a child. You can find them at Costco, Amazon, etc. You won't be able to communicate over 35 miles, but you should get a 1-mile distance out of them. Examples:


Costco:
https://www.costco.com/motorola-sol...two-way-radios,-2-pack.product.100786622.html


Amazon:

https://tinyurl.com/4j2w8bt8

 

[Longwalkhome]

Smoke signals...I see smoke it signals don't go there.

 

[The Heretic]

My 48 Willys jeep does have a captive discharge spark box on it. I can switch it out of the ignition in about 10 min. Then I am 1930's ignition tech. Granted the Pioneer Stereo and comm radios will be toast. If my battery is intact after the event. I would be able to start and run the jeep for about 3-4 days on the battery (I have a HUGE series 31 truck battery for my little 4 cyl engine) I can easily push start the jeep on level ground. Did it for about half my senior year in high school when the starter went out.

And 1940's ignition tech was usually an ignition coil, points and a capacitor (usually called a condenser), plus a heat sensitive resistor (allowed higher voltage to the coil when the engine was cold). Theoretically, each of these is also vulnerable to EMP, just not as much as ICs.

Magneto ignitions (some older tractors and a LOT of private small gasoline powered aircraft) are much less vulnerable. Some older cars had magneto ignitions, but most on the road would be points/coil/condenser.

Charging systems that have alternators might get fried (their "rectifiers" are high amperage diodes). Most cars on the road have alternators today. Without the alternator generating power, the car generally won't run once the battery discharges, and a lot of modern cars have more power consumption than older cars for their EFI/EMS.

Fortunately, many alternators are pretty easy to replace, and if the rest of the electronics are okay, that is a pretty simple R&R. I do think the rest of the electronics are more vulnerable than the alternator and starter though.

Roll starting most current model cars won't work though - most are automatics (one reason why I insisted on getting a manual for my diesel truck).

 

[gmerkt]

The problem with today's car electronics are that they are much more complex, and tightly integrated - there is more to go wrong, and when it does, it is hard to know what the problem is without the right diagnostic equipment and training/experience.

I looked at a 2003 Lincoln Town Car this very day. Very reasonably priced. Then the guy told me, "It's in good shape and runs well, but if it sits longer than a week, the battery has gone dead." Well, I'm thinking there's a short in there somewhere causing a minor power draw. Used to be, I could diagnose shorts like that using a probe light or by pulling fuses one at a time. Even on a 20 year old Town Car, I don't want to take it on. Those things have loads of electricals on them.

Charging systems that have alternators might get fried (their "rectifiers" are high amperage diodes). Most cars on the road have alternators today. Without the alternator generating power, the car generally won't run once the battery discharges, and a lot of modern cars have more power consumption than older cars for their EFI/EMS.

Yes, the ECM or PCM in electronically controlled vehicles requires a specific voltage to operate. Absent that voltage, it will shut down. 12 volt systems typically operate at something better than 14 volts. If you lose your charging system in a "computer car," once the battery charge drifts below 14 something volts, there won't be sufficient voltage to operate the computer, the car goes dead.

 

[gmerkt]

And 1940's ignition tech was usually an ignition coil, points and a capacitor (usually called a condenser), plus a heat sensitive resistor (allowed higher voltage to the coil when the engine was cold). Theoretically, each of these is also vulnerable to EMP, just not as much as ICs.

I've wondered about this before. Because a resistor technically is a form of electronics, especially the design that is incorporated into the ignition wire. I'm glad you think they are less sensitive to EMP. I've only got one car left with breaker points. I don't worry much about the coil and condenser, they are just turns of wire so probably least sensitive components of this type.

I still keep a dwell meter and timing light on hand for servicing my 1972 Ranch Wagon. It was built after transistorized car radios, but that's not a worry as this car was built without one. But does anyone still listen to AM? I suppose someone does.

Sidebar: Stay away from Made in China replacement ignition coils, they are overly prone to failure even without EMP.

 

[The Heretic]

I've wondered about this before. Because a resistor technically is a form of electronics, especially the design that is incorporated into the ignition wire. I'm glad you think they are less sensitive to EMP. I've only got one car left with breaker points. I don't worry much about the coil and condenser, they are just turns of wire so probably least sensitive components of this type.

I still keep a dwell meter and timing light on hand for servicing my 1972 Ranch Wagon. It was built after transistorized car radios, but that's not a worry as this car was built without one. But does anyone still listen to AM? I suppose someone does.

Sidebar: Stay away from Made in China replacement ignition coils, they are overly prone to failure even without EMP.

Early as a teen, I knew what the resistor was for - partially. I thought, hey - I can get more voltage into the coil and get more power from the engine if I bypass the resistor!

Yeah right.

Not more power because the engine didn't need a hotter spark, but the ignition coil swelled up and I had to buy a new coil.

 

[The Heretic]

I looked at a 2003 Lincoln Town Car this very day. Very reasonably priced. Then the guy told me, "It's in good shape and runs well, but if it sits longer than a week, the battery has gone dead." Well, I'm thinking there's a short in there somewhere causing a minor power draw. Used to be, I could diagnose shorts like that using a probe light or by pulling fuses one at a time. Even on a 20 year old Town Car, I don't want to take it on. Those things have loads of electricals on them.

Yeah, if my BMW sits for a month the battery will get low (the system tells me it is), because it has an alarm and a number of other things running constantly.

My Dodge has some other parasitic drain somewhere that I haven't dived into - I just keep a battery tender on it.

Yes, the ECM or PCM in electronically controlled vehicles requires a specific voltage to operate. Absent that voltage, it will shut down. 12 volt systems typically operate at something better than 14 volts. If you lose your charging system in a "computer car," once the battery charge drifts below 14 something volts, there won't be sufficient voltage to operate the computer, the car goes dead.

They will run at a nominal 12.4 volts, maybe less (I know my BMW will), but eventually, without that charging system working, they will flat out die when the battery gets too low. Even the early cars with alternators won't run if the alternator dies and then the battery dies. Generator systems will too, it just takes longer - BTDT; my bubblegum ex-BIL (if there is a hell, he is there now; died in prison) kept turning on the heater when the generator had died and was killing the engine in my '59 Chevy pickup.

Alternators are not self-exciting like most generators are, so you can't start an alternator car, leave it running, remove the battery and use that to start another car. The engine dies the second you disconnect the battery. We used to do this with generator cars, but didn't understand why it would not work with cars that had alternators (not to mention, it is very bad on the alternator to do this).

 

[gmerkt]

They will run at a nominal 12.4 volts, maybe less (I know my BMW will), but eventually, without that charging system working, they will flat out die when the battery gets too low. Even the early cars with alternators won't run if the alternator dies and then the battery dies. Generator systems will too, it just takes longer

I learned the hard way with this. I had a 1986 Mercury Cougar. Driving home one night, the head lamps started getting dim. I figured, "Oh, it will make it home, only a few miles." It didn't. Shortly after the dimming of the head lamps, the instruments (it was an early version of digital display) went nuts, and about a half minute later, I coasted to the side of the road. In that case, the voltage regulator was bad. Solid state, which in my limited experience don't fail all that often. The next day, I put a test meter on the battery, it was down to 11 point something volts.

Yes, older vehicles with generators will run without a battery connection once they get started.

Alternators are fairly easily damaged from cross polarity connections.

These days, I don't let vehicle batteries get a chance to fail on me. I keep my eye on the date code and start thinking about replacement when I see they have gotten past six years of age. I don't know how many batteries I've gone through in my 1972 Ranch Wagon but it's many.

 

[The Heretic]

These days, I don't let vehicle batteries get a chance to fail on me. I keep my eye on the date code and start thinking about replacement when I see they have gotten past six years of age. I don't know how many batteries I've gone through in my 1972 Ranch Wagon but it's many.

The best thing anyone can do, is to add a voltmeter it the vehicle doesn't have one. My truck does, my car does not - but I can add one to the cig lighter.

https://smile.amazon.com/Charger-Adapter-Cigarette-Delivery-Compatible/dp/B08N4WKJMT/ref=sr_1_1_sspa

 

[gmerkt]

The best thing anyone can do, is to add a voltmeter it the vehicle doesn't have one. My truck does, my car does not - but I can add one to the cig lighter.

Very neat. My 2004 Crown Victoria has a voltmeter in the instruments. By the time they made my 2006 Mercury Marquis, it had been eliminated. But they added a tachometer (??!!). My old 1940 Ford had a voltmeter also. The 72 Ranch Wagon, all warning lights.

I like the little plug-in voltage meter, I'll put it on my list for when Mrs. Merkt asks for gift ideas.

 

[The Heretic]

Very neat. My 2004 Crown Victoria has a voltmeter in the instruments. By the time they made my 2006 Mercury Marquis, it had been eliminated. But they added a tachometer (??!!). My old 1940 Ford had a voltmeter also. The 72 Ranch Wagon, all warning lights.

I like the little plug-in voltage meter, I'll put it on my list for when Mrs. Merkt asks for gift ideas.

My BMW X1 has a warning "battery voltage is low", but nothing to tell me what the battery voltage actually is - although there might be a secret sequence of buttons to find it:

 

[Trapdoor45-70]

Am a Tech level ham and have a number of analog VHF handhelds and a single mobile radios which I use for disaster response.

Have given the current topic some thought over the years.

A part of my plan was to use MURS frequencies rather than ham, CB, FRS, or GMRS via programmable radios. Limited range, which for some applications could be ideal for activities close to home with specific people. I've added suitable antennas for that frequency.

No plan for long distance communication as I don't have a need.

Also plan to use ham frequencies if needed with pre-established procedures on laminated cards.

For improved security an option might be digital amateur radios.

I don't own this type but have seen it demonstrated and if I recall correctly the signal can only be received by another digital radio. So, while the signal is not encrypted or secured, only another digital ham radio will receive it.

Based on my experience in disaster communications as a volunteer there are not as many digital ham radios as there are analog radios.

 

[FourTeeFive]

I got one of those cool guy radios that scans all frequencies all the time and locks on to anything by distance from my location,,,,,,so I know where you are, before you know where I am …..

Does such a thing exist? How would it know distance? Signal strength depends on a few variables.