People are the best prep.
Alright fellas, let’s talk radios.
After going down this rabbit hole myself the past couple of years I’ve settled on two general use cases/scenarios for wanting established radio comms.
1. General Use & Information Gathering
2. Tactical & Secure Communications
General Use & Information Gathering
This first category covers everything from hiking, road tripping, mountaineering, natural disaster response, and yes even some SHTF type communications. I went down the HAM radio route at first with this and eventually came to the realization that many of the people I wanted to talk on the radio with weren’t going to go through the work to get their HAM radio license. Without a license, we couldn’t talk or practice regularly and thus my radio network was severely limited.
However, switching over to GMRS/FRS as a standard has been very successful in this regard.
FRS/GMRS
FRS (family radio service) radios are those little bubble pack channelized radios you get at big box stores. They usually partially work but are pretty limited distance wise and are low powered (max 2 watts output).
GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) operates on the same channels as FRS with a few extra. Handheld GMRS radios mostly operate at 5 watts, though base stations and repeaters can operate at up to 50 watts of output.
There are a couple of big advantages of GMRS radio that makes it a good fit for radio novices that just want to get started/be able to talk:
No test for the license, and it extends to your family membership
Power output of up to 50 watts extends range
Repeaters can extend range of handhelds (I can talk to people 40-50 miles away through repeaters on my handheld)
Ease of use – channels make it easier for novices/family members to use
Overall the barrier to entry for GMRS is a lot lower and it’s a lot easier to use than HAM radio. You’ll be able to grow your local network of like-minded people connected by radio much faster with GMRS than you will with HAM. One thing to check on though is the presence or absence of GMRS repeaters in your area. Where I’m at there are a bunch of repeaters high up on mountains all around me so the coverage that way is excellent. In some areas there are no repeaters. Also, you can just setup and run your own repeater without any additional licensing if you want/need to. Check mygmrs.com for repeater coverage.
GMRS repeater coverage map: https://mygmrs.com/map
Get your GMRS license: https://mygmrs.com/help/get-gmrs-license
GMRS license cost dropped from $70 for ten years down to $35 for ten years. https://www.buytwowayradios.com/blog/2022/03/amateur-and-gmrs-license-fees-change-to-35-on-april-19-2022.html
What GMRS radio should you get?
You’ll want repeater capable GMRS radios. Here’s a list:
https://shop.mygmrs.com/collections/repeater-capable
Technically per FCC policy you’re supposed to use radios certified specifically for GMRS, but with that said there are a lot of people that see that as more of a guideline and repurpose cheaper and more versatile HAM radios, and program them with GMRS channels.
I use wouxon 905G and 935G radios and really like them, though it looks like the 935G is out of stock right now. https://www.buytwowayradios.com/wouxun-kg-905g.html
Baofeng UV5R
Let’s say you already bought a UV5R and want to program it for FRS/GMRS, this is doable. You’ll need to download CHIRP to do it and will need a programming cable:
CHIRP: https://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Download
Baofeng programming cable: https://www.amazon.com/Baofeng-Programming-Cable-BAOFENG-BF-888S/dp/B00CP0I474
Ham Radio
The next step up from GMRS is to get into the ham radio space. HAM radio has a whole lot more features available to it, especially with digital modes and radios. Using something like DMR or Yaesu System Fusion you can connect to a local repeater and talk to people throughout the world. Or you can get your general license and talk to them directly on HF. If you want to dip your toes into listening to that world without getting licensed and whatnot a decent shortwave radio goes a long way:
Shortwave radio: https://www.amazon.com/SSB-Shortwave-Scannable-Aviation-Operated/dp/B07HXKR479/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=shortwave+radio&qid=1649878283&sr=8-9
I’m on the west coast but easily catch broadcasts from Florida and Tennessee on shortwave at night. Shortwave radios will let you listen to the HF spectrum and often times airband. You can use a cheap Baofeng UV5R to scan and listen to local broadcasts on VHF/UHF.
Tactical & Secure Communications
The first use case (GMRS/HAM) is most important IMHO because it allows you to communicate and possibly link up in a SHTF/WROL type of situation, and also allows for community information sharing on repeaters and coordination that way. However, it is not at all secure in that anyone scanning those channels or frequencies can easily hear everything you’re talking about (even if you use privacy tones/codes).You can use those radios more securely by using the lowest power necessary to talk, only talking in short transmissions, and regularly switching channels/frequencies. However, if you’re getting into the ‘conflict zone’ type space (say trying to communicate in Ukraine right now) you’ll want to step it up a notch.
Short burst digital modes on HAM radios, or encrypted radios are where you want to be for more tactical/security oriented communications. I believe that to do encrypted comms legally in the US you need a commercial license, and you can apply for one. There are HAM/Commercial radios that have encryption support (AES-256 built-in). The most recommended model I see that way is the Anytone AT-D878UVII:
Here’s decent justification for why from Wyoming Survival:
https://wyomingsurvival.wordpress.com/2022/04/06/whats-the-best-radio/
The next step up from that is P25 radios which is what a lot of law enforcement/EMS are using. There are oftentimes some available on ebay, though I don’t know that those manufacturers typically sell new to non-law enforcement/EMS.
The rabbit hole on tactical comms, sigint, etc. gets pretty deep. If you have a need or curiosity for that I suggest getting a few radio nerds together to go that route together.
There’s also a lot of really cool stuff you can do these days with SDR (software defined radio), and that’s probably where the future of radio communications is.
https://www.sdr-radio.com/Blog
shop.mygmrs.com
These radios are capable of being used with a repeater station, which can greatly increase your communications range and reliability.
buytwowayradios.com
Wouxun KG-905G GMRS Two Way Radio
Features. Performance. Power. The Wouxun KG-905G takes the best for the GMRS and puts it right in the palm of your hand! Designed with the serious prosumer in mind, the KG-905G lets you take advantage of all that the GMRS has to offer and more.
chirp.danplanet.com
Note: Neither Hawk nor the Steader newsletter has an affiliate relationship with any of these links