Basic comms
Posted by iambatmanjoe@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 36 comments
I was just going through some preps. I have a small diy faraday cage with a few electronics. I have some old hiking walkie talkies. I'm thinking about changing them out. I wouldn't need much range, just one to two miles of flat terrain. Looking for a pair of radios that can talk to each other and have the possibility of adding another two or even more. I'm not very tech savvy so I'm looking for simple. I am leaning towards the Baofeng UV-5R because I believe it covers the bases and has a great price point. Any recs from those that are smarter than me?
PM_ME_UR_HBO_LOGIN@reddit
Tbh if you’re looking for simple and just want to pick up and use the radio in that distance, I would recommend against the UV-5R. For the price it’s a great little radio and I have 1 myself and would consider programming it to be pretty straightforward but I like that stuff and that does mean it really isn’t a ready to go pick up and use it solution without a more full learning experience. I would recommend you find a set of 2 GMRS band radios that have the channels pre-programmed (and please consider actually using them outside of shtf maybe even get the $35/10yr license) these actually use the same band+channels as frs (the walkie talkies you currently own) but with a higher power and significantly better antennas.
For GMRS GM-15 is same brand maybe pre-programmed NR-30s from retrevis is better, pre-programmed and IP67 HA-1G from Aliunce is better, pre-programmed and IP67
There’s even better non-Chinese brands but the China ones are cheap.
Alternatively if you’re looking to have something capable of more bands than the GMRS and looking to learn more about radios/ham I would actually recommend the UV-5R however I feel it should also be mentioned that Baofeng keeps making them but really considers that like the 1st gen of that radio and a much more capable newer model like the UV-5RM is only $5 more or the UV-5RH has gps, the DM-32 will do DMR radio.
Crosswire3@reddit
Thank you for recommending actual use and practice. Knowing what your gear can do is super valuable.
Itchy_Elk6249@reddit
What’s the go to online masterclass I can learn this all at? I have the budget but I need an Explain Like I’m 5 on comms and especially with Tactical comms like Peltor headsets etc.
PM_ME_UR_HBO_LOGIN@reddit
Tbh studying for your ham test is the best way to start, several suitable free online sources for that. Get your HAM license and you can play with the more advanced radios legally and you’ll have the practice to actually know what you’re doing for comms. It’s also far more likely to be useful for a prepper to understand+use radio outside of tactical use than it is to focus on tactical coms. If you learn enough to setup tactical coms then you have very little extra to do to get your ham license, also frankly outside of the military (where soldiers will get trained and disciplined on it) if someone isn’t willing to meet the minimum bar to get a ham license they likely aren’t going to follow through with learning tactical coms techniques as the basics are mostly just understanding application of the physics behind radios to locate a radio. Peltor is just top of the line ear pro equipment that supports integrated comms.
lagavenger@reddit
Why do you need all the tacticool stuff?
Theres a lot of stuff do to in radio. The short solution is to get a GMRS radio, like a UV-5G, get your $35 FCC license and enjoy your radio. Watch some YouTube videos about connecting to repeaters nearby and you’re good.
But if you really want to have a lot of knowledge and flexibility in radio, you get your amateur radio license. You’ll learn a lot just by studying for the general and extra license. Get in with a couple local radio clubs, and talk to the old guys.
EZMac91@reddit
Uv-5g / pro baofeng could be exactly what you needed. Can listen to Ham bands but is pre-set up for GMRS comms with the gmrs channels pre-programmed in
Licenses is $35 / ten years if you want to be legal (I don’t judge if you don’t get it and the fcc probably won’t either) license covers you whole immediate family and most extended family
PM_ME_UR_HBO_LOGIN@reddit
Pre-programmed is the big thing. I also got a couple pre-programmed gmrs for the wife and I to have ready to go ones when we first started playing with radios and although my hindsight would have been buying better models I’m glad we bought them. I was looking to play with a UV-5R and what all comes with that when I bought it but if I’d been looking for a ready to use solution and didn’t want to get into ham stuff already and found out I had to download stuff then figure out all the setting I wanted to then finally program my radios I would have been pissed.
Yeah I got the GMRS license. I understand people not wanting to pay for it being as, as far as affecting others goes, anything besides a base station is almost indistinguishable from just using frs but it’s literally $35 for 10 years and the whole fam is set to be legit. The GMRS also integrates with existing walkie talkies and expands to base/vehicle stations nicely.
EZMac91@reddit
Yea agreed with all this I got the license and jumped in similarly and learned to program my own and am experimenting with getting ham now ha
akm76@reddit
Thing that always amuses me about prepper questions about electronics is, once they figure out which latest electronic junk to order, they never seem to address what are they going to do about the batteries.
Oh yea, man I got 100 AA batteries stashed. Guess how long that lasts, especially if you get some moisture or what not seep into the storage. Oh, great hunting scope, red dot and everything. It runs on a effing battery, and an uncommon one to boot.
Like, what is everyone doing for batteries, or planning to? Don't tell me you get rechargeable ones you plan to charge off your solar panel, those have limited number of cycles and it's not that great.
smsff2@reddit
My GMRS radio is pretty much the only device in my house that still runs on AA batteries. This has become less of an issue lately thanks to advances in microelectronics, especially introduction of battery management systems (BMS).
My GMRS radio now has a battery level indicator, just like a cell phone, and it includes a micro-USB charging port. I can recharge it with a USB cable, which is a huge improvement compared to 10–20 years ago, when we had to guess the charge level and recharge the batteries at the right time. If we guessed wrong and let the battery discharge below a certain threshold, it would simply die.
That said, a GMRS radio is nowhere near a mission-critical device. Nickel-metal hydride batteries are said to have a shelf life of up to 10 years. I’m not sure how accurate that is, but I suppose I’ll find out.
pianoboy777@reddit
Baofengs are solid for 1-2 miles voice. Can't beat them for that.
But if you want a silent, text-based backup that runs on old phones with no license—my free mesh app does offline chat. 300-500 feet on built-in WiFi. Slap a good router or directional antenna on it and you can push way further. Mesh hop coming soon, so every node extends range.
Not a Baofeng killer. Just another layer. Runs Android, Linux, Windows. Free.
WhereDidAllTheSnowGo@reddit
Who are you gunna talk to?
iambatmanjoe@reddit (OP)
I'm my mind it would be for the family waking around the neighborhood
WhereDidAllTheSnowGo@reddit
Perfect. Friends & neighbors too.
Quite often folk here hope to talk to another state
iambatmanjoe@reddit (OP)
Jynxair@reddit
Hi mate, a bit off topic here but what did you do to make your DIY Faraday? I'm interested in building one as the Blackout brand for proper Faraday bags are just out of budget for me.
iambatmanjoe@reddit (OP)
I've just done the metal trash can with tight lid with cardboard lining and thick ground wire to my water pipe.
Many-Health-1673@reddit
I have two F8HP pros and they work well
Royal_Assignment9054@reddit
An option that does not require a license is Meshtastic
WhereDidAllTheSnowGo@reddit
GMRS.
In short, the ‘best 2-way comms for most folks’ is a bulk set of GMRS-licensed, Baofeng brand or similar, handheld radios with spare batteries & longer antennas. Later, add base/mobile have more power/range. More power than FRS, CB (yes, hams, I know, it’s complex, read on). No test to take like ham. Buy the family license for $35. Expect a few miles/km’s but train with them to learn your areas’ attributes. Some areas have repeaters for long range. Program them all so others will find them easy to use (ie turn on, push to talk). ..…
In long, there’s many better/technical solutions like ham & CB SSB that require far more $$ & skill; do those after GMRS. This is for USA; your country likely has similar.
Royal_Assignment9054@reddit
This is the answer. You can get a pair with the ability to program repeaters yo extend the range
qbg@reddit
You can also buy a GMRS repeater on Amazon for around $500.
r_frsradio_admin@reddit
Why not FRS?
Royal_Assignment9054@reddit
Lower range, no repeaters
dittybopper_05H@reddit
If you're not licensed you can't legally use repeaters, whether GMRS or amateur radio anyway.
Royal_Assignment9054@reddit
You need a GMRS license to operate GMRS, repeater or not. But it does not require an exam. It’s different than a ham radio license. You just purchase it and it covers your immediate family.
dittybopper_05H@reddit
Absolutely.
BewareNZ@reddit
I’ve just bought some Lilligo Meshtastic devices. Keen to try them as an alternative to the Baofeng system we already have.
EffinBob@reddit
I like playing with mesh devices. Under no circumstances would I consider them a backup for communications.
Ryan_e3p@reddit
Not an alternative. Please don't consider it an either/or situation. Also, consider the pros and cons between Meshtastic and Meshcore. There are some differences in not only how they message, but coverage as well. Your area may have better coverage under one than the other.
Jynxair@reddit
Shouldnt be an alternative. Both are necessary communication devices that should work in harmony, both serve very differently depending on what scenario your in. Have both baofeng and your lilligo tdecks ready to go.
VisualEyez33@reddit
Uv5r requires ham radio testing and licensing to use legally.
silverbk65105@reddit
The ham version does, it is available in a GMRS version.
dittybopper_05H@reddit
That's not the UV-5R then.
Also, the GMRS version requires a GMRS license to use legally.
Grendle1972@reddit
You can get GMRS handheld and a base station. You can use the handheld while it and about a bad strain at your home or mounted in your vehicle with even more range than the handheld, and more power. A small fee for a 10 year, no test license is pretty good too.
Jolopy4099@reddit
If you only need short distance you could try any pair of radios people use for hunting. The range is never what they say on the package usually but for under like 6 miles they are cheap and effective.