Reliable Interstate Comms
Posted by ku8475@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 24 comments
I am trying to figure out how to keep in contact with family if the cell network and internet go down. Distance is essentially 800 miles. I do have a ham license, but I haven't figured out a reliable, quick way to utilize them. Does anyone have a possible solution?
Educational_Turn9039@reddit
I have a Hughes 9450 c11 system for sale thousands under what one costs. Let me know if anyone is interested
2lros@reddit
Satellite text communicators Subscriptions as low as 15 permonth
ku8475@reddit (OP)
Yeah I was looking into those. I'm curious if they work independent of other systems. More research is called for I guess.
2lros@reddit
They work independent of the cell network
ku8475@reddit (OP)
Nice. The other concern was the ones with best reviews work off the iridium network which is used by the military. Are those the ones you have experience withor do you have globalstar/inmarsat ect?
2lros@reddit
Garmin
ku8475@reddit (OP)
Right, but it runs off iridium.
2lros@reddit
Thatd the dumbest response
If u need to communicate 800miles away
Pick a sat comm plan from whoever
wanderingpeddlar@reddit
Going to say the sat text option is going to be the easiest.
Other wise you are going to need two HF rigs no matter what. If you want to get through most of the time you are going to need all band HF rigs. They are more expensive. And they take a practice to use.
You are going to have to have someone on the other end working with you to practice.
ku8475@reddit (OP)
That is what I am leaning towards. I am not sure how committed the family is to field radio days. Heh
countspero@reddit
Amazon simplex repeater and solar set up.
Marco_Farfarer@reddit
NVIS or skywave HF.
Make a sensible, comprehensive comms plan with QRGs according to time of day and season, as MUF and skip distances vary with those.
dave9199@reddit
800 miles is pretty easy with ham radio, but you need to upgrade to general and get a HF radio. And so does your family .
Repeaters won't come close to 800 miles
ku8475@reddit (OP)
Really? Interesting. My understanding for hf to go that far you need serious elevation or right atmospheric conditions to bounce off the ionosphere. Guess I was wrong. Been a bit since I took my test. I also originally only got it for fpv drone stuff.
dave9199@reddit
You do need the right conditions but in many bands this is predictable. 800 miles away you can generally talk on 20m during daylight hours. Some elevation helps. But you can do much of this with a short mast coming off your roof or in your yard, many people even run HF antennas of their cars. . It is not like VHF/UHF that is based off line of sight. You are bouncing a signal off the ionosphere and back down so the elevation is more just to get away from the effects of the ground not for line of sight.
Check out VOACAP.com/hf to play with different antenna setups and to get prediction tables for when and what band would be ideal to communicate on. Some bands like 10m aren't always "open" so I wouldn't not count on them, but 20m and 40m are often reliable.
HashtagFaceRip@reddit
I don’t think you are going to get 800 miles with repeaters friend unless there is one hell of an established net. Need to go HF, does your family on the other end have a license? I made my brother get his just for this reason.
ku8475@reddit (OP)
Only one of my family members have a license. I already told the others to start working on them. Guess I need to start studying for a general.
HashtagFaceRip@reddit
Yeah, that’s your best bet. No guarantee repeater net would even be up if power goes out. HF is trickier so good to practice. You can do your own mini field days with fam.
ku8475@reddit (OP)
Ok. I'll look into it. I only have a technician license and wanted to keep cost down, but I see the value in your point.
EffinBob@reddit
Use the NTS.
YardFudge@reddit
Does the rest of your family also have a ham license and rig ?
Are yall willing to practice monthly?
monkeylove987789@reddit
that's honestly an odd distance for ham radio.
when it comes down to it, you can't rely on repeaters either....power and or internet connections keep those things running and connected, too.
With a general ham radio license you can get on higher bands, but miles 0-? are very questionable.
I can literally make contact with people on the other coast with only 5w of power, however, I CANNOT make contact with anyone 0-500(?) miles from my house...my signal literally just bounces over them.
Also...."they" also need to have a ham radio license AND you need to test, practice and even then, band conditions will always dictate how well you can communicate.
OnTheEdgeOfFreedom@reddit
Ham radio of sufficient wattage doesn't need repeaters to get 800 miles. And if you have a technician's license and don't know that, something curious is going on.
Mind you, ham is likely to be annoying because it's not a simple, handheld solution. The person you want to talk to has to be at their ham rig. You need to schedule times in advance, etc.
But nothing else is likely to reach 800 miles, regardless of repeaters, so it's the only option.
HashtagFaceRip@reddit
You can do mobile HF. Not HT mind you hut you can be mobile.