What to use for Comm if SHTF?

[ThrottleJockey]

They can do it on a local level, with modified helicopters (probably black ones) but who is going to be flying them? The obama brown shirt force? Talk to your Military and LE friends. If shtf like you say whose side are they going to be on?

Our troops will not be used, they will be overseas. Isn't it interesting that the great O signed off to send more troops to Afghanistan yesterday instead of bringing them home like he keeps promising? It also should interest you that UN troops, that's soldiers from another country with no loyalty to the US citizens for those that haven't been following along, are here and have been training here in our cities for decades to be used for just such a purpose. I'm not saying not to get a HAM set up and not to learn how to use it, just don't bother with a license if the only reason you have it is for when the SHTF.

 

[Bada Boom]

I agree that after SHTF who cares. But in the mean time I think that it is very useful to practice making contacts with all in your group. Do this monthly, practicing using your predetermined freqs and times and all the rest.

You are going to have a harder time training for this with out your ticket.

Your points are well made.

 

[Sailor]

I am not concerned at all about UN troops being any threat to us here. There are probably enough people just on this board alone to take care of that problem. It would take no time to rally our fellow hoosiers, LEO, and National Guard.

 

[jeremy]

The .gov can not hit a button and black out all comms. This has been tried in other countries and failed. The problem is it also blocks out their own comms. They can do it on a local level,

Not entirely true either. The Military certainly has the tech to black out large areas of Comms. And ours still work... We can also completely isolate small areas from ALL frequency driven comms, and ours still work. Or i can just target a set fequency range either locally or broader, and mine still work fine.

You are right though it is not something that is not done very often. It is actually more beneficial to listen in and hear the plans and triangulate the positions of the players...

It also should interest you that UN troops, that's soldiers from another country with no loyalty to the US citizens for those that haven't been following along, are here and have been training here in our cities for decades to be used for just such a purpose.

Really you would think that in my 20 years of service I would have heard or seen something about this... Nope just pull your tin-foil on a little tighter bud...

We do have troops from other countries here being trained by our Military though. That usually works out well for us historically...

 

[Sailor]

My info is dated from the 80's. I heard possibly that Hueys were carrying civilians with a big black box, and antennas strapped to the belly and tail. Some people reported that they were having trouble with their TV signals. thats what I heard

 

[ThrottleJockey]

If you don't think it's going to happen, why don't you ask the people of Arcadia Iowa? Google
I helped organize a large group of the people that helped to stop this training from taking place. At first the people were lied to and jumped on board as willing participants, but as more and more info became avail. to them they opened their eyes.

 

[jeremy]

If you don't think it's going to happen, why don't you ask the people of Arcadia Iowa? Google
I helped organize a large group of the people that helped to stop this training from taking place. At first the people were lied to and jumped on board as willing participants, but as more and more info became avail. to them they opened their eyes.

LOL!

Do you even know what you were opposed to? No.
Do you know what that training exercise was supposed to do? No.
I take it you have never heard of Robin Sage either have you?

This exercise was designed and planned to teach grunts how to passively enter and passively search places in combat zones that we are trying to win hearts and minds.
One of the reasons for doing this in a REAL town is because civilian actors do not play the same way Soldier actors do. Soldiers do not play good civilians, the training and mindset is wrong for the way a civilian will react to the same circumstances.
Another reason for doing this in a REAL town is to get the input from all the residents on what the soldiers did right and wrong. So the soldiers may learn from the experience, without shedding their blood in the process. It is a lot easier to train someone when there is no language/cultural barrier to overcome.
Oh and here is another reason. Do you know how flipping expensive it is to build and maintian a training town? It is bar far cheaper to pay the town and the civilians living there when this kind of training is desired.

I can assure you the Military is not out to overthrow the populace. Especially a States very own Guard Unit. I would vernture to say that several of the members of the units involved possibly had friends or family living there...

 

[ThrottleJockey]

Do you even know what you were opposed to? No.
Do you know what that training exercise was supposed to do? No.
I take it you have never heard of Robin Sage either have you?

Oh, I know all too well what purpose it serves. I also know that the state governors no longer have control of their own guard either. That now falls directly to the president. I also know that this sort of thing is going to meet head on with a brick wall every time they try it in MY country. There were so many different stories released to the press by the military officials as to what the purpose was that it became blatantly obvious they were up to no good. Every day a new and different excuse for the exercise was released and many contradicted the previous days. When the American people begin to see this sort of activity as commonplace, they have let their guard down and are ripe for the picking.

 

[jeremy]

Oh, I know all too well what purpose it serves.

Thank you for making my job even more difficult. There are few things i enjoy more as a Sgt in the Army than teaching skills to people that should have been learned in a safe environment, in hostile country in the middle of combat. Thanks! Nothing quite like on the job training.

 

[Libertarian01]

To All,

I think Sailor has sold me on the idea of learning about Ham radios. They are not nearly as complex or expensive as I had been imagining.

Even if SHTF comes from Big Brother I do not believe he could shut down all communications all across the USA all at once. Just not possible. That said, I do think it could be done temporarily over certain regions, but then only temporarily. As BB would shut down one form of communication those attempting to communicate would adapt. This is the force of history.

I for one do not believe a SHTF scenario would be started or instigated by BB. I do think it is possible (maybe probable - Katrina?) that BB would use soldiers or LE as patsies to do bad things.

American soldiers would never just "oppress" American citizens. However, I do think you could convince some soldiers for a time that they need to "restore order", "stop the chaos", "restrain the anarchists", etc etc etc. It is during that time that the true test of a soldiers loyalty would be checked. If it continued then I think soldiers would begin to mutiny, but it could take some time depending on the specific situation.

Regardless of the cause, even if we are not all part of the same MSG, we could still help one another simply by letting each other know what is going on where we are. Is there food? A doctor? Dental care? Bad guys here?

I for one will probably get my Ham license sometime in the future because it seems to be the best solution for a wide range of potential problems.

If that doesn't work we can always go back to carrier pigeons for awhile. I have a cousin...

Regards,

Doug

 

[ThrottleJockey]

Thank you for making my job even more difficult. There are few things i enjoy more as a Sgt in the Army than teaching skills to people that should have been learned in a safe environment, in hostile country in the middle of combat. Thanks! Nothing quite like on the job training.

Don't thank me, place the blame where it belongs. Squarely on the shoulders of the administration that prefers to "spread the wealth" of our tax dollars to the already wealthy and those that have a sense of entitlement rather than to spend it on adequate training and facilities. DO NOT ever try to make a civilian of this nation bear the burden of YOUR choice. I served, I did my time, I feel your pain. VOTE RESPONSIBLY AND VOTE OFTEN. But don't blame me when "We the people" don't want to pay the price or take the risk for YOU.

 

[Jim Gray]

If you knew how hard it is to establish comms over an incident area, you would also know how hard it would be to kill the comms. RF is as much art as science. .mil blacking out an area, ya...country wide, not so much.

Investigators want traffic to evaluate, we get upset when things are quiet.

 

[052.5GT]

If you look hard enough you can find a way not to be prepared.

The .gov can not hit a button and black out all comms. This has been tried in other countries and failed. The problem is it also blocks out their own comms. They can do it on a local level, with modified helicopters (probably black ones) but who is going to be flying them? The obama brown shirt force? Talk to your Military and LE friends. If shtf like you say whose side are they going to be on?

The .gov has to be aware like we are that the vast majority of Hams are older engineer types. They are not going to kick down doors and start loading up the wheel chairs in vans.

They want you to talk so they can monitor you. You best bet is to be using the specified NIMS, FEMA, and ICS frequencies. There will so much traffic it will be harder to locate you. Swim like a fish among the fish.

Finally Ham is still somewhat complicated unless you want to be limited to a very short range. It is not realistic that you will be able to effectively communicate with out testing and using your antenna/coax/radio combo.

EH-60A

I did som work on this one a while ago. How well do you think it could affect HAM operations?

EH-60A Quick Fix

 

[LCPer]

EH-60A

I did som work on this one a while ago. How well do you think it could affect HAM operations?

EH-60A Quick Fix

Not much if the aircraft is on the ground.

 

[jeremy]

If you have an EH-60A in your area you have bigger problems than a lack of comms capability.

Seriously, 1st do you seriously think a tool like an EH-60A flys minus an escort? This tool is a serious combat multiplier. 2nd I doubt if many in the state have anything to bring one down anyway. Maintenance is more likely to put this on the ground than you boys in tin-foil.

 

[Dr Falken]

It might not make sense to get your Ham ticket and gear if there is some sorta "New World Order" takeover, but SHTF comes in lotsa different colours and smells. And some SHTF are bigger than others. Why not, if you can, cover more bases than fewer.

 

[45-70]

Gentlemen there is a lot more to comms than just getting a ham license or buying a cb and keying a microphone. If the balloon goes up and comms are your lifeline I don't care if the person on the other end of the conversation has a license or not. These days ham licensing is not much more than memorizing a battery of published test questions link. A working knowledge of radio theory is what will make the real difference in a shtf situation license or no license. Knowing what length to cut a wire dipole for a given frequency or build an effective short vertical antenna for 40 meter hf without a reference guide. Knowing how to send and receive Morse Code, the original digital format. One of the best books I have found and used over the years is titled "Electronic Communication" by Robert Schrader editions 1 through 4. If you can find it, buy it. The ARRL has tons of study material available as well.

When the ship starts sinkin' you may want a few of us old farts in the life boat with you.

 

[Sailor]

Exactly, but a ham license will allow to practice all these skills before you need them.

Gentlemen there is a lot more to comms than just getting a ham license or buying a cb and keying a microphone. If the balloon goes up and comms are your lifeline I don't care if the person on the other end of the conversation has a license or not. These days ham licensing is not much more than memorizing a battery of published test questions link. A working knowledge of radio theory is what will make the real difference in a shtf situation license or no license. Knowing what length to cut a wire dipole for a given frequency or build an effective short vertical antenna for 40 meter hf without a reference guide. Knowing how to send and receive Morse Code, the original digital format. One of the best books I have found and used over the years is titled "Electronic Communication" by Robert Schrader editions 1 through 4. If you can find it, buy it. The ARRL has tons of study material available as well.

When the ship starts sinkin' you may want a few of us old farts in the life boat with you.

 

[gmviso]

Just FYI, the military and I assume by now FEMA do not need to stick to terrestial communications. The have Satellite comms (I know because I build them) and could in fact probably black out a vast majority of communications for us ground pounders without taking down their own ability to communicate effectively.

I am not worried about the majority of our Military as I believe most to be loyal to the constitution and the american way of life rather than Obama. However, he spoke early in his administration about the need for a civilian force as well equipped as the military. That is what worries me.

 

[drbarnes]

cb radio