Survival and Emergency Preparedness

Over the last 6 months or so there has been 2 new GMRS repeaters put up in my area with weekly prepper nets started on them. I've listened in a couple times. Just a couple guys on the nets so far.

All I have are handheld radios but thinking of getting a more powerful mobile for my truck and/or to use as a base station.

I have to confess I've done nothing with that radio I bought a while back. With the move last year and everything I still have to find all the stuff it came with. I'd like to find the stuff, charge it up and get familiar with it though.

Mac66 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 27, 2023 9:58 am All I have are handheld radios but thinking of getting a more powerful mobile for my truck and/or to use as a base station.

There are many that will do 40/50w output on the market... also if you try and look, you can get some of the older 2m/70cm ham radios to mod/program on the GMRS freqs ( tho may not be cost effective vs just GMRS)

Any good 70cm antenna will work well on those freq also if you run 2 radios.

But, a handheld with a good antenna on the vehicle may be enough for the repeaters.
get a gain antenna if you can....
like Midland – MXTA26 MicroMobile 6DB Gain Whip Antenna – Quadruple Signal Output – 32”

also look here; https://www.mygmrs.com/

David brought up a very important point:

"I bought one a while back but with all the stuff going on with the renovations and moving and such I haven't had time to even read the directions yet."

I made a round trip of more than 700 miles between last Thursday and yesterday. Family member has health problems. As a result, I had to buy software and start duplicating the books and records of a company. Same trip has to be made either this week or next week. It means putting other projects to one side.

So, I share my experience in dealing with with the emergencies:
1. I accept that I will never become so proficient and so organized that when shtf, I can take a newbie and teach him or her how to operate a radio (flashlight/trap/repair a tent/tie knots) within 10 minutes after shtf.
2. The best that I can do is have equipment, manuals, spare parts, batteries in ziplock baggies and then containerized in clear plastic bins so that items can be identified at a glance.The bins outlast banker's boxes.
3. A number of skills videos were organized on separate usb sticks - like 5 or 6 knot tying videos on a stick, with more than one stick created. While it is true that it would be nice to have a pile of manuals, at some time you take a risk on technology to cut down on volume and weight.
4. At one time, I had Army teletype machines and a station going in my home. Gone. I gave the cb gear to a family with 5 boys. I think I am down to 2 meter handhelds and Family Service equipment.
5. When shtf, no one will have my skills . . . and I am not 20 years old. So I focus on trying to keep things simple. And, I focus on having items in good repair . . or they are discarded.

bdcochran wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 9:25 pm
2. The best that I can do is have equipment, manuals, spare parts, batteries in ziplock baggies and then containerized in clear plastic bins so that items can be identified at a glance.The bins outlast banker's boxes.

If that's the best you can do, it's prob better than most people.... clear bins do make it easier.

With my stocked radios, there is a index card attached to each radio with the basic info needed so they can communicate. These extras are in mylar Faraday bags with info and all packed in a few metal boxes ( labels on outside edge ). Along with older but functional electronics, rather than chuck them out, it's prob the best I can do... will it work ? ,... hopefully I'll never know.
One thing I do tho, as mentioned in past, is I use electronic gear that has an option for 12v dc... allows for options when ac is out.

Every year or two, I pull them out and use a solar charger for the main batteries... storage doesn't seem to hurt to much.

Watches and communications gear.

In a serious survival situation, you may want to keep in contact with people in your survival group or even in the outside world. This is when having inexpensive watches may be of assistance. Yes, I know that someone will say that he has a cellphone and a solar recharger. But let's get real.

If you are handing out inexpensive PRC 2 meter radios/Family Service radios, what makes you think that everyone handed a radio will have a cell phone, charger? Ok, so they won't. What is an alternative, if you want to communicate only at certain intervals, meet someone at a destination at the same time or even what some simultaneous action to be coordinated in time?

So today, I researched the cheapest, reliable Japanese wristwatch that has sold millions of units. What kind of battery does it take? How do you replace the battery? The watch is about $20. It takes a 2016 battery. If you buy say 8 batteries, the spare batteries are super cheap.

I like the idea of handing someone in the group an inexpensive radio and an inexpensive watch with spare batteries. Not as glamorous as buying another gun or spending $100 for a watch that resembles a Christmas tree.

At this point in my life, I have enough used/functioning watches to give out with each radio. However, if I were just starting to get watches, not only is this a cheap way to go, but with some watches it is too hard to change a battery without paying someone in a shop.

Decided to start a thread here re radios and power...

So everyone went and picked up some cheap radios ( like baofeng , $18 on amazon ) ...

How are you going to charge them if no power ?
Or operate without ac power ?

I can talk about my setup, but wanted others to pipe up see what they planned.

Power. Only dealing with power.
1. Have a simple, pre-printed communications protocol protected inside a zip lock bag with each unit.
When you have a communication device that may run only 26 hours on the installed batteries, you have to think energy conservation. If you want a radio check or communication at precisely at certain hours within your area or with people outside your area, you write it down.
2. Have a simple operating watch with each unit because you have to set up a radio protocol that conserves energency.
3. I make sure that every communications unit is capable of accepting non rechargeable and rechargeable batteries and store them outside the unit is water resistant plastic battery holders which are in turn placed in zip lock baggies. If the unit takes battery packs, I do not store the batteries in them and make sure I have at least one extra empty battery pack with each unit.
4. If a unit takes 6 alkaline batteries and I want to go a week with an energy saving protocol, then it means 18 -24 batteries a unit.
5. Have a cigarette charging unit for each model of unit variant and keep it in the family car.
6. If a unit model takes a wall charger, I make sure that I have at least one wall charger for that unit model, even if the power may be off. You might encounter a person with a generator that you can hook into.

Get real. You can mentally work through all kinds of theories: have a bus battery, have a $5000 series of solar powered chargers. Wait until you run out of storage space, the stored expensive gear has worn out in storage or you try to have an elementary school kid run the sophisticated power charging stations you have created.

I had a gasoline powered generator. Gave it away. Took up space, unused. I am 77 years old going through my gasoline rotation from storage. I try to do it between every 6 months and 1 year. I don't need to be told about Stabil. It gets harder every year.

When you turn off the television set, stop watching survival movies, you have to start with the basics. You will survive in a group, not as Rambo. When was the last time you walked the Khyber Pass in Afghanistan? I did it 43 years ago. You want a number of simple radios, with simple batteries to last at least a couple of weeks. If you have to survive in the woods for an extended period of time like the Bielski brothers did in WW2, you will have to find communications alternatives after a few weeks.

When I started, the PRC $20 radios were not available. Rather than starting over, I keep maintaining my old discontinued equipment. Given the programming required of the PRC radio, and the number of people buying them, I would go a different route. I would pick a quality FRS radio manufacturer, buy multiple units and spare battery packs/antennas and extras, pack them away, examine them once a year and be done with it. In the real world with physical obstacles, if you don't have an unobstructed line of sight in an urban area, your transmission and receipt is not going far. If you have a short wave transceiver, you are going to be disappointed because you will not get a helicopter ride or a food drop in a general emergency.

Yes... a plan and time sched is important to conserve power for the group.
And, this is not a one person deal... sooner or later you'll need to sleep.

My setup;
Still have a generator which is gas powered ( but looking at a conversion to propane or a second small gennie as I have two 120 gallon propane tanks )
I don't rotate as much gas as I use to... only 12 galls now which at min I can run the generator for 20 hrs when cold outside
I back the gas up via the cars... each I fill at 1/2 tank so always have at least another 40+ gallons if I tap that.

I have 2-100w solar panels on the shed with a couple of 80 ahr batteries for charging items if needed
I have a small portable solar panel with builtin usb charger ports and 18v source output for charging about 5 small gell cells ( 7-8 ahr each @ 12v )

I have 80% of my elec equipment set up to accept 12 v input either directly or via a small dc convertor built into the old battery packs
A couple of receivers can operate just off the solar usb output during day.
Also about 5 HTs with accessories like 2 extra batteries each.

I have several Ham band transceivers I built which can run on very low power for a long time... Two units in CW can run about a week+ on a small gell cell. The other has SSB/CW ( an Elecraft K2 ) and has an internal battery ( 4ahr ) and can run for a day or two on that.

Now... how much these items will be used is unknown. As stated, small HT s have limited range and SW/Ham radios aren't going to get help probably.

Good thing is I have used all on a regular basis... The local ham club use to do park outings where you would run a radio setup with minimal gear... throw a wire antenna in the tree and make contacts.

Bad thing I'm on Long Island... no way out unless you plan on going thru NYC outskirts, at which much of above is prob useless.
Guess I'd rather have and not need then need and not have.

Finally up dated the radio gear. Objectives:
1. Identify whether gear could take both alkaline and rechargeable batteries.
2. Confirm that if a unit model could use a rechargeable that I had 1 car charger unit per model, a battery charger.
3. a manual per unit
4. spare battery packs and enough batteries to run a unit for several days.

Previously, I had boxed each unit. Not this time. All units of a model went into one larger water resistant, clear plastic container. Easier to check in the future. Went to one 2 meter radio in the car with extras.

Calculation of how many units are needed in a group environment.
1 unit for the base
1 unit for a lookout
1 spare unit for the group.
That minimum translates into a lot of extras (batteries, battery packs, spare antenna)

I ended up with 6 2meter radios and 6 FRS radios. That may seem a lot to a layman. It isn't very many if you are in a small group and in the course of a month clumsy people break one or two units. At worst, a couple of functioning units would be highly regarded trading goods. Now, for the next 10 years, I won't have confusion when I look for things in the garage.

Incidentally, over the years, I gave away the teletype and the cb radios (to the kids down the street) and sold off the larger ham gear. I also gave away or sold cameras when digital cameras came out. David in the forum is a flashlight expert and I have followed his recommendations. As, for example, batteries and battery chargers improved and the lights themselves, I ended up with serviceable items, but I needed to find a usage. So, one of the relatives, like a son bought a house and his wife wanted a light in each room. So, this Christmas, they received the less sophisticated chargers, batteries and lights purchased years ago that have been superseded.

Sure, I was a child of depression era parents. One tends to collect and save. However, giving away some older equipment should be considered.