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Discussion: Stryker's Comm Corner
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StrykerPez |
Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 2:36 AM EDT
There seems to be a decided lack of information regarding radio communications on here. If you have any questions regarding CB, HAM, 2-Meter, Military, Police, Walkie-Talkies, etc please post them here. If I don't know it, I guarantee my buddy GatorGar does. We're both huge amateur radio nuts.
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StrykerPez |
1. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 2:47 AM EDT
The first issue is radio scanners. I thought these things were common knowledge, but not everybody has been taking apart old clock radios since they were eight either. A radio scanner is a device that rapidly searches through all pre-programmed frequencies in a given band. Most support multiple blocks of frequencies on multiple bands. It continues to scan frequencies until it picks up a signal and then stops on that frequency until the signal goes away. Also if you know a frequency to listen to, you can enter it in, or you can save interesting freqs by pressing a button to return to them easily. Most (all) scanners nowadays are digital, and the good ones support a feature known as "trunking." This is a method devised by the military and police to keep their transmissions private by randomly jumping frequencies according to a pre-determined encryption. With a non-trunking scanner, you will catch a snippet of interesting transmission, and then it will skip freqs and you will be ****-out-of-luck. With a trunking scanner, however, it will "follow" that conversation until you tell it to stop. You can listen to Police, Fire, HAM, Marine, Military, Aircraft, and NOAA weather band. Most can even be programmed to turn themselves on when there is an alert for your area. A better tool for advanced warning of any kind of disaster I cannot think of. Imagine being able to listen to the cops as they fight the outbreak firsthand, or the military as they implement quarantine measures. (Or, for scenarios closer to home, listen to rescue workers as they battle to save lives during any disaster) Radio Shack's website has a very good selection of scanners. My personal favorite is the hand-held type, which runs on batteries and is fully self contained. You CAN get a power adapter and an external high-gain antenna for them, to expand their range and use, but you can still take them with whether on foot or in your car 4 out of 4 found this valuable. Do you? |
PedroAsani |
2. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 6:12 AM EDT
I'll be picking your brain this weekend. I have comms in my plan, but no real specifics of what is needed.
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IrishHitman |
3. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 6:19 AM EDT
"I'll be picking your brain this weekend. I have comms in my plan, but no real specifics of what is needed."Likewise, though I have a friend or two who should. Do you find this valuable? |
timberrattler |
4. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 6:28 AM EDT
Good info Stryker! I had pretty much wrote scanners off, because like you said the non-truncking models cut in and out and thats all I was familiar with.It has been WAY too long since I've stepped foot into a Radio Shack. Looking forward to learning more about Communications. The hand held type needs to be a must have for people's BOBs. Do you find this valuable? |
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StrykerPez |
5. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 11:01 AM EDT
The cheaper non-trunking and non-digital scanners work well for somebody who wants to pay 100 bucks and listen to NOAA weather reports, NASCAR pit crews, small town sheriffs, and the occasional Cessna that passes overhead. Literally that is it. Expect to pay around $300-500 for a good digital trunking model. Can I recommend one way or the other? Not really, because that much cash is tough to come by for most folks. If you can't justify the full price, I would still say get a cheap one. You'll be able to listen to stuff, and I bet that when SHTF, there will be more non-trunked comms out there. Oh... and I'm having second thoughts about Radioshack. I was glancing through their scanners online last night and it appears they are falsely advertising a non-digital scanner as digital... and not really by accident. Will have to verify this though. Do you find this valuable? |
Whybother08 |
6. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 1:32 PM EDT
Can trunked-comm pieces recieve non-trunked transmissions?
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StrykerPez |
7. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 2:17 PM EDT
| Post edited: Sep 11 2009, 2:18 PM EDT
Yes. Its like the most basic gets feature A. The next model up gets A + B. The next model gets A + B + C... etc
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PedroAsani |
8. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 2:18 PM EDT
Just got back home after a 7 hour drive, so I'm going to freeform post as my brain brings up questions. I'll try and keep them linear.First one, for Bugging In. As well as receiving, some kind of transmission would be good for getting help, or for letting others know the situation from your perspective. So would CB radios be sufficient? How far can they broadcast and receive? Would they pick up enough channels to be useful in a disaster? Is there something better to have that doesn't break the bank? Do you find this valuable? |
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PedroAsani |
9. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 2:20 PM EDT
Is this available for both handheld and stationary equipment? I'm guessing that handheld wouldn't have as great a range, so since I'm bugging in and staying put, larger equipment is an option.
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Whybother08 |
10. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 2:22 PM EDT
| Post edited: Sep 11 2009, 2:23 PM EDT
"Yes. Its like the most basic gets feature A. The next model up gets A + B. The next model gets A + B + C... etc"If non-trunked is A, and trunked is B, what is C? 0.o Do you find this valuable? |
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PedroAsani |
11. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 2:26 PM EDT
Bugging Out.Again, something handheld for those on foot, but also something car-mounted for those with transport? Again, I'm thinking that having the car battery for power, and a larger unit will help with the range. Would it be better to have a wider range of frequencies available if you are travelling? Is it possible to scan for frequencies whilst talking on another (talking to your convoy, and listening out for other survivors) or would you need two units? I guess you could have a basic CB for the convoy, and a huge scanner for survivors. Do you find this valuable? |
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PedroAsani |
12. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 2:29 PM EDT
And finally (for now) are there many difference between channels used internationally? Since I am planning on starting in the UK (for now) and ending up in Aruba, are there any frequencies to monitor or avoid?
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Whybother08 |
13. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 2:35 PM EDT
In you bugging out page, you mention nothing about a convoy. You sound like you are soloing it, given the need of a motorcycle.
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possumblaster |
14. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 3:08 PM EDT
| Post edited: Sep 11 2009, 3:09 PM EDT
Wow, great information. I don't know squat about civi comms, but I would like to add one thing. (I am sure you already know this, just throwing it out there for everyone else.)The Army will use Frequency Hop, Cypher Text, when transitting any sort of OPSEC related communication. It would be next to impossible to listen in on the military if that is what you were trying to do. During training exercises they will often run a single channel, plain text which can be heard with about any sort of FM type radio. The only real way to listen in on the Army while they were conducting a real mission though would be to buy a SINCGARS radio and obtain the current radio fill. Even if you could obtain a fill, it would only be good for a few days until the fill gets changed. I wouldn't bet on being able to pick up anything military with any sort of radio you can buy. That said, your post was excellent and I learned a lot. I would like to get into communication, but I really don't even know where to start. I guess I had better start looking into it. Thanks for the info on the scanners, that is definitely a good place to get started. Do you find this valuable? |
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PedroAsani |
15. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 3:13 PM EDT
"In you bugging out page, you mention nothing about a convoy. You sound like you are soloing it, given the need of a motorcycle."I'm not intending to travel in a convoy, but I am allowing for the possibility that I might find others. Also, I know that there are those on this site who intend convoy travelling from the off. Do you find this valuable? |
NorCal_Survivors |
16. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 3:47 PM EDT
I am getting very good results with the Uniden Sc-230 scanner. It's sold as a "Race Scanner" for use at NASCAR events, but covers all of the other bases pretty nicely as well.
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StrykerPez |
17. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 5:29 PM EDT
"If non-trunked is A, and trunked is B, what is C? 0.o"A is basic analog. B is analog with signal stalker or other functions. C is Digital. D is Digital Trunking. E is Digital trunking with 30,000 channels instead of 300. Do you find this valuable? |
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StrykerPez |
18. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 5:42 PM EDT
"So would CB radios be sufficient? How far can they broadcast and receive? Would they pick up enough channels to be useful in a disaster? Is there something better to have that doesn't break the bank?"Here's the thing. CB radios depend much on the antenna (more so than other types of radios) They will *work* with a cheapo magnet mount antenna on your car, but expect 1/4 mile to mile range. Then the other end of the spectrum, a full quarter-wave mast (about 15 feet long) with ground plane radials, on top of a 50 foot pole, hooked to a base station, expect 20 miles or more. It is possible to mount a quarter wave antenna on your car, it will use the car's body as a ground plane, but like I said above, the whip will still be 15 feet long. Another thing: you can get amplifiers for CB. They are illegal by the FCC, as the max transmit power for a CB is 4 watts. You can get amps from 200 watts to 800 watts for your car, and up to several kW for your Base Station. I most certainly DO NOT have a 400 watt CB amp in my truck :) Finally, there are several types of CB available, and what kind you have changes how you can receive and transmit. Regular style works on bands 1-40 which is 26.965 MHz to 27.405 MHz. The next kind also can transmit on what is known as "sideband" which (without getting into a complex explanation of how radio transmission works), only transmits 1/3 of the signal, using the receiver itself to generate the carrier wave that is usually sandwiched in between the two other signal frequencies. This allows a much more efficient transmission, albeit a little less clear. You will achieve greater range using sideband. As far as their usefulness in a disaster, CBs can only talk to CBs. So if your rescue workers have a CB set up (as they did in Katrina) then you'll be good. Otherwise, you'll only be able to talk to other survivors that have one. (Con't) Do you find this valuable? |
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StrykerPez |
19. RE: Stryker's Comm Corner
Sep 11 2009, 5:43 PM EDT
However, CBs are the most common long range radio equipment available so you are almost guaranteed to find somebody out there. Also, if you pre-coordinate with your group, (as I have) CBs are a cost effective way to keep in contact once the cell phones die.
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