Public Comms SHTF

[Lightspeed]

If there’s people you need to contact then you need a system in place that will still be working when the phones go down and the power goes off.

See there Joe, you said it right there.

We are not the Civil Defense. Being the town crier is not our job.

Some of us are not in charge of anything, and no one is in charge of us. We have no one to contact, and don't want to go looking for someone to talk too.

The very most we will ever need is a good set of "walkies" or a CB so we can do closed group coms for neighborhood security over a one mile radius. Most of the time we can shout that far or send up smoke signals.

So why should we spend thousands on communications gear just so you can feel justified in spending on your hobby by declaring it a necessity. Yes, that is what you are doing.

Just say it; "This is my hobby, I'm a radio guy." That's OK if that is your hobby, it take all kinds. Just be aware that when things go sideways these are not people that will hold together in the crisis. You only know most of them over the air. Their situational knowledge and help would be of questionable value. Normally they are in a basement or attic room and have no window to look out from.

In my area they meet once a month in the basement of the Methodist Church and communicate in Morse Code and "radio speak". They have little to say to each other face to face due to "radio stuff" being all they communicate about over their costly equipment.

Completely agree with everything here MB.

[Pete Grey]

Can anyone (with more knowledge than me) list any foreign radio station broadcasting news in english without the bias of our media ?.

[CharlesHarris]

Can anyone (with more knowledge than me) list any foreign radio station broadcasting news in english without the bias of our media ?.

Worldwide Christian Radio WWCR Nashville, TN

Once you get past the fundamentalist Bible thumping the news feeds are actually OK.

But I mostly listen to the "High Priest of American Whackos," aka
Alex Jones of Infowars and Prison Planet fame. Strictly as entertainment, of course.

Don't know whether Coast-To-Coast AM with George Noory makes it across the pond on E-skip, but his interviews with supposed time travelers and victims of space alien abduction are simply hillarious!

Much better than listening to the ramblings of the fake tanned, blow-dried liars!

[bigpaul]

I dont believe anything I hear from the "media" no matter who it is.
as for post SHTF I never knew who I was supposed to be communicating with, the wife is here with me and all her family(mine are all dead) are sheeple and will be dead within a short time frame post collapse.

[LAC]

Two-way radio is one thing but simply keeping yourself informed is a huge requirement in a SHTF situation.

If you haven't got one already I'd suggest you aim for a multi-band receiver (LW/MW/SW/VHF) covering the main broadcast bands - shortwave is particularly useful as it allows you to hear what's going on across the world, direct from other countries.

I have recently acquired a Sangean ATS-808 (originally bought duff but I have the skills to fix this type of thing so now fully operational) that covers all the aforementioned but for backup - in the case of EMP - I've also found an old VALVE radio that covers all the SW bands too.

The older the equipment the more opportunity there will be to keep it working too - integrated electronic devices will likely have ZERO spares availability so whatever you have make sure you take good care of it.

Thanks KE, I've been looking for a good multi band receiver for a while now, any other suggestions other than the one you mention, or anyone else have any suggestions as to a decent and reasonably price multi band receiver?

[Lightspeed]

[bigpaul]

[Mortblanc]

Yes Paul, everyone still buys from China.

If you buy, then you buy from China. If you don't buy from China you probably can't afford whatever it is you are buying.

If you drive you buy from China. All the dinky bits from switches to knobs and electronics are sourced there.

If you walk outside with clothes on then you probably buy from China. If it was made elsewhere then the raw materials werte probably sourced from China.

If you eat the cookware you used was probably a product of China.

If you want to see some massive hyperinflation then have importing from China stop. Most things you will not even be able to find and when you do you would not be able to afford them.

That is simply the facts of the world economy.

[bigpaul]

only because it is cheaper to buy from abroad, get in made in some Asian "sweat shop" and get it shipped half way around the world than pay proper wages and get it made here, its called Globalisation, something I have never liked or agreed with, it didnt happen when I was growing up.
of course it wont happen post SHTF, so unless you have a supply of what you might need you will go without.

[Mortblanc]

Paul, "post SHTF" you won't get anything local either. You are not going to find any production in your imagined world at all. So you might as well stock up on cheap Chinese stuff now and call it "prepping".