Connunications update following Polls:

[NorthernRaider]

(31 October 2012, 16:38)gary5wift Wrote: Thanks for all your responses and info - all good stuff and all very welcome.

There is no one size fits all solution. My plan is to have a wide range of options as cheaply as possible.

Already have a marine radio - had it years from when I used to go sailing before wife had a stroke.
Already have an old CB - had it about 20 years but it still works ok.
Already have 4 PMR446 sets from when we used to take the kids walking and camping
Already have a Baofeng Dual Band transceiver (VHF/UHF) - cost me £30 off ebay a couple of weeks ago
Want to have a go at building a HF set for CW/morse eventually. I've been told that a functional set can be built at little cost.

Getting the Ham license gives me the opportunity to learn more about radio comms and the option to practise using the Baofeng and eventually the CW/morse without incurring the wrath of Ofcom etc. I know that I still have a lot to learn

This is a good thread with lots of useful info - thanks for all the hard work you guys have put into it. I'll keep reading and hope to learn as much as possible.

Cheers
Gary

Our new friend from UKP makes a couple of points I find very interesting and the most important one is

"There is no one size fits all solution. My plan is to have a wide range of options as cheaply as possible."

Tother one is less important but worth note that in a completely seperate forum and without involvement from this forums radio geeks Gary has reached the exact same chopice of kit independantly as our guys did in getting a couple of cheap PMR 446s AND more notably settled on the Baofeng rigs our guys also went for.
AL from the Scottish islands actually walked into my house yesterday with his Baofeng.

I find this highly satifying and reassuring to see Brit preppers reaching the same choices independant of each other, that shows me the multiple forums share more in common than hold them apart.

But remember theres no one size fits all guys, so respect each others choices.

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Now I wonder / hope you forum hoppers can come up with a standard set of calling frequencies for the CB, PMR 446 and Ham units that would be acceptable across all the UK forums radio users?

[OpSecRadio]

Thanks NR

I wouldn't presume to suggest calling frequencies, I still have way too much to learn. However I would be happy to fall inline with those proposed by those more knowledgable than I am. We have to start somewhere, otherwise if TS did HTF then we could all find ourselves talking to empty channels.

I don't mind admitting that I've joined a couple of forums recently - I need all the help and advice I can get, and I'm not too proud to ask

Cheers
Gary

[NorthernRaider]

(31 October 2012, 18:09)gary5wift Wrote: Thanks NR

I wouldn't presume to suggest calling frequencies, I still have way too much to learn. However I would be happy to fall inline with those proposed by those more knowledgable than I am. We have to start somewhere, otherwise if TS did HTF then we could all find ourselves talking to empty channels.

I don't mind admitting that I've joined a couple of forums recently - I need all the help and advice I can get, and I'm not too proud to ask

Cheers
Gary

I'm a strong advocate of people being members of multiple forums, it makes cross referencing and getting other alternative opinions that much easier, more power to your elbow Gary

[Paul]

It's always been a sticky one this.
Detailing an emergency frequency list.

Comes with working with a mixture of disciplines and about 3000 odd individuals called preppers.

If anyone is brave enough to detail a set, others will disagree.

Hams seem have a set (depending on what day it is and who's in charge)

CB'ers for the past 40 years have used Channel 9.
Mode depends on which country you are in.

Marine VHF Channel 16 156.00 Mhz NFM (That's international)
Air 121.5 Mhz AM or 243 Mhz if you want to upset the military.

And then it gets complicated.

PMR 446. Which one?
Analogue PMR you've got 8 choices
Digital FDMA you've got 16 choices
Digital TMDA you've got 8 choices

PLUS all your CTSS or DCS variants gives you a total of 69 choices.

Go on, be brave, call one, I dare you

[NorthernRaider]

Nowt to do with me, on radio comms I'm a follower not a decider
I see ch9 and ch19 used on CB
ch16 on Maritime
35I or 29.600 on Ham
Dont think air matters
and PMRs tend to only be used by individuals associated with each other Ie within families so they prolly already choose a frequency, besides PMR is so short ranged anyway.

[Bug_out_Bag]

Just my 2penneth worth about calling frequencies /channels ...

I can't see the point of it in a post event situation since I will only trust those that I know prior to the event. If it was a localised event, like a bad weather situation, hurricane or something, then ch9 CB. But if it is a without rule of law situaton I would only be in contact with my trusted group on comms. Does this make sense? I think it is important for everyone to establish their local network now! CB/2m/PMR is a fantastic way to do this now. Members of my group at further distances can be contacted in various modes, cw being the low power and rather more covert option.
The main thing for me is to be in communication with those I know and trust and then monitor everything else for intelligence.

Hope this makes sense?

[NorthernRaider]

(31 October 2012, 18:37)Bug_out_Bag Wrote: Just my 2penneth worth about calling frequencies /channels ...

I can't see the point of it in a post event situation since I will only trust those that I know prior to the event. If it was a localised event, like a bad weather situation, hurricane or something, then ch9 CB. But if it is a without rule of law situaton I would only be in contact with my trusted group on comms. Does this make sense? I think it is important for everyone to establish their local network now! CB/2m/PMR is a fantastic way to do this now. Members of my group at further distances can be contacted in various modes, cw being the low power and rather more covert option.
The main thing for me is to be in communication with those I know and trust and then monitor everything else for intelligence.

Hope this makes sense?

It does to a certain degree but we must plan for those rare contingencies when perhaps you are driven or already are ourt of area when THSHF and you want to try and contact say someone from the forum you know to ask for assistance or advice.

[Paul]

Two votes for CB channel 9 plus mine so that's three.
only 2997 odd more votes to count.

[Bug_out_Bag]

NR wrote:
" It does to a certain degree but we must plan for those rare contingencies when perhaps you are driven or already are ourt of area when THSHF and you want to try and contact say someone from the forum you know to ask for assistance or advice"

Yes, I can see your point and I think that LS proposed a protocol for PMR contact which perhaps should be revisited? The difficulty is that many contributing members here, who we hope in an event, we may be able to trust are not necessarily following through on comms, many finding money the big deal here.

What would be great would be if an event occured anywhere in the UK that comms enabled preppers in that local area could then activate the protocol on PMR so that those caught up in that localised event can take advantage of help if required.

The beauty of LS's protocol being that only those in the know will be able to make contact. Again, I know what I mean but not sure this will make sense!!!

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Just to add, PMR is CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP ... no setting up of antennas, SWR, ATU,power supplies, just cheap and simple, PTT

I always have CB & PMR in my Vehicles!

[NorthernRaider]

If and when I can get hold of a PSU for my CB doofah I'll leave it permenantly on monitoring Ch 9 27.060? and the Ham calling frequency 29.600 according to AL

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Whoops 27.681 I meant for UK, 27.060 appeasrs to be polish ch 9.

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Now there is an idea, how about each prepper adding his hailing channel under his name in the profile section like mine will now show for a while