- Joined
- Dec 22, 2006
- Messages
- 2,194
I picked up a couple Cobra PR1000 GMRS radios at a garage sale the other day and it occurred to me that I haven't read anything here on communication gear.
HAM-strength gear seems to be the best SHTF option, but that slips out of the hands of a lot of people due to licensing and equipment costs.
There are FRS and GMRS radios that are inexpensive and good for short range stuff. We used FRS radios before my kids had cell phones and they worked good for keeping track of them at events and parks and car-to-car communicatio GMRS offically needs a license, although that wouldn't bother me in a survival situation. I wonder how many people bother getting a license at all. I never hear call signs given.
I've used CB radio since I was a teenager and I still keep one in my truck. If there isn't a lot of background noise they work pretty good.
I also have a multi-band AM/FM/SW receiver at home and I've rigged a simple long wire antenna in the back yard. I think SW receivers are needed to get information if there is a local disaster. I live in earthquake country and it's no small stretch of the imagination to have all the local radio and TV stations off the air. I have a larger Radio Shack model made by Sangean at home, and a County Comm GL4 for hiking and travel. I had a model like the Grundig mini 300 that worked very well, but I got the County Comm to save weight and space. I EDC a Sony AM/FM/SW/TV/Weather jogger-style radio that has helped a couple times with traffic snafus and other local news.
If you get a compact SW receiver, buy or make a long wire antenna--- it really extends the reception by leaps and bounds. All you need is a long piece of light gauge wire with an alligator clip on the end to clip onto the telescoping antenna. Nightime reception is better.
There are a bunch of hand crank radios out there and I've never owned one-- any inpout on which ones really work?
HAM-strength gear seems to be the best SHTF option, but that slips out of the hands of a lot of people due to licensing and equipment costs.
There are FRS and GMRS radios that are inexpensive and good for short range stuff. We used FRS radios before my kids had cell phones and they worked good for keeping track of them at events and parks and car-to-car communicatio GMRS offically needs a license, although that wouldn't bother me in a survival situation. I wonder how many people bother getting a license at all. I never hear call signs given.
I've used CB radio since I was a teenager and I still keep one in my truck. If there isn't a lot of background noise they work pretty good.
I also have a multi-band AM/FM/SW receiver at home and I've rigged a simple long wire antenna in the back yard. I think SW receivers are needed to get information if there is a local disaster. I live in earthquake country and it's no small stretch of the imagination to have all the local radio and TV stations off the air. I have a larger Radio Shack model made by Sangean at home, and a County Comm GL4 for hiking and travel. I had a model like the Grundig mini 300 that worked very well, but I got the County Comm to save weight and space. I EDC a Sony AM/FM/SW/TV/Weather jogger-style radio that has helped a couple times with traffic snafus and other local news.
If you get a compact SW receiver, buy or make a long wire antenna--- it really extends the reception by leaps and bounds. All you need is a long piece of light gauge wire with an alligator clip on the end to clip onto the telescoping antenna. Nightime reception is better.
There are a bunch of hand crank radios out there and I've never owned one-- any inpout on which ones really work?
