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2-Way Radios and SHTF

Even if a person decided a transceiver would be worthwhile, there are a lot of options to choose from.

A person needs to decide:

1) Primary use - do you need to contact your better half in a big box store or do you want to DX with a stranger thousands of miles away?

2) Cost restraints - a person could get a couple of family walkie talkies for under $35 total or could pay $10,000 for a top tier HF base station.

3) Do you need to have something that is easy to transport?

4) Are you willing to get a license?

5) Antenna restraints - I am sure your HOA would love to see a radio tower in your back yard.

What am I missing? I have been trying to solve this puzzle for my personal needs but have yet to do so.

Under the Primary use category - I am not sure that I would be interested in Ham as a hobby. I find a lot of it very interesting like bouncing a radio wave off the moon or using the northern lights to assist in communications or using a satellite to assist in a communications.

I think SHTF would be my primary reason to have one. But a SHTF event that lasts only a week or two may not need a transceiver. I have several radio receivers for news.

I guess where I see them fitting my personal need would be an extended grid down event. After a few days most all repeater would be down. So VHF and UHF may be fairly limiting as to distance. That is where most mobile and handheld units operate. Of course a mobile will generally have much more power output than a handheld.

Maybe a mobile located in the house would be possibility.

OR maybe an HF base would be the ticket.

But I don't want to spend $$$$$$ on something that I may never use.

Oh well, no decision yet.
 
did you get the Tech or General license?

I’ve been disappointed in the amount of traffic on the 2m band, both simplex and on repeaters. I still participate in a couple of local nets and hang out on 40 and 20m.

The community is small and divisive, more so than the gun community if you can believe that. The trick is to decide what sort of comms you’re looking for and focus on that aspect. I would recommend participating on local nets just to get a handle on etiquette and building competence.

ETA:
I have a mag mount for my HT. If you’re in the NE Ga area I’d be happy to let you give my setup a try with your radio.

I just have my tech license. Decided to wait about upgrading when I discovered no one was talking on RF. Thanks for the offer to try your setup but we’re a little far apart. A guy I know (vp of local club) uses a mobile in his house with a mag mounted antenna outside and seems to do pretty good with it.

SHTF was my primary interest. Maybe communicating and coordinating with son-in-laws but even if they had licenses, we would need much better rigs than I imagined.

Hate to say it but my impression of the hobby, so far, is that it’s an old man’s hobby and seems to be dying. I’m an older, retired guy and I’ll probably be among the youngest ones at tonight’s meeting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Hate to say it but my impression of the hobby, so far, is that it’s an old man’s hobby and seems to be dying. I’m an older, retired guy and I’ll probably be among the youngest ones at tonight’s meeting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Sad but true. A lot of the old hams are wrapped up in their own little worlds or groups and don’t seem to want to bring new blood in. Also there are a lot of egos that tend to leave a bad taste to those trying to learn. A lot of hams seem to have gone internet based, Echo Link and DSTAR crazy and the old school is being pushed aside. All of that is fine until there is no internet.
 
After looking around and talking with more experienced hams, I am starting to narrow my search for radios.

As far as brands go, I have crossed Kenwood off the list mainly due to price. The two brands that seem to be top tier are Yaesu and Icom - neither are inexpensive.

In a SHTF scenario with the repeaters still in operation, VHF and UHF is the ticket - mainly UHF in my neck of the woods. So I guess a HT might work - I need to get my hands on one and try it from where I live. If that didn't do the trick, I imagine a mobile VHF/UHF at my house would easily do the trick. Of course that includes the price of a DC power supply.


For SHTF with no repeaters. I think an HF Base is the only viable option. Of course that will come with added expense of DC power supply, antenna, microphone, antenna tuner, ...

I have seen top of the line Yaesu model FT-3DR handheld VHF/UHF for about $389, Icom 7300 HF base for about $1000, a Yaesu FTM-300DR VHF/UHF mobile for about $460. A 30 amp DC power supply for about $400.

None of those are cheap options.

Maybe the best option is a 3-band mobile like the Icom IC-7100. It goes for about $900.

I am not ready to spend $1000+ on a what if system that I consider a lower tier priority below food, shelter, water system, protection, medical, backup power ...

I obviously have more whittling down to do.
 
Buy a $25 Baofeng UV5R on Amazon & see if it will hit your local repeater. A simple home brew antenna like a J pole or slim Jim may be needed. You are still in for less than $75. That will cover both VHF & UHF. If you need more power both Yaesu & ICom have 50 watt rigs for less than $200. I wouldn’t buy a $1000 rig as my first radio either & I use mine almost daily. Lot’s of used HF rigs on QRZ.COM. A Yaesu ft-857 will do all bands & I see used ones for around $500 often. You can also get a 30 amp power supply on Amazon for $22. It’s not pretty but they work great.
 
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