Two-Way Radio Communications For The Bug Out Bag
I know what you’re thinking – great another article dedicated to the bug-out bag. And I agree, over last couple of weeks I’ve been preoccupied with this bugging out business. First we talked about children during a bug-out, then guns for the bug-out bag and here we go again with communications for the bug-out bag.
Trust me, I’m not turning the survivalist blog into another head for the hills bug-out site. I’ve had these ideas for sometime and originally planned to space the articles over several months, but since everyone seems to be interested in this subject, I’ve decided to go ahead and post my thoughts.
An area I haven’t seen discussed in much detail is communications for the bug-out bag. Let me tell you before we start, that I’m not a radio geek and I’m sure some of you know more about radio communications than I do. That is why I’ve opened this discussion to give my thoughts and give readers a chance to share theirs.
A means of communication between members of your bug-out group could prove important or even be the difference between life and death. Members of your group could become separated or wounded while away from base camp or you may need a means of communication when coordinating offensive and defensive maneuvers.
The first consideration should be range and type of radio. Keep in mind that advertised ranges of 10 to 30 miles for the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) band radios
are under ideal conditions, conditions that seldom exist in the real world. Actual range is often much less.
are under ideal conditions, conditions that seldom exist in the real world. Actual range is often much less.The average output for the hand-held GMRS band radios is around 1-2 watts. I’m not sure if this can be adjusted or if it is a fixed wattage set by the manufacturer? If anyone knows for sure we would like to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
is around 1-2 watts. I’m not sure if this can be adjusted or if it is a fixed wattage set by the manufacturer? If anyone knows for sure we would like to hear your thoughts in the comments below.Legally to operate a radio using GMRS channels 1-7 and 15-22, you’ll need to get a license issued by the FCC, although you do not need a license before purchasing a GMRS-capable two-way radios.
Family Radio Service (FRS) models are lower power units that operate with a half watt of power. They can transmit on 7 FRS channels and 7 shared FRS/GMRS channels (channels 1-7) for a total of 14 channels. No license is required to operate this type radio – the downside is limited range when compared with GMSR.
Variable power would be a good option. If you are talking a few yards you don’t want to waste your batteries by broadcasting at full power 100% of the time.(Note) any radio—even if it has 2 watts of power—automatically switches down to a half-watt when operating on the 7 FRS-specific channels.
A variable power option will allow you to adjust output depending on the situation, saving power and lowering the possibility of your communications being monitored by a third and possible hostile party.
During an extended emergency having charged batteries will become a concern (also an excellent barter item). Most two-way radios run on standard AA or AAA batteries, these are small, light and cheap – perfect for building the cache.
When stocking up on batteries it’s best to keep the one-size-fits-all concept in mind if possible. In other words try to standardize your lights, AM/FM/ shortwave, two-way radios and other devices so they use only one battery size – preferably AA.
Rechargeable’s and compatible solar charger
should be considered. I would stay away from the Wal-Mart Rayovac green rechargeable’s, I’ve had much better luck and extended usage from the Duracell Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeable
’s they have lasted nearly twice as long.
should be considered. I would stay away from the Wal-Mart Rayovac green rechargeable’s, I’ve had much better luck and extended usage from the Duracell Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeable’s they have lasted nearly twice as long.I’ve purposely avoided suggesting makes and models of two-way radios for the bug-out bag, because there are so many choices with new models coming out nearly every day, my suggestions would quickly become dated and I only have experience with a limited number of models.
Feel free to add your thoughts and recommendations in the comments below.
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February 4th, 2010 at 4:34 PM
Absolutely a great idea. Don't get stuck thinking cell service would work. During times of greatest need cell service could be overwhelmed, or not working at all. We have four radios for camping. When our kids step outside of the camper for the day each child has a radio clipped to their shirt. You never know when the little buggers will run off, and bust up a knee or whatever.
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February 4th, 2010 at 5:00 PM
The issues with improving the transmission strength of your 2-way radio is that both would need to be equal strength to communicate (if you can send 30 miles but they can only send 2 to attempt a reply…) and you would consume batteries much faster. I would assume that batteries would not be a renewable resource in such a situation.
Something like a HAM radio may be better suited for long distance radio, you can look at several military guides to learn field-rigs for antennas (Ranger Handbook is a great start) with calculations to determine proper antenna length based on frequency. A car battery could be hooked up to a solar recharger to support periodic transmissions, too.
We have used FRS radios a lot in car and 4×4 clubs for convoy communications… they work fine, but the range is really about line of sight to communicate clearly. In rugged terrain, if you are out of LOS you really can't communicate 2-way effectively at all.
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February 4th, 2010 at 5:19 PM
Good topic. I never intend to bug out and leave all my preps behind, but I have bags ready for everyone in the family "just in case". Keep in mind that they recently found some folks who didn't bug out from Pompeii – they're still there with their families after 2000 years… incased in volcanic ash.
Because I am somewhat physically disabled, my Bug out Plan is vehicle oriented, and if my vehicle fails or falls in the wrong hands and I have to walk, I will be in serious trouble anyway.
My communications at home is an old fashioned CB radio base with a large external antenna, a vehicle mounted CB radio with long whip antenna, and a handheld CB radio for when I'm not with my vehicle. I would like to have a couple more handheld CB radios in my familes BoBs, but I don't have them yet.
The reason I picked CB radios is because of cost – I can find working CB's at yard sales for for under $10; because they are very common, a lot of people have and use CB radios, making it easier to communicate with friends and neighbors; because with my home base and vehicle antennas, I get very good range; because I can use the same equipment at home and if I have to bail out; because CB radios are very adaptable to several power sources – 110v, auto batteries, AA, solar power 12v, etc. vs. some ham radios have to have 110v or some FERS only use AA, etc. Their weakness is mainly that they are short range, especially with the handheld models, but are probably comparable to handheld FERS or GMRS.
Caveats: Talking on a CB radio is like speaking on a party line, everybody can hear you, so develop some code words that only your team knows; I store all my yard sale radios in boxes wrapped in tinfoil in case of EMP; I have a small world band radio to receive news/information from long distance since CB radios are local area only; it only takes a tiny solar panel to produce enough power to keep your batteries up and running for your CB radio system.
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February 4th, 2010 at 5:24 PM
This may not apply here but I'll ask. I just read your E-book and cannot find any of the radio receivers you recommended. Any other suggestions?
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February 4th, 2010 at 7:25 PM
Another type of compact hand-held radio to consider is the marine VHF radio. These have a longer transmitting range than FRS radios (typically with transmitters switchable between 1 and 5 watts), as well as more available channels. It is illegal to transmit on these marine frequencies while on land, but they are commonly used on coastal and inland navigable waterways. In a real catastrophic event where the FCC is the least of concerns, they could be put to good use on land as well. The best models are also waterproof and submersible, and all feature a weather band with NOAA weather forecasts.
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February 4th, 2010 at 8:31 PM
Just saw some solar lights on sale at the food store buy one get one free [about $2.50} each these mostly have AA or AAA rechargeable batteries in them replace the ni-cads with li-ni type and you have solar chargers for AA or AAA that will double as night lights
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February 4th, 2010 at 8:35 PM
This is a topic that needs to be addressed quite often. A friend of mine and I are both ham radio operators. I am sighted (quite near-sighted) and he is blind. He works in a downtown metro area and takes the city bus back and forth to his job. He has never considered himself a survivalist. However, he totes his backpack (bug out bag) to work everyday. I recently asked him if could walk home, about 2.5 miles from the job. He has already, which is good for a 60 year old guy. His backpack has some basic extras, but also has his 2 meter ham radio handheld transceiver, with an extra battery pack. This would be an essential piece of communications gear for any active ham.
For all of us, I recommend the Yaesu VR-500 handheld scanner/receiver. It does not transmit, but covers a very wide area of the RF spectrum. It is much more important to monitor than it is to talk in an emergency. The coverage is continuous from AM broadcast, shortwave, low and High band VHF, FM broadcast, VHF and UHF aircraft, UHF busines/public service and up to 800 mhz and beyond.
The VR-500 is small enough to tuck into a pocket. Power is supplied by two AA's, alkaline or rechargeable. The audio is adequate, but not so much that it would eat batteries. It has 1,000 memory channels and even receives in SSB mode. For this DC to daylight radio to be useful, one should become familiar with what to listen to and where it is in the spectrum. Some of the features are menu driven. It would help to make up a note card from the user's manual, which has directions on the lesser used functions. Each memory channel can be assigned an alphanumeric tag. In this way, the frequency does not have to be remembered as to what is being listened to. In TEOTWAWKI situation, or just local emergencies, it helps to know what is going on, when it is going on.
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February 4th, 2010 at 8:41 PM
Learning Morse Code is a good idea. You can also take the morse code and switch it around for your own "code".
Just a thought.
upinak
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February 4th, 2010 at 8:52 PM
Hi Guys,
we decided us over here in EU for ham radio…well you have to get a license a.s.o., but I think it's the high end top solution…at least for me an my plans :-)
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February 4th, 2010 at 10:15 PM
As someone with professional radio experience, and previous employment with the emergency services, I recommend professional VHF radios.
Consumer grade FRS/GMRS/PMR(UK) operate in the UHF band which mainly operates in small area based on Line of Sight or with the use of repeaters. VHF has longer range and can also be used with repeaters to double that range (5 watt VHF can get about 10 miles).
In an emergency, these most VHF radios should be computer programmable to Ham radio frequencies (normally in the 140-157 band) so that distress signals can be sent and communication with the outside world maintained.
Disadvantage is that it's not cheap. Each handset is around $110 new or $60 used. Good models include Motorola, HYT, Midland (for marine VHF). Most also require charging every 18 hours by plug for their lithium ion batteries. Advantage is that universal aerials can be fitted to increase range, and if they have a BNC connection they can connection to an external aerial, upping the range by a good few miles.
FRS/GMRS/PMR can be modified to increase power output but its tricky and very illegal. Even with that their range might not extend as the aerials are also of set range.
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February 4th, 2010 at 10:47 PM
In addition to my previous post on VHF. In case anyone is thinking, it sounds complicated and expensive" think about this:
There are only 22 FRS/GMRS channels used by consumer walkie talkies "blister pack" Motorola Talkabouts, Midland GXT, etc. radios. I can guarntee you that these will be jammed with comms when the SHTF. Even with the so-called "privacy codes", there's only 32 of them and they're also universal to every FRS/GMRS radio.
Also, security is an issue. Anyone with a radio scanner ($90) or set of FRS/GMRS will be able to eavesdrop on your communications. This means they could locate you or identify you or your destination from leaked comms.
That's a reason why I also recommend getting a scanner. Yaesu is excellent and has been mentioned in comments above. My favourite is Uniden, and if you've $300 to spare you can get a state of the art hand held radio scanner (operates on AA/AAA batteries) which can listen to (but not transmit to):
- FRS/GRMS
- Aircraft Band
- Police/Fire/Ambulance
- Rail/Boat/CB
If it has Close Call/RF Technology it can pick up a radio signal within 3 blocks of your position so it automatically can detect new frequencies as they transmit. Example: Police car pressing the Push-to-Talk button on the radio. You can then save and monitor that frequency.
In normal times, they're also useful for use in Malls, at NASCAR, or if interested in the activities of local Police/Fire/Ambulance/Security/Customs in your area/
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February 4th, 2010 at 11:11 PM
While a lot of folks live where they will shelter when TSHTF, having these sorts of radios is still a good idea since they'll need to go out/patrol, and may eventually have to evacuate. Most people in the U.S. live in urban areas – those that are preppers will mostly need such comms when going to their sites.
Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) is another two-way radio system. Haven't tried it, but read it compares slightly better than GRMS in range and power consumption.
However, I'm staying with GRMS, at least until I get around to getting a HAM license. A couple years ago I purchased four sets of Midland GRMS radios for my family. They're usable about two miles away in terrain with very slight hills and a good bit of trees/brush. Best within a mile of the location we'll be heading to.
They use rechargeable batteries that charge in a base. The base can be plugged into 110v, 12v vehicle ports, and the radios can also take AAs.
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February 4th, 2010 at 11:38 PM
Just a couple of added thoughts……..
As a couple of you have posted, these radio,cb,ham, or short wave communications will most certainly be monitored. As far as security, one thing you can do with your group is to set up a schedule for transmitting. It's an old practice, but change your broadcast channel every time you trasmitt. Whether it's odd channels at certain times, even on others, or going up two channels for the next broadcast. It doesn't really matter as long as everyone in your group is on the same page. This will not stop you from being heard, but should reduce the ability to comprehend the transmissions.
Also, like Jack said, you will want to talk in codes. Be careful not to refer to certain locations specifically. Get your group to learn a series of checkpoint locations. Checkpoint A,B, C, etc. will not be understood by eavesdroppers that don't know anything about your location.
Lastly, unless you know who you are talking to, TRUST NOBODY. You can't read voice tones or make eye contact to read people over the airwaves, don't let someone set you up. Good luck to you all……
Dean in Mich……..
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February 5th, 2010 at 12:45 AM
I have used the green ray-o-vacs for about two years and have had good luck.
DW
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February 5th, 2010 at 1:43 AM
Cell phones may not work in a disaster situation, particularly when everyone is trying to use them at the same time after an event. Texting will most likely work, providing the cell sites are operable. So I've been told…..
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February 5th, 2010 at 3:45 AM
to anonymous 5:47 ….. i bought a uniden scanner. seems very nice… if i could only figure out how to program it. any suggestions? i've read the manual cover to cover and it still makes no sense to me. should've spent the money on more food etc.
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February 5th, 2010 at 1:21 PM
I've had good luck with the Brunton Solarport 4 solar recharger, not too bulky and works pretty much as advertised. Just saying is all.
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February 5th, 2010 at 2:41 PM
I experimented with the range on my FRS/GMRS radios advertised as 40 km range. In forest they reach 600 meters. In a high rise city they reach 1,000 meters. Still very useful, but bring extras. One was dropped from a ski chair lift and another's lithium ion battery died.
Ham radio takes a fair bit of effort to get licensed, but the global range coverage is an impressive advantage. 3 ham stations were successfully communicating with Florida out of Haiti right after the earthquake. There's plenty of free study material on the internet and you could easily put aside $20 per month towards purchasing the high power radios that can certainly be run off of a lead acid battery.
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February 5th, 2010 at 4:55 PM
Greetings. if you plan to broadcast over any radio it would be suicide if your opponent is big, like our uncle samual. they have radio direction finders that can place you within feet of where you transmit from. good way to end it all in case things get serious. the frequency you are on really doesn't matter they check them all. is like carrying a location bug on you to operate any transmission.
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February 5th, 2010 at 6:21 PM
Gotta go with MURS and CB, fits my budget – which is important and decent range for what I would use them for. I do have one big shortwave and one portable (with hand crank) for recieving information during a crisis.
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February 5th, 2010 at 7:09 PM
I'm studying for a ham technician license. It's not really that tough if you wrap your head around it. There are free applications on the iTunes website for iPhones that help you study. Radios are around $200-$250…
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February 5th, 2010 at 7:26 PM
Radio receivers generally don't draw much power.
You can use battery size adapters (check ebay) to use AA batteries in your garage sale shortwave receiver (many use C size batteries)
Dorcy carries 6V lantern adapters (for 4 D cells)
Using those adapters lets me buy only AA and D size batteries.
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February 5th, 2010 at 9:36 PM
Dont worry about turning this site "into another head for the hills bug-out site". I enjoy all your posts and its good to read other things that have to do with "Survival".
Keep up the good work.
Id still like to see pics of your van down by the river.
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February 5th, 2010 at 11:43 PM
Here's a question that I have for radio enthusiasts.
Assuming the following:
-I'm gathering 2 or more radios to be distributed among emergency kits for family members.
-I'm the only one who will really be versed in the contents of the bags.
-In an all-out emergency situation, the GMRS and FRS channels are likely to be crowded with chatter from similarly prepared people.
-The radio-equipped individuals in my group may have no training ahead of time, and might have to refer to written instructions that I included with the radio the first time they open the bag. They won't know what channel to listen or broadcast on.
… can you recommend a simple, effective, multichannel protocol that 2 or more members of my group could use to re-connect, plan where to meet, coordinate on routes to safety, etc? I'd like something dummy-proof, which can switch to different channels in case some are overcrowded, and pre-coordinated in terms of times to broadcast. I'd also like it to be as friendly to power consumption as possible.
Tnanks for any recommendations!
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February 6th, 2010 at 3:04 AM
I have used the Motorola Frs radios while deer hunting and have had good luck with them. I use the best ones they have because I think you get what you pay for and this includes rechargeable batteries.
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February 6th, 2010 at 3:55 PM
I went with FRS/GMRS radios. My advice is not to pay attention to the advertised range since the transmit power is roughly the same on all models and they have fixed antennae. Pay for features, like NOAA weather scan, hands-free, privacy features, silent-mode etc. Some even come with digital compasses and altimeters (double as barometers). Mine advertised 30mi, I was able to get about 0.5-0.75mi depending on the direction. I have radios for every member of my family as well as radios for each of my neighbors family (mutual aid). At some point I will probably upgrade to ham radio for LR communications and the scanner I use is a Uniden Bearcat (NASCAR model) works great, costs about $100. I also have two hand crank world band radios. All radio equipment is stored in .50 cal "organizers" (lol) lined with extra EMP protection. Another good thing would be to find radios that all use the same battery size. All my equipment will run on DC(voltage varies),AC,or AA
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February 7th, 2010 at 12:25 AM
http://www.lulu.com/product/download/musings-of-a-man-in-black-prometheus/6335172
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February 8th, 2010 at 1:08 PM
The best way to go is probably the profesionall line of Motorola radios. Can get them cheap of ebay. You can either pick VHF or UHF band radios, however, the VHF is more likely to have better reach.
For the frequencies where to operate, the motorola handsets can be programmed to use any frequencies in the band they're designed for, so it's quite likely that the gmrs/frs will be covered. For us eu, these can be programmed for the PMR band (although it's not quite legal) and external antennas can be connected. In my country, we have 5 channels on the VHF band we can use almost without restrictions, so I use these on my radios, they're not so crowded.
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February 8th, 2010 at 11:02 PM
>> to anonymous 5:47 ….. i bought a uniden scanner. seems very nice… if i could only figure out how to program it. any suggestions? i've read the manual cover to cover and it still makes no sense to me. should've spent the money on more food etc. <<
Hi there, sorry for the delay. Just got back to check on here.
The trick with most scanners is to read the manual, slowly, almost one word at a time with the scanner beside you so that you can try it.
Often to be ready for an emergency any time, I recommend buying a book of frequencies which can be got on eBay, as this will have all the nationwide and state frequencies listed inside, they just have to be inserted.
If you've got a Uniden, to enter a frequency manually, hit "Func" and then "Pgm" and enter the frequency number using the keys. For example, 462.5625, its GMRS channel 1.
The best feature of uniden is close call. Press "Func" and "Hold" and you'll see a little "C" with a cross through it appear on the screen. Then if you turn on an FRS/GMRS radio nearby and press the transmit (PTT) button, it will pop up "FOUND" on the scanner. Hit "Hold" once to see the exact frequency, and then hit "Func" and "Pgm" to save that frequency to memory.
I'll check back tomorrow, and leave details for those who wish to contact me about their radio problems or for advice on what would suit them
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February 9th, 2010 at 1:47 PM
Looks like the subject has been covered well here, so I don't have much to add. As is evident from some of the comments already, it's very important to know how to operate your equipment, whatever you decide to use. I'd have more than one means of radio communication wherever possible. Yes, CB has certain disadvantages, but it's not as popular as it once was, so might be a better, simpler choice. Having a shortwave radio is a good idea, especially if it has single sideband listening capability for monitoring ham bands. Monitoring is indeed important.
http://www.destinysurvival.com
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February 10th, 2010 at 3:43 AM
Having done a career in the Signals Corps, alot of what is being written about is wrong, especially WRT battery life and range. If the radio is being used to transmit even infrequently (especially if cold environment), most radios will drain a battery below effective in under 12 hours. Listening watch will extend this to maybe 24 hours. The lower the battery power, usually the less the range will last during a conversation. This is especially true with digital radios (new models) versus analog radios (old models). Analog uses more battery power, the sound is dirtier but you can work through static to extend range sometimes.
The standard handset you pick up in Costco will be lucky to speak for more than 500 M in real situations. As noted above, most are direct LOS and operate at low power with a 6 inch antenna. Sometimes more range – don't count on it. UHF and VHF are both pretty well LOS, sometimes you get a bit of ground wave but very difficult to rely on it. HF radios are usually much higher power and have both ground and sky wave. Problem is power requirement, skill/knowledge to operate, solar interference, large/hot antennas and the intermediate skip zone (dead zone between the furthest ground wave and nearest sky wave).
Going from the average user with minimal knowledge, I'd recommend the UHF/VHF sets that they can reasonably afford with the minimum power requirements. Fairly easy to use and understand their limitations before having to use them for real. If you have the time now, expand your knowledge via study and "ham radio" to learn different antennas and how to build some improvised antennas. Other than upping the output on a radio (which burns it out fairly quickly), the only method to extend range is improved/higher antennas.
For the one poster talking about the gov't ability to track EM signatures:
1. Paranoia. We were much too busy tracking other things to worry about local radios. This would likely be even more pronounced in a SHTF scenario.
2. If they want to track your radio and they are in range, it's a done deal with any equipment the average survivalist can purchase. The stuff I worked with in SigInt can DF and identify the digital signature in seconds. However, refer to para 1 above.
Hopefully, this answers some questions. In short, buy the equipment you can afford, have plenty of batteries that you can charge and use it enough that you are good with it and know it's limitations. From the Sigs point of view; esp if you are a group working together, radio comms is a force multiplier and very much worth it.
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April 23rd, 2010 at 11:43 PM
Anyone know of a circuit diagram design for a survivorlist radio? Able to receive and transmit on as many frequecies as posible, AM, FM ect. I’m not asking for it to be legal, but when TSHTF and it’s a matter of survival, I think the legality won’t be an issue, and having the circuit to allow repair or manufacture would be a bonus.
I talked to a German friend once who claimed to have seen a home made shortwave transceiver that was constructed in a tobaco tin and could reach Norway from the UK.
An other story I read on the net was from a jewish survivor of the Holocost in poland, he regretted not having a sub machine gun.
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June 11th, 2010 at 4:49 PM
Just thought of something, even though it’s a few months on and not entirely related: people should probably look at investing in a Satellite Phone.
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July 27th, 2010 at 12:44 PM
I have some ritron comercial radios and some motorola dtr digital radios. I like them both but the lack of assesories for them are making me look at others. Anyway my question is, does anyone have any good advice for throat mics? I have been looking into getting some because I think they would be a great benefit in a cituation like this. You never know what’s going to happen or when your position could be compromised by a radio transmission.
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