Category: Communications & Receivers

I consider the ability to communicate in a TEOTWAWKI scenario, and being able to obtain information outside the immediate area, critical. HF communication best fills this need. I had the radios but needed an antenna that would work on most amateur bands and others if needed. Having recently relocated to a more free state, I had all the real estate to put up whatever antenna I wanted. I wanted an antenna that fit into the space of a dipole, is relatively invisible, easy to build, and can be coax fed. The need to bury the cable ruled out a ladder …

Hello, I recently read author N.M’s article regarding how to obtain an Amateur Radio license. The article was well-written and provided a wealth of information for prospective Hams. I have been a licensed Amateur Radio operator since the early 1990s and have seen a lot of changes in the hobby. Some were good and some not so good, but that is a discussion better left to a lazy chair and a pot of coffee. The reason I am writing is I noticed something that is potentially problematic in N.M’s article. When discussing what radio to select, N.M. mentions the Yaesu …

Hugh, This is in reference to the “Radio Basics Presentation” and the follow-up information from “W.A.” A few points of clarification on a CB myth that just will not go away. CB radio actually has 40 channels. That’s it; there are just 40 channels. There are two modes of transmission authorized on CB radio: Amplitude Modulation (AM) and Single Sideband (SSB). On any given channel you can select between the two modes of transmission. You can select AM mode or SSB. With SSB operation, you can select either the Lower Sideband (LSB) or the Upper Sideband (USB) mode. While this …

Hugh, This was a great, quick “down and dirty” presentation on “Radio”. I would like to offer a few additions to his list. Section 3 Tactical Radios CB – Citizens Band CB actually can have 120 channels; if you include upper and lower “sidebands” in SSB radios, there are 120 total. Channels from 26.965 to 27.405 MHz are not the only ones used. There are also “free band” frequencies above and below these that “pirate” operators use. During a solar maximum, I have talked all over the world on CB SSB, but yes, the normal range is 4-5 miles. “Channel …

My purpose in writing this article is to focus attention on an area that is lacking for too many people. Having been in a group that did a lot of training, it became clear that this was an area that needed attention. We used email and cell phones to coordinate training location and times, but the thought was always in the back of my mind; what if there was no Internet or cell phones? How would we form up as a group? I have compiled the information into a simple, bullet-point scenario to make it easier to grasp and to …

One of the distinguishing features of traditional Ham radio, particularly shortwave (high frequency or “HF”) Ham radio, was that you generally had to literally make your own antenna. You could purchase transmitters, receivers, transceivers, microphones, and even Morse code keys, but you likely had fabricated at least one wire antenna. In the event of a national disaster, many people may wish to have effective HF communications for medium- or long-range communications, and they may be faced with the need to construct an antenna. Other forward-thinking preppers may wish to gain Ham radio licenses and experience in HF communications and need …