Category: Communications & Receivers

“Internet” Without Infrastructure – Part 3, by R.H.

Basic Techniques and Definition of Terms (continued) Sending a message. Sending a message consists of creating a text file containing the message, naming the file as described above, and getting it into a Postmaster’s pouch or multiple Postmasters’ pouches. If you don’t have a way to create a file yourself, a Postmaster can help you. The smaller your message is the better chance it has of getting through. You don’t need to go crazy with this. A message that is only 20 characters in length is not really any better than a 1K file (1024 characters). When writing out large …


“Internet” Without Infrastructure – Part 2, by R.H.

How the Network Works Basically, as soon as people start transferring files between computers, a network of sorts exists. A complex system can then be developed to get information to the right place as quickly as possible and keep everything running smoothly and efficiently. This is what the Internet does now, using millions of powerful computers and extremely complex software. There is a much simpler way of building a network that requires only the basic technology items listed above and the adoption of a few very simple standards and rules. All we need, basically, is to get a given “file” …


“Internet” Without Infrastructure – Part 1, by R.H.

Communication, outgoing and incoming, is obviously vitally important, but we tend to take for granted the various channels available to us at this time. The telephone, email, and even television and radio media rely on a huge amount of civil infrastructure– the same infrastructure that we rely on for water, sewage service, food, electrical power, transportation, shipping and basic mail, and both fire suppression and law enforcement services. The Internet has become a vital part of that infrastructure. Without a functional power grid and cable or telephone service, the Internet does not exist. It could be argued that, even in …


Scot’s Product Review: DeLorme inReach Explorer

The first warning is that this is an electronic device. It probably won’t work after an EMP or Carrington event. It communicates via the Iridium satellite system, which is also used by the government, so it isn’t secure, not that any electronic communications are. It depends on the GPS satellite constellation, which is another government service. The government can, when it feels like it, degrade the accuracy of civilian GPS units or even shut down the service to all but government clients. There are, therefore, drawbacks that you have to be aware of. Regardless, the DeLorme inReach offers some pretty …


Letter: The Internet

HJL/JWR: I am a former G6 (army comms) and closet geek, and a stability operations (Civil Affairs) practitioner. Suffice to say the issue of open Internet access and destabilizing influences on the ground have been the center of my world and work for over a decade. You’re not going to like this, but here it is: The only way to preserve the Internet AND reduce the spread of radical ideology is to register users’ to each IP address. Here’s why. The Internet IS like a big, wonderful library (paraphrasing yesterday’s poster). However, there’s a problem. Imagine your children in that …


Letter Re: Shielded Ethernet Connectors

HJL, I’ve found that EZ jacks and an EZ crimper for RJ45 will let you visually confirm that you’ve put the right wires in the right place before crimping your connector end on; you can’t see them too well in regular RJ45 ends. The crimp tool is like $50, and I’ve found that you waste less connectors due to how much better they work. Doing it the old way, you’d make a good connector and accidentally cut it too short, or you’d have the wires twist and then have a pair of wires that won’t work, causing you to cut …


Letter Re: EMP-Hardened Ham Radio Communications, by PrepperDoc

Being a prepper and a Ham I found the article “EMP-Hardened Ham Radio Communications” by PrepperDoc very interesting but also somewhat over my head with regard to tubes and the like, so I put it out to more experienced members of our ARC (amateur radio club) for comment. The response from one Ham is not a slam but rather additional information for the like-minded. “There was no mention of electrolytic caps and the frequent need to replace them when using older gear. Also, tube rigs are power hogs; where are you going to get the power? Alternate power sources (inverter …


EMP-Hardened Ham Radio Communications, by PrepperDoc

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EMP attack is often considered the most rigorous of survivalist situations, due to the likely complete loss of electrical grid, many vehicles, and many transistorized/computerized products. Our group worked to provide post-EMP communications that would allow effective communications post-event. We had two major requirements: Short Range Communications. Two, separate, defense-hardened homes that were approximately 30 miles apart had to be able to communicate across a medium-sized city, and Long Range Communications. Both homes had to be able to receive news from in-state and out-of-state sources. These were considered necessary to receive adequate advance warning of defense issues, such as advancing …


Letter: Cell Phone Jammers vs. Blockers

Hi Hugh, I just wanted to pass along a quick clarification for readers to a posted review by Scot two weeks ago. After Scot’s great review of the MobileSec cell phone blockers, there has been discussion about cell phone blockers vs. jammers. I wanted to make a few points regarding jammers vs. blockers and the pros and cons of each. Jammers, like the Duke (used by the Army), spam the airwaves to prevent detonations via cell phone or other devices. The reason to use them is “area denial”- blocking all the phones around. The tradeoff: The price is high, Jammers …


Scot’s Product Review: MobileSec Cellphone Blocker and Laptop EMP Shielding

I always liked the line that states, “Just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean that someone isn’t out to get you.” These days, in addition to physically trying to “get” you, there are also those who are trying to virtually get you by stealing your information for misuse. There are those who might want to wipe out everything with an EMP event so that not only do you not get to use your own stuff, you can’t even get a backup from someone else. It could be a foreign government, a criminal consortium, or even your own government doing the deed. …


Letter Re: TruCrypt

Hugh, Of course people should do what they are comfortable with, but TrueCrypt is still safe to use. For those who want the “new and improved” version of what was once TrueCrypt, there is now “VeraCrypt“—and-its-better Users should note that even though it looks and acts like TrueCrypt, VeraCrypt can NOT decrypt files that were encrypted with TrueCrypt. Happy New Year. – V


Surviving With Electronics, by J.M.

While working in the high-tech security industry I’m frequently disheartened by people’s attitude towards electronic technology in disaster/SHTF/TEOTWAWKI situations. For example, I was down in the NJ area shortly after Sandy came through, and I noticed that many people weren’t using their cell phones. I asked some folks what was wrong with their phone, and the two most common answers were: A) the battery is dead and I can’t charge it, or B) there’s no service available. Those answers pretty much sum up most people’s attitude about electronics; power for them is something that comes out of the wall, and …


Letter Re: Cheap and Easy Ham for the Communications Novice by TSR

HJL, I am an amateur radio operator, and we have organized and trained many new “hams” in our community. We hold weekly on-air meetings for those new operators to hone emergency communication skills and develop proficiency as well as an emergency network. It has been our experience that those who start out with the low-powered BaoFeng UV-3R+ “handi-talky” (HT) become discouraged and drop interest in ham radio after a few months. Here are some reasons: The BaoFeng UV-3R+ operates at only 4 watts of power, while mobile units range from 15 to 75 watts. The BaoFeng UV-3R+ barely connects with …


Cheap and Easy Ham for the Communications Novice by TSR

[Editors Note: FCC rules stipulate that Amateur Radio operators may convert and operate transceivers designed for other services on Amateur Radio frequencies, but the reverse is not true. Unless a radio has been type accepted by the FCC for use on other frequencies, those transceivers may not be used for such purposes. They may, however, be used to listen to other frequencies (except for cellular frequencies.)] Purpose You’ll find the line item “ham radio” on a variety of prepper, collapse, and bug out bag lists, and for good reason. However, for the communications novice, this item can be difficult to …


Letter Re: Human Relationships by JC

Well Hugh, What JC describes is pure citizenship. If we had a lot more of that, we would only have to prep for natural disasters. I do what JC does, but I do it from my Rotary Club. I am complimentary and polite at the tax office, election office, school office, city hall, and building department. My truck got stolen and returned a year later. The nice lady at the tag office just took my word for it and over-rode the extra fees for not having a tag. I was pulled over for no seat belt last month. Driving a …