Category: Communications & Receivers

Sir, I want to pass along a recommendation for field telephones. Coleman’s Military Surplus is selling Swiss army surplus field telephones (made by Ericsson) for $19.95 plus shipping. I have purchased some of these and have good luck with them. They use a crank for ringing the bells and “D” cell batteries for voice transmission. They can also be hooked up in a common battery / switchboard set up if a person is lucky enough to have one. – Matthew in Kansas City, Missouri

Many preppers and other radio communications enthusiasts want to be well equipped for receiving and transmitting under adverse conditions, but most modern hams, shortwave listeners (SWLs), preppers and observers are not familiar with the evolution of receiver and transmitter designs and how that progression can give us a useful advantage in gearing up for different scenarios. Old tech is, after all, appropriate tech when the going gets rough-the rougher, the older in many instances. I want to start with receivers because a transmitter without a receiver is useful only for broadcasting, and in our endeavors broadcasting is generally our last …

I admit it. I’m woefully unprepared.  Recent events have caused me to “wake up”, much like Neo in The Matrix who takes the “red pill” and awakens to the painful reality.  When you first awaken it’s overwhelming.  You feel that there is so much to do and so little time. My resources are limited and I expect they will become more so over time.  Rather than succumbing to the paralysis of analysis, and constant study without action, I feel it’s better to begin chipping away at getting prepared.  I suggest you start today and get a toe hold on being …

Jim: I would like to begin this story by telling you why I felt it was needed. I was reading the blog and saw the post from R.H. “When the lights went out in the southwest” and how they had a very hard time getting in contact with his nephew. And also a recent post on CME and nuclear power plant failures and grid down type situations. And it got me thinking about how little some people know about how the traditional communications grid in this country works.   To qualify my position on this subject I will tell you …

James: With reference to the Comprehensive Crisis Communications Planning for the prepper, by Hammer the portion where he described the Dakota Alert using the MURS frequencies is very good, to say the least.   I have the system and anywhere I go around my property  or further I carry the the transmitter on my person. If the barrier is broken according to the audible alert voice system telling me which zone has been broken I can check it out. It is a very reliable system, not cheap but reliable. Each zone can carry whatever amount of receivers you want to …

Just because there is a sewing machine in my house doesn’t mean I think any of my family members can sit down and sew a dress.  The same goes with your ham radio.  If you are one of those folks who bought one for when the SHTF thinking you will be able to just set it up and use it, you might be unpleasantly surprised. Why not make sure you have a ham radio license and become proficient with your radio?  It’s probably a good idea to dust it off anyway and make sure it is still working.  Some have …