Category: Communications & Receivers

(Continued from Part 3. This concludes the article.) A friend of mine suggested that I include some discussion of less costly MURS radios for those prepping on a modest budget. There are not nearly as many options for MURS radios as there are for GMRS. A bit of research reveals that a Hong Kong-based firm called Retevis offers Chinese-made radios that it markets for MURS use. Their model RT21V is available in a two-pack for $44.99. They are CTCSS capable, but they do not come with any tones already set up. The Retevis units have the five MURS channels ordered …

(Continued form Part 2.) General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) GMRS is a personal radio service that uses the same frequencies and channels as FRS, but more power is allowed, and there are greater equipment options. The FCC defines GMRS as “A mobile two-way voice communication service, with limited data applications, for facilitating activities of individual licensees and their family members, including, but not limited to, voluntary provision of assistance to the public during emergencies and natural disasters.” 47 CFR 95.1703. Note that unlike FRS or CB, GMRS requires a license. 47 CFR 95.1705. There is no test, and the license …

(Continued from Part 1.) Back to the matter of radio spectrum: It is regulated by the government, and it pretty much has to be. No matter how libertarian you lean and no matter how dim your view of government power, somebody has to regulate the spectrum, or it would be completely useless, with would-be users interfering with each other left and right. Every developed nation has a government agency that allocates radio spectrum to different uses, and in turn countries cooperate internationally via various treaties and agreements. In the United States, this responsibility has been delegated by Congress to the …

I have been interested in radios since I was about 12 years old. Long before cell phones were ubiquitous, the adult leaders in my Boy Scout Troop all had CB radios installed in their vehicles on road trips, and I witnessed them being used to good effect for communication between vehicles. I know now that the 11 meter band and the AM operating mode of those radios is a suboptimal choice for that kind of short-range voice communication, but it was the practical choice when CB was about the only unlicensed radio service available. A couple of the scout leaders …

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) — Scanner Models When radio systems were still purely analog, there were many manufacturers vying for your attention to buy their scanning receiver. With the costs of developing digital-capable receive technology and a dwindling user base, the market has collapsed to just two manufacturers of multimode (analog and digital_ scanning receivers: Uniden and Whistler. Uniden, having been one of the pioneers in consumer electronics developing dozens of models over the past 40 years, currently has twelve scanner models available while Whistler offers six. For those who might want to dip their toe …

Sir Franics Bacon is attributed with saying, “Knowledge is power.” And nothing could be more true than when it comes to prepping for emergencies and SHTF situations. When the forces of nature or the whims of men (or women) turn life upside down, we need to have a plan for reacting. If you’re reading this then you, more than anyone else, understands how true this is. For those who are unprepared it can literally mean the difference between life and death. Shortly after I began writing this article the people in Texas were put to the test with massive loss …

(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.) ANTENNA SELECTION Mobile Antennas Selection, and Mounts The following list is very short list as most antennas on the market require the installer to tune the antenna with an SWR meter.  Often this fact is omitted. Fortunately, both these antennas do not need to be tuned and are more than adequate.  There is not much need to look further. Both of these antennas have NMO bases, and there is a variety of heavy to light magenetic mount with various cable lengths available that have MNO fittings.  Magnetic mount bases are very popular, …

(Continued from Part 3.) The Quad Barreled Cannon, The Wouxun KG-UV980P, $310.00 The Wouxun KG-UV980P Quad Band Base/Mobile Two Way Radio is a quad band, with cross band repeat, a 50 watt transceiver, that transmits using FM only in these frequency ranges: 26 to 29 MHz, 50 to 54 MHz, 136 to 174 MHz, and 400 to 480 MHz.  It can generally be described in terms of Amateur Radio as a 10 meter, 6 meter, 2 meter, and 70cm, yet this unit transmits outside of these Amateur bands, and is much more than simply a Ham radio.  For example, it …

(Continued from Part 2.) Editor’s Note: The following section of the article describes some high power and out-of-band transmission modifications that are not legal under most circumstances. In an absolute disaster situation, anyone can operate outside of normal bands/channels without a license and probably without any legal repercussions. But doing so in normal times will surely get someone arrested, their gear seized, and some hefty fines. Beware! BACK TO THE FUTURE, CB RADIO IS BACK! Although Citizen Band (CB) might not be a part of our primary radio communications plan, we may need to operate a CB to talk to …

(Continued from Part 1.) UHF Business Band Transceivers This is a more versatile radio than the Midland MXT400 that can access off the beaten path frequencies, and provides much better COMSEC (Communications Security). These can use the same antenna, cable, and adapters detailed for the GMRS transceivers. This type of radio can be programmed per your instructions by BuyTwoWayRadios.com, and the radio is easy to use and rugged. Our choice of frequencies are limited by the radio to the UHF band, and the limits of the antenna that covers only a section of the UHF band. We can also purchase …