Hugh,
Independent communication is really important. First thing you observe when you go to an ARRL local meeting is the intelligent, charitable, genuine nature of the people involved. Second, the information that the Technician License test preparation material contains is laterally applicable to other prepping activities if you want a deeper understanding of what is around you and what you have to accomplish. An example is the information about direct current (DC) electricity used in radios and generated by solar power systems. Alternatively, learning about repeaters and their positions and coverage make you very aware of your surroundings. You also learn how crummy the electric motors around you actual are. Spurious RF is everywhere! – RV