Scott - Member - The Prepared

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Ham radio starter pack

Ham radio starter pack

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Reply to: Communication strategy during disaster Posted May 12, 2021

You’ve got it right. I’ve been a ham for 12 years and my friend is a ham. We are 6 miles apart and can NOT make simplex work, even with high powered, roof mounted equipment. Regardless of EMP’s, repeaters only can handle one ‘call’ at a time, so even if they stay up, every ham in the area is going to be trying to get onto it. 40 miles is to ‘close’ for HF, even NVIS. Also HF equipment is expensive and complex and requires more complicated antennas. The best answer is a satellite messenger. (also, I’m not remotely afraid of an EMP, but that’s a debate that goes on for ever)

Reply to: Let’s hear your prepper/survival stories! Posted November 12, 2020

Several years ago my now ex gf drove her car through a low water crossing that was more full than she thought. Her car actually shorted out and died halfway through. It was Nov in Texas and about 45F outside. She was only wearing medical scrubs and was soaking wet. She also happened to be in a very rural area. The tow truck was 90+ minutes out. She happened to have a Heat Sheets emergency blanket in the back of the car that I’d given to her. She wrapped herself up in it and it held off hypothermia until the tow truck got there. She told me later that the driver took off his own jacket and gave to her and put her in the front seat to warm her up. The Heat Sheets blanket likely saved her from a much more serious situation. She had been texting me during the situation and her words were becoming more muddled. She was having dexterity issues. I got to her about 2 hours later at the mechanic shop and she was just beginning to stop shivering. She had gone into the bathroom and wrung her clothes out and I brought a jacket and hat. Moral of the story, a $7 Heat Sheets blanket that takes up NO room, saved her rear. (second moral, don’t drive through a low water crossing)

Reply to: Ham radio recommendations? Posted September 20, 2020

What I like about js8call over the other software is the ability to actually chat. Contesting bores me. I am also still learning the heartbeats and auto replies but I’m pretty comfortable responding to a cq and saying hello. For prepper use, I think js8call is the way to go though

Reply to: Ham radio recommendations? Posted September 20, 2020

For handheld radios, the yaesu ft60 is cheap and very durable. If you want to get extreme the vx6 and vx7r are submersible waterproof. Ive had my vx7r for over 11 years not and its a tank. Obviously I’m a big fan of yaesu stuff. The 818 / 857 / 897 family of all band all mode radios are great. There was mention below about aprs. Its fun to play with. I dont think that I would buy a dedicated aprs radio, but a mobilinc tnc with cables for your various radios lets you move it around. This is the one benefit of baofung radios. Since baofung have VOX, you can use a $20 cable to connect them to an android phone and run aprsdroid app. Its not perfect but its a great way to get started cheaply. Regarding super long range HF stuff… look into js8call. It is a text to radio software that let’s you do a keyboard to keyboard chat. I have gone from texas to Washington state on a $160 radio with a $30 wire antenna. Its slow, but it gets information across (radio is a venus dr4020)

Reply to: About that IFAK tourniquet Posted June 25, 2020

I have RC first aid, Wilderness FA, CERT and done Stop the Bleed twice. I have a couple of North American Rescue (the gold standard) Cat 5 tourniquet. I keep one in my office drawer trauma FAK for active shooter situations and another in my vehicle’s trauma kit in case I come across a car accident. Do I think that ‘everyone’ should have one? Not necessarily. But, workplace violence is a thing and I work in a building that could be a target of terrorism or other violence, so I have a trauma related kit on hand.

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Reply to: Communication strategy during disaster Posted May 12, 2021

You’ve got it right. I’ve been a ham for 12 years and my friend is a ham. We are 6 miles apart and can NOT make simplex work, even with high powered, roof mounted equipment. Regardless of EMP’s, repeaters only can handle one ‘call’ at a time, so even if they stay up, every ham in the area is going to be trying to get onto it. 40 miles is to ‘close’ for HF, even NVIS. Also HF equipment is expensive and complex and requires more complicated antennas. The best answer is a satellite messenger. (also, I’m not remotely afraid of an EMP, but that’s a debate that goes on for ever)

Reply to: Let’s hear your prepper/survival stories! Posted November 12, 2020

Several years ago my now ex gf drove her car through a low water crossing that was more full than she thought. Her car actually shorted out and died halfway through. It was Nov in Texas and about 45F outside. She was only wearing medical scrubs and was soaking wet. She also happened to be in a very rural area. The tow truck was 90+ minutes out. She happened to have a Heat Sheets emergency blanket in the back of the car that I’d given to her. She wrapped herself up in it and it held off hypothermia until the tow truck got there. She told me later that the driver took off his own jacket and gave to her and put her in the front seat to warm her up. The Heat Sheets blanket likely saved her from a much more serious situation. She had been texting me during the situation and her words were becoming more muddled. She was having dexterity issues. I got to her about 2 hours later at the mechanic shop and she was just beginning to stop shivering. She had gone into the bathroom and wrung her clothes out and I brought a jacket and hat. Moral of the story, a $7 Heat Sheets blanket that takes up NO room, saved her rear. (second moral, don’t drive through a low water crossing)

Reply to: Ham radio recommendations? Posted September 20, 2020

What I like about js8call over the other software is the ability to actually chat. Contesting bores me. I am also still learning the heartbeats and auto replies but I’m pretty comfortable responding to a cq and saying hello. For prepper use, I think js8call is the way to go though

Reply to: Ham radio recommendations? Posted September 20, 2020

For handheld radios, the yaesu ft60 is cheap and very durable. If you want to get extreme the vx6 and vx7r are submersible waterproof. Ive had my vx7r for over 11 years not and its a tank. Obviously I’m a big fan of yaesu stuff. The 818 / 857 / 897 family of all band all mode radios are great. There was mention below about aprs. Its fun to play with. I dont think that I would buy a dedicated aprs radio, but a mobilinc tnc with cables for your various radios lets you move it around. This is the one benefit of baofung radios. Since baofung have VOX, you can use a $20 cable to connect them to an android phone and run aprsdroid app. Its not perfect but its a great way to get started cheaply. Regarding super long range HF stuff… look into js8call. It is a text to radio software that let’s you do a keyboard to keyboard chat. I have gone from texas to Washington state on a $160 radio with a $30 wire antenna. Its slow, but it gets information across (radio is a venus dr4020)

Reply to: About that IFAK tourniquet Posted June 25, 2020

I have RC first aid, Wilderness FA, CERT and done Stop the Bleed twice. I have a couple of North American Rescue (the gold standard) Cat 5 tourniquet. I keep one in my office drawer trauma FAK for active shooter situations and another in my vehicle’s trauma kit in case I come across a car accident. Do I think that ‘everyone’ should have one? Not necessarily. But, workplace violence is a thing and I work in a building that could be a target of terrorism or other violence, so I have a trauma related kit on hand.