My intent is to have backup comms in these uncertain times
I’m not sure what you mean by “uncertain” times, as that is open for speculation and discussion.
However, if you have concerns about cellular phone service and internet access going down, then I would look at these factors...
-who do you want to be able to contact ?
A group of friends/allies that you know will be prepared as you are?
In that case, you would have to have a pre-arranged plan in place, and such a plan would include communications. If all those involved are willing to get an amateur radio license ahead of time, in preparation of such an event, then the amateur radio service is a good way to go.
-Or do you think you just want to have a radio to see who else is out there in such an event?
If you are just winging it in case those services go down, then it depends on your location as to whether you go CB or ham or GMRS or FRS. In my area, there are many rolling hills and the terrain is terrible for “line of sight” comms. For local coverage, I have found CB frequencies to work well to make local contact (the radio signals literally “bend” over the rolling hills), where the VHF/UHF frequencies of the amateur bands do not work as well. Many of the HF amateur bands will be useless for communicating over short distances, so you need to understand how radio signals travel, and use the appropriate bands.
If you only want to reach your local neighborhood, perhaps FRS or GMRS would be enough. I’ll bet you that most people have FRS walkie talkies in their house right now, and if our normal means of communication are upset, then I really only need to communicate on a local/regional basis.
So I would suggest you assess your concerns more, and determine what you really would need in a crisis situation. Who do you think you would need to communication with ? If you have real concerns about that situation, and if you really want to be as prepared as possible, you could do as I do, and have an amateur radio license with an HF radio and several different types of HF antennas (wire and portable) and several VHF/UHF radios that cover the hams bands, as well as other bands (because in a true emergency, a ham license doesn’t really mean much) and batteries to power the radios, a GMRS license along with a GMRS repeater in my house, that can be powered from my whole house generator. I have FRS walkie talkies with spare batteries, I have CB radios with base station antennas as well as mobile antennas, and have CB and VHF/UHF radios in all of my vehicles. And I have about a dozen friends/acquaintances I know I can reach with my radios, using the different bands available to me, that have similar plans and preparations, and that covers an area out to 26 miles away from me in my best direction (and that is with a CB radio going over a 1000’ hill in between us. Can’t make the contact on 2m or 70cm. but of course, can with the 10m amateur band, since that is right next to the CB band).
Is my communications plan overkill ? I don’t know, but I do know I have not gone without anything during the current COVID-19 situation, because my other preparation plans are equally executed as my comms plan. These are just some things to consider as you make your own preparations. I hope all Americans will do as you are doing, and give thought to what we would do during “uncertain times”.
