Radios for situational awareness?

[KB2GOM]

Situational awareness should start in a 10 foot circle around you, and then adapt as needed. "Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can".

I like that.

"Other than my tools, I could probably easily fit all my belongings in my truck and drive away."

Is there any minimum radio kit you would pack?

My thinking would be: an AM/FM radio with NOAA weather radio, possibly a scanner, and a two-way radio for whatever services were active in the area (for example, in some areas, GMRS is popular but not so much 2 meters, but in other places it is flipped).

 

[KB2GOM]

I'm not positive, but I think the Swiss still have their very large bunkers, it was apparently their policy to shelter their entire population, and although downsized, I understand it is still very credible.

The forgotten underground world of Swiss bunkers

What's it like to go inside what was once the biggest civilian bunker in the world?

www.swissinfo.ch

In the US people that sell shelters gravitate towards the very high quality Swiss air systems because of the Swiss bomb shelter reputation.

In the U.S. although the shelters are frequently touted as fallout shelters, they are more likely to be used for storm shelters. A tornado with 250+ MPH winds will destroy almost all above ground houses (although there are safe rooms designed to protect occupants in those situations). and after everything is said and done, they can provide a place to live while trying to rebuild.

This company is one of those that make shelters for various purposes.

Catalog - Atlas Survival Shelters

Atlas proudly presents a Catalog of groundbreaking innovations in survival shelters, revolutionizing the industry with their exceptional features and functionality.

atlassurvivalshelters.com

Since root cellars aren't popular anymore, some people feel the need for the equivalent space to store - - whatever - - guns, wine, snacks, in laws (they can be used as a guest room sometimes).

Although Conelrad is gone, the government has NOAA weather radio that can transmit emergency messages, as well as they can take over all of the local TV and radio channels to broadcast alerts and warnings of various types all the way down to Amber alerts (abducted child), if they have enough information they put it out and everyone on every highway in range of the station is going to be looking for the car involved, as well as "silver" alerts, which is an elderly person that has wandered off, so that everyone can be on the lookout for them.

On 4 October there is going to be a national test of the different ways of contacting people in an emergency, down to the cell phone level.

FEMA and FCC Plan Nationwide Emergency Alert Test for Oct. 4, 2023

Normally the more local tests are done on a monthly basis (and are really irritating if done during a show that l like).

For situational awareness purposes though. Every-ones needs and wants are probably a little different. During a power outage, I would like to know if gas stations two towns over have gas or not, and if there grocery stores are open. Regular FM/AM news stations aren't helpful with that info. With a larger, more regional problem (like the Quebec power outage that took out power to the northeast US for awhile

Northeast blackout of 1965 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

or this one, that I got watch as a kid (from NJ).

New York City blackout of 1977 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

or more recently

Northeast blackout of 2003 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Either living through these kind s of things, or just reading about them, you can get the idea of why people want information about loved ones andgenerally what is happening. Personally , I want to know my families plans and if they want to come to my house (or vice-versa), and when the people in elevators or on trains are back to safety...

Thanks
Joel

Joel,

As a certified oldster, I lived through all three of those blackouts. The first one was fun (hey, I was in college), and the next two reminded me how utterly dependent we are on reliable electricity.

 

[Falcon9h]

Maybe hoarding is something deep in our minds, sometimes the switch to turn it off doesn't function and you get the subject of shows about hoarders, there are religious that object to "inordinate attachments" I'm guessing based on the idea that it is so bad for people,

Even Backpackers have to go through paring down though, I suppose it's easier when you have to carry every single ounce yourself.

I do have to point out that it's possible people hoard things like toilet paper because they never really had to do without a lot of things before (possible explanation, I don't know how legitimate it is),

This would be different than the egg hoarding though, it seems unwise to hoard a perishable like that.
I have to wonder that there is a possibility that the people actually are eating the eggs. Eighteen eggs doesn't seem like much if you make some of your own dinners and have an actual family to feed.

Still trying to figure out why there would be an egg shortage to begin with, did they have to cull the chickens due to the flu or something?

Thanks
Joel

These so-called shortages are all engineered, as was the plandemic.
That said... my area, happily, is rural and analog. I can put both counties into a CCR and I'm set. I like to know what's going on and I use it to avoid accidents and traffic.

 

[mmckenna]

I like that.

"Other than my tools, I could probably easily fit all my belongings in my truck and drive away."

Is there any minimum radio kit you would pack?

Minimum would be zero. I can survive just fine without a radio.

My thinking would be: an AM/FM radio with NOAA weather radio, possibly a scanner, and a two-way radio for whatever services were active in the area (for example, in some areas, GMRS is popular but not so much 2 meters, but in other places it is flipped).

The AM/FM radio in my truck works just as well as any other radio I have.
I have a VHF mobile permanently mounted in my truck as well as my wife's. Amongst all the work stuff in it, I have NOAA as well as some ham stuff.
NOAA is useful.
Ham is hit or miss. I don't rely on hobbyists for accurate information.

Keeping calm is way more important. Getting spun up by inaccurate information is dangerous.

 

[paulears]

Are root cellars where people keep/make root beer? They did try to sell this in the UK but is was weird tasting soft drink? Your soda?? The more we are the same the more we change? Like here public schools are the posh private ones, often like hogwarts! Our government funded schools are state schools. That’s weird.

The size of the uk is probably responsible for no warning or prep systems. Nobody lives more than 100 miles from the sea!

 

[MUTNAV]

Situational awareness should start in a 10 foot circle around you, and then adapt as needed. "Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can".

It's kind of funny in a way, people either JUST care and want to act on about what is immediately around them, or the exact opposite and care so much about things far away that their is no connection at all. (ie water shortages in Africa). A happy medium must be tough for lots of people.

Thanks
Joel

 

[MUTNAV]

Are root cellars where people keep/make root beer? They did try to sell this in the UK but is was weird tasting soft drink? Your soda?? The more we are the same the more we change? Like here public schools are the posh private ones, often like hogwarts! Our government funded schools are state schools. That’s weird.

The size of the uk is probably responsible for no warning or prep systems. Nobody lives more than 100 miles from the sea!

No, root cellars are for storing roots, think Dorothys house in "The Wizard or Oz" (while it was still in Kansas), great example of the use as a storm shelter also.

Root Beer is supposed to be drunk warm, the diet stuff is terrible, but freshly made it tastes differently (very smooth).

I'll have to look at UK's warning systems separately, I can't imagine how it doesn't have one.

The school systems are obviously very different. Terminology probably means a lot in that discussion, like a "state" school isn't necessarily something that someone would want to go to, it implies a ward of the state situation (although all of the ones I know about are done at the county level, for students not able to attend a regular school for various reasons) most public schools are done with local school districts being responsible for everything. This obviously varies with location, in a nearby county (near Shenandoah VA), the entire county has a single high school (a little sparsely populated I guess, I think it also doesn't have a grocery store ).

Thanks
Joel

 

[W2JEL]

Minimum would be zero. I can survive just fine without a radio.



The AM/FM radio in my truck works just as well as any other radio I have.
I have a VHF mobile permanently mounted in my truck as well as my wife's. Amongst all the work stuff in it, I have NOAA as well as some ham stuff.
NOAA is useful.
Ham is hit or miss. I don't rely on hobbyists for accurate information.

Keeping calm is way more important. Getting spun up by inaccurate information is dangerous.

"Getting spun up by inaccurate information is dangerous"

Best advice yet so far.

 

[mmckenna]

"Getting spun up by inaccurate information is dangerous"

That seems to be a lifestyle for many. It's the old "If you are not outraged, you are not paying attention" thing. Which loosely translates into "Unless you see everything from my point of view, you're stupid".

 

[pinballwiz86]

Does anyone else find radios useful for situational awareness?

If so, what do listen to and how do you do it? Are there any specifics that you would recommend?

Yes, I would wager 99% of people buy a police scanner for situational awareness. Even if it’s not a conscious decision, that’s the end result. The gaining of information.

Listening to public safety, fire/EMS would give you the most info. Next, your local department of transportation for road conditions. The National Weather Service frequencies—to find out if there will be any inclement weather. If your local federal agencies are not encrypted (they will be) then, FEMA, the National Guard, and the FBI frequencies for any national emergencies.

 

[MUTNAV]

Yes, I would wager 99% of people buy a police scanner for situational awareness. Even if it’s not a conscious decision, that’s the end result. The gaining of information.

Listening to public safety, fire/EMS would give you the most info. Next, your local department of transportation for road conditions. The National Weather Service frequencies—to find out if there will be any inclement weather. If your local federal agencies are not encrypted (they will be) then, FEMA, the National Guard, and the FBI frequencies for any national emergencies.

I'd have to add school bus frequencies, they pass lots of information of the road situation (possibly it's based on the school district size).

Thanks
Joel

 

[mmckenna]

I'd have to add school bus frequencies, they pass lots of information of the road situation…..

Translation:

​

They b!t¢h moan and complain about traffic, other drivers, annoying passengers, bus issues, management issues, weather, lack of weather, air conditioning issues, their bus smells like feet, someone won't get out of their way.​

​

I had an issue with my old trunking system once, lost a few channels. Asked users to reduce radio traffic. Bus drivers seemed to take that as a personal challenge.

 

[paulears]

The only emergency service uk people can listen to is the coastguard. The change from the old system is so long ago now that only the oldies remember when it was interesting to know what was going on. I sell radios and it’s only occasionally I get asked by land lubbers for a radio so while scanning is still popular here, what we can listen to is pretty limited. In the US you have marine weather channels. We don’t even have that. Coastguard do local weather every three hours, that’s it. So many digital services are now encrypted so that’s blown. The local shopping centres and even the trains have gone over to it. My local shop system went digital when somebody started posting goings on on Facebook, trying to help. Somebody just stole some perfume from marks and Spencer in a blue car with a dent in the door. They must have read it and they’re gone now. The US situational awareness, AKA being nosey, we just dont have

 

[Akuriko]

As a Prepper I use the scanner for everything including situational reports, like when a transformer blows and it takes 18 hours to repair it or when the electric company sends a notice and says we will have 3 days of planned outages from 10 pm to 6 am for repairs on the mainland, the scanner comes in handy for situations and helps the preppers as well.

 

[StoliRaz]

Yes, I would wager 99% of people buy a police scanner for situational awareness. Even if it’s not a conscious decision, that’s the end result. The gaining of information.

The gaining of information without a mainstream media source there to bend the narrative to fit what they want everyone to believe is the best benefit. Hearing what's going on straight from first responders. But I guess that's why certain political players in big cities love "E" so much, when the truth doesn't fit their narrative.

 

[KB2GOM]

Yes, I would wager 99% of people buy a police scanner for situational awareness. Even if it’s not a conscious decision, that’s the end result. The gaining of information.

Listening to public safety, fire/EMS would give you the most info. Next, your local department of transportation for road conditions. The National Weather Service frequencies—to find out if there will be any inclement weather. If your local federal agencies are not encrypted (they will be) then, FEMA, the National Guard, and the FBI frequencies for any national emergencies.

The only challenge is that scanner info is not consolidated like a news report so listening for a while or listening to a couple of different agencies might be necessary to get the full picture. Occasionally, while running the Commuter Assistance Net, I'll hear a report of a serious incident, but I don't have the location . . . that can be a little frustrating.

 

[Akuriko]

if your a serious person who uses it like me for prepping and situational issues or a shtf situation you have more then 1 scanner running, 1 for pd, 1 for weather, 1 for fd and so forth and so on or program it to scan a select few banks.

 

[MUTNAV]

The only challenge is that scanner info is not consolidated like a news report so listening for a while or listening to a couple of different agencies might be necessary to get the full picture. Occasionally, while running the Commuter Assistance Net, I'll hear a report of a serious incident, but I don't have the location . . . that can be a little frustrating.

I have to agree to a large extent, when communications aren't directed towards a specific person or group, it's really important to go out of your way to avoid mis-interpertation.

At least with a commuter assist network you can ask around... Trying to develop a clear (or partially clear) picture from scanners on a rapidly changing situation is more than difficult.

IMHO eavesdropping on a small part of a conversation and trying to draw conclusions from the snippets that are obtained, wont yield very useful information, it's enough to start questions but that's about it. (try it socially and see how well it works out).

Thanks
Joel

 

[IC-R20]

I keep an ear out on the law enforcement dispatch for the area and if someone is going crazy somewhere nearby I'll avoid the area or reroute if needed.

 

[MUTNAV]

I admit, upon reconsideration, that I've actually used scanners that improved a form of situational awareness, but in a different way than is thought about here.

Once was while stationed outside of phoenix Az, while the scanner was in the background listening to base security, there was a report of someone that got onto the base by climbing over a wall. The other person got very concerned and I had to let them know it was happening two or three times a month, not really something for us to be worried about.

The second time (fairly recently, was when listening to the sheriffs department, my daughter said she didn't want to go outside at one point, she had overheard that someone was jumping out from between parked cars and scaring people... We got to have a series of good long discussion about how many crazy things go on every night.

I guess it was all less of a "situational awareness" issue as an awareness of what normaly is happening on a fairly routine basis.


Thanks
Joel