I'll go one further...
EMP would wipe out not just the power but just about all radios and any advanced rechargeable batteries that have built-in voltage monitoring circuitry. If it's an EMP, communication is going to be the least of my concern for about 5-10 years. I'm going to be taking stock in my food supply, my ammo supply, my medical supplies, etc. I'm also going to be planning next years planting, setting up a sort of co-op with my neighbors to pool resources "I'll protect your horses. You provide me with transportation." "You've got arable land. We'll provide manpower and horsepower, you provide food." "I've got a large wooded lot, I'll provide firewood, you provide access to your lake for fish."
If it's a huge geomagnetic storm, it depends on the size and duration of the event. If it roasts everything on the daylight side, there will be about two weeks before I'd consider attatching an antenna to my radio gear if it hasn't already been flambe'd. In that case, I'll wait till the aurora dies down before I go back on the grid. If it's a big enough solar event to kill electronics even if they have some level of protection/shielding, there won't be anyone left to talk to. Radiation sickness will be my primary concern.
BUT to play along... FRS for local contacts next door to 2-3 miles. HAM on 2 meters/70 cm up to 30-40 miles away on simplex (one way, no repeaters). 80/75 Meters using NVIS propagation throughout the immediate 50-250 mile window, and all other HF bands for communication 250 miles and beyond. Al of this would be with QRP to maximize battery life.
To power my setup, I'd have a bank of batteries on a constant charge cycle using as many solar panels as I could muster, and possibly (if the duration of the event looked like it would be a long time and I had enough time to cobble the setup together) hydro power to charge my batteries.
The antennas would be a combination of omni ground planes, yagis, and simple wire dipoles.
The bigger question is, in a global failure, who is going to be able to make my situation better if they're more that two or three miles away?
EMP would wipe out not just the power but just about all radios and any advanced rechargeable batteries that have built-in voltage monitoring circuitry. If it's an EMP, communication is going to be the least of my concern for about 5-10 years. I'm going to be taking stock in my food supply, my ammo supply, my medical supplies, etc. I'm also going to be planning next years planting, setting up a sort of co-op with my neighbors to pool resources "I'll protect your horses. You provide me with transportation." "You've got arable land. We'll provide manpower and horsepower, you provide food." "I've got a large wooded lot, I'll provide firewood, you provide access to your lake for fish."
If it's a huge geomagnetic storm, it depends on the size and duration of the event. If it roasts everything on the daylight side, there will be about two weeks before I'd consider attatching an antenna to my radio gear if it hasn't already been flambe'd. In that case, I'll wait till the aurora dies down before I go back on the grid. If it's a big enough solar event to kill electronics even if they have some level of protection/shielding, there won't be anyone left to talk to. Radiation sickness will be my primary concern.
BUT to play along... FRS for local contacts next door to 2-3 miles. HAM on 2 meters/70 cm up to 30-40 miles away on simplex (one way, no repeaters). 80/75 Meters using NVIS propagation throughout the immediate 50-250 mile window, and all other HF bands for communication 250 miles and beyond. Al of this would be with QRP to maximize battery life.
To power my setup, I'd have a bank of batteries on a constant charge cycle using as many solar panels as I could muster, and possibly (if the duration of the event looked like it would be a long time and I had enough time to cobble the setup together) hydro power to charge my batteries.
The antennas would be a combination of omni ground planes, yagis, and simple wire dipoles.
The bigger question is, in a global failure, who is going to be able to make my situation better if they're more that two or three miles away?