Hey guys. I'm currently in the process of building out a Bugout Bag. I'd like to possibly see **** getting a little handheld 2 way for it and am not really certain where to start. It would obviously be used for monitoring in a SHTF situation but my main question is use. From what I'm reading online it looks like in an emergency situation use is allowed even if you don't have your Ham license. Is this true? I'd love to get my license and may do so eventually but just don't have the time currently.
My second question is about gear. What would someone recommend as a cheap solution for what I'm looking for?
OK, now that the thread has, like every thread on the subject before it, spiraled into the meaning of emergency communications and using frequencies for which you are not authorized, lets talk about a couple of other issues with your scenario.
Having a ham license allows you to practice, to build proficiency in communications under a variety of changing conditions, before it is an emergency. This is more important than many people give it credit for.
If your communications needs are to just turn on a preprogrammed radio and talk to someone half a mile away, then no problem, no practice really needed. But if you want reliable simplex ranges longer than that the operator, and his skills, starts to become a factor. Yes, of course, the argument can easily be made this range should be more like 5 or 6 miles, but really, let me build the case.
If you turn on the radio, post SHTF, and your buddy is 1 mile away but you guys cannot seem to talk, do you know what to start looking at as corrective actions? What possible factors are preventing your communications? Further, have you ever actually had communications over this path? Do you have different bands available to you to try? Do you know how to use/build a field expedient antenna to increase your range?
All of these questions, and a great many more, are answered if you have been building expertise before there is an emergency need to communicate. Taking the prep scenario a bit further, would you, having never owned such a thing before, purchase a weapon for self defense and hunting, and without practicing with it put it away in a bag, and only then use it, for the first time, to feed or protect yourself? This would not be very smart, ah?
As for cheap gear, another rabbit hole. People will talk about Chinese radios, this falls into two categories. There are Chinese built radios for established name brands, and then there are Chinese built and branded radios. The Chinese branded radios tend to be less expensive, by far, but sometimes have technical short comings. The Chinese built name brand radios seem to have fewer tech issues, but at higher costs.
Personally, I don't run the Chinese branded radios, I have seen too many of them fail. On the other hand, it is hard argue with the fact that millions of them are out there and working fine. I opt for established name brand radios, regardless of where they are made. But remember that some of the "established" name brand radios started out as low cost import options to more expensive, then established, name brands.
For low cost, name brand, current production, I like the Yaesu FT65R. I have seen it for as little as $67, but typically it is a bit above that.
T!
