Ham Radio & GMRS For Dummies

Following an FBI briefing, a Sheriff explains the threats he expects in advance of the election.

An introduction to off-grid communication. https://desertflashpoint.substack.com/p/backup-communications?r=1kuxah&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

When a crisis hits, and internet and cellular service is not available, finding information is critical. If you have a police scanner, you can learn what emergency crews are saying. In a global event, shortwave radio will help you understand the scope and duration of the crisis.

https://prayingmedic.com/2023/12/20/listening-for-information-during-a-grid-down-crisis/

How to build a simple speaker wire antenna.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5madcarFEQ&ab_channel=TheSmokinApe

"Lately we have seen solar flux at the same levels we saw at the peak
of Solar Cycle 23. If we are about 30 months away from the peak of
this Solar Cycle 25, could this get us to the 1957-59 levels last
seen in Solar Cycle 19? Stories from that time tell of worldwide
coverage 24x7 on 10 meter AM from low power mobile stations."

http://www.arrl.org/news/the-k7ra-solar-update-761

Ham Radio University will be held Saturday, January 7th.
Get more information here.
⬇️
https://hamradiouniversity.org/forums/

I passed the Technician in Sept., the General in October, and the Amateur Extra in November. I downloaded three apps for studying for each of the tests that worked well: HamStudy, Exam Prep, and HamRadioPrep. I memorized and passed, but I learned an amazing amount during that process. Now I'm reading and studying to learn, listening, and asking questions to clarify those things I find confusing. Joining two local amateur radio groups has been helpful as well.

I have to say that my journey began by reading Praying Medics page and listening to his videos. My husband is 100% on board and is about to take his Extra exam, and our 18 year old is a sophomore electrical engineering major in college and is very active with the school's HAM shack. He's ready to take his Extra as well.

Make studying fun and just jump in. I studied for one exam at a time, took it and moved on to the next. You can do this! 👍😊

Experienced hams rely on ingenuity to accomplish many tasks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PniH4ua4p50

Early release of a new app that enables text messaging from a mobile device via UHF/VHF portable radio.
https://youtu.be/TGzgIjEt9wA

Is anyone in the group using AREDN?
Should more hams consider it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ezz-riTpXE

Prepared scripts for the BBC to use on air in the event of an energy crisis this winter focus on an internet blackout and mobile phone disruption.

The scripts, seen by the Guardian, set out how the corporation would reassure the public in the event that a “major loss of power” causes mobile phone networks, internet access, banking systems or traffic lights to fail across England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland would be unaffected because its electricity grid is shared with the Republic of Ireland.

The public would be advised to use car radios or battery-powered receivers to listen to emergency broadcasts on FM and long-wave frequencies usually reserved for Radio 2 and Radio 4.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/oct/18/bbc-prepares-secret-scripts-for-possible-use-in-winter-blackouts

Good point and the price of Starlink is rather prohibitive for many ($600 equipment fees). But Starlink receives its Internet from ground based servers the same way Cable DSL etc works. It's just sent by radio to Satellite then back to the subscriber. The same manner is reversed for website clicks, email etc. So, if the internet is shut down Starlink is down as well. BUT, Ham radio keeps working.

If you live in Europe, you might look into PMR446, a radio service that functions similar to GMRS and FRS in North America.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMR446

Within the Ham Radio community is an over the air method of sending email. It is called winlink. This system can use your Radio to send email messages from an area without internet. I use it and tonight I was sending email by connecting with a station 726 miles from me, they in turn forward it via internet. However, in the absence of internet it can be sent Radio to Radio, no internet required. This is best used via HF so a General class or better license is needed. To learn more about this check out winlink.org

A ham radio operator helped rescue victims stranded by hurricane Ian.
https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/hurricane-ian-hero-maryland-firefighter-ham-radio-send-rescuers-sanibel-island

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op1-E-7OxS0

Last night's dream:
I'm walking through a debris field when I find a 2-meter ham radio antenna. I check it for radioactivity, then check to see if it's usable.
In the next scene, I find another radio antenna. Again, I check it for radioactivity and to see if it works.

It was not known to me in the dream if I was living in a post-nuclear war world, but that might be implied.

Using a yagi antenna for comms on 2 meters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kfaK2mZI10

So we broke down and got a pair of BTECH GMRS PRO radios that have text capability.

They can be connected by bluetooth to a device using a mobile app. The app makes it easy to send text messages with no internet connection.

I just had my first conversation with my wife.

Telecom executives fear mobile network blackout in Europe due to energy crisis.
https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/exclusive-europe-braces-mobile-network-blackouts-sources-2022-09-29/