communication in times of emergency...

[cbc58]

Being the conspiracy theorist that I am... , I wonder if there is an alternative "channel" to get and distribute information other than the standard internet. Does anyone know if there is such a thing that people could connect to that is like the internet... but is trusted and where you are sure to get truthful information.

I think we may be headed into a total financal collapse soon and I can see the government taking control of everything if it gets too bad.

Not a happy thought but things don't appear great.

 

[Ninja Homer]

Ham radio, WiMAX, or long-range WiFi networks are probably the best bets. Ham radio for sure, because it's already all set up and widely used. The others would need to be set up.

 

[Matt Collins]

Yes - go get a ham radio license. It only costs like $15 to take the test, and if you can graduate high school, then you can learn the material for the exam.

KG4JYD
http://www.qrz.com/i/ham-radio-howto.html

 

[ItsTime]

Yes - go get a ham radio license. It only costs like $15 to take the test, and if you can graduate high school, then you can learn the material for the exam.

KG4JYD
http://www.qrz.com/i/ham-radio-howto.html

I did not know you needed a license

 

[Matt Collins]

I did not know you needed a license

Yes to use specific (actually most) parts of the spectrum you must be licensed to do so by the FCC (which by the way is unconstitutional).

 

[Expatriate]

Yes to use specific (actually most) parts of the spectrum you must be licensed to do so by the FCC (which by the way is unconstitutional).

Yeah. Using the same logic the FCC could require you to be licensed to use the internet.

 

[FindLiberty]

Yes - go get a ham radio license. It only costs like $15 to take the test, and if you can graduate high school, then you can learn the material for the exam.

KG4JYD
http://www.qrz.com/i/ham-radio-howto.html

TEST? don't need no stinkin TEST! ...spark gap wide-band for me__-_-----_-_-__-_-

 

[TastyWheat]

There are some anonymous internet protocols out there (onion, tor) but if the government has full control of the servers they can still track the packets.

 

[Matt Collins]

Yeah. Using the same logic the FCC could require you to be licensed to use the internet.

In times of national emergency, the gov probably won't have the resources to track you down because they'll be busy doing other things.

However if you try and transmit on a frequency you are not licensed to and get caught, then it's many thousands of dollars, and potential prison time.

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

There is a short article on the topic here:

http://www.solareagle.com/PREP/RADIO101.HTM

and a very good book about it is called "Emergency Survival Communications". Here's a overview and long review:

http://www.strongsignals.net/access/reviews/reviews.cgi?type=display&rtype=rev&class=book&num=001

As to radio in bad times - probably best to build rather than buy so there are fewer / no links back to you. A license / call numbers is probably not something you want to air in broadcasting messages if the gvmt is what you are worrying about either. (ie: should the government turn against the people and ban radio traffic).

If you want to build one check out Dan's: (kits toward bottom)
http://www.danssmallpartsandkits.net/

As to broadcasting - the OSS and Special Forces have some guidelines:

Broadcast and receive on a pre-arraigned timetable - ideally one that changes regularly.

NEVER broadcast from the same place twice and don't broadcast near where you are staying.

Keep it short! ideally in morse. in today's world, it would be best to generate this on a computer, so your morse style won't allow you to be "fingerprinted". If you can speed up and slow down the message - that would make the equivalent of a poor man's "burst" transmission.

-t

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

The online book: "Where there is no telephone" is excellent!

http://www.reliefweb.int/library/wtint/toc.html

-t

 

[acptulsa]

With all this talk about ham, I'm surprised no one mentioned citizens' band. The range is nowhere as good as ham, but not even. That said, there's currently no license required and the equipment to get you started is as close as your local truck stop.

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

It's talked about in the first link I gave - couple of posts back, as well as mods to give you access to "side bands" on the CB channel.

You can also use field phones for local communications - barbed wire fence makes a fine communication path. (as long as it's not electric fence...)

-t

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

FM 24-12 "Communications in a come as you are war" is interesting... it talks about interfacing obsolete and current issue mil radios often in improvised or unconventional ways as well as using commercial equipment and other means of signaling.

It also has a nice section on COMSEC.

-t