# Advice from those way more knowledgeable than me



## kemps (Jun 1, 2015)

I am trying to do research on communication options and unsure of what is the best way to go that works with my situation. I am pretty poor and don't want to waste even a dollar on something that will not be any use to us. The people I am prepping for all live together so part of me does not see any use in a Hamm or whatever other option is there but at the same time I wonder if outside communication would be beneficial. I have no problem getting a licence or learning anything if it will help my loved ones. I would just hate to buy new flashy gear that ends up being an over sized paper weight. Anyone has ideas? I sure would appreciate them. Thanks


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

The greatest benefit of ham is for news and long distance communication not so much for those in your immediate group. Probably short distance communication should take priority anyway.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

Kemp if money is tight then put it to some other use rather than communication, for the time being. If you're set on getting some communication equipment, a CB radio is inexpensive or even a couple of two way radios. If I were you though, I would concentrate on food, water, first aid, and survival skills, primitive and contemporary, and then some security measures. I would also recommend that you visit Amazon.com and purchase the book "Prepping on a budget" by Steven Gregerson. Both Steven Gregerson and his wife Susan Gregerson have authored a number of books based on skills needed for being prepared. These books are an authority because they live in a near frontier life style and personally practice the skills they write about. I highly recommend their books.


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## bkt (Oct 10, 2008)

I concur with the other posters: get the critical stuff like water, food, meds and other consumables, firearms/ammo set up first before worrying about communications. If you already have or you're on track to have that mostly in order soon and you're asking about communications, there are some options.

A CB radio rig for a vehicle can be had for around $40 from Amazon but it's only about 4 watts and you're limited to 40 channels. And, you'll need an antenna to use with it...add in at least another $20 or so. Maybe you'll have folks to talk to, maybe not. You can certainly spend more money on amplifiers, nice antennas, and such but you're still pretty limited.

Pros: no license required, plenty of people have CBs, easy to learn to use.
Cons: very limited range without an amplifier, no access to frequencies outside the 40 channels.

Amateur radio (HAM) opens some more doors. You do need a license to legally transmit on them but getting your Technician level license is pretty easy. There are resources online that will let you go through all the question pools and do practice tests. Most locales will let you take the test for free (I didn't have to pay anything) but at most they would charge under $20.

A portable HAM radio like a Baofeng UV-5R with a Nagoya 771 antenna will set you back as much as the CB radio would - around $50 - but you'll have access to a lot more than 40 channels. You can receive commercial radio, police, fire, EMS, airport and amateur radio in the 2M and 70cm bands.

This radio is also limited to 4 watts but you can reach out reliably pretty far with it. When using local repeaters, you can reach out a whole lot farther.

Pros: Good range with the Nagoya 771 antenna, lots of repeaters nationwide, access to emergency and commercial FM radio frequencies.
Cons: Requires a license (not too hard to get), takes some time to learn to use the radio effectively.

If all you want to do is listen and not transmit, you can set up a software defined radio. With a receiver like this and free SDR software you can use your laptop or desktop PC to tune in to a pretty wide range of bands. The one in the link reaches down to about 22MHz and up to about 2GHz and that covers a whole lot of interesting frequencies. The USB receiver runs about $24 and the software is free. You'll want a decent antenna to use with it. Again, at the end of the day, you're looking at about $50-$60.

Pros: Listen to a very wide range of frequencies, free software, pretty easily decode digital signals.
Cons: You can't transmit, it requires some time to learn to use the software effectively.


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## kemps (Jun 1, 2015)

Thanks so much you guys. I am kind of trying to research all aspects and don't always know which is the most important (outside of food, water and first aid). I was kind of thinking some walkie talkies for my group (just the 3 of us) but that is lower on my list as I still need to get some basic needs. Fantastic book recommendation, I will check that out. I really appreciate the info. It's nice for a newbie like me to be able to ask people who know what they are doing!


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

When the time comes to purchase radios comes around decide what your primary use will be. If you want secure communication then FRS (I think) can be set up in a secure or at least more secure setup. If you live away from the ocean then marine band VHF radios will be rare enough to provide privacy. If you wish to communicate with people outside your group then CB's are very common. Every radio will have its own strengths and weaknesses, it sounds as if you have plenty of time to sort out exactly where you want to start.

Many places have ham operator groups. They almost always are more than willing to help an newbie get a license and a wealth of other information. While the group may focus on ham radios it will be like going to the range and talking about guns, they will talk about every type, brand, and variation till your ears bleed. You will meet great people with a vast knowledge if you can find them in your area.


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## kemps (Jun 1, 2015)

Sweet, thanks caribou.


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## squerly (Aug 17, 2012)

bkt said:


> A portable HAM radio like a Baofeng UV-5R with a Nagoya 771 antenna will set you back as much as the CB radio would - around $50 - but you'll have access to a lot more than 40 channels. You can receive commercial radio, police, fire, EMS, airport and amateur radio in the 2M and 70cm bands.
> 
> This radio is also limited to 4 watts but you can reach out reliably pretty far with it. When using local repeaters, you can reach out a whole lot farther.


Hello Kemps. I made the same quest as you when I started looking for communications. I wanted access to HF & VHF both so I bought a Yaesu FT-450 to cover the HF frequencies and a Baofeng to cover the VHF frequencies. (BKT already provided a link for the Baofeng so I won't repeat it.) I later upgraded my VHF access and bought a Yaesu FT-8800 radio, which is a mobile rig that I could use as a home base station. It puts out 50 watts and when hooked up to a 2 meter antenna (hanging from a tree in the backyard) it really reaches out. But there is no reason that you can't do pretty much the same thing with the Baofeng, although the differences in power will be a limiting factor.

For HF I chose the FT-450. I went with this radio because it is a mobile radio, has lots of features and can be used at home as as a great 100 watt base station. HF is going to allow you to communicate further than a handheld VHF radio. I feel it's going to be important to get unbiased info from afar when the SHTF. Even if you don't use it to talk on, it will allow you to hear what's going on.

In retrospect, especially if funding is limited, I would suggest going with the VHF setup as it allows you greater _local_ range, and when using the local repeater you can get some very good coverage. Mountains and other obstructions will limit range & direction but I have access to several repeaters in different areas and I make daily contacts between 5-100 miles. Although I haven't met many of these people, they're on the air daily and we talk with each other every evening. I feel good knowing that if a threat were coming from a particular direction, I would have prior knowledge of it.

Good luck!

EDIT: With respect to my VHF setup (Yaesu FT-8800) the radio comes with a feature called "cross band". This allows the radio to receive on one frequency and immediately re-transmit on another frequency. And here's how that works for me. I live on a fairly large tract of land that is adjacent to thousand of acres of forest, so it's not unusual for me to be several miles from home. My handheld Baefung will reach back to the house just fine but the mountains interfere with it reaching the repeater that is 8 miles away. So I set up my FT-8800 to receive on the same frequency that my Baofeng is transmitting on and simultaneously rebroadcast my message out on the frequency that the repeater 8 miles away is operating on. Operating in this manner gives me the ability to reach home as well as to communicate with others at distances that the handheld Baofeng would not be able to reach.

This is obviously a bit advanced for your current needs, but it's good to know the options while you are still in the research mode. :2thumb:


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

kemps said:


> I am trying to do research on communication options and unsure of what is the best way to go that works with my situation. I am pretty poor and don't want to waste even a dollar on something that will not be any use to us. The people I am prepping for all live together so part of me does not see any use in a Hamm or whatever other option is there but at the same time I wonder if outside communication would be beneficial. I have no problem getting a licence or learning anything if it will help my loved ones. I would just hate to buy new flashy gear that ends up being an over sized paper weight. Anyone has ideas? I sure would appreciate them. Thanks


What is your primary reason for communications for your group?

Do the 3 of you live in the same house, neighborhood, city, state or country?


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## kemps (Jun 1, 2015)

Squerly thank you so much! I gotta say the research stage is both awesome and interesting and daunting and overwhelming at times. I appreciate the info!

TheLazyL, We are all most of the time in the same apt (I am in the city) but on occasion one of the trio is gone for a day or two. We normally have cell phones/e-mail for communication but I am worried about the what ifs of power outage etc. That is on the top of my list. Besides that I am wondering if it is better to have access to communications outside of my trio or keep us secluded so to speak. The other two aren't exactly in the prepper mindset so I am kind of the one doing the research. They will help me with something physical if I ask but they don't understand why I feel this is important. Granted one of them is young and I would not have gotten this stuff as much then either, even with living through a bad BAD blizzard. Anyways off topic,..sorry  

Communication (beyond the group that is) is not on the top of my list of stuff to worry about but I still am thinking about it and trying to figure out what is valid and what is just not right for me. Again, I appreciate everyone's info and help.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*Radio is the least of your problems.*

My money goes to camo2460 on this one, in the many shtf scenarios that I have been in and in my military training lack of communication came last to, shelter, water, food and fire .In order to properly survived a bad situation you need skills but without the proper preparations and forethought you have nothing and a expensive radio may get you in trouble anyway, keeping total blackout may be the best policy here.


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## kemps (Jun 1, 2015)

readytogo said:


> My money goes to camo2460 on this one, in the many shtf scenarios that I have been in and in my military training lack of communication came last to, shelter, water, food and fire .In order to properly survived a bad situation you need skills but without the proper preparations and forethought you have nothing and a expensive radio may get you in trouble anyway, keeping total blackout may be the best policy here.


The more I am reading the more I am realizing you both are very right. I have been through one disaster and a few scares so not much first hand knowledge. Between all the info out there and my brain getting away from me it can be hard to focus on most important stuff. Thanks both of you!!


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## fteter (May 23, 2014)

Kemps, I'll share what I've done in the hopes that maybe it will have value for you. Not saying that my way is the only way, or even the best way. Just hoping that sharing might help.

First, as pointed out by others here, comms is probably about 6th on my list of priorities. Water (including rain and snow capture), food (including gardening for some renewal food source), meds, get-home bags, and defense all came before communications. And my entire communications system is extremely low cost.

I picked up a couple of Baofeng UV-82 handheld transceivers. I picked the UV-82 because it covers the ham radio 2 meter and 70 cm bands, the entire commercial FM radio band, most of the public service wavelengths (fire, police, NOAA, local search-and-rescue), the GRMS channels, and the FRS channels (note that the FRS or "Family Radio Services" channels do not require a license; power is limited to half-a-watt on FRS channels, but I suspect that the FCC will be a bit busy to track down all the 5-watt transmissions on FRS in case of an emergency). You can also monitor two frequencies simultaneously. With this type of unit, effectiveness is determined almost exclusively by the antenna.

While the "rubber ducky" antenna is OK, you can double the range with a counterpoise ("tiger tail") wire. I increased the range even more by purchasing a flexible Slim Jim antenna - you can roll it up in your bag and string the antenna up in a tree when needed. The higher the Slim Jim is mounted, the more great the range of receive and transmit. Here in the Wasatch Mountains, my range from unit to unit is about 10 miles. If I use the Slim Jim at about 10 feet off the ground, it's about 40 miles. Your mileage may vary based on conditions.

You raised the point of a tight budget, so let's talk about cost.

Baofeng UV-82: $29.52 each on Amazon (I purchased two)
Counterpoise "tiger tail" wire: 19 inches long at 24 gauge, so I'd put it at about $.10 each
Flexible Slim Jim antenna: $31, including shipping

So I figure my system comes in at just under $92. If you disregard the Slim Jim, I'm around $62 for two units. I'll admittedly invest a bit more eventually, as I plan on adding solar-power recharging into the mix. But that's a future "nice to have" for the moment.

All my local family is now in the process of ordering the same Baofeng UV-82 models, as are the members of our neighborhood emergency preparedness group. They'll serve as our "go to" communications net in the event of an emergency.

I should note that I am in the process of obtaining my ham radio license. But I'm doing so with the intent of helping others during emergencies, not because I see it as a requirement for my own preparation. And I'm also getting the license because, by legally accessing local repeaters, I can communicate world-wide with a sub-$100 system - just fun, but again not a necessary prep.

I hope my experience gives your a reference point. If comms are part of your plan, I'd suggest you can get it done very effectively for very little money.


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## Padre (Oct 7, 2011)

The great thing about a HAM like the Baofeng is that it can (this is not per se legal) transmit on the FRS, GMRS, and Marine frequencies. I am not recommending breaking the law but an emergency warrants the exception, and if things fall apart in a WROL no one is going to care about a dumb FCC regulation.

If you want "secure" none of the civilian options qualify as "secure", they can all be listened to by others AND if you get the gubermint after you they call all be easily triangulated.

Best option for secure short range comma is a wired field phone situation...you can even find DIY instructions for make this kind of systems from old telephones.


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## AgentFlounder (Dec 12, 2008)

Ham gear isn't cheap (even if -- or especially if -- it is unreliable chinese-made stuff) and if money is real tight, forget it comms and focus on more crucial things... And have a rendezvous plan and other ways to where you don't need comm. If you get to a point where you want some kinda 2way, watch thrift stores and craigslist for CBs and antennas. Those are about as cheap (yet reliable) as it gets. I've had much better experiences with CB than FRS / GMRS and I've used both a lot hunting and four wheeling.


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## zombieresponder (Aug 20, 2012)

fteter said:


> and the FRS channels (note that the FRS or "Family Radio Services" channels do not require a license; power is limited to half-a-watt on FRS channels, but I suspect that the FCC will be a bit busy to track down all the 5-watt transmissions on FRS in case of an emergency).
> 
> I should note that I am in the process of obtaining my ham radio license. But I'm doing so with the intent of helping others during emergencies, not because I see it as a requirement for my own preparation. And I'm also getting the license because, by legally accessing local repeaters, I can communicate world-wide with a sub-$100 system - just fun, but again not a necessary prep.


Please note that I'm not trying to discourage you with what I'm about to type, although I will discourage further illegal use of your radios. 

FCC rules/regulations regarding radio transmissions are _very_ lenient in an emergency. As far as I know though, that only applies to actual emergency communications and not to individual communications. The other thing is that FRS has only 14 channels and radios are common. That means everyone and their dogs will be using them and there will be little to no courtesy among those users. The same could be said for CB.

Accessing a local repeater is *not* world wide communications. At least not outside of systems like WIRES, DSTAR, or echolink...which your local repeater may or may not be. I'm still not 100% on it, but I believe that both WIRES and DSTAR require internet access(nodes) for true worldwide comms,. Echolink definitely requires internet access and the other two definitely require compatible transceivers. What you will get from your local repeater is second hand information(assuming widespread event) from someone who has a HF rig, that also uses the repeater, and it may or may not be accurately(or in whole) relayed by the person you talk to. This is assuming that the Hams in your area won't be tied up relaying messages via HF(and also assuming they and their radios are operational)...in other words, will they have time or energy to spend on local comms? Another problem is that the repeater may or may not have backup power, and even if it does, for how long? Still another problem, can you guarantee that the repeater won't be affected(damaged or destroyed) by the emergency? You're putting a lot of eggs in one basket and I hope that Mr. Murphy doesn't come knocking....

For the original question: There have been some good suggestions.I think concentrating elsewhere would be best, but..... CB's can be had very inexpensively(I have seen them sell for $5 used), though for a handheld version you'll likely have to buy new. Antennas for base station or portable use can be made from scraps of scavenged wire and a few bucks spent on connectors. I would recommend buying new coax though. The Baofengs are decent Ham transceivers for the money. There are many variations of them though, and accessories are not all compatible even between the UV-5R series. The same applies to antennas for these as well. There are plenty of places on the net to find instructions on making your own "slim jim" roll up antenna(you'll still need coax and connectors). One thing to keep in mind before using any antenna to transmit(receiving is fine) is that you need to check SWR with an appropriate meter or you may fry the transmit portion of your radio. The more efficient your antenna, and the higher up it is, the more range you will have. That is true with any antenna used to transmit, regardless of radio type.

Radio transmissions are insecure, period. There is only one radio system that I know of available that legally allows encryption. Unfortunately, I can't recall the name, and the info is on my dead desktop. In any case, that system isn't compatible with anything else and from what I recall, wasn't cheap. There is a feature on some, maybe all, FRS radios that will allow them to only receive from another radio that is set to output the correct tone. This does *nothing* to make your conversation any more secure, it only stops that radio from sending signals without that tone through the speaker to your ear. In layman's terms, any radio not outputting the correct tone is ignored by the receive portion of the other radio. Any other FRS radio can hear your conversation as long as that function is turned off or set to the same tone. To be blunt, never say anything over the radio that you would like to keep private.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

kemps said:


> ...We are all most of the time in the same apt (I am in the city) but on occasion one of the trio is gone for a day or two. We normally have cell phones/e-mail for communication but I am worried about the what ifs of power outage etc. ...Communication (beyond the group that is) is not on the top of my list of stuff to worry...


If I understand you correctly, communication is more for local operations.

Then I would suggest Midland GMRS/FRS portable radios. Nothing to program, charge the battery pack or use AA batteries and you are ready to go. Advertised range is 36 miles in reality closer to 3 miles. $70 for a pair.

My second choice for you would be BaoFeng portables. Require free software and a computer to program them, a bit complicated. GMRS/FRS and 2 meter frequencies, a lot more options. Rechargeable battery pack or AA batteries. Be careful, some of the frequencies that can be programed require a license and/or maybe illegal. Same range as the Midland and $30 each.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Padre said:


> The great thing about a HAM like the Baofeng is that it can (this is not per se legal) transmit on the FRS, GMRS, and Marine frequencies. ...


FRS & GMRS requirements dictate a permanently attached antenna. BaoFeng radios have a removable antenna, therefore (IMHO) their use for FRS & GMRS would be illegal.

Yes I realize that during the EOTWAWKI event most laws become moot. BUT I strongly recommend that equipment is regularly tested prior to EOTWAWKI. It would be a shame to give the powers to be a excuse to remove you from the equation prior to the EOTWAWKI.


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## fteter (May 23, 2014)

Thought I'd stir the pot with my response here...

AgentFlounder: Great recommendation to the OP in focusing on more crucial things.

Zombieresponder: I've not said anything about the illegal use of my radios. Only commented on the radio's capabilities along with the caveat on legal limitations. But I do find it difficult to believe that the FCC will be tracking down 5-watt signals during a WROL situation...just my opinion. So far as local repeaters - most of my locals are part of IRLP, Echolink, and/or a regional intertie (including several to the Western Relector). While I'm just a lurker and still learning at this point, I've caught net exchanges from around the globe, so I think I'm good with the world-wide claim. Of course, it may all be a moot point if repeaters fail to function for whatever reason. Finally, great...GREAT...point on the lack of insecurity of public radio transmissions.

TheLazyL: Thanks for bringing up those Midland portables. Great units. And you do raise another great point regarding the regulatory challenges in testing the units on FRS and GMRS channels.

Trade-offs. Like everything else in the realm of emergency prep, comms are all about trade-offs.

BTW...and this is specifically for Kemps...one of the reasons I really like this forum is for all the different perspectives and great feedback you get here. The forum is a wonderful "sounding board" for any prepping-related ideas or concerns. The great input here from AgentFlounder, Zombieresponder, and TheLazyL are great examples of that.


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## zombieresponder (Aug 20, 2012)

fteter said:


> Thought I'd stir the pot with my response here...
> 
> AgentFlounder: Great recommendation to the OP in focusing on more crucial things.
> 
> ...


I think I may have misunderstood your prior post, and if I did then I apologize. If you haven't transmitted, then you've done nothing illegal. I read it as you saying that you had communicated xx distance....meaning that you had received _and_ transmitted, communication being a two way exchange of information. I thought the distance you gave was a bit....optimistic...with the transceiver and antenna, but still possible under the right conditions.

This also brings up something that I failed to mention earlier. The main deficiency of handie talkies is that output power is limited and so is the range. You will be able to receive transmissions from stations much farther away than you will be able to transmit to.

I don't want to beat a dead horse, but I would not expect those repeaters to remain capable of worldwide comms in a localized or regional disaster. I won't depend on my local Echolink enabled repeater still being operational(in that capacity) even during severe weather. It has had numerous problems during clear skies and failed repeatedly under severe weather, which severed the immediate connection between the Ft. Worth National Weather Service office and local spotters. Something to ponder is that an event hundreds or even a thousand miles away can shut down your local internet access.

For what it's worth, Echolink is probably the most inexpensive point of entry to ham radio. Most everyone already has a PC and an internet connection. All that's needed from there is the Echolink program(free), a microphone, and your amateur radio license.


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## bkt (Oct 10, 2008)

AgentFlounder said:


> Ham gear isn't cheap (even if -- or especially if -- it is unreliable chinese-made stuff) and if money is real tight, forget it comms and focus on more crucial things... And have a rendezvous plan and other ways to where you don't need comm. If you get to a point where you want some kinda 2way, watch thrift stores and craigslist for CBs and antennas. Those are about as cheap (yet reliable) as it gets. I've had much better experiences with CB than FRS / GMRS and I've used both a lot hunting and four wheeling.


The price of getting into Amateur Radio has traditionally been pretty high, but within the last couple years inexpensive radios have become available. I've been wanting to get into HAM radio since college but never wanted to drop a few hundred dollars here and there on used equipment without being sure I'd really enjoy the hobby. The inexpensive radios opened the door for me.

I own four Baofeng UV-5R radios and I've done a side-by-side comparison with the Kenwood TH-F6A. Concerning build, they're very similar. Core features are the same. The Kenwood probably has higher quality internal components and the UI is more intuitive. I have had absolutely no reliability issues with my radios.


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## fteter (May 23, 2014)

zombieresponder, no harm and no foul. My range report is based on a few unusual elements: 1) a licensed ham neighbor using my setup; 2) location in the Wasatch Mountains - I'm above the valley floor and so are the repeaters. So raising a repeater at 40 miles on 5 watts is pretty typical around here. That neighbor of mine consistently reaches 60 miles into western Utah (flat desert) via simplex on 2m with a better antenna and a 30 watt preamp/amp.

I'm with you on both the power limits on HT and the availability of Echolink in the event of regional or larger scope disasters. Probably could have been a bit more detailed in my thoughts on that latter point 

And Kemps, I think we're all in enthusiastic agreement with a recommendation that there are lots of other ducks you should have lined up before spending money on comms.


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## sgtusmc98 (Sep 8, 2013)

bkt said:


> The price of getting into Amateur Radio has traditionally been pretty high, but within the last couple years inexpensive radios have become available. I've been wanting to get into HAM radio since college but never wanted to drop a few hundred dollars here and there on used equipment without being sure I'd really enjoy the hobby. The inexpensive radios opened the door for me.
> 
> I own four Baofeng UV-5R radios and I've done a side-by-side comparison with the Kenwood TH-F6A. Concerning build, they're very similar. Core features are the same. The Kenwood probably has higher quality internal components and the UI is more intuitive. I have had absolutely no reliability issues with my radios.


BKT, I'm in the same boat, wanted to get into ham but didn't until the baofeng made it affordable. Got cheap Chinese Mobil too http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00KG...yt+th-9800&dpPl=1&dpID=41OMy5T4UyL&ref=plSrch haven't used the 6 or 10 m but it works great for 2m and 70cm, both radios run our ARES nets and the tyt gets set up as a repeater from time to time so it pulls double duty, had them over a year and both have worked flawlessly.


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## kemps (Jun 1, 2015)

@fteter Yeah, I totally realized as I was reading responses that I was looking at something that is not that much of a big deal in comparison to things I still need. I am focusing on water, first aid and sanitation then will try and look into defense/protection. Defense is something I have zero clue about so that one is gonna be fun but first I want to feel confident with the above mentioned first. I feel pretty confident with food but am still adding and filling in the gaps. I am working on laundry (working on putting together a bucket/plunger set up for washing clothes), disinfecting, bathing (gonna get supplies for DIY dry shampoo and gonna get baby wipes for cleaning the body), storing more water and medications/natural remedies (ie teas and herbs). I realized all the money I would have spent on ham radios and what not could get a LOT in those areas and those are way more important.


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## zombieresponder (Aug 20, 2012)

sgtusmc98 said:


> BKT, I'm in the same boat, wanted to get into ham but didn't until the baofeng made it affordable. Got cheap Chinese Mobil too http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00KG...yt+th-9800&dpPl=1&dpID=41OMy5T4UyL&ref=plSrch haven't used the 6 or 10 m but it works great for 2m and 70cm, both radios run our ARES nets and the tyt gets set up as a repeater from time to time so it pulls double duty, had them over a year and both have worked flawlessly.


If that thing works, the price is unbeatable! If I hadn't already dropped six bills on a Yaesu FTM400, I'd probably be ordering the TYT right now. I still need a rig for my off grid QTH.....hmmm.


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## sgtusmc98 (Sep 8, 2013)

zombieresponder said:


> If that thing works, the price is unbeatable! If I hadn't already dropped six bills on a Yaesu FTM400, I'd probably be ordering the TYT right now. I still need a rig for my off grid QTH.....hmmm.


I like it a lot, I'll buy another soon for my other truck. The biggest problem I know of is that it has one antenna jack, that antenna is the only quad band I have found. Of course you could put a switch after the radio and manually select the antenna you wanted if you didn't care about having more than one antenna. You could have a dual band for 70cm/2m, one for 6m, one for 10m, and one for 11m. Oops! 11m isn't ham so that wouldn't be legal. However the ranges on it are much broader than the ham bands so you have to be careful, it will go about 100 MHz higher and lower than the 70cm band if I remember correctly, it will do 130-180 MHz I believe, and you can go into CB frequencies so you can mess up if your not paying attention.


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## sgtusmc98 (Sep 8, 2013)

The low end is 26-33 MHz


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## bkt (Oct 10, 2008)

zombieresponder said:


> If that thing works, the price is unbeatable! If I hadn't already dropped six bills on a Yaesu FTM400, I'd probably be ordering the TYT right now. I still need a rig for my off grid QTH.....hmmm.


From all accounts, it seems to work fine on 2M and 70cm. But it has no sideband which isn't good for 6M or 10M. Not sure if this is a hardware limitation or firmware.

CB frequencies range from 26.695 to 27.405. If this radio can hit these, that makes it extremely useful (to me). Was looking into a 2M/70cm rig but I may get one of these instead.


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## sgtusmc98 (Sep 8, 2013)

bkt said:


> From all accounts, it seems to work fine on 2M and 70cm. But it has no sideband which isn't good for 6M or 10M. Not sure if this is a hardware limitation or firmware.
> 
> CB frequencies range from 26.695 to 27.405. If this radio can hit these, that makes it extremely useful (to me). Was looking into a 2M/70cm rig but I may get one of these instead.


You can program those CB frequencies in. What happens after that I don't know, with the quad band antenna I can pick up broken audio but as far as I know that's having the wrong antenna on it. I have not hooked it up to an 11m antenna.


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