3 Ways YOU Can Use HAM Radio in SHTF
If you have been keeping up with the Tin Hat Ranch’s Ham radio articles you will already know what to expect from your license test,where and how to take it, and you’ll have a good basis for how the radio spectrum functions. That is all well and good, but you might be asking “what good will HAM radio be in the event of SHTF”? In this article we will show you three types of systems you may wish to employ for your survival communications. All of these methods do assume one thing, that you have available electrical power but that is another discussion. As always, this information will not only be strategically useful but will help you with your test as well.
The first mode of communications is the least expensive and easiest to understand. The technical term is simplex communication but in laymen’s terms it is radio to radio communications on the same frequency. This first mode is least expensive because all it takes are two hand held radios like the Baofeng’s. In terms of SHFT communications these radios can be useful on your property and for operations around your property but with limited range. Most handhelds are lower power (5 watts or less) and operate on VHF/UHF. If you read our previous article on radio frequency propagation you would know that these bands are limited to “line of sight” communications. On level ground the curvature of the earth will block the signal and this usually occurs at about three miles. So theoretically, two radios can have a maximum range of 6 miles. In reality, other obstructions are going to limit your range to far less, usually a mile or two. There are some exceptions, communicating from hilltop to hilltop and hilltop to ground, but we won’t always get that luxury.
All is not lost to simplex communications; there are inexpensive tricks that one can employ to extend the range of your mobile device. The six mile line of sight calculation assumes two people whose antennas are 6 feet off the ground. If you can get your antenna higher than that, say 20 feet off the ground you will see your range double bringing the total to 9 miles. An inexpensive way to do this is with anexternal antenna like the Slim Jim. For less than $30 the Slim Jim is not only a better (higher gain) antenna than on your Baofeng, you can hoist it up into a tree with a piece of paracord if need be. I will be testing one of these out in the future but I can guarantee you will see your simplex performance vastly improve.
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I once lived in a town about 30 miles from pueblo colorado. I used too have a magnetic mount antennae, for use in my car. I put the antennae on top of my trailer house, and that increased the range too about 5 to 6 miles. But it still wasnt good enough for what i wanted and that was too reach Pueblo colorado 30 miles away. A high wind storm hit one day and blew the antenna off the roof, and broke it. As i looked at the antennae it hit me ( use the trailer home as the antennae!!! so i took the hot lead wire and simply crimped it too fit into the aluminum of the trailer and then grounded it. It was absolutelly amazing!! I was able to hit Pueblo! 30 miles away!!Granted it was staticy, weak etc but i could do that especially at night with less solar distortion, but imagine that. the same idea could be used with any metal in a pinch. Just make sure too ground it properly or you could Fry your radio.. for what its worth thats my idea i wanted to share. gl and Gb