In the event of any disaster or SHTf event, the ability to get information about what’s going on and communicate will be vital. Grid down communications is also important in order to communicate with family friends and group members. 

Along with police scanners and weather radios, there are a few other prepper comm options that need to be considered. In a grid down scenario there will be no internet, no TV, no radio broadcasts, and no cell phone service.

We hear about ham radio (amateur radio) all the time in the prepper community, and while it is the best option available, it’s not the only one. 

The Basics of Prepper Comms

I mentioned in the show that we were going to go a little above the basics of grid down communications for preppers, but it’s important to understand the basics to get the most out of this podcast. 

I recently wrote this article about prepper comms that includes 3 videos that goes over everything about ham radio and the other available radio services. 

In the 3 videos I also covered what types of ranges you can expect from these radio services, and what the licensing requirements are. If you know very little about ham radio, GMRS and FRS radio, this is a great place to start.

SPP268 Grid Down Comms for Preppers (Part 1)

Today in the show I had a friend Wayne on to talk about grid down communications for preppers, why it’s important, and what options are available.

Wayne has been involved in preparedness for about ten years, been an FCC licensed commercial radio and television engineer for 45 years, and is a licensed Amateur Extra Ham Radio operator. 

Wayne is an AmRRON Corp member, and is not a guy you will see all over the internet and on prepping websites. The reason I wanted him on the show is because he honestly knows more about this subject than most “prepping gurus” out there…like myself. 

Facebook Questions

We also had a few questions we answered from members of the Facebook group. While some of these questions we answered, and some we covered extensively during the show.

Joe and Matt: Can you discuss Beofeng radios and Programming? We didn’t go into this all that much in the show because there is just so much to it. There are however a number of resources available online. 

The easiest way to program a Beofeng radio (and some other radios) is by using the Chirp software. While this is easy and convenient, we also need to be able to program them manually in the event of a grid down scenario.  

Here is a great video that goes over both the Chirp software, and manual programming from Tin Hat Ranch. 

Harold: Have read in some Prepper fiction about running software that uses ham radio and allows you to send the equivalent of text messages. Does such a system exist? If so what’s the practicality of using such a system during a shtf event?

Anthony: I know this is a bit more on the advanced, but if you’re looking for longer distance HF comm...