Secure and (Mostly) LEGAL Radio Communications | Prepare for SHTF NOW!

Whether you're thinking about SHTF or other operations, being able to have reliable, safe, and secure radio communications is necessary. There is security in obscurity. If you can't talk, you can't fight. Having secure communications has two basic elements: keeping people from hearing/discerning your messages and keeping others from identifying your location. Let's dig in! But first, be an adult and take responsibility for what YOU do - get the knowledge, know the rules, get your license and start mastering your craft now before you need it.

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FAVORITE GEAR:

00:00 Intro
02:15 Use Lowest Power Setting
04:36 Short Short Transmissions
05:15 Don’t Use Military Jargon
06:07 Use Two Radio Bands
07:36 Use The Right Band
10:36 Use Single Side Band or Digital
11:55 Manage Your Frequencies
13:35 Use Directional Antennas and Terrain
15:39 Don’t Operate From a Base Station
18:20 Use Repeaters
20:23 Privacy Codes & Tones
21:10 Rolling Codes & Scramblers
22:15 Barely & Beyond Legal

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*Disclaimers: all opinions are my own. Not financial advice, for entertainment purposes only.

BTW - you're awesome, especially if you've read this much. There's not many like you - Thanks for hanging out with me here for a few minutes.

[STOKERMATIC]

Break, Break
Thanks for watching Team! I’m *STOKED* that you chose to spend some your time here on the channel!
Every sale goes to making a commie cry!

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[JJ-JOHNSON]

I'm a license Ham Radio Operator, I've talk around the world on 5 watts on the HF frequency, you can split the frequency, talk on one frequency and receive on another frequency, as of today I have QSL cards from 168 countries, people that I've talk to on HF radio.

[dennisseverns]

Every year there is a two day or 24 hour exercise that many hams participate in.

Amateur Radio Field Day is always the last full weekend in June every year. This year it is June 24th-25th.
This is where Ham Radio Operators go out and practice communications without using grid power. Many Ham Radio Clubs and individuals will allow the public to come out and check out their setups, and maybe even have a chance to get on the air. You can contact local ham radio clubs to find out about these events. Great way to see how to set up communications without being on the grid.

[TomRolfson]

An interesting thing I heard (but did not personally witness)- it was reported that with the last hurricane that hit FL that ALL HAM repeaters were down(or taken down) while only one GMRS Repeater stayed online throughout the storm. Recognizing the risk of static electricity damage or antenna damage from high winds - people need to be aware of this possibility if they are counting on these comms during a storm. My suggestion would be for your family or group to setup specific time intervals to turn on your radios and potentially repeaters as well.

EXCELLENT VIDEO!

[macnottsuk]

for most prepping for SHTF a handheld 4w CB is all you need. in the UK CB is still relevant and going strong. You stick a mag mount on the car for greater range and use the car battery for power. You will make more contacts for local intel using a CB. Regarding privacy, only necessary for the family so we have a self developed radio code/procedure and a cipher for location Lat/Log. And its all legal so we can practice our radio comms with impunity. All the above is low cost, low power use for SHTF and most important simple to use. Wait until your belly is stuck to your backbone and try to remember and operate all your clever techy stuff. KISS.

[TheGeekiestGuy]

I literally just got out of my licensing exam. Passed for my tech license again and took the general exam, and almost nailed it. The exam questions for the general class tests are changing in a couple of months. If you're studying for the general, go take it now before all your test material changes. I'm stoked you made this vid, brother. More people need to know how to use coms these days.
A lot of people buy a radio but have no clue how to use them.
I hope you and Riggs are having a good one out there. 🤙🏽

[brentwentfishing]

Great video Top! I have a Midland mobile 50 watt GMRS radio and the necessary license. I pickup all kinds of local FRS chatter from the big box stores. More truckers are starting to use the GMRS radios too. Never a dull moment out there! Yes, I can hear anything they are putting down even when they are using privacy codes so it's not private at all. 😁😎

[tomcreekdevil]

Bill! On a scale of 1 - 10 this video is a solid 15+ plus! It's SPOT on with excellent techniques you don't even get in your ARRL material. Keep this stuff coming!

[aaotcis]

This skill set insofar as RF communications has peculiar ramifications that no one public content provider can adequately prepare the public for SHTF comms.

However, there are content providers that distill it into usable chunks w/o delving to deeply into the technical terms.

One provider is S2 UNDERGROUND (YT) and puts out quality content that leverages both the technology coupled with practical application in austere environments, notwithstanding rural and remote operations.

[davidbruner]

I have had my general class ham license for a few years so still no expert but I will say you covered the topic very well. I have been experimenting with a setup that has been working well for me. Without going into too much detail I am running a true dual receive digital radio with one radio set to do digital on vhf for transmit on the a band and digital uhf on the b band for receive and have the wife's radio set to the opposite. That way when I transmit on vhf on my a band she hears it in her b band but when she transmits on hers she is set to uhf on her a band and I hear her on my b band. Still not a perfect system but it is better than no system at all.

[johnkaelberer]

Good content and tips. First time seeing your channel. I will click all the right buttons and watch....Thanks. The following won't stop everyone from hearing your transmissions, but will cut down on who can hear them. Low Power, and for close in transmissions: VHF and UHF both use vertically polarized antennas. If both of you hold your radios so the antennas are Horizontal, it will cut down on the distance someone with a vertical antenna can pull in the signal and will make them a little more directional (off the long sides of the antenna). If you both use a horizontal handheld beam antenna and very low power, you have a great set up. Better radios like some of the Yaesu's have lower power settings than the Baofeng. Some all the way down to 500 milliwatts. This cuts down on the distance your transmission can be received. A small, stubby antenna will also not have the reach a full size antenna will. Next is to figure out what the most popular modes of digital is in your area. Where I live, there is some DMR, almost no D-Star (no D-Star repeaters). Most people in my area who use digital, use Yaesu System Fusion as we have a couple Fusion repeaters. So in my example, if you and the other person both have D-Star, you are cutting down the number of people who can understand you. Also, except for Walmart, MURS is quiet as a church mouse in my area. I never hear anyone on it. Not private, but not really used at this time. Next, "LoRa Meshtastic" transmitter/receivers that operate in the 900 Mhz band are AES 256 encripted and can exchange text messages at a decent range (5 to 7 miles). Few will be able to decode these transmissions as you use a key that both of you have put in your transmitter (Uncle will for sure be able to listen should they wish to). They can also form a Mesh Network when multiple transmitter/receivers are used. With enough transmitter/receivers out there (all on the same key), you can send messages many, many miles. The transmitter/receivers cost about $35.00 each and use a 18650 battery (one charge lasts about a day depending on use) or other 3.2 v power source. You link them to your cell phone with bluetooth from the LoRa unit for a keyboard. No cell service is needed. 99.99% of the public won't even know you've sent a message. Messages are sent in very short data bursts. Ham Radio Crash Course, Youtube channel has a couple good videos on these units. And, they use very short antennas. A 900 Mhz antenna is very easy to hide along with the small unit, up high for even greater range. Not legal, but if you use a one time pad to write your texts, it is pretty much unbreakable....Look up "One Time Pads". Last: You touched on it, but using Terrain to block your signal in certain directions can be a big help. Use terrain to your advantage whenever possible. Like having a hill behind you to block signal in one direction. When using H.F., set up a NVIS antenna (portable if possible)for regional transmissions on 40, 60 and 80 meters. It will cover a distance of about 300 miles, including very close in to where you are and using a low antenna with 5 to 20 watts in the NVIS configuration makes it much harder for someone to locate you. These are all legal ways to communicate provided you have the proper license.

[joannmcclure]

Just watched your greyman video I wanted to add this you have to check your fear and I mean check it deep because these people your moving through are predators and predators can literally smell fear so you should act like walking around dogs nothing sudden minimal eye contact but keep your radar up stay safe and God bless

[CzechSixTv]

Some of the older analog Vertex, Motorola and Kenwood LMR radios have a voice inversion(rudimentary scramble) option built in AND carry a Part 95 cert for GMRS. It's just illegal to use that option on GMRS. They can also be a pain to find programming software and cables for. Retevis currently has a few cheap HT's that can operate either on GMRS or MURS and have voice inversion as well, but again not legal.

[gusesteves]

Great job! Many people do dismiss a CB with USB-LSB and FM capability communication will be critical! Again great job! Oh I’m a licensed Ham!

[jpuddlejump]

Ask for a comms video, get a comms video. Wow! Thanks Stoker!

[Stoney_AKA_James]

Second try to make a comment:
Having good comms is vital and a good topic.
I have an older Lincoln ham radio that has additional chips for CB radio frequencies.
I have been wanting and needing to get a license.

[Jupiterxice]

I have Boefang and glad that I got these radios

[FriendBears]

Bill, you may want to talk about pre agreed pro words too.

[davidalbright]

Notice, ladies and gentlemen, how this content creator refers to radio communication as "comms." If you watch any other preparedness or instructional channels where they refer to communication as "commo, " rest assured that you are watching someone with no military training or experience- just a G.I. Joe wannabe. As a former Army soldier, myself, I can appreciate Stoker as an authentic voice in a sea of commo posers. Thank you for this channel.

[mervmartin]

Wow! Bill great info. You do realize that you've barely covered the open door of this rabbit hole.
A 5 volt gel cell battery, a single board computer (SBC), and a radio that can be used as a digipeater, enables you to send encrypted message traffic over your network. If you don't have a digipeater, you can use the output of a software modem (on the SBC) sent through a speaker as the voice input for your portable radio. It will sound a lot like the old 56k modems did when syncing. The distant end should pick it up. and decode by micing the voice output into it's software modem. The rig will remind you of the old telephone handset modems. And yes, everyone on the net has to have the similar gear. I wont get into freq hopping controlled with an encryption device (the SBC). :-D
Someone else has mentioned Morse code.That's definitely another resource. A 1 watt radio broadcasting in the HF spectrum, using ionospheric bounce can send a CW (morse code) signal around the world (QRP). Morse code can be sent line of sight with a rag in one hand (Boy Scout wig-wag method)