Communications

[jumperj]

I've got a question for us. If the S@$&T does hit the fan... If I was going to declare marshal law to stem an insurgency. The first thing I would do is knock out all communications. Isn't that usually the case? So my question is, how would we as a people, group, forum communicate. We have to be ready for any and ALL scenarios. Your thoughts please...:cool:

[richard]

You are right on the Money, The Power Grid would be the First to go, The Capacity of Travel would be Next, And So on, I am privy to this from Military training, And Learning Survival Tactics. This Is Scary stuff, Once you get involved in it. It is best to just realize that it could happen, This is why it is imparative to Know, Within your community exactly who you can trust and Keep them close, Who you can't trust and keep them Closer. It may come to the point where we are all just talking to neighbors And No one else. God Help us all If Government gets So Paranoid to take such steps.

[DrWarren]

We have a short wave radio with a 200 foot wire antenna. We can pick up broadcasts from Japan, Middle East, well pretty much everywhere.

It is one way though and we are looking into one of us getting a ham radio license and the equipment.

For local comm we have an old timey CB radio. 10-4 Good buddy.

[richard]

10-4, I also have CB Radio, Old Tech, But one which is not Expected In todays Tech., With 40 channels to choose from, it makes a good voice method, But Like you said, This is Local, A Ham set, unless you have a Double Diapold antenna, requires a Tall Antenna, Easily noticed. Check into Directional Antenna. FCC has losened regulations on CB, Have they also Losened regs on Ham?

[Chosen]

One consideration to note is that a lack of communications would be the result of intentional actions. In short, some force will be communicating. The key is to understand how THEY will be communicating, this will be the only place you will be able to get information.

Sat Phones
http://www.globalcomsatphone.com/

[jumperj]

Something else to consider. Maybe I'm just being paranoid. I always delete my cookies on this confuser when I'm not on it, but I look at them first. I can tell what they are and where they're from. How far fetched would it be for them (Dept. of Homeland Security) to track people with opposing views? Anyone visit any government sites lately? Paranoia Right?

[richard]

No, Not Paranoid, Smart.

[TimOK]

Unfortunately, jumperj, every time you log onto this or any other site on the internet, even if you just visit a page and not log on, the folks on the site can tell exactly where you are by your IP address. They will know what state and city you are from and they can even identify what part of town you're in. Now, with all the government watch dogs out there, I'm sure that right now, if they wanted to, could identify me by my IP address and contact my provider to find out exactly who I was.
Talk about paranoid!
Now, the likelihood of such actions by the government is remote at best. I mean if I'm not threatening the President with bodily harm or discussing about bombing the Murra Building again, they aren't going to bother. Besides, they're too busy just watching the known far Right Wing Hate sites and the Muslim sites right now. It's only after the fact that they get any information from someone's computer that shows where they've been via cookies and browsing history. However, it is interesting to note that Google saves every search you do, or at least they used to. They have refused to release that information to date, to my knowledge. But with the lengths the government is going through to dismiss, slander, and ostracize the conservatives in America, who knows how long that will true?

[Cyneca]

welllllll Tim... Sometimes.

Me being on mobile broadband, they can think I am in Chicago, and I might be in Cincy, or Pittsburgh. If they try and find a set place that I tend to be, theyd have a rather difficult time. LOL

[dw04]

On communications your best bet is an amateur radio, they are expensive and require a license to operate. Other than that I have CB's in my vehicles a scanner and talk abouts for short range comm.

Chosen, there really is no way to get into the government commo during declared martial law. The radios they use are encrypted and the keys constantly change. Also if they think that is compromised they will just use text satcom. Believe me the commo is way way advanced now. Most people even if they got their hands on it wouldn't know how to use it.

[Sam Prescott]

I've been thinking about this as well. Years ago I messed with CB and learned how to make a transmitter reach out there and touch someone. Having a great Standing Wave Ratio is a good thing and I talked to Vancouver from Pennsylvania on only a half a watt.

Years ago there was a 'birdie' that blasted the CB and disrupted communications for everyone. It covered a good bit of the CB range and was triangulated to be coming from Tennessee. Theory was that Big Brother was testing out the jamming gear at his disposal. Even though long distant communications were practically impossible the short range stuff was passable.

Side band is a wonderful thing. I propose that Patriots use channel 29 lower side band to try to make contact and establish a net for emergency use. If skip is running I know I can hit Tennessee. I'll set my Cobra 2000 to 29 lower and go fishin.

An EMP can obliterate a radio and any other electronic devices you may have. Search the internet for construction of a Faraday cage and protect a backup radio. A cardboard box covered with aluminum foil will work . A steel box is better. a large ammo can. Ground the casing of the container and keep anything inside from touching metal. use cardboard or styrofoam to insulate the device from the container.

Nice thing about CB's is that they can run off of a car battery. I have solar chargers to hook up to a battery for just such an event. they may take forever to charge fully but they will charge.

I'm in the market for a ham set to monitor the mail. When the Schumer hits the fan the FCC is not going to have time to worry about licenses.

Sam in Pennsylvania

[jumperj]

E.M.P.'s... That too is something to think about. If North Korea (Or some other U.S.A. hater) had the ability to launch a "satellite" with a large enough warhead,the E.M.P. (electro magnetic pulse) could knock out just about everything modern. Cars, TV's, Radios, ELECTRICAL GRID... They wouldn't even have to hit us. A single burst in the upper atmosphere of say 5 megatons would be enough to send a third of the U.S. into campfires and covered wagons.:eek:

[dw04]

Yeah EMP is a problem. Another good insulator to keep your equipment insulated from your Faraday box are hockey pucks, they are cheap and insulating.
The Military's Commo and equipment is EMP shielded. Many buildings have Faraday cages. Remember that if you build a large Faraday cage, signals can't get in or out either. Always had a problem with no cell phone reception.

[SweeChee]

I read the Restoration Series by Terri Blackstock (fictional) and its about the loss of everything electric: phone, cars, radios. It wasn't long after I read it that we started a garden. There were actually a lot of good ideas in the book. The populations that had the most trouble were those in urban areas because they had no land to garden and trouble with disposal of sewage (something most people wouldn't think about). The characters also have to learn how to barter instead of hording. Anyway it is a good read and really relates to this discussion.

[dougk]

Maybe I'm too paranoid also! I am able to use "in-private" browsing to supposedly/hopefully hide the sites you are visiting to keep from being viewed by potential unwanted grief to you and your pc. Will our cellphones be next to eliminate communication? Hope not!!