Emergency Communications Part 1 

The UV-3R has a VAMPIRE in it! It sucks the battery dry in a few months. This Vampire can be defeated though! Pull the battery when not in use. By doing so, the battery will have an 80% charge even after sitting for 12 months! Naturally, you should check and charge all batteries every 6 months, Just prior to spring, and just prior to winter is best. Hope this advice helps those that have this radio. (Or any other radio that uses a "soft start".)

Put a sliver of plastic (ie, cut from a soda bottle) between the battery contacts in the radio and put a label on the back to "pull tab". This will prevent the radio's parasitic draw rom running the battery down. In addition, pack a battery bank that can charge via solar in the kit. That will give you some better power longevity if you end up off-grid for a while.

I always enjoy this gentleman's videos. As a amateur radio operator and small-scale prepper the information he disseminates is invaluable. He always has a good format for getting information across and doesn't have an ego that gets in the way, even though he is very well-versed in the subject matter at hand. Kudos, 73's...

With a name like Leia, you really should have changed your call sign to Obi Wan Kenobi, just to have her ask you for help. :) Great video, you've earned a subscriber.

im in a rural area in Alabama and cellphones do go down even T-Mobile doesn't work well unless I'm in the city this is a good thank thanks hoshnasi

I liked the cinematic intro. #boom

0:30 You might want to be careful with the wording on that card...what if she doesn’t want you to find her?! 🤣

Still good info 4 years later!

I would also recommend going to the FEMA website and at least taking the online ICS100 course so you will better understand how all the ES teams work together in an emergency. I also teach how you can use basic body blocking to get a rough DF idea of a transmitter.

you should put everything in a faraday cage in case of EMP from atomic bombs

Any chance you can post another link to the emcomm card? Or grant access??

I'm in UK this is brilliant, an excellent idea, I'm defo all over this, looking forward to the videos.

If you have to be a ham to use the frequencies then how can you practice with your family,friends or neighbors legally if they aren’t hams? This is a legitimate question not troll bs

Great Video! However you didn't explain in the video how to call 146.52. I just got mine and I am not sure how to set those numbers in my Baofeng. It usually asks for 6 numbers. Should I assume it is 0? Thanks

Thank you!! Thank You !! thank you!! Learned a lot and im in So Cal as well, I was looking for some informative videos like this for a long time. Thank you once again, I'm sure videos like this will save lives one day!

146.520MHz is a general call frequency. I know that per 97.101(b) no one "owns" any frequency, but please use 146.520 as a calling frequency, then agree on a different frequency to move to practice. please note, in case of a true emergency, anyone can jump on, but if you're going through the trouble of prepping, then at least get your Tech license and do it by the book. I know band plans are voluntary, but they really are meant for efficient use of the bands. become familiar with your state's allocations and bear in mind that FM has a wide bandwidth, 16kHz.

Please, please please give us a new link to the card you made up. Thank you this is great info. Just started studying for General after 6 yrs of not doing any HAM, being really sick & figuring I might like to listen to the country, maybe world during November plus.

When and if theres an emergency, national emergency(or local) can a individual without a ham license use a ham radio to use for transmitting and recieving? Also if used by a non ham license holder has a ham radio on them while hiking for a few days for EMERGENCY USE ONLY can a non ham user legally use a ham radio without license if they were in a life threatening situation granted I know then why wouldnt you get ham license if you bought a ham radio but I'm asking for those that didnt have one to clear the air. I'm asking this question for educational purposes only. No hate comments please while answering.

You should be keeping those radios stored in a ferrous metal boxes in an event of a electromagnetic pulse from war or solar activity

HF will be more important if its Statewide or regional due to the fact that Winlink, Winmore, psk31, and other text and email radio traffic ( although small in size,) for the most part, works well on 80 meters 60 meters, 40 meters and 20 meters will work be best for the National Traffic System. A small 5 watt VHF or UHF radio, for most people, will likely be noisy, unless the operator is very conscious about their antenna, their height, and aware of controls and position of the handheld while transmitting, they work ok if you only need to talk a few miles and or the local repeater is known to have some kind of backup redundant power and your proximity to the repeater is good enough that you are strong enough into the repeater system with no white noise. Realistically, if you used just personal names and never identified with a valid Amateur Radio call sign, most hams would probably consider you a jammer or just unaware they are not FRS radios on Ham frequencies, which is almost as bad as a jammer. I just put that out there, for those who don't plan on getting a license, not saying you are doing that. Even on GMRS, the repeater owner would not be ok with people not using any call sign, especially when it's only $65 for 10 years and anyone in your household can use the GMRS license through the FCC.gov. In a serious emergency, strangers with no call sign would be viewed by most emergency management as interfering with health and welfare and priority radio traffic. I would seriously invest in a mobile with 25 to 75 watts for VHF & UHF and the capability for mobile and portable HF communications and visit some local Ham clubs and or events where Jams participate and pick their brain. Try and enter the awesome hobby as a life long ongoing learning process for both the new and old. This will lead to improving your fun, technical as well as operator skills and ultimately improve your usefulness to yourself, your family and your community through volunteer public service events or emergencies. www.arrl.org/nts www.arrl.org/ares usamars.us

How do you approach your neighbors with this without the "CONSPIRACY THEORIST" moniker that some associate with this activity?

Great video. I’m new to ham and trying to learn all I can. Subscribed 👍

The air waves will take on a whole different feel after a shtf scenario. They'll be so much traffic on the air..... maybe you'll get through.... maybe you won't.

Where do you explain those information cards? There's no way to download a copy. Personally, I have a sheet with the local & federal emergency agency frequencies, S.A.M.E. alert codes, etc., on one side, and protocols on the other side; printed and laminated.

Even the power bank needs to be maintained by charging or cycling it periodically. If you just put it in a drawer, bag or plastic box, it will discharge (and swell or burst) and eventually fail.

Thank you for this ... Am about to take my technician license test

>wears a Gadsden flag shirt >advocates asking the government permission to operate a radio on certain frequencies

Insert full charged battery to plastic vacuum packaging bag with silica gel bag and remove the air from vacuum pack bag and seal it.

I have a question I think a little over 3 years ago me and my family went to Alabama to escape the hurricane coming twords fl when we came back boost mobile didn't work but me and my sister had t mobile. Ok so let's say all cellphone service was down could i legally give my sister a radio and let her get in contact with me (via simplex) if we needed to stop somewhere or would that violate fcc.

Does everyone that you give this kit to need to get a ham license?

I have the uv5r, do you have any knowledge of the comet or diamond antennas. They both are known to be really good antennas, I'm just not sure which to get.

Great information. I went through the big BLACKOUT in the northeast. Cell phone towers, water supply, at home and work, couldn't take a shower lost everything my fridge. I worked Detroit Metro Airport and they lost all power except for air traffic control. I learned the hard way.

Listening to the various bands is far more important than being able to talk in them. If nothing else, get a cheap little scanner to be able to listen into many bands. Being able to talk is secondary to being able to listen. I have a small scanner and a communications receiver on a large antenna on my roof top. It is amazing the radio traffic I can hear. I can hear anything from just kids with 49 megacycle walkie talkies to illicit radio pirates on old blank bands that have not been used in a long time. First responders, disaster relief, telephones, utilities, people using ancient Citizen's Band with antique equipment, amateur radio, PMR446, LPR433, LPR, UHF CB, and much more can be heard with just a cheap scanner.

It would have been funny if she read "...if you want me to find you" and then just dumped it in the trash.

Hi hoshnasi i live in a Swedish town called Eskilstuna and we have lots of power fails now so your Crash Course videos helpt me and my company a lot thanks so mutch :)

RF Radio communications is great as long as you do not experience or in range of an E.M.P.!

I was really hoping to see what was in the kit!

what's the new hotness UV-5R? what would be the updated radio suggestion?

Dumb question, where are the other two parts??? What is the significance of rain on concrete?

Anderw Baze has a great book: Personal Emergency Communications; staying in touch Postdisaaster; Tech Equipemnt ant stradgies. Goes from FRS to ham to CB to NVIS on the HF and more

Can anyone provide a link for the card used in the video? I’ve tried to use the link in the description.

very good tips even in 2024! Thank you

subscribed! I'm getting into ham, got a 12db uhf omni on my 9.5m tall antenna pole. haven't used it yet, getting ham license quite soon.

Good stuff man! It never hurts to prepare. In the Infantry we trained on a lot of skills that we rarely used, just in case that situation came up. I pass that type of training onto my family......just in case.

Thoughts? If I’m away on a business trip. My wife works 15 miles east, kid works 35 miles north. If it was an EMP. Why not have channel 1 set to the local repeater in the event it’s up and running? At the very least maybe someone with a base station could relay the information. From one location to the other. Thoughts?

Google drive link seems to be dead. At any rate, it says "Access denied"

I live in wa state. Mountenous/hilly area. What radio do you recommend? Same or something else?

@Hosh. I'm looking forward to the next vids in this series. Keep up the good work! Talk to you on GC

What kind of animal would nuke Heritage Park?

At which frequency all phones are programmed to? This point is not clear. How can non-license person family members call me?

It's a different country, you have a different way of doing stuff.

I'm considering getting a licence assuming I pass and follow this instruction, are my spouse and kids covered under my license to use these HT s? I know in a life safety situation who cares, but to do drills and testing etc during normal times, are they authorized to use my radios and just me with a call sign?

Shouldn't you be looking for Luke?

I was wondering, if he've heard about the Faraday cage... In case of nuke or solar flare...=D

No Faraday cage? Hope that wasnt a nuke.

Of course, a license isn't needed during an actual emergency but I'm surprised you didn't mention it for practice sessions? Great topic though!

I recommend getting a battery jump starter from harbor freight. They usually have a flashlight and a cigarette lighter plug on them. You could run a handheld radio off one of those for many days and get yourself a smaller base antenna like the diamond x30 with 50 feet of rg8x coax. This setup will greatly increase the range and the amount of time you can talk. I recommend the Yaesu ft60r. They are only 159 bucks and the quality is way higher. Made in Japan.

To get your location, either to orient and get back on track or to transmit your coordinates if you are in too bad condition to make it yourself, or to call police/emergency service, a smartphone with gps, (there is more than enough room for it in that jar ;-), could be usefull. I would recomend NOT!!! to get a cheap chinese crap android phone, but a (very old) flagship device, preferably small and water/drop resistent one, if available, it will cost close to nothing, but the cost will be about the same as crappy new one, once you buy new battery, but a waaay more reliable device.

U just survived a nuclear blast. Damn son

hey ther crash, i didnt know you were that close to me . I recognize the park you shot your video in lol. im a new subscriber and radio enthusiast . im loving your videos thank you for your work and time on them

Hi Josh. I just started thinking about getting a radio and am I correct in thinking that I need a license to broadcast over this radio in the video? Also if I wanted to get licensed where can I find a class to take or is there one online. With covid I’m hoping there is an online class. Any info would be great.

Good job Josh

What about a faraday cage? CME??

All of the UV series of radio's, the 3R, 5R and the new F8, can all be charged via USB now. I should know I have said cable. Now as for the range of the Baofeng radio's. I have two Baofeng radio's. With a good antenna, and a full battery, you might have a range of 2 to 3 miles. Since the girl was calling from inside on a short antenna, 1 to 2 miles. These are not long range HF radio's they are low powered 2m/70cm Hand held radio's.

Ok, just watching this for the first time, and I gotta say, the intro hooked me.

hi KY6NAZ, i'm from Italy, 11 Baofeng radios, nagoya antennas 5 w to family and neighborhood one uv 5r monitoring neighbors , one a58 for Emergency frequencies. Ant if i'm at home a 25w Leixen 898s, I'm 13 and the only Hf radio i have access to is in the local ham radio operators club(IQ2MI). Thanks...Post more

I just subscribed. Good video.

Excellent information. Where would I find the list you taked about. Please advise. Newbe HAM Operator

You mentioned that the UV-3R is chargeable via usb, how about the UV-3R+? Are there any other small simple radios similar to the UV-3R?

Ubaidillah

So 146.520 is call frequency in the U.S. But what suggestions do you have for locating open frequencies for these purposes? Is this where something like that band-scanning SDR you did a video on comes into play? All the little HTs I've seen only scan memory channels, and that's where I'm at right now. Tips? Suggestions? Or are frequencies not in the local band plan just kind of a no-brainer go-to for group comms?

Good idea. My TYT uses a usb to 12 volt usb cord 8 bucks on Amazon. I have power banks that I can charge with solar

great info. but something really should have been said about licensing. while when the SHTF, licensing won't really matter, during drills and testing, it does matter and I don't want to see anyone get in "trouble". Also, saying this is a HAM Radio crash course is misleading. don't get me wrong, I like the video, but several people in my EmCom group all said the same. just thought you should know. again, I like the video. please forgive me if I come off wrong. I really don't mean too.

Watch2End&Comment

I live in a small town with 20k population. The town is only about 3 miles across. Would a pair of blister pack radios that you can get at a sporting good store be as effective?

Just trained in CERT for my location. Good Stuff you are doing!!

Komentar

Do you still recommend the UV-3R? Or has there been another model released that you like?

Polisi

cool stuff looking forward to the others

Good stuff thnx

342

ZOIKS! It's out! Love the production values. Like the real world drill and that your wife wasn't acting but that you actually let her run it as a drill. Excellent thoughts. I think the big limitation is the range on that little BF radio but it sounds like you have that covered with repeaters maybe. I detected perhaps you didn't want to give it all away and have a bunch of unlicensed people on ham wave "because HoshNasi said it was OK." Good strategy and info. Can't wait to see #2 and #3.

Good job Josh

Very cool thx

Very good info.. Remember paper maps. Plan routes that doesn't take you over/under bridges..

5 years later this seems like you may have know something rest of us didn’t 🤘🏼

thats also good for calling help if you are trap in your house or any room because someone is helding you as a hostage and cut off your telephone, internet and celphone... nice idea...I think its good to have a bunch of them in different location in the house indoor and outdoor

You seem to forget you need to be License to use that by the FCC

Are the channels you plan to use in an emergency (the ones on the card) simplex or duplex? Also, what do you recommend as a replacement to the UV3R since it's been discontinued?

Thanks!

This is a great idea. I do not live in ur area, but now I will use the idea to search for appropriate info that suits my location. Thank u. BTW, where I can find Part 2?

I only carry a ham for emergency comms only so no need for a license plus ham bands are pretty dead in my area I've barely heard one voice in past few days

Automatic Packet Reporting System

what should be on that card on the kit? im new to this

I need to get a couple radios.

Baofeng rocks:-) It feels light. But it is like the old motorolas the cops used. 5watt transmitter is alot.

This is the video I've been searching for. But I'd like to understand the limitations of this use-case. 1) Unless the whole family are licensed HAMs, the best we can do is use GMRS freqs. On GMRS we wouldn't be able to communicate beyond dog-walking distance from each other. That communication radius would be useful during a prolonged SHTF situation, but I don't see EDCing radios every day just to be able to establish communication in the brief period when we're already 1 mile from base, but not quite there yet. If I program the radios to use local repeaters, I could presumably cover the whole city. This would greatly increase the likelihood of being within communication range when the disaster strikes. But now I have unleashed a small army of "armed" but untrained noisemakers to clutter up the local airwaves with high dutycycle panic-jabber. This does not seem like a good idea. We could catch an FCC fine while just testing the range capability. Am I missing something? Is there a solution other than forcing the whole family to sit for their HAM license? Thanks!

Your radios wouldn't work after a nuke unless you had stored them in an all metal container like a popcorn tin or cookie tin. The electromagnetic pulse will be conducted through the metal and not touch the contents inside - otherwise all your gear winds up fried when you need it most. Luckily, any all metal container will work, they're cheap and readily available. Admittedly the odds of this are very low, but when you get a free faraday cage with purchase of popcorn, why not use it?

Would be a good idea to have a SW probramable radio handy too? Also you want to recharge your radio once a month to keep your battery right.