S2 is one of the main reasons I got into radio. The ham community that doesn’t “get it” is going to fade into obsolescence. If new technology is shunned we would never have things like digital modes or winlink. Just my 2c.
um they send pictures using ham. pretty sure theres data protocols or encoding. idk maybe not. pretty sure all radios we can get have some way to do more than talk but it takes more skill. idk much about it, but why not just do what you want and then let others figure it out or together figure it out. there can be different channels and people can work together like if you know a ham guy they might be picking up some info or broadcast and then you can get on your network and relay that. or maybe the network you have has better reach and coverage or more participants users. but its localized or needs to go through an external channel to get to a more remote network. so there will be a requirement for a variety of tech and protocols, and its most wise for those who can afford to or are already skilled to be using multiple systems. meanwhile those who want to be ready but have limitations on budget or technical knowhow, maybe geography etc will limit their ability to have or use or learn different radio systems so they would benefit from finding out their best fit and then only sticking to that while seeking out others who may serve as a sort of local relay or other ways to increase a small local networks capabilities. and of course, theres the question of how useful these things become in a variety of situations and the fact that there are even more forms of communicating that could be just as useful. for example morse code could be the most useful because one can put together powerful transmitters from scratch and pulse out a message at pre determined times of day or night. then many people can receive vital updates or warnings but arent as much limited by their band, distance etc. a noisy but powerful pulse signal is easy to detect and decode. you dont need good conditions or the right receiver maybe. also if anyone wants to offer a translator the message can be relayed locally on a established radio system, and thus making the essential function of the topic more accessible and more useful for more people.
I'm a licensed HAM and GMRS. All the young guys want GMRS because its easy. Every time I talk to the club boomers, it falls on deaf ears. Sometimes I feel like I'm single handedly keeping it alive for future generations in my area, and it's a lost cause. Which is a pity.
People have different brains and get different things for different reasons. Only fools waste their time trying to invalidate each other. Pick the right tool for the job, but don't limit yourself and your flexibility for learning how to use or make other tools or find other jobs. Armature radio is a service privilege and responsibility, but it is also an outlet for ingenuity and experimentation. Good luck. 👍
Make sure you use colour so that you have yellow microdots identifying you personally as the source. Y'know, just in case you lose it and some three letter org boys want to return your property.
@@PatrickKQ4HBD I prefer the Harbor Freight item 90708 micro flush cutters, fort he budget option ($4). There are other options in all price points from Harbor freight to Knipex, depending on how cool you want to feel clipping zip ties.
Ditto! I got my license years ago , just never really had an application that warranted spending a thousand bucks or two. Though for now I just got the really cheap receive-only setup , saving up to get an actual HF radio. Regardless of TX , a guy can leave the RX setup going and just monitor what's going on out there.
@@castirondude Awesome! This is what took it out of the realm of just a hobby to actually having a potential return on investment into equipment and that is what made me pull the trigger.
Understatement of the day: The HAM radio community is full of drama. Good to hear you learning from the experience provided by a few bad apples, just improving the solution.
Thank you again. Your work is appreciated. Your Ghostnet is in a binder in the shack [TOC] right next to the binder of radio frequencies; MURS, FRS, GMRS and expanded "CB", local repeater information including both analog and digital...along with various other frequencies including "public service" such as municipal, state, and federal LEO...and fire for listening purposes. It also has a laminated copy of the official U.S. amateur band plan for those unfamiliar with it. I had previously always used the larger wall version for the later, but starting putting everything in binders in the event of forced evacuation. I've also placed Ghost net in a Rite in the Rain binder in a chest pouch on my kit. Things such as the day to day team frequencies is on an arm board should rapid destruction be necessary. Anything else must be committed to memory; check in times, etc.
I can't wait for more material on different subjects that I can make manuals out of. Keep them coming and I will keep the laminator going. Thanks for all you do for the community.
You are doing great work for humanity with that printing! Just trying to let you know that from a probably far corner of the rock, I actively appreciate your effort in trying to keep the flame of the human spirit lit. Thank you! Keep up the good work! Fair seas!
Went to a local HAM radio club meeting in my town a few nights ago. Average age was 70. Folks we are in dire need of young people to dive head first into radio communications and become HAM radio operators. Get your Technician and General license and GO. NO more excuses.
@@sypher4912 It is absolutely not going to die. Unless particle physics and reality as we know it changes, radio isn't going anywhere. It's just that we need more young people involved. Physics is not going to change, and radio is still a highly useful modern technology. Period.
And they are just stuck to a routine of meeting minutes motions and seconding to the point that it's really hard to do anything new. And they don't respond to emails.
Because the dinosaurs bought in to the bullshit that's ruined the country. Started with them,that's why they can't wait to be complacently playing bingo. @@jakep5121
As a ham operator, I totally know what you're talking about with a lot of hams having very narrow points of view. As a "prepper" I get a lot of strange looks and comments from other hams. They just don't understand.
Yeah, I think the term "prepper" isn't doing much of a service to people who have their pants on the right way... 😏 People like to identify as something or label other people something. It's actually a little disturbing, especially when people are basically subjecting themselves to it. People used to think of Boy Scouts as responsible, competent young men, not the next wave of conspiracy fanatics, for example. I'm not sure what my point is... but I guess it's that people shouldn't be so socially and contextually subjugating nor subjugated. Just because the sky isn't falling doesn't mean there aren't real reasons for competency. On the other hand, being a delusional angry idiot seems a bit too prevalent these days too. Regardless, cheers and 73.
I'm really thankful for your input to comms community. Because of you I got into comms, started building meshtastic devices, you got me into SDR and I made comms plan for my growing community. Thanks man, world needs more people like yourself. Greetings from Slovenia.
@S2 underground , I've been a Ham for a lot of years but the Ghost Net (and the work you've put into this and your other projects) pushed me to recently upgrade to General to get access to those HF freqs. After watching you're recent videos, I feel like you need to hear something. Nobody is perfect but the work you're putting in is helping a lot of people. You may not see yourself in a leadership role but there are a lot of us out here that see you as one. Keep up the strong work and know that it is appreciated.
@@sypher4912 true but it works well up to three miles in cities and more outside of them. more importantly it is incredibly cheap and incredibly easy to use. its good for people who dont nescesarily want to really get in to it:)
@@sypher4912 to get range you have to get creative, get a community network built , learn how the signals propagate across your local topography also any flight paths for commercial aircraft in your area try doing experiments where you bounce signals off the aircraft fuselage to get more distance. Like all off grid comms you have to work at it.
I am a general license ham. This S2 stuff is good. In a disaster, people will need info and this will be useful. A good ham will more likely be better at hearing and being heard because of the ham test requirements. You will/must learn some technical stuff to pass. It's useful. If you really want to be better at hearing and being heard, going through the licensing process will increase your base of knowledge. The downside is that it takes up some time. Do it and bring the average age of hams down by several decades!
Huge thanks for the untold (and frankly, mind-boggling) effort you've put into GhostNet and the community, S2! I rarely ever comment, but this time I'm coming out of the woods to show my appreciation, it really does help and mean a lot. Just wanted to say to allow yourself adequate time to sleep and recharge, to avoid burnout, we need guys like you for the long haul!
We had one, it was shut down as Discord is run by extreme leftists who didn't appreciate our work. We do have communities on Keybase and Element though.
@@S2Underground That sucks. Discord as a technology is almost perfect for this kind of collaboration. Thank you for all you do S2. You're one of the few I have to support via patreon because by what I can tell you're actively trying to get things set up to make the crap show we're heading into possibly workable for your fellow countrymen. Thank you for taking your oath seriously.
Yeah that's the goal; things are already challenging for many, so as the situation gets more serious in the U.S. over the next few years a lot of work (and for many, total lifestyle changes) will definitely be needed. Easing that burden would be really helpful I think.
@@S2Underground I really think your efforts and contributions now will end up making orders of magnitude more difference in the future. Simply developing a communication plan while information dissemination is still somewhat permissive will effect exponentially more people. This may end up as one of those situations where you never quite get to see just how bad you saved things from being because your preparatory efforts precluded the full effect of the dystopian problems that we worry about. Keep it up dude. You're doing God's work.
I'm not apart of the net yet , still trying to figure out how to receive a signal😅 but you are doing something that isnt necessary yet so no one appreciates it. But when it becomes necessary it will be too late to build it. Thank you.
S2, I’ve been watching your channel for a couple of years and it gives me a great deal of comfort knowing there are highly gifted good guys flying under the radar who aren’t hoarding their resources to specific targets. You see everyone who is watching as a potential asset. As you educate the civilians, you’re building and equipping a greater team. We (The People) who love our country and who have our ear to the ground know how serious our times are and, current or ex-mil or leo or not, we feel the strong call to stand. We’re willing to push ourselves way past our previous perceived limitations to collaborate with our brothers and sisters who stand on the wall. We are here, listening, learning, and acting within the moral and ethical scope of our Creator, with discernment for quality instruction. Thank you, brother, for your service and for stepping way out of your way to reach everyone who will give all, regardless of our past or present mil or leo affiliation. I still have freedom today and watching it slip away is unacceptable. Fight for peace!
Well said, brother. We the People are certainly watching, quietly preparing, ready to support in any way when the time comes.. Make no mistake, Our Republic has Already been taken over, and we Are being invaded. We Will NOT let this stand! Wake up, America.. It's time we call upon the spirit of Major Benjamin Tallmadge and the Culpers. Be well, stay focused. 🇺🇸
Loving these videos and the ghostnet in general. Its good to see someone bring up the potential usefulness of radio WITHOUT the insufferable fuddery and snobbish attitude that seems to permeate amature radio.
Hello! I wanted to drop you a quick line to say thank you for all your time, effort, and dedication to the GhostNet project. I think it is a fantastic idea that will no doubt get tons of support (sad hams being always the exception). Always good to have a comms plan during any disaster, national event, etc. Hard to get mad at that. In the more extreme aspects, I think about the regular Russian citizens in Russia. These people are pumped government propaganda, while at the same time having all their news sources that are contrary to their government's interest censored. I can only hope GhostNet type program reaches there too. Perhaps then, Sad Hams might start to understand. Maybe not. Thanks nonetheless.
Thank you Brother! I really need to get into HF. Still using 2m and 70cm for local traffic and my mobile rigs. Need to figure out a good "ghost" antenna that I can put out at my apartment without it being a problem. I appreciate your time creating the GhostNet. I downloaded it and will be laminating it too. Med retired 11B so I get the importance.
I recommend an sdr based radio. One of the reasons is the ability to record the entire band at times and decode messages later. No need torely on a single frequency. Also since sdr is software based, there is no IF frequency to detect. This method was used in ww2 used to detect unauthorized receivers.
Lol, like the channel name.. S2 is military security division I'm guessing... Anyways, thanks for the video and when I have more time I will come back and give you some crucial tips to make it way better... once was the foremost expert for the US Army Communications command and also a software systems engineer who been working with radios for almost 30 years... long story short build something yourself that way you know it's secure, you have to get rid of the third and second party risk in order to be truly secure😎✌️
This is art! When something, even in engineering or science or in this case communication is so amazingly perfect; it enters the realm of art. So, I went to Alpha Graphics and printed two of these. I am sorry, now Alpha Graphics has the top secret com plan LOL. Anyhoo, I printed and laminated two. Slaved over the slicing machine myself to save $1.50 X 56 = $84. Left $34 and done. Well done S2 !!! Now I have to finish reading it, understanding it and start using it! CARRY ON!!!
You should also wear sunglasses if your goal is to conceal your face. AI can easily reconstruct the remainder of your face based on the contours of the mask on the surface underneath. Also, the eyes and your iris patters are the most used areas of your face to allow facial recognition software to tag you.
If you haven't already, look at Ham Radio Crash Course and NotARubicon. NotARubicon is really into GMRS which is FAR easier to get into than Ham and more useful in my opinion since there GMRS license allows your family to transmit legally with you.
Thank you for the paper cutting tutorial. Been looking everywhere for this. Most other people do it too fast, but you made a whole hour long video on it. Thanks!
Just got everything working with a homemade antenna made out of an extension cord, and a sdr. js8 call is up and working great thanks for the tutorial and the PDF ghost net packet. Working in my general ticket now maybe I can join in soon. What do you think about js8 call over DMR for local simplex coms? Especially on uncommon frequencies or It would be technically to ham regulations but have a higher degree of "privacy"
HAM Culture's neophobia and vitriol towards this kind of use case never made any sense to me, given a big portion of HAM origin lore is post-WW1&2 encouragement to create a body of radio-savvy militia, that can server their nation during the exact situations you describe. It's like people who insist "well-regulated militia" should mean banning "military grade" equipment, when it in fact means a militia is useless to The People _unless_ it has training & equipment meeting the standards of a modern military's regulations.
Somthing worth noting, for high bandwith RF receiving is 25USD stuff like CXADC with CX Cards, this can provide 50msps or more of direct stream capture, mainly used in archival of analog video tapes today but was orignally for SDR use when the hacky driver was first created, there is a lot of powerful offshelf chips from the last 20 years that can be re-tasked with firmware/software tinkering, also RSP1 SDRs can be had from china for 15-30USD same stuff is re-sold in the west for 80-100USD+.
Hey homie. I gotta thank you for putting this info out to the GP. I am of the belief that knowledge should be free. Like a public library. I am a poor man by today’s standards so equipment is difficult to obtain but if you were naked in a desert or some freezing wasteland you would still have everything you learned up to that point. Which may not guarantee survival but the chances are significantly higher than someone without knowledge. Again, sincerely, thanks 🙏🏽. Some poor guy in Texas.
I think what you’re doing is great! I spent 8 years in the Army. Finished my career as an AIT instructor. A lot of us veterans are looking for a means to have communications in a SHTF situation. Most of us are not licensed ham operators so this is something we can use. We all need a means of communication. I have the Baofeng radios and my GMRS license but I need to up my game. I have a 40ft tower that I’d like to put a good antenna and repeater on.
I don't really care that much for the incident command system, but I do like that that the training establishes a systematic method for dealing with a kind of first responder situation. That is people can be assigned a position and get to work immediately without sort of standing around kicking rocks. If an Intelligence System was developed it would be nice to say this is the Intelligence Chief, the collection manager, the collection personnel, and the analysts. These are the products that the element can produce.
Just wanted to add, once you laminate, it's air and water tight, hole punching through any part of the enclosed paper will subject it to paper wicking. Possibly recreate a format that would have a wider margin for holepunch/binding on a 4x6, or find an oval/oblong manual hole punch meant for leather and measure out points to punch through that dont go through paper. There's a good deal of info squeezed in already at the current format but for fully waterproofing, this might be necessary. In the current format, if water would wick through, given the paper was printed with ink, definitely over the course time the ink will bleed, laser print will be safe but mold might become an issue with enclosed paper.
I also want to give some of the readers and followers on here a heads up that one of the larger more organized I think and probably a little more interesting of the survival prepper RU-vid channels that's out there at least as far as the amount of varying content that they put out, and that would be survival dispatch channel, has been mentioning recently a couple times now that I've noted resources from both this channel meaning S2 Underground as well as Mike Shelby's Forward Observer Channel and his Gray Zone Activity company. I think that's pretty cool that you guys are getting some honorable mentions and promotion at least within the preparedness community because this information on this channel as well as on Mike Shelby's endeavor I think is priceless information.
I really Appreciate you S2 ! I've been a Ham for 40+ years. GMRS and shortwave monitor too. I've been an ARES/RACES operator for since the early 1990s also I'm a retired firefighter-medic. so I've always been in this mode for a really long time. I've simply printed your excellent booklet by hand ( I'm retired so I've got the time LOL) keep up the great work that you are doing. more folks need to take this seriously , I love the radio content so don't let complaints reach you. my friends and I have been setting up mesh-networks and I've been able to get a good group together to get radios kits assembled. thanks for all of your work , God bless you and 73! -- from an old grey ghost.
Hey, bub. You are doing so much great work here talking through these concepts. We appreciate you. Just wanted to say that if you are worried about someone figuring out your identity, they already have. Your iris is like a fingerprint. Same goes for your eye brows, the distance between the eyes, the shape of your face (even behind a mask). No need to keep up the facade. Then there is the fact that you posted something to Google. Google has already figured out who and where you are and likely has shared it with the USG. That’s just the world we live in. I hope this doesn’t unnerve you but rather helps you see how hard it is to escape Big Brother.
this isn't the point. there are various threat actors, with different capabilities. you're not gonna stop locking your front door just because someone could still kick it in. you're not going to stop covering your face just because nation states have access to the worlds best AI and data... think with your head pal
Some printer software will allow to to print 2-up on standard paper, eliminating all the cutting. You can also buy waterproof (plastic) paper, specific for inkjet or paper, and skip the lamination. The result will be a thinner book that's still more durable than paper, and waterproof.
Great job! I am not completely setup, however when finished will be utilizing all available tools. The naysayers, well, will ALWAYS exist. Keep up the good work and your presentation and information provided is appreciated!
Both VARA and Pactor offer encryption. VARA only allows for it with the correct call sign type. The P4 Dragon modem has both hardware ALE and encryption licenses that you can buy and add to the modem. Whether or not you can use the encryption for Pactor similar to VARA, information is limited on it.
Agree 100% on the infighting/drama crap. I don't know why people can't just spin the knob and do their own thing. Another great way to test gear is POTA. Keeps you mobile like doing a field "Shoot and Scoot" transmission. Thanks for all you do brother and the time I know this takes you. ~Fight in the shade~
really cool channel dude been playing with this some mesh and sdr stuff lately i come from more of a code and web hacking background but have had fun learning new things
Print it out ... *AND* ... download it onto a thumb drive, or better yet, a microSD card. Then make sure you have a microSD to SD card adaptor, a USB card reader, plus an OTG cable for the common jacks on cell phones. Then make sure you have a water- and crush-proof container for your card(s).
Looks like you've done an excellent job on the Ghost Net PDF manual. Have downloaded. New to your channel and want to keep in touch as the Ghost Net sounds like a great idea for me.
Thanks for all that you do...! There are not many people around now a days who would go to the lengths that you do to help us Civilians prepare for bad times...! Prior Military folks have a good standing, where Civ's don't get much training in these prep fields... I got my Tech Ham Op license early as I knew once the grid goes down, so does all the com's., except for Radios... We made it through the Cold War so far but things are ramping up again and there's lot's involved now more so than yesteryear...! I started watching KLW World News w/Lee who monitors SAC E.A.M.'s and aircraft.....! Quite interesting..! =)
I hope you're also informing them of the potential security concerns of having your call sign listed on the FCC website for public view, as well as your name and address
Amazing video, I appreciate the update. This information is very valuable, if the person understands why. You can't lead a horse to water and force it to drink. The GhostNet alone is why I am working towards my General. i know I can listen, but I want to play too. I would like to learn more about Meshtastic and apply it to preparations. Thanks for all you do for the community.
This is super interesting! I got into radio mostly just for fun and so I could build my own legally, but this aspect is very important as well and your level of organization and thoughtfulness is an inspiration.
Don’t pay any attention to the haters. I just got my JS8Call Rx-only setup with an RTL-SDR v4 put together this weekend. Excited to tune into the comms window this Thursday!
Fun tip with a4 paper. It's twice the size of a5. So in theory you should be able to put two pages on one sheet and cut once down the middle to give you two pages on a5. It comes from old paper print with a0 paper. Then moving down smaller by increasing the number each one is half the size of the other. A1 is half the size of a0. A2 is half the size of a1. I think us and eu paper are the same size if not in from eu side of the world. Hope it helps.
Thank you S2 for putting in the work to guide the rest of us in an effort to have a com plan we can all benefit from. Our family is building a man portable kit to hopefully do ALE. We’re excited to hopefully get to participate😀
I've advocated another frequency during your net, but not to detract from your net. I think it would be beneficial to do "local" (IE: actually regional, as opposed to national) Ghost Nets. Not in place of, but in addition to yours, on a totally different night and possibly a different band if warranted, but otherwise still utilizing your plan. I think it would help to foster better connections with those who will be closest to you if and when things go south, and offer an avenue to pass traffic in a timely fashion that might only be applicable to a specific area, instead of wading through a pile up of everyone nationwide or clogging the frequency with information irrelevant to the rest of the nation. I'd also note, that there is already a lot of crossover between Ghost Net and another HF net (which I won't name here), and from what I have seen, it has been positive, and the Wire is being attributed to you when it is sent. Again, I wasn't trying to "poach", detract, undermine, or be malicious in any other way, and I'm sorry if that's how it was taken. I think that what you have done thus far is great, and I hope you continue to refine and perfect it; at least you are doing something.
We should establish a community density map so we can get a general idea of who we could expect to communicate with based on our transmission capabilities
Bit of a nitpick but someone please correct me if I'm wrong - if you holepunch through both lamination material and the paper inside, doesn't the area of the holepunch lose its waterproof quality? if the binder gets soaked for a while, doesn't water just slowly seep into the paper even if the tiniest bit is exposed?
yes S2 is great, i enjoy the every video. to talk you need an antenna which can be a grain auger,i have seen it done and done with 5 watts power, you need an antenna tuner,that will match the frequency to the raditing part[the auger] a good radio with one built in is the g90. kf5jyz
I love the work you have done with all of this. One comment regarding licensing for ham frequencies. Everyone is absolutely right that you don't need one once the government collapses, or even simply if you are in a dire emergency and need help and that's your last option... However, the one thing no one ever brings up, if you haven't used it and practiced with it, how do you know you will have success when you do need it? At the end of the video you start talking about antennas and whether you need or don't need a tuner, etc. If you are just watching youtube videos on how to do this stuff, but never practicing it, how can you guarantee your success when it really matters? Because I've been trying and doing so much over the years, I now know how to tune up a metal slide in the park to work as a makeshift antenna when mine broke and I had nothing else to use. The ham community is filled with a lot of sad hams.. But there are lots of us out there that are not.. We just don't argue on the internet. We're too busy playing with encryption keys on our DMR radios (yes, it's illegal to transmit, which is why I put dummy loads on the HTs to test it) and tuning up our chain link fences to see if we can make it work. If you are in a good community, they can help nurture the plans and practice, while still keeping it legal to keep the suits off our backs. I guarantee you though, the day those agencies fail, is the day that my callsign gets wiped out of all the software and I put a fake one in, just in case someone saved a copy of that database.
Hey S2 please version this set of documents. Knowing which version set of SOPs someone is following is necessary when trying to coordinate. If two people are unknowingly using different versions it can cause major confusion.
