933 Waterproof Hard Case amzn.to/3ND8yes 920 Waterproof Hard Case amzn.to/4eTvHWb ECOFLOW Portable Power Station amzn.to/3BZHMKP Handheld Scanner amzn.to/3NKWho9 Rite in the Rain Weatherproof amzn.to/4e2FJmy Rite in the Rain All-Weather EDC Pen amzn.to/3AdlFjl Radio Made Easy radiomadeeasy.com (Amazon affilate links)
You need a Throat microphone as an alternative to that remote mic that plugs into the baofeng, its amazing if you want something that will make you easily understandable even if in very loud environments, high wind even in case of needing to talk in a very low volume. Look into it my friend.
Ecoflow has a small 45w panel. I picked one up and is super handy. It can direct charge USB devices like phones (and maybe those radios) or charge power banks. They also have a 60w but I think that one might be to big for the bag and it doesn't direct charge. Check them out.
Add a small dry erase board to the inside of the lid, with pens, for keeping track of frequencies/contacts. Creates a portable operations center, add a sticky battery powered light to the inside also.
Alcohol pens require alcohol to remove which is a reactive liquid and something else to pack, used them since the early 80s, great product but requires the additional item.
Here is a suggestion from a fan (me) living in Québec, Canada: Replace ASAP your pen for a lead pencil. A pen is useless in cold weather. In the Canadian Army we were always using pencil with our paper notepad for this specific reason. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your knowledge in all of your videos.
Nitrogen-pressured pen cartridges in Fisher Space Pens is also a good option, write anywhere in any environment. I'd take both with me: pen in pocket, sharpened pencil in kit.
Do you have frequency reference cards by themselves? Like the ones you were supplying or pre-programming in the radio kit from Wranglerstar? I have the Baofeng AR-5RM and live in the Kansas City area. I just feel like I don’t know what channels to keep saved! Thanks man!
I'm in Asheville, NC. My daughters came and got radios from me because the towers were all down. Some live further from me than I could reach, but close enough to each other that we could leap frog comms if needed. I've ordered them radios for to keep now that they've understood the importance of them.
@@Saltystacker Radioddity gm30. They were $37 for the pair on Amazon. I have the similar Baofeng GM15's and have gotten 10 mile range out in Arizona using 771 antenna's. The Radioddity version from what I've seen works excellent with the stock antenna. (Both radios program using the Radioddity GM30 software)
@@westtexasprepper that was about 30 years ago when I was a LEO. Since then I went through a pretty bad divorce, several years of drinking and a really rough time. About 3 months ago I tried to study for my tech, and it's hard for me to remember what I studied. But to this day I remember my call sign, KB5---. 😁
@southernrebel159 good my mate, time for you to get strong again, yesterday is a memory, could have even been a dream, tomorrow is the challenge and I pray you are strong and ready to do it, till it hurts, we need you to remember, relearn what you might have forgotten.
Got my ham ticket way back in the mid 1980’s. I’ve talked to people all over the world with a homemade antenna. Emergency communication is sorely underrated when people think of ham radio. I live on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, I effectively used my hf radio during emergencies a few times. I wish more people would learn more about this fun, nerdy, “old man” hobby. I’m 52 years old and would gladly share knowledge on the subject. Aloha 🤙🏽🤙🏽
Start a channel. I’ll be your 1st follower. I’m so green when it comes to coms. I am exactly where wranglerstar said “I’ll get up to speed when the day comes”
@ hmmm I’ve never thought about that. I think maybe after getting used to the awkwardness of hearing my own voice and talking to a camera, it might be kind of cool. I honestly wouldn’t know where to begin. There are already so many well put together videos out there. But it does sound kind of fun. Id have to get my grandson involved for sure, this being RUclips and all. 😂 Thanks for planting that seed in my head. Aloha and 73 🤙🏽🤙🏽
This disaster was a big eye opener for a lot of us preppers. Sure, we've played war games in our heads or ran weekend drills, but this shows just how bad this can get and how those that weren't supposed to be affected can get hit the worst. Always be ready, but now I've got to start planning for a worse case situation than ever before
We just got back to Maine from TN with grindstone. Our cups have been filled. The group of men and women down there were absolutely phenomenal people. On the long ride home I mentioned to my team mate, I could find 60 capable men and women here to utilize their skill sets, but the faith and morality would likely not be similar, opposing-lay I could find 60 faithful servants to do good works but their skills would not be on par and the work would suffer. I am still in awe of the caliber of people there. Some absolute talents with hearts for loving their neighbors and serving the Lord. Pretty awesome to see
Cody - THANK YOU 🙏 For coming here to “East Coast Man land”. The flood was 😮. Rest Easy Christian your Beloved Viewers are Inspired by your actions. Grace and Peace ✝️
Glad to see you getting squared away brother. I think those choices will serve you well. I know the boys at grindstone learned a lot on the fly from us radio guys and I think they're gonna be much better off in the future for comms after this. Proud to have served with you and if you all ever need help down the road, this Tennesseean will volunteer if I can be of use. God bless you, the family, and the entire warband
I got into ham radio about 9 years ago for emergency communications. What he set you up with is a good bit of kit. You should consider getting your license so that you can learn the ins and outs of emergency comms. I’m sure you’re going to get a lot of hams commenting about the legality of transmitting without a license…. Especially the sad hams. Just keep in mind you can legally transmit on any frequency you have available to you during an emergency. And my inner nerd wanted you to know that your scanner antenna is called a Discone antenna. The name comes from the shape. It’s a disc shape on top and a cone shape on the bottom. They’re fantastic for receiving, which is what makes them a perfect scanner antenna. Great video sir!
He should get his license. Period. That's not a rant - that's a logical determination based on the premise of what the ERN is used for. IDC if you're 5m, 10m, 20 whatever. it is. Licensing helps ensure, during the worst of times, that a protocol is adhered to. That protocol saves lives. Period. If you are a ham operator than I would like to think, I woudl hope, that you understand the reasons why licensing is important. And, frankly, it teaches people at least a few things (although nothing like it used to be) about what they are actually doing. It's good for the 'hobby', the 'community', and the general population in the event comms. are needed. Cody consistently remarks who anyone who recommend he get his license - is being a 'karen' etc. And that's simply ridiculous.
@@OceanofMaya Agree... plus it's not hard, kids under 10 can pass the test and the material is generally useful. Another thing, he found out things he missed/didn't know by experiencing it during an actual disaster. Participating in events like Field Day, especially if you actually go away from your base and operate in the field, teaches you how to work contacts and manage communications. Very useful practice prep for the real thing, so you learn things when it's not do or die...
Skip the “nerd license” stuff and get a part 95 business license. Under $500 and he can get 3 dedicated frequencies for his AO and a couple itinerant frequencies for nationwide use.
He hasn’t discussed which frequencies he’s using. He could be using MURS frequencies which don’t require a license. The only issue at that point is type acceptance for the radios…. And again, in emergencies you can legally transmit on any frequency available to you. Cody has said time and again he is not interested in obtaining his license, and thats entirely his choice. As a ham I completely understand all the reasons why he should… but if he’s using frequencies outside of the amateur space or only using them for emergencies then it’s really not an amateur issue, now is it. That’s between him and the FCC. We’re not the radio police people. Transmitting on license free frequencies on a non type accepted radio is no different than transmitting on a Baofeng with spurious emissions, or using that shiny new MARS mod. Let he who is without radio sin cast the first stone 😁
@@ChrisB_NC Not with those radios my friend. MURS is limited to 2 watts. In my opinion, a part 95 business license would be the best legal solution for the warband. He can allow anyone to operate under his license. For example, I have a frequency I do not use much so I allow my church to use it for their security radios. They operate under my business license. Not trying to be a sad ham. Cody has a lot of haters out there and I am sure one of them would love to find an excuse to flood FCC enforcement bureau with complaints of illegal use.
God bless you Cody! Showing us we really need. Many people take for granted the great videos that you do. All of us appreciate you! Keep up the outstanding work 👍
Praying for you man, I can tell this experience has left an impact on you. Talk to someone if you’re feeling it. It was good to see all of the creators I love out for the people. Truly moving witnessing y’all’s leadership. God bless.
@@cbigg81 Some people are just not happy , I would guess. With respect to his question, in a true emergency, he would be correct in not needing a license. An emergency situation is not the time to try and learn how to do something. Hence being licenced and practicing is a good thing. One also needs to look at the letter of the law/rule vs. the spirit of the law/rule. As WS's video shows, there were some holes, albeit small ones, in his comms plan, and he is taking measures to patch said holes. As a radio operator myself, also good to see other's experiences and "act accordingly".
@@sizemorec1 The license isnt just a license tho, it's also a certificate of expertise... hence having to study for it.. I'd trust someone with a HAM license as a radio operator any day over someone without one since they've demonstrated they understand the practical application of radio communications. Same way as I'd trust someone with a driver's license to drive a car over someone without one. It's that simple.
This is a nicely organized comms pac to meet your needs. The only thing that I would add to the kit are a set of clam shells for 2A batteries for the hand held radios as a plan B. I learned that the hard way working on project fires out west working with the USFS. I don't know if anyone has suggested this or not. Let alone if clam shells are available for those radios. Just my two cents keep up the good videos
I participate in local and national emergency nets as an amateur radio operator frequently. I use all modes, VHF/UHF, HF, DSTAR, DMR, and anything else in-between. The biggest problem with it all is there are too many modes, and to settle on anyone mode of communication would difficult to choose, since there is not one radio that can do all modes. The skill level required to operate in a emergency situation is going to be someone who practices it frequently and with a in depth knowledge of all these modes and the ability to seamlessly go from one mode or radio to another to get information from one group to the next. Anyone who buys a radio and says I am ready for comms during an event is sadly mistaken without proper self education and practice, practice, practice.. I've been doing this 20years and feel like I do not know enough about any of it.. Thank you for the video, as always.. been following you for many years now and learned a lot from you after buying my homestead/farm..
This though. VHF/UHF is bare bones/minimum investment most people would probably be better with a CB purely for the range/ease of use. Like you said settling on a single mode isnt a legitimate option because of the advantages of different modes.
A couple of people on-the-ground in North Carolina said that they got more use out of the analog scanners than the digital ones. One person speculated that was because the towers supporting the digital frequencies were down.
@@Jollyprez I mean digital doesnt replace analog but it is better in every single metric. Especially since like Wranglerstar said most digital do both. It's not a bad option at all (better than nothing) but it's not the BEST option in 2025. Personally, if it's cheap, I'd pick one up and never look back. At worst it's a backup or secondary.
I grew up in the 70s. This reminds me of my Dad and his friends with all of their jacked up CB radio base stations and their giant rooftop antennas. Yes, I know ham is on a whole different level, but their geeking out was certainly on-par.
I've been punting the can for a few years on getting my amateur license, but after seeing everything coming out of Helene, it's kicked my rear into studying.
The one thing I learned from the hurricane relief effort. If another man lets you touch his saw, be thankful, if you claim it as your own, over your shoulders you will look the rest of your days. 😂
@@KILLKING110 "the US is finally realizing how far it is behind radio tech wise" Because radio tech is pretty useless with a cell network as robust as ours. Also "far behind" is relative to who or what you're speaking about. The USA govt? Probably not. The US military? Definitely not. The average civilian? Yes but they really dont have use of them on a given day. Most Americans, even in an emergency, wont use a radio transmitter for communications. That's just the fact. They may tune into an FM radio but that's it for radios for 99% of Americans and that will give enough information for the most part.
You may enjoy the SDS200 scanner for your home base station. It would be a nice fit alongside the TYT digital base station. The SDS100 is great, very useful device, especially to grab and go. Good overview and setup.
As an old licensed ham radio operator.... this is a grey area, and that's fine with me. I think it's far more important to build some resilience back in the US than obsess over rules and corner cases.
Great set up. One comment on the ECO Flow, I didnt know. I needed my river a week or two ago and it kept shutting down. after spending more than a hour (which they were great, and if we needed to hang up they always called back when they said) it turns out my issue was because I hadn't updated my firm wear. After logging in and updating its worked great. Now I know to make sure I check it every so often.
Very nice setup! Also look in to meshtastic devices like Lilygo. Cheap long range encrypted communication. And you can build small self sufficient nodes running off solar to expand your mesh. Perfect for a ransh or homestead.
Second this. 50 watt repeater for every car and then 1000+ watts for the house. That's the system police use and it's obviously very functional (ofc they use 5000 watts)
One thing I learned from Helene is that I've got nobody to talk to. I sat here for 8 days without a single soul coming by to check on me. Sure, I had no comms, but I also had nobody to call. The one thing I would have liked would be a small little radio that runs on CR123 batts just so I could listen to news and music. During those Days of Darkness, I got a little lonely as I sat on my front porch watching the world go by. A little music in the background would have been nice. Nobody makes a small AM/FM radio that runs on CR123's, sadly, and it Helene taught me anything, it's that relying on something other than a 123 to be there when you need it.... is folly. I'm switching all my lights to only what runs on CR123 batteries, and buying a bunch more Hurricane Lanterns like the Feuerhand brand lanterns.
@@Justinl.93 CR123 batteries have a shelf-life of at least 5 years. Some claim up to 10 years. What that means is that you don't have to worry about the batteries going dead on you, or degrading and corroding the inside of your light. I can, and do, leave my Surefire flashlight sitting around for months at a time. It doesn't get used very often because I just don't need to use it very often. But when I pick it up.... I know it will work! During the Days of Darkness post-Helene, I gathered up all my lights. Every single one that ran 'normal' batteries was toast because of some problem with the batteries. They were either dead from sitting around unused, or they were corroded because the batteries leaked. Only my Surefire light with the CR123 batteries was operational. Sure, you could get chargers and all that. Rechargeable batteries are logical if you have lots of battery-powered stuff that you use all the time. I don't have that, though. I used Hurricane Lanterns for evening light. The Feuerhand lanterns are the best on the market and worth every penny. Between oil lamps and my Surefire light, I was good to go and had no worries. Now, I just need to find a small radio that operates on CR123 batteries and I'll be set!
Thanks for the Memories is Cobra radio CB had one back in the late 80s for the car with a magnet with a like a 5-ft and turn on the back of the car thank you thanks for the knowledge.
Excellent review! One correction, those don't have military grade encryption. The average Proho couldn't afford that type of radio that can do that level of encryption. Yes, those digital radio are capable of a type of encryption, and far better than any analog radio. Keep up the great content. Thank you!
Good rule of preperation: You will never, ever be prepared for everything. The focus of most preperation should be taking proactive steps to prepare for as much as you can, because a lot of times what you can and do prepare for makes it a lot easier to deal with what you couldn't.
PowerFilm solar makes thin film solar that pack up small. Instead of a tri panel solar setup you could have a tarp sized thin film panel. Id suggest looking them up at Least
While comms are somewhat necessary, I wouldn't put it on the same level as water. I will say, that is a really nice radio set up. Consider mounting. 100-150 watt solar panel to your vehicle. Couple that with a separate 200 Amp-hr battery, and a 400-750 watt inverter.
Best videos ever created! 👏 360° approach to all aspects of survival. Plus, the research has already been done for quality gear. LIGHTS GO OUT, THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO STAND A FIGHTING CHANCE. Superior, no-hype content. ✨
Been getting in to this stuff for the last 7 years or so. I think it may be beneficial to newbies for you to atleast mention that if you are useing these on GMRS frequencies you will need to get your lisence to use some if these higher power radios legally.
Just a thought, link the base station to an amazon alexa or old iphone for siri, that way you can radio com directly to ai assistant and do many functions remotely
Look into 100Ah batteries with a charger, and a Pure Sine Wave inverter for the base station radio. You can add a mppt solar charge controller and solar panels later. I also recommend the Tram 1480 antenna for the base station radio. 🏆😎
21:41 lmao "watch the nerds on youtube". I am doing so right now. It's nice to have experts to rely on. My are of "expertise" is unfortunately computing, and more recently cloud infrastructure, which is unlikely to be very valuable in most wider disaster situations. So I'm glad to have proho, survival and preparation type nerds like this channel to rely on. God bless
"unlikely to be very valuable in most wider disaster situations" Perhaps but it's VERY useful in the long term restoration process. Most people know nothing about IT having one dude who can set up a peer to peer server and restore at least local internet would be a blessing for any post apocalypse community. It's not as if the value of the internet will just disappear... if anything it will become far more important. Backup important information + videos onto a server in your house and you can restart civilization solo.... Humanity is never going back to the dark ages with all the information we have now. Books alone prevent that but a computer housing all the relevant information? Genuine seed of civilization. Even if you die as long as the server doesnt have a password then anyone from the future can come through and use that information for good. Electricity is easy to make... an old bike + alternator and you're in business. Just something to consider.
Phones was out here in Rural Eastern Ky a fuw weeks ago after that storm most of the county was without power, Internet & Phone Luckily we had power But Just so happen i am a Radio Guy & have Ben for 35+ years ! Started when i was 7-8 yo & it still amazes me that i can talk any where in the world with a 100w radio and a Wire & how Different people are Yet we all love most of the same things That is just So Cool to Some One Like Me ( a Old Country Boy) But More Power is always Better to .lol. Any Way Back to my Point..i also have a Uncle who i Helped set up with a 25w GMRS Radio & External Out door ant(Diamond X30A) As well as a Cousin n another part of the co & We All three was able to talk to ea other the whole time ! We all have 25watt Mobile Radios set up in our houses Like a Base with Outside antennas We Also All Have Several HT''S each my Cousin has 5-6 & i Think i have 6-8 Uncle has 3-4 Then i have a Few 25w Mobile Radios as well as 2-3 50w radios as well as 100w ..lol. im a bit of a Nerd I Know but i have always Ben amused/fascinated/Impressed by radios I am Also a Ham & Really Enjoy Listening to other people from all over the world !
If proho want to decode some popular digital signals, there was once an open source software which got taken down for being able to do that. The OG copy is filed here on YT in a video comments section.
Your green mesh wrapped antenna on your personal radio that Deric makes will make your digital scanner sing with traffic same with the signal stick as they have more exposed wire. Only when transmitting with an antenna does it matter about being tuned. For scanners the more wire catching signals the better.
I don't know this for sure, but I am pretty certain, you can't plug your power pack into a solar panel you see on the side of the road. The connector you have is for portable panels only.
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You need a Throat microphone as an alternative to that remote mic that plugs into the baofeng, its amazing if you want something that will make you easily understandable even if in very loud environments, high wind even in case of needing to talk in a very low volume. Look into it my friend.
Ecoflow has a small 45w panel. I picked one up and is super handy. It can direct charge USB devices like phones (and maybe those radios) or charge power banks. They also have a 60w but I think that one might be to big for the bag and it doesn't direct charge. Check them out.
GMRS?
Scannners? Cody..
Is it a GMRS OR DMR RADIO ?
Add a small dry erase board to the inside of the lid, with pens, for keeping track of frequencies/contacts. Creates a portable operations center, add a sticky battery powered light to the inside also.
instead of dry erase use alcohol pens, they don't get wiped away on acciddnt
Great ideas thanks
Alcohol pens require alcohol to remove which is a reactive liquid and something else to pack, used them since the early 80s, great product but requires the additional item.
The dry erase sounds like a good option. I think the Rite in the Rain pad is the better option.
I’ll agree on a small rite in rain note pad and pen.
Here is a suggestion from a fan (me) living in Québec, Canada: Replace ASAP your pen for a lead pencil. A pen is useless in cold weather. In the Canadian Army we were always using pencil with our paper notepad for this specific reason. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your knowledge in all of your videos.
Nitrogen-pressured pen cartridges in Fisher Space Pens is also a good option, write anywhere in any environment. I'd take both with me: pen in pocket, sharpened pencil in kit.
I'm proud it is working so well for you in real-world application. We have kits shipping every day - excited to hear how others implement them.
Do you have frequency reference cards by themselves? Like the ones you were supplying or pre-programming in the radio kit from Wranglerstar? I have the Baofeng AR-5RM and live in the Kansas City area. I just feel like I don’t know what channels to keep saved! Thanks man!
@@kccreations5945 we have the UV-5R Cheat Sheets on our site
Are your radio kits GMRS? FRS? HAM? etc.
Are they GMRS OR HAM?
@@davidh9452 theyre digital. They can do it all
I'm in Asheville, NC. My daughters came and got radios from me because the towers were all down. Some live further from me than I could reach, but close enough to each other that we could leap frog comms if needed. I've ordered them radios for to keep now that they've understood the importance of them.
What radios did you order?
@@Saltystacker Radioddity gm30. They were $37 for the pair on Amazon. I have the similar Baofeng GM15's and have gotten 10 mile range out in Arizona using 771 antenna's. The Radioddity version from what I've seen works excellent with the stock antenna. (Both radios program using the Radioddity GM30 software)
What’s the range like?
As a former amateur radio operator, I will say that Evan is 100% correct. Take care brother and my Father YHVH bless y'all. 😊
@southernrebel159 why former?
@@westtexasprepper that was about 30 years ago when I was a LEO.
Since then I went through a pretty bad divorce, several years of drinking and a really rough time.
About 3 months ago I tried to study for my tech, and it's hard for me to remember what I studied.
But to this day I remember my call sign, KB5---. 😁
@@southernrebel159 Keep after it! Prayers for you Brother!
@southernrebel159 good my mate, time for you to get strong again, yesterday is a memory, could have even been a dream, tomorrow is the challenge and I pray you are strong and ready to do it, till it hurts, we need you to remember, relearn what you might have forgotten.
Stay up brother.@@southernrebel159
I have found scanners very useful for hearing what the real conditions are while the people working the issue speak about it.
Got my ham ticket way back in the mid 1980’s. I’ve talked to people all over the world with a homemade antenna. Emergency communication is sorely underrated when people think of ham radio. I live on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, I effectively used my hf radio during emergencies a few times. I wish more people would learn more about this fun, nerdy, “old man” hobby. I’m 52 years old and would gladly share knowledge on the subject. Aloha 🤙🏽🤙🏽
Start a channel. I’ll be your 1st follower. I’m so green when it comes to coms. I am exactly where wranglerstar said “I’ll get up to speed when the day comes”
Make some videos mang. I'm sure a lot of people would be interested in your experience and knowledge.
@ hmmm I’ve never thought about that. I think maybe after getting used to the awkwardness of hearing my own voice and talking to a camera, it might be kind of cool. I honestly wouldn’t know where to begin. There are already so many well put together videos out there. But it does sound kind of fun. Id have to get my grandson involved for sure, this being RUclips and all. 😂 Thanks for planting that seed in my head. Aloha and 73 🤙🏽🤙🏽
This disaster was a big eye opener for a lot of us preppers. Sure, we've played war games in our heads or ran weekend drills, but this shows just how bad this can get and how those that weren't supposed to be affected can get hit the worst. Always be ready, but now I've got to start planning for a worse case situation than ever before
I don’t care who you are, what you think you know, or how carefully you plan, experience makes all the difference.
Isn't that the truth. I tried getting my daughter to understand that by saying, "I know, because I've made more mistakes than you."
@@krissyp7219 Yep. Everyday is a learning experience.
We just got back to Maine from TN with grindstone. Our cups have been filled. The group of men and women down there were absolutely phenomenal people. On the long ride home I mentioned to my team mate, I could find 60 capable men and women here to utilize their skill sets, but the faith and morality would likely not be similar, opposing-lay I could find 60 faithful servants to do good works but their skills would not be on par and the work would suffer. I am still in awe of the caliber of people there. Some absolute talents with hearts for loving their neighbors and serving the Lord. Pretty awesome to see
Appreciate coming down to the volunteer state and giving us a hand Pro Ho. Stay blessed sir. 🇺🇸🦅📜🌲🐍🙏🏻
Cody - THANK YOU 🙏 For coming here to “East Coast Man land”. The flood was 😮. Rest Easy Christian your Beloved Viewers are Inspired by your actions. Grace and Peace ✝️
Tennessee is Southern Man land.
your antenna size is based on the wavelength of the signal, so different lengths for different frequencies
Glad to see you getting squared away brother. I think those choices will serve you well. I know the boys at grindstone learned a lot on the fly from us radio guys and I think they're gonna be much better off in the future for comms after this.
Proud to have served with you and if you all ever need help down the road, this Tennesseean will volunteer if I can be of use. God bless you, the family, and the entire warband
I got into ham radio about 9 years ago for emergency communications. What he set you up with is a good bit of kit. You should consider getting your license so that you can learn the ins and outs of emergency comms. I’m sure you’re going to get a lot of hams commenting about the legality of transmitting without a license…. Especially the sad hams. Just keep in mind you can legally transmit on any frequency you have available to you during an emergency. And my inner nerd wanted you to know that your scanner antenna is called a Discone antenna. The name comes from the shape. It’s a disc shape on top and a cone shape on the bottom. They’re fantastic for receiving, which is what makes them a perfect scanner antenna. Great video sir!
He should get his license. Period. That's not a rant - that's a logical determination based on the premise of what the ERN is used for. IDC if you're 5m, 10m, 20 whatever. it is. Licensing helps ensure, during the worst of times, that a protocol is adhered to. That protocol saves lives. Period. If you are a ham operator than I would like to think, I woudl hope, that you understand the reasons why licensing is important. And, frankly, it teaches people at least a few things (although nothing like it used to be) about what they are actually doing. It's good for the 'hobby', the 'community', and the general population in the event comms. are needed.
Cody consistently remarks who anyone who recommend he get his license - is being a 'karen' etc. And that's simply ridiculous.
@@OceanofMaya Agree... plus it's not hard, kids under 10 can pass the test and the material is generally useful. Another thing, he found out things he missed/didn't know by experiencing it during an actual disaster. Participating in events like Field Day, especially if you actually go away from your base and operate in the field, teaches you how to work contacts and manage communications. Very useful practice prep for the real thing, so you learn things when it's not do or die...
Skip the “nerd license” stuff and get a part 95 business license. Under $500 and he can get 3 dedicated frequencies for his AO and a couple itinerant frequencies for nationwide use.
He hasn’t discussed which frequencies he’s using. He could be using MURS frequencies which don’t require a license. The only issue at that point is type acceptance for the radios…. And again, in emergencies you can legally transmit on any frequency available to you. Cody has said time and again he is not interested in obtaining his license, and thats entirely his choice. As a ham I completely understand all the reasons why he should… but if he’s using frequencies outside of the amateur space or only using them for emergencies then it’s really not an amateur issue, now is it. That’s between him and the FCC. We’re not the radio police people. Transmitting on license free frequencies on a non type accepted radio is no different than transmitting on a Baofeng with spurious emissions, or using that shiny new MARS mod. Let he who is without radio sin cast the first stone 😁
@@ChrisB_NC Not with those radios my friend. MURS is limited to 2 watts. In my opinion, a part 95 business license would be the best legal solution for the warband. He can allow anyone to operate under his license. For example, I have a frequency I do not use much so I allow my church to use it for their security radios. They operate under my business license. Not trying to be a sad ham. Cody has a lot of haters out there and I am sure one of them would love to find an excuse to flood FCC enforcement bureau with complaints of illegal use.
Good to see you today. Thanks for helping us figuring this stuff out.
"Gravy SEAL".....Hahahahaha! Thanks for the laugh Cody. I will use that one forever.
I'll admit, I clicked on this because of the cat you were holding!!
Cat bait
😂
@@drewhadams ROFL!!!!🤣🤣🤣
He's got a new kitten that's been horning in on this 19?-year-old lady. It's nice to see she's getting attention.
Me too. What a nice calm cat
I love how you spare no expense for what ever you need and you always get the cool stuff .
I'm cheap on many things, but never gear.
Don’t count on using that ecoflo battery to get a clean signal if you’re running the inverter there will be noise on any radios nearby.
God bless you Cody! Showing us we really need. Many people take for granted the great videos that you do. All of us appreciate you! Keep up the outstanding work 👍
Good to see Mama getting some love!
Didn't hear a thing you said. Cat in the box took all my focus.
Praying for you man, I can tell this experience has left an impact on you.
Talk to someone if you’re feeling it.
It was good to see all of the creators I love out for the people. Truly moving witnessing y’all’s leadership. God bless.
I just like hearing him say "An-tan-ah". It pleases my Midwest man ears.
😁
As a west coast man, I didn't realize that was any other way to say it. Unless you are from the UK where they call an antenna an "aerial". Cheers.
Great Gear Brother .
Yes , we all have our place in life .
God Bless .
Just ordered a single kit! Love the content. Bless you sir!
I am going through my comms equipment as well. Have my HAM license (25+ years) and also picked up my GMRS license last month.
So what you don’t need a license in an emergency
@sizemorec1 true, still good to have to practice, and family is covered under the GMRS.
Can meet and interact with others in the area.
@sizemorec1
How is your comment helpful, edifying, kind, or respectful?
It wasn't.
@@cbigg81 Some people are just not happy , I would guess. With respect to his question, in a true emergency, he would be correct in not needing a license. An emergency situation is not the time to try and learn how to do something. Hence being licenced and practicing is a good thing. One also needs to look at the letter of the law/rule vs. the spirit of the law/rule. As WS's video shows, there were some holes, albeit small ones, in his comms plan, and he is taking measures to patch said holes. As a radio operator myself, also good to see other's experiences and "act accordingly".
@@sizemorec1 The license isnt just a license tho, it's also a certificate of expertise... hence having to study for it..
I'd trust someone with a HAM license as a radio operator any day over someone without one since they've demonstrated they understand the practical application of radio communications.
Same way as I'd trust someone with a driver's license to drive a car over someone without one. It's that simple.
Very happy your caught up young man! Cheers
This is a nicely organized comms pac to meet your needs. The only thing that I would add to the kit are a set of clam shells for 2A batteries for the hand held radios as a plan B. I learned that the hard way working on project fires out west working with the USFS. I don't know if anyone has suggested this or not. Let alone if clam shells are available for those radios. Just my two cents keep up the good videos
I participate in local and national emergency nets as an amateur radio operator frequently. I use all modes, VHF/UHF, HF, DSTAR, DMR, and anything else in-between. The biggest problem with it all is there are too many modes, and to settle on anyone mode of communication would difficult to choose, since there is not one radio that can do all modes. The skill level required to operate in a emergency situation is going to be someone who practices it frequently and with a in depth knowledge of all these modes and the ability to seamlessly go from one mode or radio to another to get information from one group to the next. Anyone who buys a radio and says I am ready for comms during an event is sadly mistaken without proper self education and practice, practice, practice.. I've been doing this 20years and feel like I do not know enough about any of it.. Thank you for the video, as always.. been following you for many years now and learned a lot from you after buying my homestead/farm..
This though. VHF/UHF is bare bones/minimum investment most people would probably be better with a CB purely for the range/ease of use.
Like you said settling on a single mode isnt a legitimate option because of the advantages of different modes.
A couple of people on-the-ground in North Carolina said that they got more use out of the analog scanners than the digital ones. One person speculated that was because the towers supporting the digital frequencies were down.
Bro, digital scanner that I have picked up both
@@wranglerstar Ah, but analog scanners are less expensive and frequently available at garage sales for those of us that are financially challenged. :)
@@Jollyprez I mean digital doesnt replace analog but it is better in every single metric. Especially since like Wranglerstar said most digital do both.
It's not a bad option at all (better than nothing) but it's not the BEST option in 2025. Personally, if it's cheap, I'd pick one up and never look back. At worst it's a backup or secondary.
@@JarthenGreenmeadow I was just relaying what somebody on the ground after Hurricane Helene said worked best for him.
Yo Proho !!!! Keep sharing your experiences and improvements!!! Thanks bud!
I grew up in the 70s. This reminds me of my Dad and his friends with all of their jacked up CB radio base stations and their giant rooftop antennas. Yes, I know ham is on a whole different level, but their geeking out was certainly on-par.
I just got my first real job today as a Chevy tech.
I’m a Ford guy lol
That's rough
I've been punting the can for a few years on getting my amateur license, but after seeing everything coming out of Helene, it's kicked my rear into studying.
Loving the longer videos!
The one thing I learned from the hurricane relief effort. If another man lets you touch his saw, be thankful, if you claim it as your own, over your shoulders you will look the rest of your days. 😂
The good old 440ohm twinkead ladderline.
Classic I've made 4 or 5 now.
Works like a charm.
Those baofangs have so many modes and things they can do including using as a repeater it’s crazy lol 😂
It's ironic the US is finally realizing how far it is behind radio tech wise heck in the GMRS community we have more features than a expensive Kenwood
For the money they are pretty awesome.
@@KILLKING110 "the US is finally realizing how far it is behind radio tech wise"
Because radio tech is pretty useless with a cell network as robust as ours. Also "far behind" is relative to who or what you're speaking about. The USA govt? Probably not. The US military? Definitely not. The average civilian? Yes but they really dont have use of them on a given day.
Most Americans, even in an emergency, wont use a radio transmitter for communications. That's just the fact. They may tune into an FM radio but that's it for radios for 99% of Americans and that will give enough information for the most part.
wrangler star man how do you do it man the quality the intro the speach thehomestead/farm i have no clue how you are so awesome!
You're making fun of me, so unkind,
You may enjoy the SDS200 scanner for your home base station. It would be a nice fit alongside the TYT digital base station. The SDS100 is great, very useful device, especially to grab and go. Good overview and setup.
As an old licensed ham radio operator.... this is a grey area, and that's fine with me. I think it's far more important to build some resilience back in the US than obsess over rules and corner cases.
West Coast man
.. welcome to East coast
Wow very cool i would not know about this stuff if wasn't for guys like you thanks dude.
Great set up. One comment on the ECO Flow, I didnt know. I needed my river a week or two ago and it kept shutting down. after spending more than a hour (which they were great, and if we needed to hang up they always called back when they said) it turns out my issue was because I hadn't updated my firm wear. After logging in and updating its worked great. Now I know to make sure I check it every so often.
Cody/Sweat-loaf the gravy seal! LMAO🤣
Very nice setup! Also look in to meshtastic devices like Lilygo. Cheap long range encrypted communication. And you can build small self sufficient nodes running off solar to expand your mesh. Perfect for a ransh or homestead.
My starlink came in the mail today that disaster made it really easy to justify the price
you need to get yourself a repeater for your home base station so that your family and the war band can communicate at further distances.
Second this. 50 watt repeater for every car and then 1000+ watts for the house.
That's the system police use and it's obviously very functional (ofc they use 5000 watts)
One thing I learned from Helene is that I've got nobody to talk to. I sat here for 8 days without a single soul coming by to check on me. Sure, I had no comms, but I also had nobody to call. The one thing I would have liked would be a small little radio that runs on CR123 batts just so I could listen to news and music. During those Days of Darkness, I got a little lonely as I sat on my front porch watching the world go by. A little music in the background would have been nice. Nobody makes a small AM/FM radio that runs on CR123's, sadly, and it Helene taught me anything, it's that relying on something other than a 123 to be there when you need it.... is folly. I'm switching all my lights to only what runs on CR123 batteries, and buying a bunch more Hurricane Lanterns like the Feuerhand brand lanterns.
I'm looking for an old AM/FM radio! Just rebuilt an old hurricane lantern my parents had.
Why cr123? I don’t know the difference just curious
First time actually hearing about one honestly 😅
@@Justinl.93 CR123 batteries have a shelf-life of at least 5 years. Some claim up to 10 years. What that means is that you don't have to worry about the batteries going dead on you, or degrading and corroding the inside of your light.
I can, and do, leave my Surefire flashlight sitting around for months at a time. It doesn't get used very often because I just don't need to use it very often. But when I pick it up.... I know it will work!
During the Days of Darkness post-Helene, I gathered up all my lights. Every single one that ran 'normal' batteries was toast because of some problem with the batteries. They were either dead from sitting around unused, or they were corroded because the batteries leaked. Only my Surefire light with the CR123 batteries was operational.
Sure, you could get chargers and all that. Rechargeable batteries are logical if you have lots of battery-powered stuff that you use all the time. I don't have that, though. I used Hurricane Lanterns for evening light. The Feuerhand lanterns are the best on the market and worth every penny. Between oil lamps and my Surefire light, I was good to go and had no worries. Now, I just need to find a small radio that operates on CR123 batteries and I'll be set!
They sell radios with a hand crank. Very nice when there is no power OR batteries.
Thanks for the Memories is Cobra radio CB had one back in the late 80s for the car with a magnet with a like a 5-ft and turn on the back of the car thank you thanks for the knowledge.
Excellent review! One correction, those don't have military grade encryption. The average Proho couldn't afford that type of radio that can do that level of encryption.
Yes, those digital radio are capable of a type of encryption, and far better than any analog radio.
Keep up the great content. Thank you!
Omg I love your videos but I don't think I can do another coms video, we get it you have a deal with radio made each 😂
Can also use a spot or a Garmin PLB Personal Locator beacon. Most models now you can message on.
Good rule of preperation: You will never, ever be prepared for everything. The focus of most preperation should be taking proactive steps to prepare for as much as you can, because a lot of times what you can and do prepare for makes it a lot easier to deal with what you couldn't.
I first saw the Slim Jim antenna in We Were Soldiers. Reached all the way to Vietnam apparently
Using a roof mag mount turn the car roof into a reflector pushing the signal much further.
“Gravy Seal”
I’m dying over here😂
PowerFilm solar makes thin film solar that pack up small. Instead of a tri panel solar setup you could have a tarp sized thin film panel. Id suggest looking them up at Least
While comms are somewhat necessary, I wouldn't put it on the same level as water. I will say, that is a really nice radio set up. Consider mounting. 100-150 watt solar panel to your vehicle. Couple that with a separate 200 Amp-hr battery, and a 400-750 watt inverter.
We thought we were too, my wife and I had a discussion about all of it today.
Trust a man in a hard hat rather than a man in a small hat.
Israel is our greeters ally,
@@wranglerstar *Rubs hands together*
@@Phil11390
I'm telling Ben Shapiro 😂
@@wranglerstaryes no expenses are spared for such a good buddy 😅
Best videos ever created! 👏
360° approach to all aspects of survival.
Plus, the research has already been done for quality gear.
LIGHTS GO OUT, THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO STAND A FIGHTING CHANCE.
Superior, no-hype content. ✨
Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate it.
@@wranglerstar Sincerely welcome. Keep up the good work.
Been getting in to this stuff for the last 7 years or so. I think it may be beneficial to newbies for you to atleast mention that if you are useing these on GMRS frequencies you will need to get your lisence to use some if these higher power radios legally.
Just a thought, link the base station to an amazon alexa or old iphone for siri, that way you can radio com directly to ai assistant and do many functions remotely
“High speed internet anywhere in the country”. SE WV smiles back at you.
your radio specialist should tell you that the properties of the antenna are severely impaired if you carry it as a loop in your pocket
he just does it for the looks
Logan was obviously public school educated,
I enjoy the longer format videos!
AMAZING KNOWLEDGE THERE AMAZING VIDEO I'M IN WV AND I NEED TO GET MY COMMS SETUP ASAP
I ordered the three radio kit.
No one is truely ready. “They will be marrying and giving away in marriage, drinking, etc”…
Thanks for info and g lad your time withTC was good.
good video. I bought a nanuk 910 in 2018 for just $27. Sure wish I had bought more than 1 they are now ~$60-80! wow how times have changed...
A lot of the local digital gear went down during Helene. I’d consider an analog scanner, too.
Agree
Hickok45 approves of the Tennessee/ Kentucky mix up!!!
@11:16 You should make sure the cable is LMR-400 quality or better.
Walking around the shop like a cyber man is a bit OTT bro 😎
Look into 100Ah batteries with a charger, and a Pure Sine Wave inverter for the base station radio. You can add a mppt solar charge controller and solar panels later. I also recommend the Tram 1480 antenna for the base station radio. 🏆😎
Very Nice System. I gotta go watch the starling video
A starlink interface for comms would be super duper skookum what say Wrang? 📻 📡 🛰️
Cody, you need a fire dept leather radio case and strap for carrying that portable. Just my opinion
21:41 lmao "watch the nerds on youtube". I am doing so right now. It's nice to have experts to rely on. My are of "expertise" is unfortunately computing, and more recently cloud infrastructure, which is unlikely to be very valuable in most wider disaster situations. So I'm glad to have proho, survival and preparation type nerds like this channel to rely on. God bless
"unlikely to be very valuable in most wider disaster situations"
Perhaps but it's VERY useful in the long term restoration process. Most people know nothing about IT having one dude who can set up a peer to peer server and restore at least local internet would be a blessing for any post apocalypse community.
It's not as if the value of the internet will just disappear... if anything it will become far more important. Backup important information + videos onto a server in your house and you can restart civilization solo....
Humanity is never going back to the dark ages with all the information we have now. Books alone prevent that but a computer housing all the relevant information? Genuine seed of civilization. Even if you die as long as the server doesnt have a password then anyone from the future can come through and use that information for good. Electricity is easy to make... an old bike + alternator and you're in business.
Just something to consider.
@@JarthenGreenmeadow thanks brother
Every disaster is a learning tool.
Gravy seal needs a shirt n sticker. Funny stuff
I thought that last item was a toaster at first 😂 . Cool kit.
Cody you need to go back to the hurricane area and film film film this time. People need to know
Phones was out here in Rural Eastern Ky a fuw weeks ago after that storm most of the county was without power, Internet & Phone Luckily we had power But Just so happen i am a Radio Guy & have Ben for 35+ years ! Started when i was 7-8 yo & it still amazes me that i can talk any where in the world with a 100w radio and a Wire & how Different people are Yet we all love most of the same things That is just So Cool to Some One Like Me ( a Old Country Boy) But More Power is always Better to .lol. Any Way Back to my Point..i also have a Uncle who i Helped set up with
a 25w GMRS Radio & External Out door ant(Diamond X30A) As well as a Cousin n another part of the co & We All three was able to talk to ea other the whole time ! We all have 25watt Mobile Radios set up in our houses Like a Base with Outside antennas We Also All Have Several HT''S each my Cousin has 5-6 & i Think i have 6-8 Uncle has 3-4 Then i have a Few 25w Mobile Radios as well as 2-3 50w radios as well as 100w ..lol. im a bit of a Nerd I Know but i have always Ben amused/fascinated/Impressed by radios I am Also a Ham & Really Enjoy Listening to other people from all over the world !
Comm box is now a Cat box 😂
If proho want to decode some popular digital signals, there was once an open source software which got taken down for being able to do that. The OG copy is filed here on YT in a video comments section.
Your green mesh wrapped antenna on your personal radio that Deric makes will make your digital scanner sing with traffic same with the signal stick as they have more exposed wire. Only when transmitting with an antenna does it matter about being tuned. For scanners the more wire catching signals the better.
Nice patch😉
I love this cat.
Who could not?
If you want portable solar, i would go with Jackery, super reliable and very high quality .
The cat is always the best part of the vid
I tend to agree. They always possess the magic of working their way into your heart. O l o
I would recommend getting a HAM general license so that you can talk on HF. Look into POTA for real long distance HF comms.
I don't know this for sure, but I am pretty certain, you can't plug your power pack into a solar panel you see on the side of the road.
The connector you have is for portable panels only.
"Hope is not a strategy." Wranglerstar's most oft quoted advice.
08:20 - A special upvote just for the kitty 👍
Yes, indeed.
Yes, indeed!