@joshua511 I started watching TREX because of Lucas gun videos... I've continued warching because of Isaac lol. Funny how primary interests change over time. I know how to shoot. Now I need to learn other areas of preparedness.
Step 1: Acquire GMRS license Step 2: Buy as many Baofeng GMRS handheld radios as possible Step 3: Hand out all your radios to your cheapskate friends and family who wouldn't take comms seriously in peace time and get them to all use your license Step 4: Buy a mobile radio for your vehicle to have more FARS. Buy a GMRS mobile repeater if you have money. But also I think CB might be the secret weapon of emergency comms that no one appreciates at the moment.
A real GMRS repeater would be a complete waste of money, they are not cheap and the frequencies you can use are terrible. I only get about 2 miles MAX between a handheld and a base station. Quit being a dumb dumb and get your ham license.
I want to figure out data comms via CB SSB. Yes, I know it's currently illegal. Nothing says you can't transmit it into a dummy load though. I also want to figure out variable transmit power from my CB.
i see Isaac, i click... it's simple. nothing against the other t-rex'ers, but he's the only part of the company's youtube presence i get value from these days.
Just gonna say this now - everything you mentioned I have discussed in multiple "tactical comms" forums/groups/etc and have been ignored since 2018-2019. I am glad they're listening to *someone* now, but most of us have acknowledged these issues and moved past them years ago...
A trex app that transmits and receives data bursts with an option to encrypt messages would be pretty slick (think andfldigi with AES 256 app combined together).
A GMRS license is $35, covers your whole family, and there is no test. Don’t neglect CB either. The HAM test isn’t that difficult and if you like to learn it’s fun. You will learn more about radio getting a HAM license. It may be things that are good to know.
@@mortem-tyrannisnot everyone does not follow the rule of law. Where people run into problems is when they think they can use frequencies within public safety, police, federal government, licensed business band frequencies and interfere with those legally using certain frequencies do they become an issue. If you do your research you can find frequencies in your area that are not in use and perhaps monitor before blabbing. Keep you conversations short, to the point and without obscenities. If you want to ratchet jaw and act like a fool get on CB frequencies but expect problems there as well.
@@Subgunman I understand not getting on police and emergency frequencies but not to just conversate with a random person, as long as you stay off emergency frequencies no license should be required.
@@mortem-tyrannis It's not a "license to talk" and there's also a lot more to radio than simply pushing a button. Business/public safety bands are licensed primarily to coordinate the limited bandwidth. Without it the service would devolve into a "who's louder" shouting match and fights over frequencies like CB radio has the last few decades. Amateur radio operators are licensed to experiment with many forms of radio communications, such as slow scan TV or radio teletype, on allocated bands/specific frequencies. Some of those frequencies can traverse the globe on seriously low power. They are also allowed to build their own radios(at least in the US). The testing and license levels are proof they have a minimum understanding of radio science and the applicable laws so they don't cause interference. A shoddily built or untested radio can easily transmit with enough power on 2nd and 3rd harmonic frequencies to cause interference to public safety, radar and telecom systems. A poorly tuned antenna can create all manner of spurious emissions that cause the same problems. Hams are expected and actually required to test their equipment for such issues well before sending signals off into the ether even if it's a factory radio they are using. GMRS is licensed because of the power levels and repeaters allowing greater range. The license and call sign requirement is so that owner/operator of a piece of equipment that is malfunctioning or causing interference can easily be located to remedy the situation. Some years ago the controller of a local GMRS repeater malf'd and was stuck in a loop transmitting the owner's call sign incessantly. After looking the call sign up in the ULS, someone found the owner's phone number online and contacted him. The owner was on vacation and unaware of the problem but had a friend go turn the repeater off until he could get home to fix it. The output channel would have been tied up for days without that license info. FRS/MURS and some others are simply "license by rule" because, unlike ham equipment, the radios themselves are required to be lab tested and certified as to not cause any significant interference outside their designated frequencies(so are real GMRS radios). The low power limit(2w or less) and short range nature of such radios preclude them from really needing supervision other than intentional illegal use.
I would also personally add in a plain jane am/fm radio and a dedicated scanner (check your area to see if they run analog or digital and if they are encrypted and buy the scanner that can pick them up). Its not necessarily communications, but being able to scan and listen greatly helps information gathering to relay over your other radios and they fit well in the radio bag
If you're reading this comment and you don't already own a pair of $20 Baofeng UV-5R's, just go get them now. They're not the best radios ever, but they offer a great amount of ability for the price and you can toss one to the new guy without feeling bad if it's stolen, lost or destroyed. Why that model specifically? Because it's stupid common and all of us already know how to use it and program it. Any other radio, even another Baofeng like the UV-21R is just different enough to cause a pause to fiddle with it, like finding the hazard light button on an unfamiliar car.
Interesting... At the moment, I have a pair if BF F*HP (and a nice array of accessories to go with). Would you recommend scrapping them in favor of the UV 5R?
@@flipfloppingwithMikeno, the UV5R and BF8HP are basically the same radio. You’re fine with what you have (in terms of general point-to-point radio comms).
@@flipfloppingwithMike no, the BF is just a “newer” version of the Uv-5r. Same thing but better. Program the same, take same accessories. Think of the bf as being the nicer radio that has everything the uv-5r had but a little bit more and operates the same.
Isaac, I think your bit at the end is a little incorrect. The antenna in the Garmin InReach is not directional, it is omnidirectional. Thus, when it transmits your message the signal is transmitted in almost all directions. The intended receiver of the signal is a satellite, but a ground station could fairly easily pick up the signal. In fact, you could probably "hear" the transmission on that Chinese handheld radio. I am not sure if the transmission is encrypted, but a radio connected to a computer could capture and probably decipher, with the proper software, the transmission. If someone wants to reduce the likelihood of an InReach transmission reaching terrestrial ears, I suggest sending messages from valley where you have a broad view of the sky and any signal not transmitted toward the sky is absorbed by nearby terrain.
You are absolutely correct. However, that 1600mhz signal gets eaten by terrestrial stuff pretty easily. Now I want to try to figure out how it propagates...
@isaacbotkintrex It does get absorbed by a lot of different things, although not as easily as 2400mhz or 5200mhz and those can be picked up with a directional antenna from further away than most people might realize. Signals in the VHF range and above generally propagate in a line of sight fashion, instead of following the curve of the earth like much of the HF range and below. That is why I suggest being in a valley or similar terrain feature to increase the secrecy of a signal transmitted from an InReach or similar device. Unless you are using LF (Low Frequency) and below, the earth is going to do a great job of absorbing signals from a radio transmission. I investigated 1600mhz radios back in my wireless ISP days. The 1600mhz range is much better at penetrating foliage than 2400mhz, which is why I suspect Garmin chose that range for their InReach radios. From a secrecy stand point that makes the signals more difficult to shield from terrain based listening stations. I do not have an InReach device or an SDR, but it would be interesting to have some listening stations at various ranges, or perhaps a mobile station, and find out what they see when an InReach device transmits. Edit: My apologies to any non-radio enthusiast trying to follow this conversation. FTIW, we are not even down in the weeds with this discussion. The key point, if you are trying to be secret squirrel with your InReach transmissions, is that you need to block radio signals traveling horizontally to your position. Get between some hills, or find/dig a hole that is a foot or so deep and put your InReach in it when you press the transmit button, as CowboyPilot79 suggests.
Good video covering an important topic. I hope that it is very clear to listeners that Amateur radio stands out from all the channelized radio services. To utilize it and the unchannelized 'open space' it typically has access to can be a great asset to the trained and licensed person; and cause a lot of chaos for the operator, and serious problems for other communicators. (Also, please don't make us have to filter out the 'music' in your vids.)
I love the radio information always. I think the humble decentralized radio is perhaps more critical than the AR-15 for a prepared citizenry. Personally I use a single radio for Public/Private and have a half-baked solution for the "secret" side of things, also operating in the 902-928MHz band. As an aside, it's a big flex to show a Hytera radio as the example of a private radio. They're pricey and require dealer programming just like the big company they're involved in a legal battle with.
Great setup, my thing is I cook from scratch on almost everything. I might have a few cans of soup, spaghetti sauce, pickles per year. I mainly eat steak, chicken, eggs, cheese, salad and veggies. I buy tortillas, a little bit of bread, cold cuts and yogurt. Also coffee ☕️
I have a few ways to communicate: 1) Ham Radio HTs 2) GMRS 3) FMRS 4) Land Line 5) CB 6) Iridium Sat Phone 7) Starlink Mini 8) Garmin InReach 9) Marine 10) 2 Cups connected by a string
Ah yes, the Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Alternative, Replacement, Substitute, Contingency, Emergency, SHTF, Apocalypse Plan AKA the PSTARSCESA Plan If you wanted an extra layer of safety, you know, just a little piece of mind day to day, have you considered a cell phone? I don't have one, but I've heard people rave about them
Beartooth.....$2000 for a $50 device that they may or may not even support down the road. I've got $600 sitting in a drawer useless because they abandoned it.
What did they abandon, a prior version? How is it no longer “usable”? All technology/radios loose support for repair (even if it existed) after some X years.
Thanks for sharing this great information. I was thinking while you were talking, I wonder if you can use something like Rattlegram over a dmr digital transformation?
I use Astro Sabers and XTL mobiles. And UNnamed frequency hopping equipment. Another option is the subcarriers of FM radio stations like in the days of Muzak or Reading Services for the Blind. All one needs is a subcarrier decoder to pick up these comms.
Old Nextel’s had an off network capability that operated in 900 MHz called Direct Talk. Direct Connect was the network PTT. Direct Talk worked 100% off network and anywhere as long as units were close to one another - blew FRS away.
Very good basic information for very local coms. However... If you need a little more range. Something else you should consider and make a video about is the use of HF in an NVIS configuration from random locations, combined with digital messaging sent in short bursts. When properly implemented, NVIS makes location triangulation very difficult... Short radio bursts also makes location triangulation difficult. Put the two together, then add one way scheduled communication from random locations into the mix. This is an unbeatable combination... The main difficulty/vulnerability with this is that HF, set up for NVIS requires large antennas that take a bit of time to set up and take back down.
Agreed on the license info. It's as annoying as the FCC requiring Winlink to make all of the messages sent on their system accessible for review by any operator.
I wish that as a ham I could legally interoperate with FRS, GMRS, MURS, or CB without having to get a radio specificly fcc rated for it. Most radios can be reduced in power to something reasonable.
Cheapest you can get they will cover a lot is the XTS 500 UHF. Toss in an encryption board for $50 bucks and you have AES 256 p25. Very secure but cheap. And the arduino key loafers are cheap I have a UHF and VHF APX with FPP in the mobile with aes 256. I can cover 130-172 and 403-470. So toss on the 256 on FRS and be secure.
I wished when you get your license after testing and granted a license there wouldn't be three tier license and have it similar to GMRS license covering everything. It would be cool if amateur radio license will cover everything on one license after taking one test.
Are you suggesting every ham should be required to learn the knowledge required for Extra or everyone with only Tech knowledge should have Extra privileges? Most exam events let you take all the tests sequentially for the price of one. The examiners are retired and have all day. As you go up in privileges you’re moving into more expensive equipment (longer wavelengths) and the ability to affect the radio community (by running repeaters or administering exams).
@nickolasthefrog no need to imply everyone know extra by force I'm no idiot sad ham elitist. I just think it would be cool once you have your ticket "tech license" just do away with other classes of licenses so it can be a better experience like how GMRS licensed users get within their bands.
@nickolasthefrog to me to many sad hams jackboot lick and love stomping on new techs, gate keeping at times and acting like their sh** don't stink. Sometimes they need you a good smacking but you can't do that either lol.
There is a lot to address..I use a ham radio with Rattlegram or Andfldigi with one time pad to burst trans messages. This seems to cover most mission critical needs. People know I am transmitting but locating is difficult and message decoding virtually impossible. As long as I transmit and move I stand a good chance of not being found.
Modern spectrum analysis tools can see such a wide area frequencies that it is no longer a good way to hide. Still helpful for dealing with interference and jamming if you hop across a lot of spectrum, but against certain advertaries it will actually bring more attention to you.
we have some radio's that link to your phone app and send text using the radio through the air with NO cell tower at all...and data from radio to radio is silent. Not sure if they can track it, but it has to be harder you'd think. Anyone in this hobby should have atleast a gmrs and ham tech license.
Learn to MARS mod radios and not need so much equipment. HF should be in this as Elecraft or even Xiegu radios have ptt buttons and can be used portable anywhere.
No. Ham radio is a techno scientific activity, not a utility comms system. That's why we can use frequencies worth millions to the industry. That wouldn't happen with an hobby...
You’re right, it’s easy. I passed my tech and general at the same time and got a perfect score. $35 and done. That’s not the issue. My parents, my wife, or my kids are not interested in studying a several hundred question test pool, paying $35, having to keep track of another account, just to help me test an antenna from down the road or something for a few minutes, a few times here and there. And it would be nice for them to have some experience with using a radio in case they would need it in an emergency.
@ I have fought the same issue here. I’m now in Western North Carolina and the disaster here has them finally thinking about it. The only thing I can think to tell you is try to find a part of ham radio that they would enjoy and train from that to start with.
I wish someone would crack ubiquity umr-industrial into poor man's mpu5. Or at least crack it into AREDN mesh. High bandwidth digital radio would be a good addition.
Iam working on something similar to the old German enigma system. Words of numbers and groups of numbers. 7 different lists for a different one each day.
CB Is commonly seen as a joke and or the wild west of the radio world (lawless). Do some research on why the HF, UHF, VHF frequencies are commonly used vs CB.
If anyone on here wants to know how to communicate long range without being triangulated…. Just look how the Brazilian truckers and mobsters do it…, don’t listen to Trex. You will also be on a frequency SDRs are unlikely to even scan.
I wonder if you can speak Spanish or Arabic on amateur radio frequencies, sure it isnt encrypted but then, again most people cant speak spanish or arabic on the phone bands. Another idea maybe ASL so no one hears it unless thier in close proximity to you.
Back to the WWII days of the Navajo Code Talkers! You CAN speak other languages over Amateur Radio Bands; but you MAY NOT according to FCC Rules. English only. "CAN" = ability to do. ASL would work over Amateur TV.
Radio communication and anonimity are oximoron. Any radio transmission must have identifications, this isnt US idea, this is International law. So if you like stay off grid , do not transmit at all. Your cell phone send automatic identification. Broadcast station also have call sign identification. RF spectrum is international not in possesion some states. HAM radio and anonimity cannot exist. Yes you have right to anonimity but then forget any radiocomunication at all.
You say that popular Chinese radios are fantastic. And I understand that, despite the fact that they are often poor attempts at Yaesu hand copies. At the same time, your brother Lucas started a whole scandal a year ago about Chinese copies of rifle equipment - which in turn were awful and bad. Agree on a common political line, boys, next time, eh?
They are pretty different beasts. Chinese radios have features FAR beyond the current amateur selection for a fraction of the price, have decent built quality and reliability, and shouldn't be used in combat anyway. Chinese knockoffs of other gear is a different story.
@@stevenpeterson8444 Because 0.2% is relevant to the discussion. Per the US Census and FCC, it is the percentage of the US population with a ham license. He’s saying only a portion OF a portion have the equipment listed.
Isaac is the GOAT of the TREX crew.
I agree with this statement. I am so happy he started the Labs channel
@Baker1798 oh yeah man. Dude has a wealth of knowledge and is very good at compiling and presenting information.
@@prairiestatepatriots Exactly this.
@joshua511 I started watching TREX because of Lucas gun videos... I've continued warching because of Isaac lol. Funny how primary interests change over time. I know how to shoot. Now I need to learn other areas of preparedness.
Exactly, he doesn't give off that condescending attitude that Lucas gives off, I don't even watch him anymore.
This channel just keeps getting better. Im also big on the podcasts since i can usually listen to those as i work.
Step 1: Acquire GMRS license
Step 2: Buy as many Baofeng GMRS handheld radios as possible
Step 3: Hand out all your radios to your cheapskate friends and family who wouldn't take comms seriously in peace time and get them to all use your license
Step 4: Buy a mobile radio for your vehicle to have more FARS. Buy a GMRS mobile repeater if you have money.
But also I think CB might be the secret weapon of emergency comms that no one appreciates at the moment.
Yeah I have a CB for the house and about to upgrade to something newer, but it's pretty awesome for distance.
Esau is that you?
A real GMRS repeater would be a complete waste of money, they are not cheap and the frequencies you can use are terrible. I only get about 2 miles MAX between a handheld and a base station. Quit being a dumb dumb and get your ham license.
This. All of this. Couldn't have said it better.
I want to figure out data comms via CB SSB. Yes, I know it's currently illegal. Nothing says you can't transmit it into a dummy load though. I also want to figure out variable transmit power from my CB.
I’m so here for all this new Comms information from a fair amount of channels recently. Thank you Issac for making Comms palatable
My key takeaway from this video: I really need an electronic warfare truck.
A black van w/antennas? 😂
I think Issac videos are my absolute favorites.
i see Isaac, i click... it's simple. nothing against the other t-rex'ers, but he's the only part of the company's youtube presence i get value from these days.
Just gonna say this now - everything you mentioned I have discussed in multiple "tactical comms" forums/groups/etc and have been ignored since 2018-2019. I am glad they're listening to *someone* now, but most of us have acknowledged these issues and moved past them years ago...
My body is ready for a TREX Arms Radio App.
A trex app that transmits and receives data bursts with an option to encrypt messages would be pretty slick (think andfldigi with AES 256 app combined together).
@@TrashcanMan8 The problem is legality - it's illegal to encrypt ham radio traffic heh
@@3nertia only if you care about that sort of thing.
Get a PO Box before you submit your radio license so you dont have your home address with your call sign.
Yep.
This is a pointless way to spend money. There are way easier methods to find your home address that digging through an FCC database
true, but some people put their call signs on LinkedIn or their license plates so in some cases it's justified.
@@racehunter4283 What could possibly be easier than typing in the 6 letter call sign of the person you just heard on air?
@@joshua511 This is why you never give out your call sign.
A GMRS license is $35, covers your whole family, and there is no test. Don’t neglect CB either. The HAM test isn’t that difficult and if you like to learn it’s fun. You will learn more about radio getting a HAM license. It may be things that are good to know.
I don't see why you need a license to push a button and talk to another person who's just pushing a button.
@@mortem-tyrannistraffic management
@@mortem-tyrannisnot everyone does not follow the rule of law. Where people run into problems is when they think they can use frequencies within public safety, police, federal government, licensed business band frequencies and interfere with those legally using certain frequencies do they become an issue. If you do your research you can find frequencies in your area that are not in use and perhaps monitor before blabbing. Keep you conversations short, to the point and without obscenities. If you want to ratchet jaw and act like a fool get on CB frequencies but expect problems there as well.
@@Subgunman I understand not getting on police and emergency frequencies but not to just conversate with a random person, as long as you stay off emergency frequencies no license should be required.
@@mortem-tyrannis
It's not a "license to talk" and there's also a lot more to radio than simply pushing a button.
Business/public safety bands are licensed primarily to coordinate the limited bandwidth. Without it the service would devolve into a "who's louder" shouting match and fights over frequencies like CB radio has the last few decades.
Amateur radio operators are licensed to experiment with many forms of radio communications, such as slow scan TV or radio teletype, on allocated bands/specific frequencies. Some of those frequencies can traverse the globe on seriously low power. They are also allowed to build their own radios(at least in the US). The testing and license levels are proof they have a minimum understanding of radio science and the applicable laws so they don't cause interference. A shoddily built or untested radio can easily transmit with enough power on 2nd and 3rd harmonic frequencies to cause interference to public safety, radar and telecom systems. A poorly tuned antenna can create all manner of spurious emissions that cause the same problems. Hams are expected and actually required to test their equipment for such issues well before sending signals off into the ether even if it's a factory radio they are using.
GMRS is licensed because of the power levels and repeaters allowing greater range. The license and call sign requirement is so that owner/operator of a piece of equipment that is malfunctioning or causing interference can easily be located to remedy the situation. Some years ago the controller of a local GMRS repeater malf'd and was stuck in a loop transmitting the owner's call sign incessantly. After looking the call sign up in the ULS, someone found the owner's phone number online and contacted him. The owner was on vacation and unaware of the problem but had a friend go turn the repeater off until he could get home to fix it. The output channel would have been tied up for days without that license info.
FRS/MURS and some others are simply "license by rule" because, unlike ham equipment, the radios themselves are required to be lab tested and certified as to not cause any significant interference outside their designated frequencies(so are real GMRS radios). The low power limit(2w or less) and short range nature of such radios preclude them from really needing supervision other than intentional illegal use.
Do you guys ever plan to build community building template? I’d love to help.
Start with a questionnaire to see what things they believe; Politics, Religion, Science, Math, Etc. xD
I would also personally add in a plain jane am/fm radio and a dedicated scanner (check your area to see if they run analog or digital and if they are encrypted and buy the scanner that can pick them up). Its not necessarily communications, but being able to scan and listen greatly helps information gathering to relay over your other radios and they fit well in the radio bag
You can totally call it one-way communications.
If you're reading this comment and you don't already own a pair of $20 Baofeng UV-5R's, just go get them now. They're not the best radios ever, but they offer a great amount of ability for the price and you can toss one to the new guy without feeling bad if it's stolen, lost or destroyed.
Why that model specifically? Because it's stupid common and all of us already know how to use it and program it. Any other radio, even another Baofeng like the UV-21R is just different enough to cause a pause to fiddle with it, like finding the hazard light button on an unfamiliar car.
Interesting...
At the moment, I have a pair if BF F*HP (and a nice array of accessories to go with). Would you recommend scrapping them in favor of the UV 5R?
There is a very good argument to be made that for the amount of radio you get per dollar - fhe UV5R is the greatest radio
@@flipfloppingwithMikeno, the UV5R and BF8HP are basically the same radio. You’re fine with what you have (in terms of general point-to-point radio comms).
@EuropaChronicles Ah, okay....thank you. I was hoping to hear that. I appreciate your response.
@@flipfloppingwithMike no, the BF is just a “newer” version of the Uv-5r. Same thing but better. Program the same, take same accessories. Think of the bf as being the nicer radio that has everything the uv-5r had but a little bit more and operates the same.
Some of the best content on RUclips right here.
Isaac, I think your bit at the end is a little incorrect. The antenna in the Garmin InReach is not directional, it is omnidirectional. Thus, when it transmits your message the signal is transmitted in almost all directions. The intended receiver of the signal is a satellite, but a ground station could fairly easily pick up the signal. In fact, you could probably "hear" the transmission on that Chinese handheld radio. I am not sure if the transmission is encrypted, but a radio connected to a computer could capture and probably decipher, with the proper software, the transmission.
If someone wants to reduce the likelihood of an InReach transmission reaching terrestrial ears, I suggest sending messages from valley where you have a broad view of the sky and any signal not transmitted toward the sky is absorbed by nearby terrain.
You are absolutely correct. However, that 1600mhz signal gets eaten by terrestrial stuff pretty easily. Now I want to try to figure out how it propagates...
@@RobertLowery you can literally dig a hole and put the transceiver down inside it too to help avoid lateral transmissions as well.
@isaacbotkintrex It does get absorbed by a lot of different things, although not as easily as 2400mhz or 5200mhz and those can be picked up with a directional antenna from further away than most people might realize. Signals in the VHF range and above generally propagate in a line of sight fashion, instead of following the curve of the earth like much of the HF range and below. That is why I suggest being in a valley or similar terrain feature to increase the secrecy of a signal transmitted from an InReach or similar device. Unless you are using LF (Low Frequency) and below, the earth is going to do a great job of absorbing signals from a radio transmission. I investigated 1600mhz radios back in my wireless ISP days. The 1600mhz range is much better at penetrating foliage than 2400mhz, which is why I suspect Garmin chose that range for their InReach radios. From a secrecy stand point that makes the signals more difficult to shield from terrain based listening stations.
I do not have an InReach device or an SDR, but it would be interesting to have some listening stations at various ranges, or perhaps a mobile station, and find out what they see when an InReach device transmits.
Edit: My apologies to any non-radio enthusiast trying to follow this conversation. FTIW, we are not even down in the weeds with this discussion. The key point, if you are trying to be secret squirrel with your InReach transmissions, is that you need to block radio signals traveling horizontally to your position. Get between some hills, or find/dig a hole that is a foot or so deep and put your InReach in it when you press the transmit button, as CowboyPilot79 suggests.
@@CowboyPilot79 As long as it is deep enough and you keep the InReach in the hole until it is done transmitting.
@@RobertLowery yep
Good video covering an important topic. I hope that it is very clear to listeners that Amateur radio stands out from all the channelized radio services. To utilize it and the unchannelized 'open space' it typically has access to can be a great asset to the trained and licensed person; and cause a lot of chaos for the operator, and serious problems for other communicators.
(Also, please don't make us have to filter out the 'music' in your vids.)
Great video, Isaac.
I love the radio information always. I think the humble decentralized radio is perhaps more critical than the AR-15 for a prepared citizenry. Personally I use a single radio for Public/Private and have a half-baked solution for the "secret" side of things, also operating in the 902-928MHz band.
As an aside, it's a big flex to show a Hytera radio as the example of a private radio. They're pricey and require dealer programming just like the big company they're involved in a legal battle with.
Great setup, my thing is I cook from scratch on almost everything. I might have a few cans of soup, spaghetti sauce, pickles per year. I mainly eat steak, chicken, eggs, cheese, salad and veggies. I buy tortillas, a little bit of bread, cold cuts and yogurt. Also coffee ☕️
I have a few ways to communicate:
1) Ham Radio HTs
2) GMRS
3) FMRS
4) Land Line
5) CB
6) Iridium Sat Phone
7) Starlink Mini
8) Garmin InReach
9) Marine
10) 2 Cups connected by a string
#10 highly underrated
Ah yes, the Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Alternative, Replacement, Substitute, Contingency, Emergency, SHTF, Apocalypse Plan
AKA the PSTARSCESA Plan
If you wanted an extra layer of safety, you know, just a little piece of mind day to day, have you considered a cell phone? I don't have one, but I've heard people rave about them
Beartooth.....$2000 for a $50 device that they may or may not even support down the road. I've got $600 sitting in a drawer useless because they abandoned it.
What did they abandon, a prior version? How is it no longer “usable”? All technology/radios loose support for repair (even if it existed) after some X years.
Do you have any alternative to recommend? I just passed my Tech license but there is still so much to learn.
Wait Beartooth was abandoned?
@@Baker1798 their first devices that they completely ghosted.
For 2k get the doodlelabs meshrider and never look back
Thanks for sharing this great information. I was thinking while you were talking, I wonder if you can use something like Rattlegram over a dmr digital transformation?
I use Astro Sabers and XTL mobiles. And UNnamed frequency hopping equipment. Another option is the subcarriers of FM radio stations like in the days of Muzak or Reading Services for the Blind. All one needs is a subcarrier decoder to pick up these comms.
If you don't have a Norm McDonald impression yet, you don't have far to go. "Doc, she's choking."
No, I'm waiting for an opportunity to mention Frank Stallone.
Ah yes, norm McDonald radio man.
Good to hear from you
Old Nextel’s had an off network capability that operated in 900 MHz called Direct Talk. Direct Connect was the network PTT. Direct Talk worked 100% off network and anywhere as long as units were close to one another - blew FRS away.
Yeah, there are digital modes that have a lot more punch than analog FM.
The Kenwood D-74/75A are great choices. D-STAR on 220MHz, shortwave listening, filters for SSB, CW and APRS.
Very good basic information for very local coms.
However... If you need a little more range.
Something else you should consider and make a video about is the use of HF in an NVIS configuration from random locations, combined with digital messaging sent in short bursts.
When properly implemented, NVIS makes location triangulation very difficult...
Short radio bursts also makes location triangulation difficult. Put the two together, then add one way scheduled communication from random locations into the mix. This is an unbeatable combination...
The main difficulty/vulnerability with this is that HF, set up for NVIS requires large antennas that take a bit of time to set up and take back down.
Please keep digging into encrypted communications and signals. It does more for the private citizen than anything else these days.
Agreed on the license info. It's as annoying as the FCC requiring Winlink to make all of the messages sent on their system accessible for review by any operator.
The iReach can also go to another iReach through the satellite network. You just need to know that units number ahead of time
It's a pretty good system.
@ have you tried the Messenger Plus that does photos and video?
I've got lots of dmr and analog radios. I'm going to start in dstar. Do you plan on doing dstar videos?
Nice video
thank you, im learning so much
🇺🇸
Good info…and this guy reminds me of Norm McDonald 😀
My edc radio will be a HF for CW only, like a mountain topper in the next few days till then im using a ft-817.
I wish that as a ham I could legally interoperate with FRS, GMRS, MURS, or CB without having to get a radio specificly fcc rated for it. Most radios can be reduced in power to something reasonable.
Don't worry about that. Nobody is going to know that you are on a Boof-whang.
Ya, but a 100 watt yeasu they might 😂
Cheapest you can get they will cover a lot is the XTS 500 UHF.
Toss in an encryption board for $50 bucks and you have AES 256 p25.
Very secure but cheap.
And the arduino key loafers are cheap
I have a UHF and VHF APX with FPP in the mobile with aes 256.
I can cover 130-172 and 403-470.
So toss on the 256 on FRS and be secure.
Thanks. Useful categories.
thanks, really appreciate the video
I wished when you get your license after testing and granted a license there wouldn't be three tier license and have it similar to GMRS license covering everything. It would be cool if amateur radio license will cover everything on one license after taking one test.
Are you suggesting every ham should be required to learn the knowledge required for Extra or everyone with only Tech knowledge should have Extra privileges? Most exam events let you take all the tests sequentially for the price of one. The examiners are retired and have all day.
As you go up in privileges you’re moving into more expensive equipment (longer wavelengths) and the ability to affect the radio community (by running repeaters or administering exams).
@nickolasthefrog no need to imply everyone know extra by force I'm no idiot sad ham elitist. I just think it would be cool once you have your ticket "tech license" just do away with other classes of licenses so it can be a better experience like how GMRS licensed users get within their bands.
@nickolasthefrog to me to many sad hams jackboot lick and love stomping on new techs, gate keeping at times and acting like their sh** don't stink. Sometimes they need you a good smacking but you can't do that either lol.
There is a lot to address..I use a ham radio with Rattlegram or Andfldigi with one time pad to burst trans messages. This seems to cover most mission critical needs. People know I am transmitting but locating is difficult and message decoding virtually impossible. As long as I transmit and move I stand a good chance of not being found.
What about spread spectrum ?
Modern spectrum analysis tools can see such a wide area frequencies that it is no longer a good way to hide. Still helpful for dealing with interference and jamming if you hop across a lot of spectrum, but against certain advertaries it will actually bring more attention to you.
we have some radio's that link to your phone app and send text using the radio through the air with NO cell tower at all...and data from radio to radio is silent. Not sure if they can track it, but it has to be harder you'd think. Anyone in this hobby should have atleast a gmrs and ham tech license.
Thank God in heaven… a radio video that made sense
I really need to quit procrastinating and take the general exam, although my main goal is CW HF and phone bands on UHF/VHF
Aircraft can be used to pick up low powered radios from very far away.
I'm gonna take a drink whenever you say "community"
Eh... You might survive.
enjoy your liver failure
Drink water, stay hydrated
So if I have a restaurant with 6 delivery drivers, what is your recommendation? This phones is not ideal at all and makes work hard
How large an area do your drivers have to cover?
@ around 15km at max
I found iTAK could you do some information on that I’m new to this thanks and GOD bless
Killroy was here.
I was just telling my wife that we used to see the Kilroys with the big nose peering over a wall and the Kilroy was Here written next to it lol
I like using the rattlegram and AES 256 app with analog radios so I can be secret and loud at the same time...
Learn to MARS mod radios and not need so much equipment. HF should be in this as Elecraft or even Xiegu radios have ptt buttons and can be used portable anywhere.
Make sure all your radios have faraday shield around them, if not they will make good paper weights if that.
I wish that I could share my Ham license with my family like you can GMRS. Even if there were stipulations that I had to preconfigure it etc.
No.
Ham radio is a techno scientific activity, not a utility comms system.
That's why we can use frequencies worth millions to the industry.
That wouldn't happen with an hobby...
Right… my wife or kids definitely shouldn’t be allowed to help me test my techno scientific activities
Don’t be a sad ham
There are hams that are only 6 years old. It really doesn’t take much to get a technician license.
You’re right, it’s easy. I passed my tech and general at the same time and got a perfect score. $35 and done. That’s not the issue. My parents, my wife, or my kids are not interested in studying a several hundred question test pool, paying $35, having to keep track of another account, just to help me test an antenna from down the road or something for a few minutes, a few times here and there. And it would be nice for them to have some experience with using a radio in case they would need it in an emergency.
@ I have fought the same issue here. I’m now in Western North Carolina and the disaster here has them finally thinking about it. The only thing I can think to tell you is try to find a part of ham radio that they would enjoy and train from that to start with.
What's you thought's on Star-link ?
Very powerful, and only getting better.
My unlocked FT 70D is excellent. Works well with GMRS but 11 meters SSB is still better
Hes a radio wizard
I wish someone would crack ubiquity umr-industrial into poor man's mpu5.
Or at least crack it into AREDN mesh.
High bandwidth digital radio would be a good addition.
Iam working on something similar to the old German enigma system. Words of numbers and groups of numbers. 7 different lists for a different one each day.
Which model Hytera is that? PD982i?
Yes.
IDK what filter you're using, but you look like you have been huffing light blue spray paint and have it all over your hands.
Why are CB Radios not talked about ?
CB Is commonly seen as a joke and or the wild west of the radio world (lawless). Do some research on why the HF, UHF, VHF frequencies are commonly used vs CB.
@Blaze-k8t But it's reliable, easily obtained and widely used.
CB? HackRF One?
What about NVIS?
If anyone on here wants to know how to communicate long range without being triangulated…. Just look how the Brazilian truckers and mobsters do it…, don’t listen to Trex. You will also be on a frequency SDRs are unlikely to even scan.
First to comment on a commo video
Smoke signals
A UHF yagi helps to make privacy
Word
I wonder if you can speak Spanish or Arabic on amateur radio frequencies, sure it isnt encrypted but then, again most people cant speak spanish or arabic on the phone bands.
Another idea maybe ASL so no one hears it unless thier in close proximity to you.
Most people can't speak Spanish?
LOL!
Spanish has a huge amount of speakers.
Back to the WWII days of the Navajo Code Talkers! You CAN speak other languages over Amateur Radio Bands; but you MAY NOT according to FCC Rules. English only. "CAN" = ability to do. ASL would work over Amateur TV.
I also think encryption in the vhf/uhf space wouldn’t be unreasonable to grant. There is no reason APRS location packets need to be public
You can tune to a different frequency. Then the packet wouldn't go to the internet. Just your close group would receive the packets.
It is part of the deal with the FCC to allow hams access to channels. By being public people can learn from what others are doing.
Uv5r reign king
Radio communication and anonimity are oximoron. Any radio transmission must have identifications, this isnt US idea, this is International law. So if you like stay off grid , do not transmit at all. Your cell phone send automatic identification. Broadcast station also have call sign identification. RF spectrum is international not in possesion some states.
HAM radio and anonimity cannot exist. Yes you have right to anonimity but then forget any radiocomunication at all.
You say that popular Chinese radios are fantastic. And I understand that, despite the fact that they are often poor attempts at Yaesu hand copies. At the same time, your brother Lucas started a whole scandal a year ago about Chinese copies of rifle equipment - which in turn were awful and bad. Agree on a common political line, boys, next time, eh?
They are pretty different beasts. Chinese radios have features FAR beyond the current amateur selection for a fraction of the price, have decent built quality and reliability, and shouldn't be used in combat anyway. Chinese knockoffs of other gear is a different story.
In 2 years TRex is gonna try to get me to buy an F16…
I actually want to go back to a simplified, made-in-America, garage-repairable A-10 Warthog. Scaled down for municipal use, perhaps.
NC_Scout says anybody talking mesh is full of chit. You should debate him on it.
Yeah, we should talk! I like his stuff.
Guns and radios, hell yes!
So basically just buy a EA-18 Growler electronic warfare attack jet and you should be good
Transmit vs broadcast. Not synonyms.
I wouldn’t trust a cheap Chinese radio for emergencies. Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu, is what I trust.
Baofeng works
@
They do but…I participate in an emergency net weekly. They don’t reach out as far as an Icom or Yaesu.
@tomedgar4375 5 watts is 5 watts
lol…”threat model” … yeah.
Bangladesh NSTU Applied Mathematics
sadly UWB vanished
PRESIDENT RANDY NEEDS SSB. FM is OK but weather channels are useless
O
gonna talk tuah so many people ☺
Is there a bank missing a dye pack? Are your teeth blue?
It's Gatorade. Remember, the main T.Rex channel is the green Gatorade channel, and this channel is the blue Gatorade channel.
@@isaacbotkintrex Ah interesting lol. I only pop in when the algorithm tells me we have a crossover of interests, in this case radios.
That would be a great name for a communication protocol between devices. Why didn't I think of that?
1:28 Really? Only a fraction of 0,2% of the population has that kind of kit. Gotta love those MAGA-Preppers.
Any UHF or VHF radio with regular FM modulation can talk to that radio. That's like 99.9% of them. That's kind of the point.
I only prep for magma and ligma
a fraction of 0.2%? why not just choose a lower percentage? gotta love those public school kids. 😂
@@Cocc0nuttt0using a 'big honkin' laser' in double air quotes?
@@stevenpeterson8444 Because 0.2% is relevant to the discussion. Per the US Census and FCC, it is the percentage of the US population with a ham license. He’s saying only a portion OF a portion have the equipment listed.