[quote="mjb9947"]I don't have a CB radio or a scanner--I think that's what you're referring to. I do have a crank radio to pickup local radio stations. I'd like to purchase a CB radio along with a scanner this year. I've seen the handhelds versions of both, does anyone know the advantages or disadvantages to handhelds VS. stationary units or vehicle mounted units?

[b][color=#0000FF]Watchman Note[/color][/b] - We began the thread referring to short wave radios. They pick up international broadcasts and broadcasts from pirate or "patriot" radio stations off-shore or from south america. They are handy because you may hear about something going on in the US before the media does.[/quote]

I had a hand-held 40 channel CB radio for a little while. While it worked it had maybe a 3 mile or so range on the road with an antenna adapted to it on my roof but, with the regular antenna on the unit, the range was abysmal, little to no range, 2-3 hundred yards was it, no more.
This may have also been because the radio I purchased was a rather inexpensive radio I purchased at a local truck stop on an impulse. If I had gotten a better one I likely would have been pleased.
Now to shortwave radios, my father gave me a small receiver that only had maybe five bands with the regular AM/FM bands on it. I could pick up radio transmissions from numerous places around the world, only I could not understand any of them except AIR AMERICA out of Europe. My usual listening was the local AM/FM stations I liked, the world stations were just a curiosity occasionally as I had little interest as a youth in what was going on in the world, especially if I could not understand the language.
I no longer have that radio as I took an interest in electronics and went through a phase where anything electronic I would disassemble to figure out how it worked or operated, went through several TVs, radios, stereo systems, etc. before I lost interest in that.
I've gotten interested in SW radios again for a hobby, and now as a survival system so I look around for what's available. Here's a few links:
For [b]short wave radio receivers:[/b] http://www.shortwaveradioreceivers.info/
For [b]short wave radio transceivers[/b] and other items: http://electronicsstoresonline.com/other_623.htm
For [b]HAM licensing requirements[/b] information: http://electronicsstoresonline.com/other_623.htm

You can also just type in the search terms (in bold) I have linked above to find more links to information than you can scan in a reasonable period of time. Ain't the internet grand? :D Too bad it may not survive the coming apocalypse.

I would recommend starting with licensing requirements as, in our present, a license is most assuredly required if anyone plans to use a transceiver for communication with other radio operators. Not having a license is a very bad thing when you are caught transmitting illegally, and yes you will be caught, the federales look for this type stuff on a regular basis. Just listening does not require a license so, don't worry, listen and be happy. After the fall licensing requirements will be debatable or even non-existent, no way to know for sure.
The next step is to get yourself knowledge about the types and styles of radios available to determine what would best suit your needs. Wavelength on which the radio operates, power level and other features determine what you can do on a radio system. Get to know your system and decide what will serve you best. Antennas and power supplies are a whole 'nother barrel of monkeys to work with when assembling your radio station but I'm getting a little too deep just yet.
For just listening pleasure, probably any shortwave receiver would suit you well. I'm likely to purchase a simple, inexpensive receiver only, just to listen to what's going on around the world to keep somewhat informed as long as I can understand the languages.
Take a look around and find what strikes your fancy.

I purchased a SW radio at an auction a few weeks ago. It works great and has been a welcome addition to our home. I believe I posted this info somewhere else but the auctioneer will be selling at this home for several more months (1 day every 3 weeks) and there are a number of SW radios, parts, CBs, etc still there. I was hoping to pick up as many of the working radios as I can and would be willing to pass them on for whatever I paid. I also paid a buck for a portable am/fm/8 track!! After 30 years, I am listening to my old 8 tracks again!!

I am behind the equipment curve myself, and I am curious about the actual "hands on" to the listen only station as mentioned in the previous post. Are there 'normal' sw stations that one could rely on for accurate information or is it more of a hit / miss anyone can report just about anything as information...? Is there an actual band or range of frequencies that would be more apt to find information, than others? This has perplexed me during the course of this thread, especially when we talk about the side band radios... I would be rather disappointed to be blasted by the local taxi company calling for a car to pick up someone, or the local farm hands talking about which tractor is stuck, when I was trying to reach you guys... hope this makes sense. I have always thought that a listening station, if you could get the correct frequencies for you local LEO or other state agencies, would help you in the event of a communications black out... but, I do know for a fact that my local agencies are equipped with sat phones, due to the earthquake risk in my area.

I think we have brought this up before, but those tty phones for the hearing impaired, use a carrier over regular phone lines, much like a fax machine... Im not sure about the availability of those machines but it might add a little security..??

Remnant,


Just an interjection to stick my nose in here,but I really sense we are short on the ability to find equipment, for monitary resons or whatever, just some encouragment to say that even if you cant afford a medium quality, new single side band radio and fancy antenna...

Keep in mind that even if all you have is a Short Wave reciever and a piece of wire strung to a tree you will be in 50 % or better prepared to cope with the coming issues at hand......

So if you have NO equipment yet try to at least obtain recieving equipment,....If you have a reciver or two attemp to improve on your situation....

Remember one definition of SURVIVAL is first fully Accepting the situation You are in and Simply Improving on it....

Whitewolf

I have an eton fr-200. It has AM/FM and SW1 and SW2. It has a little led flash light build in and a hand crank to charge up the internal batteries or I can just plug it in. It can also take AA batteries.

(This post has been moved to the private Ranger Riders Group)

I have short wave reciever , and very old c b for auto use , plugs in lighter socket . has like 5 bands . not much on radio stuff , but this could help someone.

I don't have a CB radio or a scanner--I think that's what you're referring to. I do have a crank radio to pickup local radio stations. I'd like to purchase a CB radio along with a scanner this year. I've seen the handhelds versions of both, does anyone know the advantages or disadvantages to handhelds VS. stationary units or vehicle mounted units?

[b][color=#0000FF]Watchman Note[/color][/b] - We began the thread referring to short wave radios. They pick up international broadcasts and broadcasts from pirate or "patriot" radio stations off-shore or from south america. They are handy because you may hear about something going on in the US before the media does.

As for Channel 1 of FRS, I would use that for just monitoring everything going on. Talking will reveal your location.

Absolutely no luck finding anything non-Chinese with the same features. Still looking.

I am hesitant to form a nation-wide network because it inevitably would attract the attention of alphabet agencies and would also require transmitters in every household. For local use, assuming good terrain, I would recommend:

The Family Radio Service (FRS) is an improved walkie talkie radio system authorized in the United States since 1996. This personal radio service uses channelized frequencies in the ultra high frequency (UHF) band. It does not suffer the interference effects found on citizens' band (CB) at 27 MHz, or the 49 MHz band also used by cordless phones, toys, and baby monitors. FRS uses frequency modulation (FM) instead of amplitude modulation (AM). Since the UHF band has different radio propagation characteristics, short range use of FRS may be more reliable than license-free radios operating in the HF CB band.

Initially proposed by Radio Shack in 1994 for use by families, FRS has also seen significant adoption by business interests, as an unlicensed, low-cost alternative to the business band.

Some groups have recommended FRS Channel 1 as a National Emergency / Calling Channel, such as REACT International, Inc. and the National SOS Radio Network.

You can also manipulate the frequency a little, making it more secure.

[img]http://rsk.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pRS1C-4850955w345.jpg[/img]

This pair from Midland have 42 channels and - reputedly - a 30-mile range.

[quote="Watchman"]I just received a reply from C Crane Co. - Their CC Radio Plus SW is Chinese garbage (my words, not theirs, of course).

I'll be looking for a good German or Dutch radio but not that [Wash My Mouth]![/quote]

Watchman, did you have any luck finding a suitable radio? Have you given much thought to building a network of us like minded folk, and setting up a regular testing time, say one Saturday evening a month, to effectively have a nation wide relay network for legit information transfer? These side band things you mentioned may be just the ticket, and if they have the range that we could reach one another, some simple protocols and voilla, a reliable network.

Just a thought. :)

Sorry it took so long to notice your question but single side band is a different and innovative use of the same frequency bandwidth (frequency modulation / amplitude modulation ), difference meaning sometimes 1000 miles / 40 miles,

where to find single sideband cb s any large truck stop or an old cb repair shop......

A fax machine is just an advanced telephone that sends an image along the phone lines. Of course it only works if the person you are sending to also has a fax machine. It contains a roll of stack of paper where the image is printed and spit out. Most basic fax machines sell for under $100 at Wally World or such. Some use a roll of heat-sensitive paper to print on; others use regular paper and ink cartridges just like your computer. Be advised that on the cheaper models the image is not perfect but is very readable and in some cases good. It is perfect for sending copies of articles or if you just compose a letter and want to send it immediately. If it is sent to a long distance number you get charged the same long distance rates as if you made a phone call.

On a telephone conversation the government scum can listen in, regardless if you are using a regular phone or cell phone. On a fax all they will hear is a carrier (screech) signal. They do have the ability to decode this but it involves a little more than just monitoring a conversation. I don't know what percentage of faxes are decoded by the thought police; can't even speculate but I would bet it is not as high as a verbal monitoring of the conversation.

It's good if you have a circle of friends (local or distant) that you want to send articles or printed material to but want to save on postage or want to get it to them quickly.

Now to confuse the issue even more, most computers have an internal fax that will enable you to send directly from your computer. This only works in two ways. If you are on broadband (cable or satellite) it will not work. You have to be attached to a landline or have the ability to download something to your cell phone and then send. I am on broadband but have a landline outlet next to the pc. If I want to send a mass mailing of a fax item, I plug in the telephone line and let the fax software in the computer do the work.

A fax is an effective tool when you want to, for example, send a signed letter to a group of congressmen. Works great. You are more likely to get an answer from a fax than an e-mail. E-mail is impotent with the imperial congress. Most of them are shitcanned.

Most of the early "patriot" newsletters (way back in the 90s, 80s and 70s) were sent by fax to recipients. Then when e-mail came along they got lazy and started sending by e-mail - all of which are monitored. Echelon, the spy system that the government scum say does not exist, has word recognition - certain keywords will set off an alarm that a human operator will have to check and then send it to NSA. The same with voice telephone calls; words will set off red flags.

This forum is not the most secure thing in the world - a determined hacker or agent could get in, in some way. I do my best in keeping them out through some "tricks" that I have learned. I still like it better than sending e-mail; with e-mail, you have no control over who receives it because people will forward it endlessly, which is a pain in the butt.

So, basic bottom line, is if you have a need to send and receive documents and images, then a fax may be a good bet.

How does this fax work , do you mean just a regular fax


Bob

One of the best ways is one of the old ways. Fax via landline.

Well here's hoping you won't lose your job because of this nightmare but if I don't see any recent posts from you, I'll know what happened.

In light of the presidents speech, facing economic colapse I dont know how much longer I'll have my job because thats where I use my email (having none at home yet but trying hard to get it ) but my second choice of communications will be high frequencies of the C B band (single side band ) upper and lower channel 40 ........ Hate to lose contact with the people who Ive found friendship with here on this site......


Bob

WHILE PONDERING THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN

THOSE OF US LIKEMINDED MEMBERS OF THIS FORUM IN THE DAYS

IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A DISASTER....

I REALIZED THAT COMM WILL BE IN SHORT SUPPLY AND AM

SUGGESTING THE USE OF 12 VOLT SINGLE SIDEBAND RECIEVERS

PROBABLY USED ONLY IN THE EVENING WHEN PROPOGATION IS AT ITS

BEST AND PROBABLY AT THE UPPER MOST END OF THE FREQUENCY

SPECTRUM OF THE C. B. BAND WHICH ARE USED LESS BUT NOT

ILLEGAL HAM FREQUENCIES (MONITORED MORE) AND OF

COURSE SIDEBAND ONLY LIMITED TO SHORT PERIODS OF TIME.

PROBABLY ON PREPLANNED FREQUENCIES...

SIDE BAND RADIOS ARE THE ONLY AFFORDABLE COMM. THAT I KNOW

THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR COMM ALL THE WAY ACROSS

AMERICA.....POTENTIAL BUT NEVER A SURE THING ......

I just received a reply from C Crane Co. - Their CC Radio Plus SW is Chinese garbage (my words, not theirs, of course).

I'll be looking for a good German or Dutch radio but not that [Wash My Mouth]!

FM

In telecommunications, frequency modulation (FM) conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its frequency (contrast this with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant). In analog applications, the instantaneous frequency of the carrier is directly proportional to the instantaneous value of the input signal. Digital data can be sent by shifting the carrier's frequency among a set of discrete values, a technique known as frequency-shift keying.




AM

Single-sideband modulation (SSB) is a refinement of amplitude modulation that more efficiently uses electrical power and bandwidth. It is closely related to vestigial sideband modulation (VSB) (see below).

Amplitude modulation produces a modulated output signal that has twice the bandwidth of the original baseband signal. Single-sideband modulation avoids this bandwidth doubling, and the power wasted on a carrier, at the cost of somewhat increased device complexity.

The first U. S. patent for SSB modulation was applied for on 1 December, 1915 by John Renshaw Carson. Patent 1,449,382, titled "Method and Means for Signaling with High Frequency Waves" was awarded to Carson on March 27, 1923 and assigned to AT&T.

The U.S. Navy experimented with SSB over its radio circuits prior to World War I. [1] [2] SSB first entered commercial service in January 7, 1927 on the longwave transatlantic public radiotelephone circuit between New York and London. The high power SSB transmitters were located at Rocky Point, New York and Rugby, England. The receivers were in very quiet locations in Houlton, Maine and Cupar Scotland.[3]

SSB was also used over long-distance telephone lines, as part of a technique known as frequency-division multiplexing. (FDM) was pioneered by telephone companies in the 1930s. This enabled many voice channels to be sent down a single physical circuit. The use of SSB meant that the channels could be spaced (usually) just 4,000 Hz apart, while offering a speech bandwidth of nominally 300 – 3,400 Hz.

Amateur radio operators began to seriously experiment with SSB after World War II. It has become a de facto standard for long-distance voice radio transmissions since then.

:lol: Thanx for all the information! I have got to get one of these and by some strange coincidence the C. Crane Company is located about 60 miles north of my pos in the small town of Fortuna. Next time I make a feed run up that way I will scope them out.

THE ABILITY TO TRANSMIT LONG DISTANCES IS NOT SO MUCH IN THE

CHOICE OF FREQUENCY THAT YOU USE BUT IN THE WAY THE RADIO

OPERATES, S.S.B., ACTUALLY, USES FREQUENCY MODULATION ( SAME

PRINCIPALS USED IN THE EARLY MOON TO EARTH MISSIONS OF NASA,

CB., USES AMPLITUDE MODULATION LIKE REGULAR AM. RADIO,

BOB,

[quote="Toepopper"]Where can I get one of these side band radios? I am pretty sure that they are outlawed here in the Peoples Socialist Republic Of Kalifornia, along with just about everything else. I guess there are freaquencies in between the regular 40 channels; is that correct? If so, then why are these freaqs capeable of getting out to such a long distance?[/quote]

EBAY,truck stops ,anywhere that sells CB radios. Their not illegal just a little more expensive than regular CBs.
Regular CBs when you key the mike you get a carrier or signal that your voice rides on ,kinda. On sideband you don't have a carrier or signal output,it just transmites your voice. And since their aren't a 1,000 different carriers clashing against one another and causing static these frequency's are much quieter plus not that many people use them.
On regular CBs the legal power output is 4 watts on ssb its 12 watts.
SSB stands for single side band . On CBs you have 40 channels,with ssb you have the regular 40 plus upper side band and lower side band for each of the regular 40 channels , so you have 120 channels instead of just 40.
Two of my favorite SSB radios are Cobra 148 GTL and Uniden President Grant, actually the same radio made by different companies but the 148 has a cheaper price tag. Hope this helps answer your question and not confuse anyone more.

This is my second time to write this last night i hit preveiw instead of submit and shut it down

About 5 years ago I bought a CC Radio Plus from C Crane company in CA. It is strictly an AM/FM receiver but has been an awesome performer. It is built by Sangean in Taiwan (which I find :) acceptable). The C Crane company just came out with a new SW model (the CC Radio Plus SW) which I am looking into at http://ccrane.com I also keep a wind-up version on hand.

Where can I get one of these side band radios? I am pretty sure that they are outlawed here in the Peoples Socialist Republic Of Kalifornia, along with just about everything else. I guess there are freaquencies in between the regular 40 channels; is that correct? If so, then why are these freaqs capeable of getting out to such a long distance?