So over on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@K0MRDRadioPrepper, I’ve been posting videos about non licensed comms for the viewers that I have. The response has mostly been positive. There has been some discussion in the comments section, which is really cool to me as I can get a feel for what my viewers are thinking. The reason I am doing these videos is because some in the prepper community cannot, or will not get their ham radio license. Sad as that is to me, I understand their point of view and I wanted to give them options for shtf comms. I’ve done videos on the Family Radio Service, or FRS, the Multi-Use Radio Service, or MURS, and finally The Citizen’s Band Radio Service, which as everybody knows that was alive in the 70’s and 80’s is known as CB.  These radio services are not as powerful as ham radio or even GMRS, but for local communications they are much better than a sharp stick in the eye.

I want everybody to have communication capabilities that are necessary in an shtf situation. I know that sounds kind of silly, but think about thigs this way: you have a tornado tear through your area, cell towers are down, as is the landline telephone service (people still use them, right?) and there is just no other form of communication available to the folks in that area. Now, if some one has a CB radio, and antenna and a car battery that is still useable then you got comms in and out of the general area. This could provide not only life saving communications, but it is a true morale booster, because let’s face it we humans are pack animals and we need to communicate with each other.

Are theses radio services secure in any way, nope not even a little bit. Yes, some shady person or group could be monitoring the very frequencies that you are using to get Search and Rescue information out of, and into the affected area. These same people could even try to come into the area and loot, or just outright put an end to someone, this is where a Mutual Assistance Group or MAG comes into play. This is a group of people that you have met, and decided to give each other a hand when the effluence hits the oscillator, be that as security, helping with food, moral support whatever. The idea is to do this well before any situation happens. That, Dear Raeder is a blog for another day. Today I want to focus on how and why the non-licensed comms options are in my humble opinion very much needed in the prepper community.

As stated above, there are some who, for reasons of their own do not want to get an amateur radio license grant from the FCC, or even a GMRS license for that matter. Their reasons are many and varied, and it is a matter of personal choice. I want these folks to know that they are not out there on their own when it comes to comms. The non-licensed options are viable, and quite honestly even ham radio ops who are also preppers should have a working knowledge of these services as part of their comms plan.

If you are so inclined, I would urge you, if you are a prepper, to check out AmRRON, the American Redoubt Radio Operator Network’s Channel 3 Project at https://amrron.com/. There is great information there for comms on this very subject, the non-licensed radio services. Reading the info given there actually made me re-evaluate my own comms plan to include FRS, MURS, as well as CB.

As far transceivers go for cost the most expensive ones would be CB, as these can cost upwards of $600 for all the bells and whistles. However, a simple 40 channel CB transceiver can be had for as low as $40 from your local blue and yellow big box stores. MURS transceivers can be had for as low as $17 dollars per unit on amazon, and FRS radios can be purchased for roughly $20 per pair on amazon as well. My advice is to start with what you can afford, and slowly build from there, adding to your comms plan as you get more comfortable in your comms capabilities.

That’s about all for now, I hope that this has given you something to think about, and just maybe I have given you some ideas that you can build upon.

This is K0MRD, your Radio Prepper signing off. Stay safe, and stay prepped. 73!