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Communications Equipment

3 min read

Salvage a hand-crank or battery AM/FM radio for broadcasts, FRS/GMRS walkie-talkies for short-range contact within a realistic 1-8 km, ham or CB equipment for longer range, and signal mirrors, whistles and flares for signalling that works when electronics fail. Each type fits a different range and a different need, so take a small mix rather than many of one kind.

Part of Tier 4: Strategic Reserves

Finding other survivors, or avoiding them, takes information, and each radio type covers a different distance.

Match The Device To The Distance

Short-range sets let a group stay in contact while working; longer-range equipment lets you hear and reach beyond your immediate area; signals work when everything with a battery has failed. The right mix depends on what you need to do.

What To Take

  • Hand-crank or battery AM/FM radio. For receiving broadcasts if any infrastructure remains.
  • FRS/GMRS walkie-talkies. Short range, 1-8 km realistic. Outdoor stores, electronics stores and big-box retail.
  • Ham radio equipment. Longer range. Radio shops, and the homes of amateur radio operators, which you can often recognise by antennas on the roof.
  • CB radio. Vehicles and truck stops. Medium range, and no licence infrastructure needed.
  • Signal mirrors, whistles and flares. Low-tech signalling that works when electronics fail.
  • Batteries and antennas. Radios are useless without power, so batteries go with them.

Where To Look

Outdoor stores, electronics stores, big-box retail, radio shops, vehicles, truck stops and the abandoned homes of radio hobbyists. As with any site, check it first; see Competition & Risk Assessment.

Choosing And Checking

Step 1: Count batteries before taking radios. A radio without power is dead weight.

Step 2: Test before carrying. Put in batteries and check that the set powers on and picks up noise or a signal.

Step 3: Take paired sets. Walkie-talkies work in pairs or groups; one alone is useless.

Step 4: Listen before you transmit. Listening tells you whether anyone is on the air and does not give away your position.

Common Mistakes

  • Expecting maximum range. Buildings, trees and terrain cut the range, which is why the realistic figure is a span of 1-8 km rather than one number.
  • Transmitting without thinking. A transmission can be heard by others, including those you would rather avoid.
  • Leaving batteries installed in stored radios. They can leak.

Safety

Antennas and power lines

Raising an antenna near overhead power lines can electrocute you if it falls or touches them. Keep clear of lines, and work with the antenna on the ground until you have checked what is overhead. Damaged batteries can leak or overheat.

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