Post by woodyz on Feb 9, 2015 16:12:25 GMT -7
Communication During Difficult Times
Codes and Identification
In identifying your family members, you should have a code that only your family knows to verify who they are when you are not face to face.
Family signs or markers are important to have too so that your family members can leave a trail only you would know to follow. Keep the symbol easy to draw and remember. Family crest were use for hundreds of years to identify family members. All gang members have their “tags” and many organizations have their secret way of identifying each other. So get with the program and make sure your family has one or more, verbal and written codes. Great way to leave a marker so your family can find you if needed.
If a family member is trying to contact you through a third party having a code or password can verify that you really did give this third party the information. Given the wrong code can also be a warning to get help or stay away. I have had a few alarm services and each one requires you having a distress code word. If you’re being held by the bad guys and they want you to turn off the alarm or tell your service on the phone that everything is okay that distress word or code can turn off the alarm but still summon help.
Don’t Rely On One Form of Communications
Maybe most don’t remember that there were/are other forms of communications before the Internet and the Cell phone.
Before the phone, there was the post office. It wasn’t quick, but it worked. If there is no electricity then stamps and envelopes might be the only way left to communicate. Shortwave, Morse code, smoke signals, semaphore and cave drawings have all been used to communicate. I mention these forms of communications because the Internet and cell phone could go down or be taken over and shut down. And please don’t say it can’t happen, because then it will happen and unfortunately, the cemetery is full of people who said it couldn’t happen. So keep paper and pencil handy.
Creating Your Own Neighborhood Network
I bet some of you discovered that with today’s technology you can set up your own wireless Internet that can cover you neighborhood. This isn’t just sharing your Internet access over your wireless router because you didn’t lock down the access. This is about setting up an Internet server with a high output wireless transmitter. If you put the systems on a UPS system and a generator, even without outside power your neighborhood can access neighbor news and share news and ideas to disaster recovery or track important events. Now, if you live on a 20 acre ranch in the middle of nowhere then there might not be the need. If you live in a close community, then it might come in handy even before a disaster.
Hardware
Radio
A radio is a must. This survival tool can give you up-to- date information about any disaster. Many of theportable radios have built in hand crank generators and solar panels for charging. Spend a bit more money here and get a good one. If anything you can listen to music. It should receive AM FM weather and shortwave. TV channels would also be useful.
For the shortwave, there are a lot of amateur radio operators that use shortwave and can be invaluable source of information during a disaster. You might also consider getting a radio operators license yourself. You don’t need to know Morse Code any more.
Two way Radios
These new 2-way radios are terrific. Some can transmit 35 or 40 miles clear line of site. I bought a pair 5 years ago that did 15 miles. I never got them to work at that range, even in a clear line of sight, but for 3 to 4 miles they work great.
If you are a party of more than one, then these are great tools to have. They are small and light weight. When you can’t count on having cell phone coverage get yourself a 2-way radio for each member of your family and don’t ‘forget to teach them how to use them. They are great to have for your family when your go to the zoo or park, walking the dog, or go camping.
CB
It the old standby and comes in real handy when you are traveling down the highway. Every trucker knows the value of communications. That is how they survive on the road. I don’t ‘carry one in my BOB, but I do have one in the car whenever I drive out of town. So it’s always good to carry in your vehicle.
Cell Phone
If you don’t have a cell phone already you are either two years old or dead. Just make sure you have multiple options to charge your phone.
I was in the Dominican Republic years ago on business and was surprised to see that everyone (most everyone) had cell phones. I asked one of the residents why so many cell phones. He explained that the infrastructure was so bad there that only hardened cell towers worked for reliable communications. Every time a hurricane came through everything got destroyed except the cell towers. The towers were also quick to set up and maintain. Okay, so what do I mean by hardened. They were secure (Fort Knox type), made of concrete, and had backup generators.
GPS
GPS (Global Positioning Satellites) although this is not considered a communications device, it does give you important information about the time and your location, which then can be relayed to others.
Any GPS can and has been a life saver. I carry one when I’m out on the ATV. it records the routes I take so I can find my way back. It also tracks travel times, direction, speeds, way points and altitude. Make sure it has the maps of the areas you will be in and it runs on batteries.
Then there is the TomTom and similar devices. Now real men don’t have to stop and ask for directions! It’s a terrific device. If roads are blocked the device can plot a way around it faster than you can look at a map.
Each year the technology gets better and more features than one could ever need. If you ever have to bug out, a GPS system will come in handy.
Computer and the Internet
For those who use the Internet but don’t know much about it, here is a brief history lesson. It started at Stanford University and become a reality around 1974. It was used in the business world and by the military and really got started for home user in the late 80’s. You can now get just about any information you want off the Internet. Most of the research for this book came from the Internet. Just remember, just because it’s on the Internet doesn’t ‘make it true or right. So be careful of sharing too much of your personal information. You never know who is watching.
The Internet changed the world and continues to impact our culture and sociality.
If you want to keep informed there is not a better tool right now than the Internet.
Charging your devices
In this day and age there are battery powered devices that can make your lives easier and more “survivable”. Those devices, for the most part, require some sort of battery. Batteries are so important that there is a chapter in the book just on batteries.
With all these battery operated devices you are going to have to keep them charged and without the aid of a standard wall outlet. Not so surprisingly there are devices that can charge batteries and most are reasonably priced.
The first charger of my choice is the good old hand crank so all that charger needs is human power. Then there is all the new Solar panels that can charge any battery and device. The price has come down on solar panel and there are a lot to choose from nowadays. There are great radios out today that can charge other devices like your cell phone using hand and solar. And then you get the radio and a flashlight all in one.
A good idea is to try and have all your devices rechargeable. That way you don’t have to have or carry spare batteries. Just make sure you have a way to recharge them
EMP Proof
So we now have all these great new gadgets to help us stay in touch. Two problems with that (Actually more than two, but for this purpose we’ll say two.) One are the batteries or an electrical source and the second is an Electro- Magnetic Pulse (EMP) . If you haven’t heard about EMP and what it can do, you need to watch theJames Bond movie Golden Eye. That will bring you up to date on what EMP is all about. You can also look it up on the web.
Side note: I keep mentioning looking things up on the Web yourself. I do that because I hate duplicating information that as already available. Also information is ever growing and changing. The information in this book is static for the most part. So the Web is the best place, for now, to get the latest and greatest information, always remembering not everything on the Web is true.
Nowadays it’s not so much about a man made EMP, but one from our Sun. Powerful Solar flares or Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) have been in the news lately and some have effected communications, as an example of yet one more major event that can cause worldwide disaster and our government is taking this threat very seriously.
When (there was no if) the U.S. gets hit by a “Coronal Mass Ejection” (CME) in the form of a “Electro Magnetic Pulse” (EMP), it will cause entire power grids across all of North America to go down indefinitely. That includes the “frying” of all unprotected electronic devices. The Experts say it would be at least three to five years minimum before even partial power would be restored and that within the first year of the power being out, seventy-five to eighty percent of just the U.S. population will be dead. The remaining are most likely Preppers or just very lucky.
So how do you protect your valuable electronics from EMP. First unplug everything just like you should during an lighting storm. However, you can’t run around the house unplugging everything as an EMP hits, you might not be home. The alternatives are Faraday boxes or cages. The ultimate would be to cover your house in copper mesh and ground it. There are rumors that FEMA’s headquarters did just that. That does get costly and you don’t need to protect you favorite recliner from EMP.
There are many plans on how to build a Faraday like box. It really doesn’t ‘take that much. Some conductive metal, a box will work. Again check out the Web.
americanpreppersnetwork.com/2014/12/communication-difficult-times.html
Codes and Identification
In identifying your family members, you should have a code that only your family knows to verify who they are when you are not face to face.
Family signs or markers are important to have too so that your family members can leave a trail only you would know to follow. Keep the symbol easy to draw and remember. Family crest were use for hundreds of years to identify family members. All gang members have their “tags” and many organizations have their secret way of identifying each other. So get with the program and make sure your family has one or more, verbal and written codes. Great way to leave a marker so your family can find you if needed.
If a family member is trying to contact you through a third party having a code or password can verify that you really did give this third party the information. Given the wrong code can also be a warning to get help or stay away. I have had a few alarm services and each one requires you having a distress code word. If you’re being held by the bad guys and they want you to turn off the alarm or tell your service on the phone that everything is okay that distress word or code can turn off the alarm but still summon help.
Don’t Rely On One Form of Communications
Maybe most don’t remember that there were/are other forms of communications before the Internet and the Cell phone.
Before the phone, there was the post office. It wasn’t quick, but it worked. If there is no electricity then stamps and envelopes might be the only way left to communicate. Shortwave, Morse code, smoke signals, semaphore and cave drawings have all been used to communicate. I mention these forms of communications because the Internet and cell phone could go down or be taken over and shut down. And please don’t say it can’t happen, because then it will happen and unfortunately, the cemetery is full of people who said it couldn’t happen. So keep paper and pencil handy.
Creating Your Own Neighborhood Network
I bet some of you discovered that with today’s technology you can set up your own wireless Internet that can cover you neighborhood. This isn’t just sharing your Internet access over your wireless router because you didn’t lock down the access. This is about setting up an Internet server with a high output wireless transmitter. If you put the systems on a UPS system and a generator, even without outside power your neighborhood can access neighbor news and share news and ideas to disaster recovery or track important events. Now, if you live on a 20 acre ranch in the middle of nowhere then there might not be the need. If you live in a close community, then it might come in handy even before a disaster.
Hardware
Radio
A radio is a must. This survival tool can give you up-to- date information about any disaster. Many of theportable radios have built in hand crank generators and solar panels for charging. Spend a bit more money here and get a good one. If anything you can listen to music. It should receive AM FM weather and shortwave. TV channels would also be useful.
For the shortwave, there are a lot of amateur radio operators that use shortwave and can be invaluable source of information during a disaster. You might also consider getting a radio operators license yourself. You don’t need to know Morse Code any more.
Two way Radios
These new 2-way radios are terrific. Some can transmit 35 or 40 miles clear line of site. I bought a pair 5 years ago that did 15 miles. I never got them to work at that range, even in a clear line of sight, but for 3 to 4 miles they work great.
If you are a party of more than one, then these are great tools to have. They are small and light weight. When you can’t count on having cell phone coverage get yourself a 2-way radio for each member of your family and don’t ‘forget to teach them how to use them. They are great to have for your family when your go to the zoo or park, walking the dog, or go camping.
CB
It the old standby and comes in real handy when you are traveling down the highway. Every trucker knows the value of communications. That is how they survive on the road. I don’t ‘carry one in my BOB, but I do have one in the car whenever I drive out of town. So it’s always good to carry in your vehicle.
Cell Phone
If you don’t have a cell phone already you are either two years old or dead. Just make sure you have multiple options to charge your phone.
I was in the Dominican Republic years ago on business and was surprised to see that everyone (most everyone) had cell phones. I asked one of the residents why so many cell phones. He explained that the infrastructure was so bad there that only hardened cell towers worked for reliable communications. Every time a hurricane came through everything got destroyed except the cell towers. The towers were also quick to set up and maintain. Okay, so what do I mean by hardened. They were secure (Fort Knox type), made of concrete, and had backup generators.
GPS
GPS (Global Positioning Satellites) although this is not considered a communications device, it does give you important information about the time and your location, which then can be relayed to others.
Any GPS can and has been a life saver. I carry one when I’m out on the ATV. it records the routes I take so I can find my way back. It also tracks travel times, direction, speeds, way points and altitude. Make sure it has the maps of the areas you will be in and it runs on batteries.
Then there is the TomTom and similar devices. Now real men don’t have to stop and ask for directions! It’s a terrific device. If roads are blocked the device can plot a way around it faster than you can look at a map.
Each year the technology gets better and more features than one could ever need. If you ever have to bug out, a GPS system will come in handy.
Computer and the Internet
For those who use the Internet but don’t know much about it, here is a brief history lesson. It started at Stanford University and become a reality around 1974. It was used in the business world and by the military and really got started for home user in the late 80’s. You can now get just about any information you want off the Internet. Most of the research for this book came from the Internet. Just remember, just because it’s on the Internet doesn’t ‘make it true or right. So be careful of sharing too much of your personal information. You never know who is watching.
The Internet changed the world and continues to impact our culture and sociality.
If you want to keep informed there is not a better tool right now than the Internet.
Charging your devices
In this day and age there are battery powered devices that can make your lives easier and more “survivable”. Those devices, for the most part, require some sort of battery. Batteries are so important that there is a chapter in the book just on batteries.
With all these battery operated devices you are going to have to keep them charged and without the aid of a standard wall outlet. Not so surprisingly there are devices that can charge batteries and most are reasonably priced.
The first charger of my choice is the good old hand crank so all that charger needs is human power. Then there is all the new Solar panels that can charge any battery and device. The price has come down on solar panel and there are a lot to choose from nowadays. There are great radios out today that can charge other devices like your cell phone using hand and solar. And then you get the radio and a flashlight all in one.
A good idea is to try and have all your devices rechargeable. That way you don’t have to have or carry spare batteries. Just make sure you have a way to recharge them
EMP Proof
So we now have all these great new gadgets to help us stay in touch. Two problems with that (Actually more than two, but for this purpose we’ll say two.) One are the batteries or an electrical source and the second is an Electro- Magnetic Pulse (EMP) . If you haven’t heard about EMP and what it can do, you need to watch theJames Bond movie Golden Eye. That will bring you up to date on what EMP is all about. You can also look it up on the web.
Side note: I keep mentioning looking things up on the Web yourself. I do that because I hate duplicating information that as already available. Also information is ever growing and changing. The information in this book is static for the most part. So the Web is the best place, for now, to get the latest and greatest information, always remembering not everything on the Web is true.
Nowadays it’s not so much about a man made EMP, but one from our Sun. Powerful Solar flares or Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) have been in the news lately and some have effected communications, as an example of yet one more major event that can cause worldwide disaster and our government is taking this threat very seriously.
When (there was no if) the U.S. gets hit by a “Coronal Mass Ejection” (CME) in the form of a “Electro Magnetic Pulse” (EMP), it will cause entire power grids across all of North America to go down indefinitely. That includes the “frying” of all unprotected electronic devices. The Experts say it would be at least three to five years minimum before even partial power would be restored and that within the first year of the power being out, seventy-five to eighty percent of just the U.S. population will be dead. The remaining are most likely Preppers or just very lucky.
So how do you protect your valuable electronics from EMP. First unplug everything just like you should during an lighting storm. However, you can’t run around the house unplugging everything as an EMP hits, you might not be home. The alternatives are Faraday boxes or cages. The ultimate would be to cover your house in copper mesh and ground it. There are rumors that FEMA’s headquarters did just that. That does get costly and you don’t need to protect you favorite recliner from EMP.
There are many plans on how to build a Faraday like box. It really doesn’t ‘take that much. Some conductive metal, a box will work. Again check out the Web.
americanpreppersnetwork.com/2014/12/communication-difficult-times.html