Tag: shtf
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What “Grid Down” Actually Means: Realistic Timelines
Cell, internet, and power fail on very different timelines, and most outages are hours, not the collapse scenario people picture.
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A Comms Plan for Apartment or Multi-Family Housing Renters
You can’t assume a yard, a roof, or even a balcony. Here’s a comms plan sized to what renters actually have.
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Emergency Communications and Preparedness
A practical roadmap to EmComm capability, covering ARES and RACES, message formats, digital tools like Winlink, and what actually holds up when it matters.
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Tactical Team Comms vs. SHTF Comms: Why You Can’t Copy-Paste the Playbook
Why the PACE-driven, locked-down comms plan of a tactical team doesn’t hold up in a grid-down scenario, and what your radio setup actually needs instead.
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Weekly Nets Are Stuck in the Past, and They’re Not Preparing Anyone for SHTF
Most weekly nets have become a comfortable check-in ritual that teaches nothing and tests nothing. Here’s why that’s a problem for preparedness-minded hams.
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Repeaters: How They Work, Why They’re Great, and Why They’re Not a SHTF Plan
Repeaters turn a 5-watt handheld into a radio that can talk 40 miles. Here’s how that works, and why you shouldn’t bet your grid-down comms plan on one.
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Why Two Is One and One Is None: Building Redundancy Into a Family Radio Kit
Every layer of your comms plan needs a backup, not just the plan as a whole. Here’s where people actually cut this corner.
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A Comms Plan for Family Spread Across Different Cities
GMRS and ham simplex both run out of range fast. Here’s how a family spread across cities actually stays connected.
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Simple Visual Panels and Ground Signals for a Family Bug-Out Plan
Line of sight doesn’t need a radio. Here’s a basic panel and ground signal system worth adding to your plan.
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When Radios Fail: Whistle Codes, Mirror Signals, and Other Non-Verbal Backups
Radios die and batteries run out. Here’s a simple non-verbal signal system to fall back on when they do.
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What a Real SHTF Communications Plan Actually Looks Like
Most people’s SHTF comms plan is a radio in a drawer and a vague hope it’ll work when it matters. Here’s what an actual plan looks like, and why it’s mostly about people and documentation, not gear.
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Channel Congestion After a Disaster: What Actually Happens on GMRS and FRS
Everyone has the same idea at the same time. Here’s what actually happens to GMRS and FRS channels after a disaster hits.