During this series we will explore methods for establishing targeted communications with local and regional people without relying on consumer infrastructure. The goal is self reliant communication while keeping things as simple as possible. You might even meet some like minded friends along the way. Radio communication is quite a large topic so I’ll focus on one part at a time that will take a small amount of time to learn and start using to move toward an independent community.

So where do we start? The first step is getting a radio. Experience will come with practice and fortunately it can be pretty simple to get talking. Pick up a cheap VHF/UHF hand held radio, basically a walkie talkie. I’m not however talking about the Walmart kind. What your looking for is an FRS/GMRS radio. All this means is that is adheres to a set plan of channels similar to CB radios. There is a few differences and I’ll get into why we’re choosing this radio.

FRS/GMRS operates on pre set channels so it’s very easy to operate. These radios are using UHF. All this means is it’s using relatively high frequency radio to work, unlike CB which uses low frequency radio. We’ll learn more about this on another day. And Lastly one of the most important reasons we’re choosing this radio is they are cheap, but don’t let this fool you. You can get pretty far with just this little radio.

Which one to buy? Well in this category it’s as simple as searching GMRS radio and finding one that is at your price point with good reviews. With these radios it’s pretty much you get what you pay for. Then, once you have your radio you should go to the FCC website Here and get the inexpensive license for GMRS operation. This is a one time fee that doesn’t expire and it covers your whole family so this is the only time we have to deal with that.

Now to find people to talk to. The easiest is to just toss your friend or family another radio tuned to the same channel and start talking. This can seem of limited utility, but practice with the radios is important and we’re building up to more extensive communications. What our ultimate goal for this radio is to find a group in your area. Search your area and you’re likely to find a regional GMRS group. Join in and start communicating. People are usually very helpful and receptive to people getting started. This will generally allow you to talk to people across your local area up to even a few cities so it’s a great foundation upon which to grow our self sufficient network. And in a world where the list of people monitoring everything that happens on a cell phone, it can offer some peace of mind that you have your own little corner of the world that won’t pull up an ad about that new air fryer you were just talking about.

More next time,

Aaron