Real-World Emergency Communication Vs. Radio LARPing? With The Tech Prepper!

[@RC-qk7qw]

I really enjoy when two people I follow do a crossover episode. Same enjoyment I got when HRCC and Notarubicon got together. Good job fellas. I really enjoyed it.

[@ericsolomon9522]

Gotta say, I have the TTP manpack - INCREDIBLE!!!! So ready for the Big Brother version - Need 2 for my 857’s. Gentlemen…..I am a Huge fan of BOTH your channels !! As a “newbie” you Both have educated me & I owe you!!! A Very Sincere THANK YOU !!!!

[@RadioPrepper]

Thanks for the mention 🙂

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

No problem 😊

[@gregorybirchfield4952]

Good to see a collaboration between you two. Both great channels.

[@lyfandeth]

I've never been to a drill, MCI exercise, any large event, where at least one experienced ham wasn't totally lost in the menus or quirks on an h/t they hadn't used recently. Often it is "just" setting up repeater tones, which so often are totally unnecessary. And good pocket cheat sheets are SO damn rare.

[@MrMambasnake]

Thanks much Josh for having Gaston on your channel. Been a follower/donor of his for quite a while, and great to see him receiving the well-deserved "prime time" exposure. Also enjoyed seeing his choice of beverage (brand label carefully kept off-cam) since I'm a long-time customer there also. 😉

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Thanks for watching! It was fun to have him on.

[@dougfields23]

I've been following him a couple months, building my first manpack now, great follow up to the signal stuff interview

[@mdouble100]

Very good interview. Gaston is excellent and covers some of the most important aspects of EmComm. I am the ACS EC for Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. I agree entirely with the concept of no random contacts in the context to having a comms plan. Field expedience is really the only practical way of doing emergency communications. Being able to pack in the needed gear and be on the air quickly is perhaps the single most important point in having a useable field station.

[@tomperone9338]

Glad to see Gaston's made the big time! Two of my favorite content creators in one colab - good times!

[@goodoz9942]

Long time GMRS guy here who understood that radio service has limitations for emergency uses. I'm pretty new to Ham...Tech ticket Nov. 22, General ticket March 23...My priority for Tech was appending to GMRS capabilities by adding gear and setting up for crossband repeat...that expanded [some] immediate family comms. The reason for pushing on to General was the need for 40/80M privileges and NVIS...Practice/drilling is important as you don't want to be trying these capabilities for the first time when an emergency is happening...Getting the folks I care about to follow along is an entirely different hurdle. I'm still learning and gleaning ideas about where to focus research so videos like these are priceless...Thanks!

[@jeffb5781]

Excellent discussion. The truth is that HAM radio is hard. If there was really a SHTF, I think most of the 2 way comms would be mostly local rather than a long distance thing. One thing I heard Julian talk about was the fact that most people leave the issue of power out of their HAM radio plans. How much power will we have in a grid down for example? And, maybe there needs to be discussions about not giving away your position. I like what the tech prepper said. I used to think the same way regarding not getting a license for emergency comms, but the the training aspect is critical and you can't do that without training. Thus a license is a must. Further, studying for the exams really is a good start to radio preparedness. It really helps you understand how good experienced HAM radio people are and how much you need to learn.

[@DysmasTheGoodThief]

Hopefully they have implemented PASE and have batteries ready, or a generator or power bank at the least

[@Johnnyboy_584]

Very good! Enjoyed this episode. Thanks Josh.

[@leeharrell67]

I'm so sorry I missed this live. I hope you have Gaston back on soon!

[@winstonsmiths2449]

Lastly, YES to not worrying about production quality! If I wanted that I would watch cable/satellite TV. I want the information, the knowledge you smart men have. Don't care about the flashy intro, poor lighting or whatever.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Thanks Winston, I appreciate you watching the video!

[@winstonsmiths2449]

I am a SHTF type user. My POU is local comm, home-brew repeater as needed/possible. Distance hoping for is 80 miles with repeaters that are available now. People such as me can be eyes and ears feeding guys like you local, real-time info. You have the skills, power and knowledge to pass on what is needed. Still studying for my HAM license but will get licensed. I see jamming as a real possibility and if that happens all bets are off. It is not hard to jam the entire radio freq spectrum.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I think you are right that in some massive collapse jamming would be used and it would be easy to target specific bands of operation.

[@xanatax1844]

curiousity: … are there good jammer-detector rigs? or, say, schematics to build? … feels like an SDR-dongle would be overkill, so, that’s the price-point. 🤷‍♀️ is there a way to DIY it cheaper? - detect that an entire spectrum is being hit from the same source antenna, and indicate alert. follow-up: the only useful thing to do with a jammer is DF it, to find the source. right? so, (a) auto-detect that it is happenning. (b) auto-log the timestamp, and details like signal strength. (c) compare notes with other stations to triangulate source. SDRs should be able to do this better than anything? I would think? … but I have no idea if anyone has programmed them to, yet.

[@HoboFreightHamRadio]

For all the discussion regarding no unboxing videos you two spent a lot of time talking about gear. Interesting episode. Using your gear frequently is more important than what gear you have. But for forums like this people want to hear the guest's thoughts on different radios and antennas.

[@Pollock1961]

The most Awesome Packs, I have ever seen

[@Philip-KA4KOE]

Gaston and you have excellent presenter skills! Kudos!

[@JoeyRF]

Kinda random but Anderson power poles suck. I wish radio manufacturers would offer different options. I use xt60 connectors I fly drones and have used them for years. And when I play around with my go box I use wago 221-415 it’s like a wire nut but better. I super glue 2 of them together back to back they work wonderfully

[@jeffranck6080]

I've heard a lot of people say they don't like Anderson power poles, but I've never had any issues with them and I use them all over the place. Why don't you like them?

[@JoeyRF]

@@jeffranck6080 I haven’t necessarily had any issues with them they work fine. My biggest complaint is how big they are. Their are just a lot better options out there that I wish more companies would use.

[@jeffranck6080]

@@JoeyRF Thanks!

[@REXOB9]

Great discussion of emergency communications, thanks

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Thanks for watching!

[@Oldhogleg]

Great interview! 👍

[@hook2364]

Great chat guys!

[@jimpiper5297]

Re "simplex repeaters" They've been around since the early 90's if not longer. Came across them in my early ham/ARES days after I got my ticket in '93. These can best be described as analog store-and-forward or perhaps store-and-retransmit repeaters albeit that they retransmit almost immediately. For those who need a parallel concept: digipeaters. Maybe I simply haven't heard of them yet, but, so far as I know, ALL digis are store-and-forward. Re IFAKs -- Seems across the spectrum of prepper world presentations including comms in the boonies, first aid and medical kits come up in the context of IFAKs (“individual first aid kits”, an acronym originating with the military). Unfortunately rarely is there the strong encouragement to learn advanced first aid. Just knowing how to put a band-aid on an owie when out in the bush just is NOT enough. Without proper care, an injury with delayed transport to medical care can be downright dangerous. Take away is, if one carries an IFAK, especially if equipped with an Israeli pressure bandage and CAT-T tourniquet, get field emergency medical training. This retired RN jus’ sayin’ ... N6MED

[@pinkpantherak74]

I couldn't agree more. To add to what you said, people should look for "Stop The Bleed" classes. They are free and straight to the point.

[@l.robertvandyke4398]

Really great interview!

[@swartzautoman2]

I know very very little about how radios work. Here's a question. If 2 people are 100 miles apart do they each need a radio that goes the full 100 miles or can both do 55 miles and still talk?

[@garywheeler2055]

Two Apex Ham users chatting Love it 🇨🇦🍻👍

[@docilekitty7]

As a emt,fireman,x-navy corpsman I feel any comm that is the fastest ,mostest,fathest is the bestest.if you can't reach some your still dead!

[@Oldhogleg]

Absolutely, that's why one ALWAYS needs to go beyond "Gear", and eith develop or join a community; whether it's a public ham radio net, a private radio net, an emergency radio organization, and so on. Otherwise, it's like you said, you're still dead.

[@slappomatthew]

Gaston is the one guy answering the questions all the non hobbiest people want to know. I need to talk to this person this far away how can I reliably do that. No one in ham is really addressing that. They all just say it depends, which is really just “you can’t”

[@kybollweevil7540]

Check out the Kenwood Remote Control Crossband Repeater function. I ran those for years.

[@sfrahm1]

Raspberry Pi solution 1. Buy better SD cards. 2. Use a battery backup hat so power is never interruped during writes.

[@MaryBrownForFreedom]

400 miles? 2m SSB, a decent sized yagi each end, at least 300 watts... My 2m propagation indicator is a beacon 350 miles form me in WI(WD9BGA/b on 144.297.3ish mhz) bad days I can just detect it is there, neutral days I have full copy but S0 signal strength, good days it can be as high as 20 over 9... the beacon runs 10 watts to 2 loops @1900' ASL (I am at 1150' ASL and have down sloping terrain for miles in most directions. Like having a free tower!). Don't count out VHF for state to state comms! I ask the radio LARPers this: It is Mid December, bottom of the sunspot cycle, 1PM local time. What band do you use to make a contact across the country? 2-3 states over? 200 miles away? Now answer that for peak of the sunspot cycle. Then answer it for mid June bottom and peak of the cycle? I either get stammers or if on Twitter they block me. Because they don't have a clue. Hmmm.... software engineers... I am rusty but have written my share of code... how about a software package with a decision tree that takes in parameters of the scenario and spits out a plan outline that can then be fleshed out with details of who, what radio/freq each person will be on... I remember the floods of 96/97 along the MN river. Twin Cities FM club came out and stomped all over the locals who had been providing emergency comms that worked with our local situation. They didn't know the terrain, the dead spots where getting a signal out is extremely difficult and who locally had what fr capabilities. I remember them struggling on 80 meters trying to pass a message to the Red Cross in Minneapolis at 125 miles distance. It was night and that was just not a good band to try it with the severe weather going on(lot of QRN...) After they tried for 30 minutes I copied the message, hopped on 2m SSB and passed it to a friend in the Twin Cities who got on the repeater they were using and passed it to the Red Cross station. I had offered to pass messages for them and got turned down, I wasn't in their "club". I broke in on 80m and told them message received and they were sending out National Guard troops to help sandbag. Ignoring local help who knows what works is a major failure point. We banned that club form coming out an interfering after that. Local phone service was down in a 5 county area when the telephone exchange building had flood water come up thru a floor drain.So it was down to radio comms. Had no phone for 2 weeks as they rebuilt that exchange/replaced everything that was below 3' off the floor.

[@MRMicrophone-d4b]

i wish they would make a 897d with an sdr screen aka waterfall with the battery pack, plug in wall power, or twelve volt power, that is portable like it is.

[@robertkammer9365]

I'm putting up a 24 foot verticle antenna. How far from the house should I put it to get the maximum power out there?

[@frankwc0o]

The main reason that the 818 is great is because we are in a great position in the solar cycle, 3 years ago, we wouldn't be say how great this radio is at 5 watts.

[@jacobKC3MRA]

I love the x6100, however, I do not rely on that radio. Overall it's been reliable for the most part, but its glitched out a few times and I don't have the confidence in it like I do with like the Yaesus or Icoms. I always at least have the ft-891 or something like that in the car or bag.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I feel the same.

[@shaungilmartin1505]

In the US the ham radio community is quite strong in the anti authoritarian community. Not so in the UK where it is dominated by a different mindset......it is an expensive tech hobby but sociologically a dead end beyond that.

[@shanemccray4050]

Great stuff here! Been getting into this radio prep stuff and re- learning a bunch from my Military LRSU days

[@DysmasTheGoodThief]

EXCUSE YOU I have an AR and plate carrier with a feng and abbree whip. How darest thee. Edit: for personal coms. I’m getting an MPAS for my kit and stationary gear for the homestead. I still take offense 😂

[@RookieLock]

His manpack is awesome!

[@winstonsmiths2449]

Here is the plan: Have a horde of HAMs who act as listeners for people who will be in their local area wilderness locals. I know there are emergency freqs but needs dedicated listeners. Traveler could notify a user group of where they will be and freqs used. Far fetched?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

No not at all, and based on your previous comments, I think you should look in HF NVIS connectivity. THAT is what is going to let location communication work in a contested environment.

[@winstonsmiths2449]

@@HamRadioCrashCourse Thanks for the info, will research. Outstanding session/interview. Wow, two knowledgeable smart dudes.

[@BurtonChristmasLites]

Really enjoyed this episode! Robert KD4YDC

[@pigroper5]

super cool stuff

[@randlecarr3257]

Love my Garmin InReach

[@BBaldwin]

“Radio LARPing”. LMAO. 😂😂😂😂😂

[@00011theman]

Oh the irony... the first thing TTP does when the power goes out is to hop on Winlink (presumably HF if power is out regionally) and email someone out of state to check the APS website and email him back. Not normal people things like storing potable water, getting light sources, gathering essential medication and documents in the event you need to leave, nah. Better fire up the HF shack rig (On a generator or large battery bank I assume?) and try to get into a Winlink gateway.

[@BBaldwin]

😂😂😂😂

[@p4rsec]

unfortunately it seems that the usefulness of the InReach is up to who gets your call. I've seen a few videos circulating of people hitting the SOS and getting treated like they were assholes and shit by the rescuers.

[@justinbrashear5124]

That’s the guy who set up cameras to record his “rescue”. Seemed pretty suspicious

[@p4rsec]

@@justinbrashear5124 suspicious how? the dude went out to do some solo trekking, got out of his depth when some snow hit, and then when he signaled for rescue the sheriff's office made fun of him and posted his information on facebook without his consent. the only suspicious thing there is how unprofessional the sheriff's department was. you should always know when to cut your losses, and calling rescue was the right move. he couldn't find the trail through the feet of snow it was under, and couldn't just climb up that steep of an incline.

[@justinbrashear5124]

@@p4rsec the suspicious part was when he was in such trouble he filmed it for his KZbin channel. I’m glad he got out safely. I don’t think the sheriff needed his consent. It’s not like HIPAA applies.

[@p4rsec]

@@justinbrashear5124 they're in a position of power. they don't have any right to be sharing his name or information. he's not a criminal, he was someone genuinely needing help getting out of the situation he was in. just because it wasn't a life threatening situation while he was filming doesn't mean it couldn't have quickly become one. that was why he activated the SOS beacon. regardless, it's a service he pays for. why does it matter why he activated it? he recognized he was out of his depth and needed help. no one should ever be ridiculed for asking for help.

[@ToNzHoLtZ]

damn I would have bought a bag ....

[@yoteoboth8449]

I.m just a year late to the party...

[@slosolo2]

Is this guy making the rounds at the big ham channels really organic or is this something like Leviathan Tribe talent management in guntube.

[@kcarmical]

I love his channel's technical content but I get distracted with all the tacti-talk sprinkled throughout. "Yes, I need... FIGURES! 2! Happy Meals! I Say Again! Figures! 2! Happy Meals!" If he could bring it down a notch and not take this all so seriously I think it would help things a lot. We're not trying to storm Normandy here.

[@robertliddell2333]

Guys Love to death what your both doing!!! Where can a ham with a lot of rust go to start refreshing and reacquiring a tarnished skill set (KJ6SKA)?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Both are channels would be the way. I have a playlist pointed more towards newcomers and those learning some of the new technologies. "Are you new to radio, start here".