The group that I am part of for bug out purposes are looking for communication options. We are wondering what everyone uses. GMRS? Marine? HAM? What would you recommend and why? A base station and handheld units would be used. Being in Utah we have mountains and canyons to deal with.

Hi Ut-Arshooter:

As with other preparedness areas, it is a good idea to have multiple options available. FMRS, GMRS, MURS, and ham are all good ways to go. Utah is a great  area when it comes to ham radio. There are several active clubs with helpful members to assist you. The clubs also operate a number of great repeaters.

Also, check out the Ham Radio 101 thread for some good info.

Feel free to PM if you have any questions.

Already typed plenty in this thread just yesterday, read it first....

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_10/349137_COMMO.html

You will be holding your head in pain after a few hours of reading, but there is a whole section devoted to this: http://www.ar15.com/forums/f_10/22_Ham_Radios.html



A lot of guys will tell you to ante up and get your HAM license, then you can do a lot more.  Personally, my criteria is that I wanted something that ANYONE could use, and that was somewhat available without any specialized gear.  I chose VHF radios that I can program (Motorola CP200's), and marine band VHF radios.  I have a boat, so it's a no-brainer that I already have a 25w stationary mounted VHF.  The handhelds are 5w.  No training is required.  All that has to be done is the handhelds be programmed to talk on marine band VHF freqs.  You can buy marine band handhelds too, if you choose.  Again, no licensing required, etc.  Technically, according to the FCC, this is only to be used on the water.  If TSHTF, then the FCC won't be around to monitor it's use.  ;)

Funny, my group did the same.



 

If you have a group of people in a particular area, why not just put up a real repeater?

Parrot repeaters suck though... you haven't lived until you've been in a critical situation and dealt with 15~30 seconds of "double", then the "double" repeated by the parrot system, then repeat the whole cycle...

You could put together a very simple 440 repeater with one of those mobile duplexers and a couple of mobiles.

This.

Amateur radio...when all else  fails.

Unfortunately there is no solution for effective communications that does not require licensing, prohibitive funding, or external infrastructure.

My recommendation is to become a licensed amateur radio operator. Buying radios you cannot legally use until emergencies is a terrible idea. Would you buy/build up a BOV only to let it sit under a tarp until needed? Would you buy firearms and not use/train with them? The "break glass in case of SHTF" model does not let you validate your equipment under local conditions, does not help you understand the science behind the process, and ensures that when the time comes, you will be learning equipment under stress rather than working on the air.

A technician's license in amateur radio will cost $15, transportation to a club meeting, and several hours of your life studying. With it, you will gain access to the VHF and UHF bands most frequently used in 'tactical' communication. You also gain access to amateur repeaters on those bands. You can use your equipment on air, getting to know what works and what does not.

Getting into the theory in science behind it, especially propagation and antenna construction, will help you get the best performance.

Equipment does not have to be expensive. If you have a DOS capable computer, surplussed Motorola public safety kit like the HT1000 is everywhere and very cheap. You could score 3-4 used 16ch HT1000s for the price of an HX370 or similar. They perform better, too.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_22/646491_the_CAN_T_FAIL_thread_for_getting_a_ham_radio_license_and_learning_basic_VHF_UHF_operations.html

ar-jedi

We went the 2 meter band HAM route.

Sounds like that may be the route to go. Was hoping to avoid that. Just one more license to add to the credentials I guess...