Information OperationsWhen your access to the internet and cell service gets cut, you better have a plan B for Info and Intel.
The goal of this post: Kick start your Plan B without procrastination excuses like “I have to study and pass first…, I don’t have the money…”
1) Listen: You can listen without a license. Get a cheap handheld and start listening while you study for the exam. Less than $40 gets you off your ass and on the air.
Later on you can take Sparks or DanMorgan’s fantastic advice on better gear when you know more.
2) Study: Although you should strive to understand your equipment and the procedures, you can easily memorize answers from published test pools. Again, this is to get you on the air fast where you can gain practical experience. Here are 2 self-study resources:
http://www.kb6nu.com/tech-manual/
http://www.nc4fb.org/wordpress/technician-license-20142018/
3) Read: Start reading these sites:
4) Act: Go to these AmRRON pages for more “get started” advice and learn how to participate in their nets. You don’t necessarily need a ham license to start. AmRRON is unique in that it is oriented towards patriots, partisans and preppers. You will understand the significance of this as you learn more about ham radio.
http://www.amrron.com/2014/08/14/letter-desperately-want-to-know-where-do-i-begin/
http://www.amrron.com/communications-resources/communications-resources-2/
And they have some great introductory videos. They’re long, but very informative.
http://www.amrron.com/2014/02/17/comms-up-full-length-video-introduction-to-amrron/
http://www.amrron.com/2014/08/20/comms-up-2-the-docudrama/
5) Connect: Join AmRRON and connect with patriots in your AO via their secure membership directory. The AmRRON administrator will take your “contact” request and pass it to another member. If that member wants to talk to you, they’ll contact you. Start building your local net, whether that is just new, like-minded friends for mutual aid, or you start a local radio net and become the intel hub in your AO.
https://informops.wordpress.com/2014/09/19/comms-do-you-have-a-plan-b/
have a short wave for listening, including hand crank/solar recharging ability and am going to purchase a hand held c.b. radio. already have walkie talkies for close in com. as I understand it, c.b. is harder to monitor and pinpoint.
Hey FF my thoughts as well. I do not register anything i don’t absolutely half to. The enemy knows enough about me as it is. I have discouraged people for years not to register anything, but most of them don’t listen. If you get down to it most so called required registrations are unconstitutional requirements any way.
Paraclete, thanks for linking to us.
Paul, great advice. I didn’t emphasize the listening part as much as I should have. Having that ability to passively collect information either via scanner or SW (or CB or FM, whatever you have) is critical. Thanks for pointing it out.
I certainly understand the position on not wanting to get on a federal list and it being unconstitutional.
Sparks31 (https://sparks31.wordpress.com) is one of the experts in this space, and just to present a balanced view of opinion, I’d like to share his viewpoint on the subject.
https://sparks31.wordpress.com/the-last-word-on-the-ham-license-debate/
Best of luck to all of you here.
In Liberty,
ffio