Resist 1776 – by Greg Carithers
This is a tough question but one that needs to be addressed. All you have to do is search this topic and just read the one liner’s that pop up. Things like “the world is doomed” and “total chaos” will come up almost immediately. The sad thing is that for most citizens this is very true. Everyone is so ingrained with reaching in their pockets, pulling out a phone or device of some kind and instantly connecting with another person or group across town, state, country and even the world.
Imagine if you were walking along in NYC and all of a sudden communications stopped. You couldn’t call home to make sure the wife and kids were OK. No calling mom or dad down in Delaware to make sure they are fine. The cousins in the south are missing because they can’t be reached and your 20 year old son or daughter that is going to school on the west coast is no ware to be found. One of two things will happen at that point.
One – You will fall in line with the majority of the people in the city and PANIC. We know this to be true because of 9-11. During this attack, communications were interrupted to the point of almost non-existence. The country went into lock down and the people went into panic mode. I was working in Pennsylvania that morning. I was unable to call home to the south. The people that live in the PA were unable to call home a few blocks away. Everyone jumped in their cars and left the work site crying and screaming. I jumped in the rental car and drove south to make sure my family was OK. At that instant nothing mattered in the world except me and mine. The reaction is natural and nothing less could have been expected at the time. After all we were under attack and being killed on our own soil. Americans had never experienced this since the revolution. On my way home communications started again in North Carolina. I was able to reach my family and then turn around to offer engineering work at ground zero. I was denied but offered none the less.
Two – The only other response you could possibly have without falling in line with the majority of people who are going out of control very fast is to have a PLAN. Those of you that have read my articles in the past know that I always say “stick to the plan”. From time to time, step back and take a breath. Adapt and overcome but then stick to the plan. Your plan has to include one of the first things that are about to go wrong. NO COMMUNICATIONS. The government and military will be going for communications first. This is one of the best ways to induce Panic. I have also said the Panic is the mind killer. It makes us hesitate, stop in our tracks, think too much or not enough, run the wrong way and on and on. When I served in the military one of the first tactics we learned with Guerilla warfare was to induce Panic. It makes things a lot easier when you have the enemy so confused that they basically run into your bayonet. What I’m saying is not new and most older Vet’s will attest. In this battery age even our electricity going out would not be as horrifying as finding yourself all alone with no communications. It would be instantaneous and extended.
Now for the plan – This is where the plan should start or be included in your Bug Out point. Write it down in a 1, 2, 3 format and No Communications should be up the list along with no electricity and Marshall Law. If you find yourself with no communications you do the actions listed on your Bug out Plan and make your way to an alternate meeting area. It may be that your meeting point is home. If so, list it. This is what I mean by adapt and overcome. It always depends on your situation at the time. If you work a block away from home and it’s safer to get to your home before going to section B in your plan, then stick to the plan. If within 2 hours of communications going down and you haven’t made it home, your family should maybe have an alternate route to take so they and you can meet in a safe zone. Just think 9-11 only took out a few blocks when you really think about it. However, almost the entire city was blocked off and shut down. If you were in an apartment, you couldn’t leave. If you were on the street you were rounded out in a direction of safety but in a state of Panic. When people made to the area of safety they realized that home was on the other side of the city and they were stuck until released. I realize that 9-11 is an extreme example. But it’s a true example of how communications can be manipulated by the government and the military. At that time it was necessary as we were under attack by a terrorist faction. But for people who paid attention there was a lot to be learned. Just think that at a period of time the only planes in the sky were Air Force One and Fighters from the military. Within minutes every public jet was on the ground and the military had control of the nation’s skies. One word from the president – Public transportation stopped, communications interrupted and the government had total control.
Alternatives –
Two Way Radio’s – If you live close to home there is nothing wrong with two ways radio’s you can buy at most stores. Keep in mind; they will say they can reach up to 30 miles. The fact is they can reach up to 30 miles on two hills that are close together and the distance is measured in up’s and down’s. They do work pretty well within a mile or two and radios are a necessity that is measured by how much money you can afford. The more money you can spend, the better radio there is to have. Radio waves can be jammed but fairly close contact is possible in a bad situation. A suburb or city area should be OK for a 2 way radio. An issue may be traffic but if your plan has a secondary meeting place, radios may not be necessary until later on in the Bug Out process.
Citizens Band Radio’s – These radios work on the lower band scale and are monitored. Plus, they are very popular. They may work OK up close but can be and are fitted with amplifiers and jammers. The common truck driver on the road usually has an amplifier that will knock out most other traffic along with a couple of channels up and down the scale. My point is that CB radios are easy to jam. They may be able to make a certain amount of contact but I’m not sure that I would trust a Bug Out plan to a CB radio. If that’s all I had of course I would give it a try and they are manufactured in hand held models.
HAM Radio’s – This is the best choice for radio contact. The range can go for miles and even span the distance of states depending on the type of radio you have. They are available in hand held models along with large stationary models. To give you an idea of this technology, my father use to listen to the war during WW2 on their large HAM radio. Back then you could purchase a HAM radio without a microphone connection. (So you couldn’t interfere with the war taking place) He told me stories of sometimes tuning in to what was happening in Europe and Asia. HAM radios have a lot of channels, long ranges and are relatively inexpensive.
*Always Remember – Every time you key a radio button, someone is listening and you can be tracked. With practice you can learn how to properly use radio’s with minimal keying and short messaging.*
Batteries and Charging – Don’t forget extra batteries. A lot of batteries! Also, don’t forget to keep them warm. Batteries will go dead faster in cold weather. If you have rechargeable batteries you will need a way to perform simple recharging on the fly. Small solar panels are available on line. They can be purchased from 20 dollars for a unit that will charge one radio at a time for an hour of use, to a unit that may cost just over 100 dollars but will charge two radios for several hours of use. Just something to think about. If you are going to use radio’s you will need batteries and I would suggest at least a lot of changeable batteries but if possible some of everything is always the best.
Despite these ideas, nothing is going to beat a good Plan. So what if you call home one night and find that communications are down? You know that your family has the Plan and if they do not hear from you by a certain time they are going to make their way to point B. If they are not at Point B at a certain time they will go to Point C and so forth. If you’re in a city you can setup check points that circle until you meet. But you all must know the plan, practice the plan and stick to the plan if and when the time comes. And if you have really thought this through, you have arranged travel, meeting places and Bug Out plans with others that you trust and have the same beliefs as you. If there is one thing that will compound the anxiety of being without communications it is being alone.
I will close by quoting one of the brothers in my plan. “Stay vigilant and stay frosty”.
Read more at http://www.resist1776.info/commnication-what-are-we-going-to-do-without-it/#oC5UhiWYJYUMVePx.99
#1
Funny that you should post this article on survival communications. I have been looking for a good article on just the same subject to post here on From the Trenches. Great minds think a like. I have found a few, but nothing that I thought was a great article. So, I continue to search.
I finally got my wife convinced to let me buy a hand held Ham Radio. I think that I am going to buy this model here. If anyone knows of a better one I should buy or anything wrong with this one let me know what you think. I respect all of ya’ll opinion, so do tell
Quad-Band Yaesu VX-8DR Submersible VHF/UHF Amateur Radio Transceiver by Yaesu
Top Line Quad Band WaterProof Ham Radio HandHeld Transceiver!
Transmits 5W triple band at 50/144/440Mhz , & 1.5W at 222Mhz (6M, 2M, 1.25M, 70cm), with lower power settings.
Receives 0.5-999Mhz (less cell), AM-FMN-FMW, ctcss & dcs (PL & DPL).
Twin simultaneous receive & display, AlphaNumeric screen, Optional BU-1 BlueTooth module & FGPS-2 GPS module for APRS available!
Built-In Spectrum Analyzer, supports APRS 1200/9600 bps data communication
Quad-Band Yaesu VX-8DR Submersible VHF/UHF Amateur Radio Transceiver 4-37330 Picture(s) and Description:
577532809612728240 Quad Band Yaesu VX 8DR Submersible VHF/UHF Amateur Radio Transceiver 4 37330
The Ultra Compact VX-8DR is thinner than the previous advanced model; it is packed with advanced technology and features, designed for outdoor operation. It is submersible and shockproof! The compact case combines a rugged die-cast chassis with the clean, tough polycarbonate resin front panel. Its shockproof versatility will allow you to operate the radio in the toughest environments. VX-8DR – A Devoted APRS Users Version of the VX-8R Series The VX-8DR APRS®/GPS/Bluetooth® Handheld Transceiver is an additional version of the VX-8R that includes not only its solid features and specifications but also new expanded APRS® capabilities to meet the needs of even the most active APRS® user. The VX-8DR has the same appearance as the VX-8R and uses the very same accessories. Key Additonal APRS® Features of the VX-8DR compared to our VX-8R include: • Smart Beaconing ™ Function: When using APRS® for position tracking, the beacon timing is automatically adjusted to your traveling speed and location to plot a smoother trace to match your position and movement on a map. • The number of Station List memories has increased from 40 to 50. • The number of APRS Message memories has increased from 20 to 30. • DIGI-PATH route indication function: The APRS® Packet data includes Digipeater routing info. • Heads up compass display to the GPS Screen: Your traveling direction is always toward the top of the display. • The Message received LED flashing rate is selectable. • The number of DIGI-PATH route settings is increased from 1 to 7. Ultra Compact Measures a mere 2.4″W x 3.7″H x 0.9″D for comfortable in the palm use. Heavy Duty…Yet Easy to Operate The large main dial and the four durable independent key buttons on the side permit easy operation…even when wearing gloves! Ultra-Rugged Polycarbonate resin front panel with aluminum die-cast chassis – absolutely tougher than tough. Submersible Take your VX-8DR out with you wherever you go. It is waterproof 3Ft (1m) for 30 minutes. The radio is designed to meet commercial grade standards in every aspect, including its battery terminals, external microphone jack etc. Powerful Li-Ion battery Enjoy up to 5 hours operation on 144/440MHz, or up to 5.5 hours on 50MHz with the supplied FNB-101LI battery. The optional FNB-102LI high capacity battery will provide up to 8.5 hours operation on 144MHz, 9 hours on 50MHz, and 8 hours on 440MHz. Large Dot Matrix Display Measuring about 1.3″W x 0.8″H, the large LCD display provides clear, easy-to-read indication of both Main and Sub-band frequencies, operating mode, and S-meters for both bands. Display can be customized to include pictorial icons or the input voltage. Engaging the Spectrum Scope function, the high-resolution display will indicate relative signal strengths on adjacent channels up to +/-50 channels! Integrated APRS Operation APRS ® allows you to communicate your location to other APRS® stations with your location, speed, and heading displayed on your radio! The VX-8DR supports 1200/9600bps APRS ® data communications (B band only). Access the worldwide standard APRS® system to exchange your positions and messages. The optional FGPS-2 unit is required automatically display your station information. When you receive signals and information from other APRS stations, the VX-8DR displays their positions, heading directions, messages, distances, icons (43 available), weather information, object etc. *APRS® is a registered trademark of Bob Bruninga WB4APR Smart Beaconing ™ Function When using APRS® for position tracking, the beacon timing is automatically adjusted to your traveling speed and location to plot a smoother trace to match your position and movement on a map. SmartBeaconing™ from HamHUD Nichetronix is able to modify its own beacon rate in response to the motion of the vehicle that carries. Since the APRS network has limited bandwidth, SmartBeaconing™ transmits an optimal amount of position information with a minimal amount of QRM to other network users – making VX-8DR users some of the most “efficient” on the network. Optional GPS Operation The optional GPS Antenna Unit FGPS-2, which is based on a 12-channel receiver, provides GPS data. You may display your exact current position (latitude / Longitude), heading direction, moving speed, altitude etc. The optional FGPS-2 can be attached to the radio using the microphone input jack so that you may simultaneously enjoy total Hands-Free Operation using the optional Bluetooth headset, even though your radio is attached to your backpack, belt, etc. Dual Band AF Dual Monitor Listen to AM or FM radio stations while monitoring two HAM frequency channels! Two independent Amateur Band Receivers will allow you to listen to your favorite AM or FM broadcast station and monitor two different amateur bands (“Band A” and “Band B”) at the same time. Bluetooth® Capabilities The Bluetooth® capabilities widely know and utilized among users and enthusiasts of our VX-8R, FTM-10R/SR and FTM-350R radios, are also available with the VX-8DR. The optional Bluetooth® Unit BU-1 makes it possible to operate hands-free with the optional water Bluetooth® headset BH-1A (stereo) or BH-2A (monaural). Also enjoy your favorite FM broadcasts in stereo with the optional Bluetooth stereo headset (BH-1A) and earphone (FEP-1)! Heads-Up Compass Display on the GPS Screen Your traveling direction is always toward the top of the display. DIGI-PATH Route Indication Function The APRS® Packet data includes Digipeater routing information. Real Dual Ham Band Operation (V+V/U+U/V+U) With two independent Amateur band receivers, listen to either the same or different bands simultaneously. Wide Band Receiver Covers from 500kHz to 999.990MHz, continuous reception for Short-wave, FM/AM broadcasts, analog TV stations, audio aircraft, public service channels, etc. (Cellular band blocked) AM and FM Reception The VX-8DR has a completely independent AM/FM broadcast receiver and an internal bar antenna for better AM broadcast broadcast reception. Listen to FM broadcast in stereo with your stereo headset/earphone! Built-in Barometric Pressure and Temperature Sensor The radio can monitor and display the temperature, pressure, altitude or any combination of these. Additional features – Memory stations may be displayed with 16 digit Alpha-numeric tags – CW Training – Emergency Automatic ID system – Emergency Strobe/Beep and Busy strobe LED functions Quad-Band Yaesu VX-8DR Submersible VHF/UHF Amateur Radio Transceiver 4-37330
Just lucked into it at the right time, Smilardog. Glad to be of help. 🙂
Hey Smilardog, I’m no expert on this stuff but I’d wonder if someone could possible track your location. I know, call me a conspiracy nut but when you mention GPS compatable it makes me wonder. Just sayin’.
Millard
Yeah, that’s my only concern. I need to download the manual on that radio and see if there is a shut-off mode for the GPS. I have never used GPS except for years ago shark fishing around the Channel Islands off the coast of California. But, if I had GPS I might use it in a non-SHTF time to gold prospect here in the desert of Arizona, and up at the hidey-hole in CO.
oh, and by the way all of you… I will be going silent on the Internet in the next few weeks because I will be going to the hidey-hole for the summer and I do not want to trolls to be able to track my emails and comment on from the trenches to my hidey-hole. OP SEC Unless, any of you know away to still do it and my location not be traceable. Like, using Tor, or a VPN. I need to do more research on the subject. Anyone got advice on that subject also??? Do tell
Hey Smilardog. I’m not a techno-gizmo guy so I can’t help you out and will miss your input during your retreat. May everything go well for you. Millard
I know you will have a learning experience in one way or another. I know you will talk to the animals and nature – something that many people have forgot to do or even pay attention to. Say hi to all that are worth sayin` hi to and I hope for a really good time for the next few weeks eh. :). I wish I was there, but I am here 🙂 🙂 🙂 . We wait to hear from you when your are back 🙂 be safe
GPS would just make it easier to track the transmitter. Back in the day I participated in a lot of “Foxhunts” WITHOUT GPS. A hand held directional antenna and persistence and I can find any transmitter.
In fact, I met my late wife by tracking down her transmissions in about 1 1/2 hours! It shocked the crap out of her that someone was able to do that! Long story short, an hour and a half led to 20 years of a great life.
As far as radio recommendations, Yaesu is top of the line(unless you can get your hands on a Collins!.) You can do just as much with a lesser radio and saving money, by learning how to use it, not relying on technology to do the easy work.
I had a deckhand ask one time why I spent so much time at the paper charts when I had GPS and computerized charts on the boat.
Simple answer; what are you going to do when the power goes out? Better have a back up plan.
Start raising pigeons!
Good one, rhumstruck! Raising pigeons. I like it. 🙂
That said, excellent comment on how easy it is to be tracked these days. Most have no clue. Ain’t technology GRAND? Personally, I’d just as soon go back to the days when guns were the most technologically advanced form of weapon available. Everyone on a level playing field, so to speak. Makes it a hell of a harder for the 1% to rule (or attempt to rule) the 99%
Smilardog, I have to be brutally honest with you, I don’t think there’s ANY way anyone can truly stay under the radar, ESPECIALLY those of us who post here, and sites like this one (although I don’t think there’s another site QUITE like FTT) They monitor everything these days, we already know this. And please don’t get me wrong, this is not fearmongering or defeatist talk. This is simply my opinion, as well as an educated guess, based on the research I’ve done.
Sorry, bro, but that’s what I believe.
Yes, they have a lot of good tracking devices, but let’s be realistic. How many human components would be necessary to monitor 300 million people? Our enemies are only 20% of this population, men, women, and children. There is no gadget that can un-equate that reality.
If all 300 million were awake, I could definitely see that as a problem, Henry.
Therein lies the dilemma.
#1
I am kind of of the mindset to agree with Henry. I honestly don’t believe that the FCC will even exist WTSHTF, as well as, most government agencies. The government is going to have to streamline down toward all of their energy being focused on dealing with We The People coming at them from all angles. They are not even going to be able to take a nap, let alone get a good nights sleep. Everything they have is going to be constantly sabotaged at every chance we the people get. They will have no logistics, everything will be total chaos and confusion for them. Troops will be leaving their post and taking everything with them that ain’t nailed down.
There are millions of survival communications radios out there, and we the people will be taking their radios, jammers/trackers, gear, tanks, trucks, ammo, rifles, food and what ever else we can from them, as they die for their treasonous ideology.
As far as, what you were saying about them tracking us. I don’t care if they know where I live right now, or who I am. I want them to know who I am, just so they know to count me in on the figures when they try to figure out just how many people they are going to be up against. I just really don’t want them to be tuned into the hidey-hole. It is so remote, that even if they do know where it is they won’t send anyone out to do anything unless they have won the war, and are mopping up any out lying areas of resistance. And, I don’t see them winning any battles, let alone, war. At first they might win a few battles because we the people will be still waking up and organizing. Once people see dead body of there neighbors in the streets, loot’in and shoot’in, stores closed, no food, etc. They are going to go after any government facilities, city, state, fed as that’s where the goods are. After about two weeks of full on war, there will be no one defending any government facilities at all. 300 million people at once is a lot to defend against, let alone form an offense against and go after in a war. The American troops might fight against us for a few weeks as this is getting started, but not for long… they are our brothers and sisters. Now, the cops??? I think that they will go hide and try to disappear into society un noticed, because they are coward pos that are only tuff guys when you are in handcuffs and there are 20 of them. Then they will fight you… oop’s, I meant kill you!!!! They make me sick and they disgust me how they kill our people everyday, with no justice. They might merge with DHS, would be my guess. DHS will gather their families to keep safe, but will really hold them as hostage so the cops will do as their told. But, there still won’t be enough of them to take on WE THE PEOPLE.
#1 NWO Hatr,
Who among the 300 million are awake and keeping their mouths shut as a strategy? And how could you possibly find them without monitoring everyone?
Again, a physical impossibility.
We are big, they are small.
Sorry. That’s just me, Henry. Hope for the best, but assume and prepare for the worst.
It’s just my nature to err on the side of caution, and I would rather over than underestimate our enemies.
Regardless of what technology they have or don’t have, you all know full well how much I hate this tyrannical communist so-called ‘government’, and once the SHTF, I will do my fair share of the killing of these traitorous scumbags, to the best of my ability.
Yep, Henry… once you wake up it dam near impossible to keep ur mouth shut!! hahaha
rhumstruck
Awesome story about how you met your late wife. I can remember doing those Fox Hunts with CB’s back in the 70’s. Ahhh, the good old days!!!
Sounds like you know a little about radios. Does it sound like that Yaesu Quad Band Ham would be a good SHTF radio. I don’t know much about radios, right now, but, I have been searching for articles to read. I am going to go over to Survivalblog.com and search around, because over there people write some detailed articles full of info. I like the idea of the Quad Bands because it sounds like you could communicate with anybody else’s radio and at the same time communicate across the world.
If anyone has more info, do tell. I am all ears
Thanks rumstruck
Just a little. I managed to get my general class ticket before my life was upended and somewhere along the line I forgot to renew, now I’m waiting for July17 when I can test for a new license.
The Yaesu you mentioned is according to some well-experienced hams I know is a good radio if you are planning on using repeaters all the time, otherwise they are not much better than a CB radio. For local coms I would use 6meters, but if I want to reach out and touch someone, I want 10 meters or 40 meters. With practice ya can talk the world on one watt or less! But go for broke and get a 200 watt radio!
What I have right now is a BAOFENG UV-3R for VHF and UHF(primarily 6 meters in my area). It’s incredibly tough for a cheap Chinese radio(under $50 on Amazon)
I also have a RANGER 2950DX for 10 and 12 meter use. I still want 40 and 80 meter abilities but I have found that the antenna farm is the biggest hassle.
For what it’s worth, my personal choices would be these two radios and a CB. Considerably less money than YAESU, quality of a similar scale and much more com ability.
Soooo, you have to use repeaters? and, I am guessing that that is because you are using such low watts that you need the repeaters to go any distance with it?
Trying to picture this SHTF situation… That would mean that the repeaters would be down and not working in a grid-down, am I right? and that you would need the bigger watts to broadcast out over the mountains and through the woods to grandma’s house on the other side of America to see how our other brothers in arms are doing over there.
Well not exactly. VHF and UHF operate in the FM mode and are “Line 0f Sight” devices. Buildings, tall hills, etc, block the signal regardless of the wattage used. Repeaters just extend the range. Without the repeater networks these radios biggest advantage is lost and the common old CB will work better.
In fact CB radio is in the High Frequency range(HF) and will take advantage of hills, buildings, etc by bouncing the signal instead of blocking it. If your in California and need to talk with someone in Nazi York You are going to need HF!
My reason for being an aficionado of 10 meters is that I save a lot of money buying auxiliary equip. by purchasing CB gear!
CB is in the 11 meter band and is very adaptable to 10 meter work. A $20 cb antenna can be trimmed and work on 10 meters as well as or better than a $50+ 10 meter antenna.
Yes, I’m a cheap bastard, deal with it! 🙂
I can be a cheap bastard too… I just need to be pointed in the cheap bastard direction!!! hahaha!!!
Ok, you are not saying that a HF CB can reach out and touch the commie east coast, right? You are saying that the same antenna can for a CB can be used for the Ham and CB together, right?
#1
See what you started??? I have been searching for answer and you went and posted this article hahaha!!!
“Ok, you are not saying that a HF CB can reach out and touch the commie east coast, right? ”
Well, yes and no. It would take an introductory lesson in radio theory and practice to explain it all. I would suggest getting a good study guide for the Amateur Radio Technician license(that’s the first ticket). It will teach you all you need to understand how radio works. There are numerous sites online but the very best is http://www.arrl.org/
Also there are numerous tech class study guides available on Amazon. I was looking at some of them and found what I think may be the ideal study guide!
http://www.amazon.com/Whisperers-Technician-Class-License-Course/dp/1456484818/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368971584&sr=8-1&keywords=ham+whisperer+techni
cian+class+license+course
The reviews are positive and I found that While this book only teaches the correct answer in a memorization like exercise, it will teach you more than you may care to know about radio. I got the kindle version last night and I wish this had been available years ago!
Using the same antenna for CB(11meter) and 10 meter ham band is doable with an Antenna Tuner, so yes you can. However, you can only use one radio at a time. If for some reason you wanted to talk local with CB and relay that info on 10 meters you would need 2, yes two antennas, one for each radio to operate simultaneously.
Before buying any radio, I suggest study this mysterious thing called RADIO, It will save you a fortune!
Also, learning correct HAM protocols would be a great help in keeping the airways from getting clogged with idiots like on the CB band. The high power, I can talk over you BS causes more hate and discontent than anything I know! And it disrupts communications.
Thanks rhumstruck
I book marked both links and I am going to go over them now. My wife is kind of balking now about the price of $500 for the Yaesu, so I am going to have to move back to the “Cheap Bastard” mode. haha I aimed high and let her shoot me down low, then she is happy, and so am I because I at least get to get some radio gear. haha
I need to also, do a search on the gear you said that you have and check it out.
BTW fella’s
I weren’t joking about pigeons! They always return to the nest they hatched from! After all, ya can’t eat a YAESU, but ya can eat a squab! Dual purpose!!!
I hear they taste like chicken, rhumstruck. 🙂
More like Cornish game hens actually!
🙂
My bad.
I thought EVERYTHING that wasn’t chicken, tastes like chicken. LOL
When I was a kid we used to buy pigeons at a hunt club and train the German Short Hairs how to bird hunt. When ever someone would miss shooting a pigeon we would watch the pigeons to where they would go… you guessed it… back to the hunt club!!! hahaha!!!
Because that’s where the food was? LOL…..
Good one Mark! But you missed my point above. Just ask a pigeon freak. Some of those birds have more “distinguished” pedigrees than many of us humans!
And they demand a high price. One of the issues with raising pigeons is keeping your PURCHASED brood stock locked up so they do not fly away. The availability of food has little to do with it. Pigeons instinctively return to the nest.
The so-called “Carrier pigeon” may be extinct, but the homing instinct is still there in the common pigeon. Which makes them great for covert messaging within a small group with advanced planning and preparation.
A very big plus in all of this is that I have yet to hear about a community that bans the keeping of a dove-cote. Although, I’m sure in some Nazified corner of this land it is illegal.
So for example, if a EMP wiped out all electronic communications and Henry and I both raised pigeons. By trading birds I raised here in the Midwest with Henry for birds he raised we could communicate. When I want to send a msg to Henry I would release it attached to one of his birds. I guarantee that unless that bird is shot down, the message will get through.
I often marvel at the effectiveness of ancient technology and it’s possible uses in a SHTF situation. That or I was born in the wrong century! Where there is a will, there is a way!