NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH HANDOUTS PART 2

RETHINKING THE HANDOUT COMMS PLAN

Previously I had setup a solar powered handout station with the idea that neighbors could replenish their batteries at a remote location not on my property.

I don’t particularly want foot traffic or even an excuse for it on my property in SHTF from neighbors. Without previous arrangements being made or coming to the front gate and stating your business on the camera… trespassing will be taken a lot more seriously than in ROL times.

Below is the previous setup I had made if you want to catch up…

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YAH’s PLANNING OR JUST LUCKY?

So recently my work replaced all their Motorola HT750 HTs with digital Kenwoods as well as the Motorola CDM1250 base stations. Knowing that I’m a HAM, my boss asked if I was interested in any of the old gear as it’s worthless to the company and not eligible for core charge at all. I said YES of course!

Below is a tally of what I hauled in:

• (5) CDM1250 Base Stations

• (5) Ashton Power Supplies

• (1) 8 slot HT charging bank

  • (8) HT750 handheld radios

  • (8) Batteries

  • (16) Spare batteries [3 total per radio]

• Left overs that I will be getting rid of…

  • (9) Spare HT750 handheld radios

  • (17) Spare Batteries [almost 2 per unit]

  • (3) Spare individual charging cradles

I can’t help but think Yah has his hand in this to provide our community with these radios for the coming tough times. Most companies would never let radios out into the wild with their business freqs programmed into them still.

The radios only have one simplex channel programmed into them as the rest are repeater frequencies, but I might have a lead on software to program them (very rare and regulated) which would allow me to stick common channels into them as well as the “TAC” channels I have setup for my COMMS PLAN.

KISS

Even if I do get the software and ability to reprogram them, I’m leaning toward not doing so for the majority of the radios. Reason being that ONE CHANNEL leaves nothing for non-radio people to screw up, just turn it one and off when needed.

I’ve gone ahead and hot-glued the channel selector to CH8 (the simplex freq on them) and marked a hash mark in paint to help prevent the most common newb issue from occurring, being on the wrong channel!

KEEP LOTS OF BATTERIES

The best part is that the eight radios I plan to keep come with three batteries each, meaning I can have users keep two with the radio at all times and the user can exchange one as it dies for a freshly charged battery allowing them to have two fresh batteries at all times.

I plan to leave freshly charged batteries in the drop box at our front gate which is monitored by my off-grid camera system and has an intercom to my iPhone, this way the assigned people can replenish them as they need them.

I realize this is not a practical solution for others because of the donation of the radios to me, but the concept to provide radios is something that you should be all over if you plan to support your community and have them support you in SHTF.

COMMUNITY COMMS SETUP

I believe the value of a MAG will become glaringly obvious after an event that removes the “rule of law”. Having the devices to make individuals work as a team (comms) will be huge in forming one then. Being able to give a radio out to strategically located homes and use them as intel collection is a win-win if you ask me.

You won’t be able to just order a set of Baofeng UV5Rs off Amazon when an SHTF event happens. Now is the time to prepare to provide.

Which is exactly what I was going to do if this opportunity had not presented itself to me. I was going to order the units below to replace my first attempt because of the price point and ability to charge with a 12VDC battery.

A RECOMMENDED SETUP FOR < $250.00

1. BAOFENG UV-5R Six Way Charger Multi Unit Charger Station $35.99

2. BAOFENG UV-5R Ham Radio Long Range 8W UV5R Dual Band 3800mAh Rechargeable Extended Battery Walkie Talkies for Adults Handheld Portable 2 Two Way Radio Full Kit for Hunting Survival Gear,2Pack $44.59 x 3 = $133.77

3. MIRKIT 2pc Batteries BL-5 3800mAh Extended Batteries Compatible with Baofeng UV-5R $22.98 x 3 = $68.94

For less than $250.00, you get (6) radio setups with (2) extended batteries. That’s a lot of comms at that price!

Are you the comms guy for your community? If not you, who then? Such a COMMS setup is cheap insurance when considering the overall picture if you ask me.

Remember that 1% are preppers, and like all endeavors, 10% do 90% of the work but it takes more than 10% to have a community.

Do the things!