A lot of people, survivalists in particular, experience sticker shock when looking at ham radio gear. In this article, I will talk about ham radio on the cheap for survivalist-types.

Most hams start out with a handheld (HT) that operates on the 2m (144-148 MHz.) and 70cm (420-450 MHz.) ham bands. These are VHF and UHF bands, respectively, and are the most popular for local communications. They are both next to the most popular land mobile radio bands in the country, so in addition to standard amateur radio gear there is also quite a bit of surplus commercial gear that is able to operate on two meters and 440. This close proximity also means that a “dual-band” radio, as they are known in amateur parlance, usually has extended receive frequency coverage into the VHF-high (148-174 MHz.) and UHF (450-512 MHz.) land mobile bands. This is handy if your local public safety agencies happen to run on an analog radio system in VHF-high or UHF, especially if you live someplace like New York where hams and ham gear are exempt from mobile police scanner laws.

There is a plethora of dual-band HTs out there, as well tri-band and quad-band HTs that include other VHF and UHF ham bands: 6m (50-54 MHz.), 1.25m (222-225 MHz.), and 23cm (1240-1300 MHz.). Of these extra bands, the one worth the most consideration for survivalists is the 6m band due to its exceptional performance in hilly and rural areas compared to 2m and 70cm. The vast majority of local ham traffic however, especially ARES/RACES and Skywarn, is going to be on 2m and 70cm in that order.

Before going into specific models, there are a few requirements that I have for any radio to be used in a preparedness context. The radio has to be fairly rugged. It should have the capability of running on 12V DC. If battery operated, it should be able to run on common household alkaline batteries (AA or AAA). It should be able to use an external (vehicle or base) antenna without hassle. If possible, it should be able to be repaired on a homebrew ham’s workbench with commonly available tools and parts. The last item is of importance as there may come a time when you simply won’t be able to jump on the Internet and order a new one if your radio breaks. Long-term sustainability and resiliency should be a top priority when it comes to your preparations, but that’s a topic for another time. Finally, the radio should be frequency-agile. What I mean by “frequency-agile” is that you should be able to select any frequency in the ham band that the radio covers. Most surplus commercial land mobile radio gear needs to be programmed exclusively by computer, although some models are front panel programmable, or can have enough channels programmed into them that it’d wouldn’t matter 90% of the time.

I’ll start with the current basement bargain in HTs, and that is the various brands and models coming in from China. My ham friends and I have played with a few of them, and have had generally positive experiences with the Weierwei, TYT, and Wouxun brands. They average about $120 for a dual-band HT, although if you could do without 70cm, you can get a 2m only HT for under $100. Despite initial concerns about reliability and ruggedness, the radios so far have held up to the usual use and abuse. External antennas are no problem. They have a SMA-male connector on the HT, and adapters are available for the standard BNC and SO-239 antenna connections. For power versatility, you can get 12V DC adapters and AA battery packs. My only concern with them is long-term sustainability. The radios definitely fall into the disposable category. As a cheap radio for the beginner however, they’re more than adequate.

With the China-made HTs hitting the country at under $100 for some models, the price of used HTs has been driven down to the point where an astute ham can get a nice rig dirt cheap. Good working late 1980s and 1990s vintage HTs, both amateur and commercial, are available for just under the price of a new Chinese model. I have previously spoken about the current trend with surplus LMR gear on my other blog, Oberon’s Rest, and you can read the article here. You could find a good front-panel programmable commercial HT at a reasonable price, but you’re more likely at a hamfest to run into some older ham HTs. The Eham website has a good review section of older gear, and by using that combined with the requirements I talked about earlier, you can find a whole bunch of late-model gear that will do the job for you. The older gear is definitely built to a more rugged level, and may also be repairable on the homebrewer’s workbench. Some other things that work in your favor here are the fact that the average ham would rather buy a new China-made HT than mess around with the older stuff, and that regular household battery or 12V DC (vehicle) operation was considered the norm back then for HTs.

In the next article, I will talk about getting on HF for the frugal survivalist ham.

Originally posted to East American Survival Training Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eastsurv/

Hopefully, you've given some consideration to setting aside some space in your residence for a workspace where you can do some projects and experiments. Most of us have constructed a small workbench from scrap wood and other dumpster-dived materials. You might also have some luck finding a used desk at a reasonable price your local Goodwill store. The important thing is that you have a dedicated, preferably out of the way, place to do stuff where you are unlikely to get interrupted and don't have to disassemble everything for meal times because you're working on the kitchen table.

Most of us, when we starting collecting tools, got the stuff we needed for a particular project, and added on from there as we worked on different things. My first tool acquisitions were a Wenger "Cyclist" Swiss Army Knife, an allen wrench set, 6" adjustable wrench, nutdriver set, and small electronics tool kit from Radio Shack. With the exception of the SAK and kit from Radio Shack, the other items were bought at tag sales or flea markets. The SAK went in my pocket, and the rest of the stuff went into an army surplus Mechanics Tool Bag that I kept in my backpack. That was the extent of my tool collection for a few years until I started driving and received a Craftsman mechanics tool set for some holiday. You don't need to start out with a lot of tools, and just having the basics will allow you to quite a bit more than you may initially realize. What would I recommend as a starting point for tools? For a general-purpose kit, I would start out with the following:

• Screwdrivers in various sizes, slotted and Phillips
• Torx driver set
• Tamper-proof bit set - Most people get a 1/4" multibit driver and assorted bits for the previous three items. 
• Allen wrench Set (standard and metric)
• Socket wrench sets: 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" (standard and metric) - You can get away with just having a 1/4" and 3/8" set, but I've found the 1/2" set to be better for larger jobs.
• Combination wrench set (standard and metric)
• Wire strippers
• Wire cutters (diagonal cutters)
• Vise grips: 10WR, 6LN, others according to preference
• Needlenose pliers
• Adjustable (slip-joint) pliers
• "Channellock" pliers, aka Tongue and Grove pliers
• Electric drill
• Dremel tool, with assorted bits.
• Nutdriver set (standard and metric)
• Claw hammer, 16oz.
• Ball-pein hammer, 16oz.
• Hand sledge, 3 lb.
• Bench vise
• 24" bolt cutters
• Volt-Ohm Meter (multimeter)
• 25-50W Soldering Iron
• Tool box to put it all in.

My "professional" tool preference is American-made Klien, Channelock, and Craftsman brands. I also look for older American-made tools at tag sales, flea markets, and antique stores. The hobby bench has an assortment of various tools that have been acquired over the years and ranges from "high-end" American-made stuff to inexpensive Asian-made tools bought at odd-lot/job lot stores and Harbor Freight. Regardless of where they're from, they all get the job done. My friend and co-conspirator at Oberon's Rest also seeks out used equipment sources for tools, and otherwise purchases inexpensive Asian-made tools. On the subject of foreign tool sources, tools from Germany and Japan are easily the equal of American-made tools, and also worthy of consideration. Tools made in Taiwan are often made with Japanese steel, and offer an adequate low-priced alternative for tinkers on a budget. At the bottom of the barrel are the tools made in China. They are cheap to purchase (or replace if your loose/break them), and they are better than nothing.

For the novice tinker, electronics is one of the best fields to start experimenting with. Electronics can be done on a limited budget in a small workspace. Electronics has definite real-world relevance, especially when it comes to self-reliance and preparedness. Electronic knowledge is useful for (radio) communications, alternative energy (solar cells, battery chargers, inverters, generators, etc.), and intrusion detection/ surveillance systems to name a few survivalist applications. Many of the same tools listed above are used in electronics, along with some more specialized tools, and pieces of test equipment:

• Soldering iron
• Solder sucker
• Solder-wick desolsering braid
• Soldering iron stand
• 60/40 rosin-core solder
• Helping hands
• Small hobby vise
• Multimeter
• Diagonal cutters
• Wire strippers
• Needle-nose pliers, 6"
• Prototyping board
• Variable-voltage power supply
• Alligator clip-leads
• Small amplified speaker with test-leads
• Wideband radio communications receiver
• ARRL Handbook, recent copy (past 10 years)
• NEETS courses - Download from http://www.fcctests.com/neets/neets.htm
• Experimental Methods In RF Design book
• Electronic component collection
• Oscilloscope
• Dremel Tool
• Screwdrivers, regular & Phillips
• Multibit screwdriver set with bits for hex, square, torx, & tamper-proof variants
• Nutdriver set
• Nibbler tool
• Frequency counter
• Computer, with open-source OS installed (Linux or BSD)

    To be continued...