yanwhat ham radio setup should i get for disaster prep (cheapness/portability preferred)
Maria Varmazis 
@bcrypt I’ve heard the Baofengs are popular for this, though Yaesu was recommended to me if you are willing to spend a *little* more
🔜@
Kuma Chan 🧸@parataxis @varmazis @bcrypt I have two baofeng UV-5Rs one is setup for local calling frequencies and the other one is setup to monitor local repeaters, weather and satellites. then I also have a newer handheld FM capable president CB radio which tbh is quite useless where I live but fun mobile. also a techsun pl-330 for shortwave listening. I had a kiwisdr setup for awhile but I'm looking to upgrade my SDR rig to something more interesting soon. I have them mostly due to hurricanes.
@parataxis @bcrypt @varmazis calling frequencies are mostly on GMRS/FRS and the UHF/VHF ham bands along with some local calling frequencies used for emergencies.
Julie moved to @@parataxis @varmazis @bcrypt Some newer Baofengs do have USB charging. Some are even USB-C!
Check out radiooddity.com for a BUNCH of low cost radios- both licensed ham radios and GMRS radios.
Exotime
🏳️⚧️NotPike🍀
Mike English 💾@bcrypt very much depends on your goals - do you want HF capabilities? portability?
@bcrypt If all you need is line of sight to others or to local repeaters, you can get handheld VHF transceivers for very cheap. Baofeng UV-5R runs around $25.
You
Mopman 
@bcrypt What's the intended use? Bear in mind that handheld is going to mean VHF/UHF realistically (especially if you intend non-radio-nerd family etc to use it), which means you're still dependent on infrastructure (repeaters) for any decent range communication... which might be a problem or might not depending on exactly what you want from the setup.
Start with 'what do I need to do' etc
Steve@bcrypt The baofeng uv-5r seems to be pretty popular as entry level radio. Like $25US or less on sale. It is recommended to get the programming cable and use their free programming software, CHIRP with it.
mischief brewer@bcrypt alinco makes an ip67 rated handset for about $100. Check out the DJ-VX50T if you anticipate encountering wet or dusty conditions
rho@bcrypt
Others, will have a better answer, but I have a couple of older 1m and 70cm mobile Kenwood radios I picked up used (and cheap) at a ham fest.
I use them from my desk, but could just as easily run them from a vehicle (what they were made for), or in a pack with a battery.
Locally during a disaster it should be enough to check in on a repeater, ARES, a weathernet, etc.
I also have a portable SWL radio, and a larger used HF rig, that may be help with longer range comms and news.
@bcrypt
Realizing you're probably just asking for specific models, and not an essay. Sorry about that.
The Kenwoods are TM-421A and TM-221A from the 80's fwiw. Though there are a lot of great cheap dual-band radios out there these days.
Brent Crawford@bcrypt For VHF/UHF, the best bang for your buck is going to be Baofeng handheld (~$25) and a roll-up J-pole (~$25) for maximum range. The antenna is just as important as the radio. Also don't forget to pre-program it with local repeaters and their offsets (the Baofeng programming is a pain - buy a USB data cable (~$15) and use the (free) Chirp software to program). However, for any serious regional disaster you'll need HF capability as well. That gets more expensive.
@bcrypt
Big question! 😅
Emergencies for me are most likely to happen in the woods so I look for a VHF, part 90 comershial with amature segments, GPS, and has the weather channels available. I chose part 90 because sometimes you need to talk to someone else besides another ham.
An AT-878UV is a solid, reasonably priced, VHF/UHF dual mode radio that can do all of this.
To be honest, the best radio to have in an emergency will be the one most conformal with. A cheap $40 baofeng are still valid.
@bcrypt also if civil unrest is in your scope for emergency comunications those AT-878UV have AES support for DMR. :3
Nicola Fankhauser@bcrypt Over here in Europe it’s PMR 466 and CB that come to mind.
Dan Shick
Christie Dudley@bcrypt For preparedness, a cheap baofeng is your best bet. You def. want an HT to use out and about. Set it to your local emergency response repeater.
Jeff@bcrypt First off, you'll need a license if you want to use ham frequencies. So, go get your license first. After that, do you want to use the radio for local communications or long-distance?
For local communications a 2m/440 hand-held radio is probably what you want. There are VERY CHEAP radios available from Amazon but I can't in good conscience recommend them. Especially for disaster prep where you need a radio to work.
I recommend the Yaesu FT-65R. Reliable and not *too* expensive.
@jeff thx, have had the license for years. got it originally for SDR stuff but am new to the ham radio space.
@bcrypt Ok, that's good. For local communications there are usually several repeaters on 2m/440 that you can use to further your reach and that act as a 'hub' for people to connect with each other on. Look for a local club in your area or check out https://repeaterbook.com/ for repeaters in your area. Or you can rely on simplex and keep a pair or radios handy or make sure friends or family have a HT in their homes ready to go as well.
@bcrypt If you want to talk with other people in your family who aren't licensed, look into getting a GMRS license. It costs $95 a year for your license however it covers you and your immediate family so all of you can use the same call sign and have the reach of a 440 amateur radio hand held.
https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/general-mobile-radio-service-gmrs
@bcrypt Let me fix a mistake I made - the GMRS license cost is now $35 and the license is good for ten years before you need to renew it. The GMRS channels share some frequencies with FRS radios but they are higher powered. Another option is MURS which operate in the 150-154MHz range. It's license-free but it's harder to find radios that are type-accepted for the service.
https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/multi-use-radio-service-murs
larrybiggs@bcrypt a low cost yet serviceable combo https://www.radioddity.com/collections/business-radios/products/radioddity-qb25-pro-mini-mobile-radio-cable-cd-50w-high-gain-antenna
And
https://edsantennas.weebly.com/ TBJ-1 for home or fixed usage
And
https://www.ebay.com/itm/160491149661?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1iROXnqKARkGrYlZ1qnH2pQ51&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=160491149661&targetid=1585159291611&device=m&mktype=&googleloc=9031287&poi=&campaignid=15275224983&mkgroupid=131097072938&rlsatarget=pla-1585159291611&abcId=9300697&merchantid=6296724&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9uTClL6q-wIVGxXUAR1uBggjEAQYASABEgKWpPD_BwE power supply to drive it at home.
And
https://edsantennas.weebly.com/ TBJ-1 for home or fixed usage
And
https://www.ebay.com/itm/160491149661?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1iROXnqKARkGrYlZ1qnH2pQ51&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=160491149661&targetid=1585159291611&device=m&mktype=&googleloc=9031287&poi=&campaignid=15275224983&mkgroupid=131097072938&rlsatarget=pla-1585159291611&abcId=9300697&merchantid=6296724&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9uTClL6q-wIVGxXUAR1uBggjEAQYASABEgKWpPD_BwE power supply to drive it at home.
Nick 🦇🕸️🖤🖖@bcrypt Depends on your use case. Keeping in touch locally you'll want a VHF/UHF (144-148MHz and 420-450MHz) handheld. Yaesu makes a couple under $100: FT-4XR & FT-65R. I'm not a fan of the $35 radios. If you want to do digital as well (DMR, Fusion, D-Star, etc) be prepared to spend more, $300+ depending on the protocol. For over-the-horizon stuff you're looking at HF (~1.8-30MHz) which gets trickier with antennas and portability on-the-go but can still be done, but more $.
annaraven@bcrypt I've had really good results with my Yaesu handheld. I have an antenna I attach to the top of my pickup and can listen to the chatter while driving. It's small enough to easily carry anywhere.
Mozzarella Mommy@bcrypt getting a VHF/UHF handheld would be benefical and is probably the cheapest category of radio to start with you don't have as much range as an HF radio but you can get a collapsobale directional antenna or something and walk up to a high point if you need more range.
The baofengs are nice and cheap but beware that they may not be legal in your country. I think some of the newer ones (gt-5r) have fixed some of the issues that led them to becoming banned.
The baofengs are nice and cheap but beware that they may not be legal in your country. I think some of the newer ones (gt-5r) have fixed some of the issues that led them to becoming banned.
Aaron Galbraith
Raker de W4WWW@bcrypt (1/...) Speaking from direct experience, almost any radio is good, as long as you know how to use it blindfolded. That means using it regularly - conversations, programming memories by hand (no CHIRP or helper programs), knowing the interface inside and out. Last thing you want or especially an incident commander (IC) wants is someone who needs to read the manual to their radio to find out how to program a memory or have to use a PC in an actual emergency. Rote memory.
@bcrypt (2/...). Stay away from Baofeng. They are cheap for a reason (bad build quality, inferior RF components, etc). Woxoun and AnyTone are Chinese-made radios I would buy (and I have an AnyTone AT-D878UVii, but don't use it enough). Others I would include a new or used Yaesu FT-60R (tanks, literaly) (the FT65R is also OK), Yaesu FT-4XR. Points if you can get a AA battery pack for it. Give Jason's video below a watch for more options. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=csUQfVJO26E
Best Handheld Ham Radio Under $100 | 2022 HT Ham Radio Guide
@bcrypt I hope that helps some and that I didn't scare you off. Ham radio is a fun hobby in the big venn diagram view and I hope you can find what is fun to you. Cheers!
@w4www_raker much appreciated, thanks! i got my ham license several years ago but haven't actually bought a radio yet due to the sheer overwhelming number of options. this is super helpful.
Matt@w4www_raker @bcrypt Raker has the actual answer. None of the other recommendations for specific radios really matter if you don’t use the radio frequently before the emergency. Buying a radio and throwing it in a drawer isn’t a good idea.
@spongeruiner @w4www_raker @bcrypt yes, huge +1 here. Knowing how to use it is key.
The other factors I haven't seen mentioned here yet is range and audience - knowing who you're trying to talk to. Eg: a UHF/VHF handheld is no good if your whole city is destroyed by an earthquake and you're trying to tell friends in another country you're okay. Fine if you're trying to reach your neighbors with pre-agreed protocol, but in a big disaster the not every repeater will be available.
Dan Turner@bcrypt depends on what role you expect to play in a disaster, which also depends on which disasters you expect.
Shelter in place/evacuee? A regular radio with weather radio functions.
Not involved in the rescue, but you want to check in on friends/family? Maybe a CB or FRS radio.
Need to coordinate with people far outside the affected area? HF/MF rig
Directing search and rescue (SAR) teams? VHF/UHF rig.
On an SAR team? VHF/UHF handheld.
@bcrypt more often than not, your antenna size and placement is the biggest factor.
You might want alternate power if you think the grid might go down. Handhelds and in-car rigs don't usually suffer from this, but base stations often do.
In big disasters these might not work so well. During the TX blackouts I heard reports that ≈every bit of spectrum was busy.
@bcrypt if you are interested in short-range comms (e.g. SAR), then try to make sure you get a radio that your local groups will use.
I have a Kenwood TH-K20A (VHF) with the Diamond SRH77CA after-market antenna. I also have a Uniden PRO501TK (CB) for when I do long road trips through places with no cell signal.
Neither is particularly cheap, so I can't recommend them for cheapness. They are pretty nice-feeling radios though. I've used my Kenwood for some volunteer gigs and it worked well.
Lee Holmes 
@bcrypt You're getting lots of opinions about ham in general, but for disaster prep - you want the Baofeng and write down some important frequencies. The batteries last forever, and they are what everybody else will be using.
nasko@Lee_Holmes @bcrypt I would just add a better antenna so you can get a better range/signal. The SignalStick is awesome and foldable to be space efficient with pretty good quality.
Graham Watt
François Marier@bcrypt I have the same one that @w4www_raker mentioned (AnyTone AT-D878UV) and I like it. Not too expensive, reliable, battery lasts a long time, large memory, decent UI, has more power than the average handheld (7W), and also supports digital voice (the DMR standard). The only thing that's not great is the software for programming it: you need a Windows VM (https://feeding.cloud.geek.nz/posts/programming-anytone-d878uv-on-linux-using-windows10-and-virtualbox/). Another useful accessory to consider for emergency situations is a longer antenna (lots of options).
Joaquin
Ján Trenčanský@bcrypt With disaster prep it doesn't matter that much as people have pointed out. The whole point is using the radio whatever it is. One thing that I'd consider getting (that may get some hate) is the ADS-SR1 Simplex Repeater. Maybe not for the simplex repeater functionality (although that has it's use cases in an emergency), but for the Voice Mail and Voice Beacon functionality which I think could be useful.
Moai@bcrypt I have a TH-D74. Seems to work out alright.
@spongeruiner @bcrypt and I have absolutely no use for it. Amateur radio is so dead, unless you’re on HF
@bcrypt @moai ugh, that’s too bad. I’m sorry to hear that. The uhf/vhf ham radio scene where I’m at is extremely active. Tons of nets, lots of pots/sota activity, a wide area HamWan network, etc. The d74 is quite good for amateur satellites too if you pair it up with a cheap ht to make it full duplex! There’s a good number of satellites up currently, including the ISS if you haven’t tried that yet.
@spongeruiner @bcrypt I think I’m doing it wrong. Never been able to hit a satellite. I set up a j-pole at home and can receive great but not having many contacts elsewhere.
Mostly I keep it around for police scanning and in emergencies when hiking. I don’t plan to renew my license.
Mostly I keep it around for police scanning and in emergencies when hiking. I don’t plan to renew my license.
Dan Lyke@bcrypt I bought a couple of the BaoFeng handhelds when they were cheap, but I don't think there's anyone on 2M or 440 that will be an asset to communicate with in a disaster situation. And all of the people I know who've done large scale disaster response say "find ways to get point to point WiFi working".