if cell phone communication went down would walki talkis work?

[97grnrs]

i dont know much about how it all works but if cell phone or phone communication was blocked or down would them supposed 20 mile walkis still work or be down also?

[shefearsnothing]

I don't know but if you know something you better speak up now! I am looking at spending a considerable amount on a new phone!!!!

[97grnrs]

i know if someone ever disrupted this countrys communications there would be a big problem , just trying to think ahead

[son of the revolution]

Im far from a telecomm expert but yes walkie talkies and ham radios should certainly still work . After all walkie talkie's and ham radios have been around for decades before cell phones , telecommunications sattelites and microwave towers .

[shefearsnothing]

Hey 97grnrs, I just noticed you're practically right down the road from me.

[Mohaa Player]

I have been a ham radio operator for many years and surf the 11 meter local guys also and can say everyone should have a 10 meter or at least a 11 meter 40 channel with side bands that's into survival.If cell phones were jammed 11 meter would still be up, it runs on a much higher frequency.Check out this site, this is where I buy all my equipment, the store is right off I-95 South Naamans Road exit.......
http://www.rrcom.com/rrcom.html

[tail pipe todd]

Im far from a telecomm expert but yes walkie talkies and ham radios should certainly still work . After all walkie talkie's and ham radios have been around for decades before cell phones , telecommunications sattelites and microwave towers .

Don't fall into the hype of 2 mile, 5 mile or 20 mile range. There are so many things that effect radio range, no one can really make a claim to mile ranges. Those small FRS (500mw) radios are good for less than a mile, unless you are up on top of a mountain or in an airplane or the plains of Iowa - big advantage is there are so many of them. The MURS radios are a little better (up to two watts) and much less crowded frequencies. Remember, higher wattage means faster battery drain.

There is no connection between two way radios and cell phones. The only thing that will destroy both is an electromagnetic pulse.

Ham radio is the best bet for distance, radio selection, and cost. There is one big downside, you need to be licensed by the FCC. Buying and using Ham radio stuff without a license is something that the FCC does actually go after as does the Ham radio community.

You can find out more about ham radio at:

http://www.arrl.org
http://www.w5yi.org/

The licensing and testing is not that difficult or expensive. Radios start at about $100, and this for something decent.

I am a licensed Ham, and it has helped me and others at a time of need. Also you will find that the Ham community is filled with gun owners. I have also talked around the world on my radio, but not the cheap $100 ones.

I am going to call myself the resident radio expert, I know there is one other ham on the forum.

[Mtbkski]

The advantage the small motorola's have are the availability of batteries. They only need AA batteries to make them run. And if you not talking on them non-stop. They actually last a pretty long time. They do rely on line of sight. But I have used them for quite some way if both parties are on top of ridges. 2 miles as the crow flies is pretty darn far.

I have two bigger radios that we use for Ski Patrol Really good range. Need Crystals or whatever it is they run on now, to operate. But the batteries are a specific type, and would be hard to find during the Zombocalypse.

You will need a generator to run your ham radio won''t you? They are good base stations, but not much use to talking on the go.

What would be a good portable radio to invest in. You Radio Heads should be able to give us some good suggestions.

[tail pipe todd]

I have been a ham radio operator for many years and surf the 11 meter local guys also and can say everyone should have a 10 meter or at least a 11 meter 40 channel with side bands that's into survival.If cell phones were jammed 11 meter would still be up, it runs on a much higher frequency.Check out this site, this is where I buy all my equipment, the store is right off I-95 South Naamans Road exit.......
http://www.rrcom.com/rrcom.html

CB, aka 11 meter, is 26 and 27 Mhz, so it's a much lower freq than cellphones that operate at 800/900Mhz, 1500Mhz and 1900Mhz. The lower the frequency in number the larger the antenna needs to be for efficent operation. Handheld CB's with little whip antennas are a waste because that little whip antenna is far from at least a 1/4 wave. Those litttle FRS radios, have little antennas but those antennas are much more efficent being just about a 1/4 wave. A 1/4 wave antenna for a cb is about 8 feet tall. A 1/4 wave antenna for 2 meter or 144-148Mhz ham radio is just 19.25 inches. In the US, you are just about never out of range of a 2 meter repeater or another ham with 2 meter radios. This is even more true in the northeast.

[gprimr1]

I always figured moon bounce or ionospheric bounce would be the way to go.