# Alternative comms



## 104TN (Jul 17, 2014)

I just stumbled across this doodad called goTenna. The radio pairs with an iOS or Android device and allows individual/group messaging, location sharing, and apparently some level of transmission encryption. 

It's available for pre-order so that's a bit iffy, but I think the premise is pretty freaking cool for a SHTF type situation.

Any of you familiar with something similar/alternatives to this that are actually available?


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## RackMaster (Jul 17, 2014)

I think it's a cool idea but it's to limited.  There are so many other options out there at all price points that could fill the need better.  High quality portable VHF or HF radios.  My favorite is the Spot Messenger though, it's on my list of must buy equipment.

http://www.findmespot.com/


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## Ranger Psych (Jul 18, 2014)

Ham radio

/thread

Seriously.  There's so much lack of information about that Gotenna anyway that I wouldn't buy it simply on principle.  What frequency it works on (Searching the web says low end HF) data rate, etc etc etc.

For one, IOS is restrictive of options to be able to do things WITH the device, so if you buy apple you should kill yourself.

Mac.Is.Bad.And.You.Should.Feel.Bad.

For a total investment of about $200  (used) per radio and studying to actually learn how radio works so pass the test to get your ham license, you could get a used military hardened handheld (Yaesu VX-7R) that is about the size of a pack of cigarettes, removable and swappable battery for uptime, removable and changeable antenna for adjusting for what you're doing from talking ten feet to talking to a sattelite, and a Mobilinkd TNC for an additional $70 per radio to plug into it for data/location sharing if you wanted to use it with an android. Plus if you have half a brain you can get it functioning with a terminal and be able to do straight 1200 bps data.

Or you can put about $500 each into Yaesu FT1D's which operate digitally as well as analog, which allows you to talk with legacy equipment plus transmit via digital modes either voice, data, or a combination.

The other thing is that when you get your license, you can get into much higher power/longer range equipment. Consider the fact that the VX-7R puts out the same power as a 119E, MBITR, or AN/PRC-152.

There's 2 things that directly contribute to being able to transmit long distances. The biggest one is your antenna, and any rubber duck configuration is going to suck compared to throwing one together out of a connector and some coax that you tune by length to the frequency you want to transmit on. One of many reasons I still to this day favor the old fat green Ranger handbook is because it had useful information like freq calculations and stuff... although I have that memorized now so it's no biggie. The antenna I used for HF transmission in Alaska cost me about $50 to make, primarily because I was using insulated wire due to it being easier to source. You can make a good HF antenna much cheaper, and VHF/UHF antennas you can make from scrap wire from when you installed your car stereo.

So, you can build/buy then install the antenna on the radio to work best for what you are doing. You can disconnect the antenna and attach it to an even better vehicle mounted one for better reception/range. You can hook it up to an inline amplifier and push it even further, if you really want... but the last option usually ends up being less cost effective than simply actually buying a Mobile radio to install in your vehicle (or use at home)

The next biggest thing is going to be how much power you can put to the antenna. 5 watts or more? You can talk around the world, depending on what frequency you can legally transmit on.

That VX-7R is going to give you a ton more situational awareness for your "SHTF" scenario. Know why? Because it can listen to just about everything you'd want to. Case in point, it's RF frequency list:

0.5-1.8 MHz (BC Band)
1.8-30 MHz (SW Band)
30-59 MHz (50 MHz HAM: USA version)
30-76 MHz (50 MHz HAM: EXP version)
59-108 MHz (FM: USA version)
76-108 MHz (FM: EXP version)
108-137 MHz (Air Band)
137-174 MHz (144 MHz HAM)
174-222 MHz (VHF-TV)
222-225 MHz (220 MHz HAM: USA version)
225-420 MHz (ACT1: Action Band 1:USA version)
222-420 MHz (ACT1: Action Band 1: EXP version)
420-470 MHz (430 MHz HAM)
470-729 MHz (UHF-TV: USA version)
470-800 MHz (UHF-TV: EXP version)
800-999 MHz (ACT2: Action Band 2, cellular Blocked

And with a software switch flipped it'll pick up everything, too.



I don't see how they can even say that the transmitted data is encrypted, considering anything over the air that isn't to a provider IE Cellular transmissions, is not legally encryptable for civilian use. And once again, the Gotenna website sucks ass as far as any hard facts/reality about the actual equipment, it's capabilities, etc.... and they're vague like that on purpose because it's not even licensed yet and the FCC is probably in the process of shitting itself about the encryption part too.

If you want some level of on-the-fly transmission security with Ham radio, you have 2 options. You just do Packet which sounds like this to the layman:

http://www.kb9ukd.com/digital/packet12.wav

Or you go Digital (ie the FT1D I mentioned earlier) which will sound along the lines of this:

http://www.kb9ukd.com/digital/des.wav

Both of those obviously are nothing but ear garbage to anyone without proper equipment to decode... and for anyone who hasn't worked with .mil radios and had a fill drop, here's what military radio sounds like when you're not cool enough to be on the net:

http://www.kb9ukd.com/digital/ky57.wav

*All said and done, you'd get more range and more utility with less battery usage and more overall support if you went with Amateur radio equipment over this gidget gadget. *

If you want to go sat messaging/alerting you're better served with Delorme products, because they actually function 2 way and have better power/support/functionality either individually or as tack-on units in combination with your choice of a mobile device.

http://www.inreachdelorme.com/product-info/


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## Ranger Psych (Jul 18, 2014)

Going further with it, the Yaesu FT1D and FTM-400DR are digital/analog hybrid radios that have GPS built in, can transmit location data with your TX, and basically have a ton of features that make them worthwhile.... oh, and Ham radio in general is a single time expense unless the equipment actually physically breaks or wears out. No monthly fees, and range that will whip that little doodad's ass all day every day of the week and twice per day on the weekend.

Plus with Ham radio, you have access to various networks that clubs put up. Example: In the Yukon, there's a series of repeaters that cover the entire alcan just about ran by volunteers that threw it together. The same thing albeit a different network, covers a large portion of Nevada. I can connect using a data connection from repeater to repeater and get up/down the west coast on packet if I want, or can key up into an IRLP internet connected repeater and be able to talk to nodes all over the world.

Amateur radio repeaters are also usually "SHTF Hardened" due to the fact that a large portion of Ham operators are involved in emergency communications, and as such are operated on sites that usually are already off the grid, or otherwise have generator/battery/solar backup for grid power. 

There's a reason that one of the little mottos within Ham radio is what it is...


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## 104TN (Jul 18, 2014)

I'll definitely have to look Yaesu radios more. I started digging around online and honestly wasn't aware you could do so much with these things (or that there were so many people into amateur radio).

What I liked about the doodad was the idea of just pairing it with a rugged Android handset and being able to text/share map deets with another party without having to worry about cell towers or satellites...which is what would turn me off something like the Spot device.

Ideally I'd like to build my own Nett Warrior "type" setup.


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## Muppet (Jul 18, 2014)

Jesus Ranger Psych! Half of that was confused japanese to me but you know your shit brother.

F.M.


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## Ranger Psych (Jul 18, 2014)

The only "downside" is that you need to pass some testing and get a federal license to operate amateur radios.

The reason I say everyone should, is a few reasons. 


It makes you legal to use the stuff. 

By being legally able to operate the gear, you'll use it more often.
By using it more often, you'll learn how the stuff works and how to be more effective.
You'll learn a bunch from all the "oldtimers" that are into it. I'm one of the youngest people into the stuff where I am.
All in all, it's worthwhile. Significant other balks? Kick her in the tailpipe and say it's not an option, you need to know how to use everything we have in the house. Saying that you're not willing to take the test when you have your gear in the house is like not knowing how to drive a stick when you've got one in the garage... absolutely stupid.


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## medicchick (Jul 18, 2014)

Ranger Psych said:


> All in all, it's worthwhile. Significant other balks? Kick her in the tailpipe and say it's not an option, you need to know how to use everything we have in the house. Saying that you're not willing to take the test when you have your gear in the house is like not knowing how to drive a stick when you've got one in the garage... absolutely stupid.



Which for the record I didn't do, I know better than to argue with RP (just look at the techno babble he throws at you).  I just studied for 2 days and got a better score than him on the test.:-"

We do use the radios quite a bit, more in Alaska where I commuted and hour each day.  It's easier to grab a mic than dial a number plus I could listen to APD dispatch and know where the accidents were.


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## Brill (Jul 18, 2014)

Yeah, I'm calling a little BS on this one too.  Freq range is 151-154 Mhz (supposedly) but I cannot find anything about the output (only found sites saying it has an amp) so 9 miles...not happening outside of a lab.

http://gigaom.com/2014/07/17/no-sig...dget-that-will-work-in-the-middle-of-nowhere/

Firechat is way more popular but requires more people around to network.


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## Red-Dot (Jul 18, 2014)

Makes me recall the PRC-104 and the days of yore...


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## AWP (Jul 18, 2014)

I miss HF. LOS UHF is about as technically difficult as microwaving a can of soup...


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## Ranger Psych (Jul 18, 2014)

May be, but manpack HF especially on the civside is a pain in the ass.  Nothing is even remotely hardened to where I'd be comfortable rucking it without having to wrap it up with a sleep pad for transit, then unwrap it so it didnt overheat.

I had looked at turning a FT-857 into a manpack unit, but it's more effort than it's worth.


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