Unless of course you're building a solar charging station and have set up a network for coordination of a team or group. My HT's operate off of "AA" batteries. My HF and VHF/UHF rigs operate off a battery that is charged by the solar panels. The digital modes "sip" juice. It's why I believe it has some merit.
It seems to me - and unless I greatly misunderstood a great many conversations on the topic with a bras pounding friend - if you know how to pass a message to a friend, now, via HF of VHF - you should still reach those same groups after TEOTWAWKI?
I will not deny that your CW will be king (eventually), but as I have been giving this more thought - how many amateur operators are really capable of CW, maybe a third of all of HAM's in this country? Thats less than 300,000 (at best), spread across a giant swath of land.
How many of them have been prepping, a quarter to maybe a half of that number? Thats 75,000 to 150,000 people - across a HUGE landmass.
I have heard many military folks tell me - never become a refugee - build a network of people, then support one another. As I recall, the French Underground in WWII were made up of some strange bedfellows, united by a common cause. It worked because they relied on one another - and only trusted those they knew. In that way, we humans are similar to wolves, we're pack animals. The TRUE strengths of the pack you build will help you survive whatever may come. It's what made us a more efficient hunter - the ability to use superior communication skills and operate together. Not coincidentally, when a wolf is banished from the pack, it starves. The term "lone wolf" is meant to be a bit of a cautionary tale. We will need whatever mode survives - and I'm betting that the ease of digital will give it some benefit and the low power will rival CW. There may be a mad rush to learn CW..."One Second After"...but it will take time and access...
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It seems to me - and unless I greatly misunderstood a great many conversations on the topic with a bras pounding friend - if you know how to pass a message to a friend, now, via HF of VHF - you should still reach those same groups after TEOTWAWKI?
I will not deny that your CW will be king (eventually), but as I have been giving this more thought - how many amateur operators are really capable of CW, maybe a third of all of HAM's in this country? Thats less than 300,000 (at best), spread across a giant swath of land.
How many of them have been prepping, a quarter to maybe a half of that number? Thats 75,000 to 150,000 people - across a HUGE landmass.
I have heard many military folks tell me - never become a refugee - build a network of people, then support one another. As I recall, the French Underground in WWII were made up of some strange bedfellows, united by a common cause. It worked because they relied on one another - and only trusted those they knew. In that way, we humans are similar to wolves, we're pack animals. The TRUE strengths of the pack you build will help you survive whatever may come. It's what made us a more efficient hunter - the ability to use superior communication skills and operate together. Not coincidentally, when a wolf is banished from the pack, it starves. The term "lone wolf" is meant to be a bit of a cautionary tale. We will need whatever mode survives - and I'm betting that the ease of digital will give it some benefit and the low power will rival CW. There may be a mad rush to learn CW..."One Second After"...but it will take time and access...
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD