this post was submitted on 12 Jan 2026
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Every year I see more on the map. Have a solar node, good fun.
Ever useful? I doubt it, HAM would dominate in a collapse.
In a true emergency? Yes, HAM is the way to go and I need to get around to buying one of those super sketchy Baofengs. In theory you can configure them to use without a license (which is also on the todo list) but it is super easy to tick into the licensed use. How much people will care will mostly depend on whether your local HAM folk are narcs. But, regardless, all bets are off in a true emergency and Baofengs are dirt cheap.
But in a "the internet is out" situation? Or even a "please evacuate in a calm and orderly fashion" for a wildfire or a bad hurricane? That is where meshtastic (et al) shine and it is well worth convincing friends to pick up a t-deck or whatever. Excellent for the "is it out for everyone or just me?" checks. Also useful for letting people know which field can see a cell tower a county or two over for emergency communication or to even coordinate whether you are all gonna head North or South to hang out for (hopefully just) a few days.
And anyone thinking of using any of that for stuff the government don't want you to: You are an idiot and you need to learn about how insecure all of those are.
Get a TIDRADIO TD-H3 instead of a Baofeng. Essentially the same price but a nicer feature set.
Also, be sure to get the GMRS one. They're all the same and can be reset to any mode, but the way the law with FRS/GMRS works is technically the part itself (the radio) needs to be certified.
It's very important that you do not reset it and use it improperly. I would never do such a thing and I suggest you don't either.