Opinion: Ham radio isn't very useful in the terrible SHTF scenarios that most Preppers dream about
I like ham radio just like the 700K+ operators in the US like it, too. It's a great hobby with so many tools and techniques to choose from that there is something for everyone. "Everyone" also includes Prepper types, and here arises an issue I have: Ham radio isn't very useful in the terrible SHTF scenarios that most Preppers dream about.
As read and heard across the interwebs and subreddits and comment forums, there are many discussions about the importance of communications in "SHTF" scenarios. Of course, communications will be important. But somehow "communications" has become synonymous with ham radio, especially 2m/70cm handheld ham radio. And those radios along with licensed operating procedures just are not going to be very useful in the types of terrible, awful SHTF scenarios most Preppers are alluding to.
These Prepper types imagine awful natural disasters, like a 8.0 earthquake going off for 10 minutes and laying waste to their town, but some how their own home and antenna tower will be spared?!? They imagine gov't disintegration or collapse and impending civil wars, and somehow talking on a repeater is going to save their family?!? They imagine a nuclear bomb going off, and somehow they will survive the fallout because they can talk to a random person in Germany on their HF rig?
Preppers should not fixate on imagining terrible SHTF scenarios and how ham radio will be "essential for survival". Just enjoy the hobby like the rest of us!
Imagine the following SHTF scenario courtesy of our internet Preppers:
War is breaking out in your city as a military coup on the US gov't begins and one of the rogue brigades starts rolling through town fighting the standing army. Buildings are being bombed and the electric grid goes down so you have no cell phones (You know, just your typical SHTF situation).
Nothing to worry about here. Got good line-of-sight to my ham buddy over there. We'll be saved.
Now imagine you turn on your VHF radio and you hear:
"Uhhh, this is...uh...Victor-Foxtrot-Five-November-Zulu-Mike...uh...checking in to net control...uh...how is the bombing going over there...uh...because over here it's...uh...getting real bad...uh...back to you, Net."
"VF5NZ, thanks for checking...uh...in to the net...uh...Did I get your callsign correct, Mike?"
"Uh...nope. It's Victor-Foxtrot-Five-November-Zulu-Mike. The name...uh...here is Eduardo Cumberbatch."
"Uh...okay then...uh...great to have you, Eduardo...uh...yeah the bombing is real bad over here too...uh...but my 80m homebrew spider web is still up in the backyard...uh...so I can hear random people in Europe talking...uh...are you related to Benedict by chance?"
"Yes actually, but...uh...he doesn't have his license...uh...so we don't get to...uh...talk much."
I mean, seriously? Ham radio ain't gonna help in this SHTF situation.
Ham radio is absolutely important at the local level in reasonably anticipated local emergency situations.
Wait, doesn't that opinion contradict my previous thoughts? No. Because I would not equate "reasonably anticipated emergency situations" with the sort of SHTF scenarios Preppers talk all day about.
For a few examples, ham radio can help:
- in coastal areas that anticipate seasonal hurricanes
- in semi-arid forested areas that anticipate wildfire
- in rural or backcountry races for supporting runners competing at the risk injury
- in remote areas for the safety of adventurers at risk of injury
And in many of the above examples, ham radio plays a small supporting role to emergency services while the local multi-million dollar communication networks are restored for stable and more useful cellular and internet communications.
Enjoy the hobby, but don't let Preppers obsess over SHTF and get all the fun hams out there caught up in the end of the world. 73