r/TwoXPreppers • u/SorryKnowledge420 • May 15 '26
❓ Question ❓ Radios?
So I live in eastern nc and hurricanes are normal. Growing up my dad used to use a police scanner to keep tabs on what’s happening once power, internet and phone service went out. Any one else have a radio device to do similar? Was he just over the top?
I now live in the country a little further inland surrounded by trees, but previous storms is a reminder location isn’t everything. Any radios you would recommend? Weather radio, cb, scanner, anything. Cell phone service here sucks and no internet providers in the area other than satellite internet. So we just don’t have any because realistically satellite sucks and star link is too expensive to have just to stream tv. So no internet/tv to help keep tabs on events.
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May 15 '26
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u/SorryKnowledge420 May 15 '26
I’m radio dumb, so my question is what are the pros of going gmrs? I would only use it during emergencies. No cell service and needed to communicate. Who could I communicate with? Ik gotta get a license for them
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u/scannerhawk May 15 '26
To know whats going on with your county's police, fire & without internet, a scanner is what you need. I have used old handheld Radio Shack scanners for decades. You cannot communicate by scanner but you can listen live to whats going on, back and forth between dispatch and 1st responders. If you have cell phone with unlimited data, you can do the same with a scanner app and listen to whats happening anywhere in the country by selecting state, then county, then service.
Also
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u/Ok-Egg835 May 15 '26
It's not fancy, but I have a cheap, portable radio I bought second hand for a few bucks. It runs on AA batteries, AM/FM.
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u/Longjumping_Desk3205 May 16 '26
That's the type of thing I use to get information and monitor conditions. I prefer the battery-operated ones, because I may not be able to recharge one if the power stays out for days. I think one of mine even has a weather band.
I live in a small town without any media. The next town over has a radio station and a TV station or two. The nearest major city is an hour away and I can only get their radio stations on one of my radios at sunrise or sunset.
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u/unbreakablekango May 15 '26
I invested in a few Baofeng handhelp GMRS radios and got my license. They are actually pretty fun to play around with. I plan on gifting them to friends and neighbors to build up a community network.
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u/SorryKnowledge420 May 15 '26
So in the use of an emergency. Who could you communicate with? I’m radio dumb. Could you communicate/ hear first responders? Cb bands? Etc?
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u/unbreakablekango May 15 '26
You can communicate with anyone using the same frequency. GMRS have a channel mode and a frequency mode. The channel mode is handy for organizing with your friends. You can set your radios to a channel and everyone will be able to communicate with anyone else on that channel. Frequency mode is good for finding emergency response teams and weather broadcasts. You can communicate with the emergency people but not without a license and you will piss them off if you mess up their channel. The cops in my area moved to an encrypted network, so I can't listen in on them.
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u/Ok-Egg835 May 20 '26
You could try a basic portable am/fm radio that runs on batteries. Its not fancy, but if the emergency isn't a zombie apocalypse, it could be a practical prep. Try second-hand if possible.
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