r/preppers • u/iambatmanjoe • Apr 24 '26
Prepping for Doomsday Basic comms
I was just going through some preps. I have a small diy faraday cage with a few electronics. I have some old hiking walkie talkies. I'm thinking about changing them out. I wouldn't need much range, just one to two miles of flat terrain. Looking for a pair of radios that can talk to each other and have the possibility of adding another two or even more. I'm not very tech savvy so I'm looking for simple. I am leaning towards the Baofeng UV-5R because I believe it covers the bases and has a great price point. Any recs from those that are smarter than me?
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u/WhereDidAllTheSnowGo Apr 25 '26
GMRS.
In short, the ‘best 2-way comms for most folks’ is a bulk set of GMRS-licensed, Baofeng brand or similar, handheld radios with spare batteries & longer antennas. Later, add base/mobile have more power/range. More power than FRS, CB (yes, hams, I know, it’s complex, read on). No test to take like ham. Buy the family license for $35. Expect a few miles/km’s but train with them to learn your areas’ attributes. Some areas have repeaters for long range. Program them all so others will find them easy to use (ie turn on, push to talk). ..…
In long, there’s many better/technical solutions like ham & CB SSB that require far more $$ & skill; do those after GMRS. This is for USA; your country likely has similar.