Alternate Comms

[RSX11]

A good alternate form of communications would be UUCP. UUCP was used to distribute email and USENET newsgroups between computer systems long before the Internet existed. It is completely decentralized and would be very hard to shut down.

[Dave2]

Has anyone actually threatened to shut down ham radios, or is this all hypothetical?

[2farnorth]

Has anyone actually threatened to shut down ham radios, or is this all hypothetical?

No , so far it's not mentioned. But in the discussion of alternate comms we have to consider the possibility. Most of the politicians have no idea about ham radio. Ignoring real problems and knee jerk reactions to non existent problems are their forte'. In watching current events one has to wonder how long it will take. All it will take is some bozos utilizing radios to coordinate a perceived nefarious event to get that knee jerk.

[Grayling813]

Another encrypted email option
https://tutanota.com/

[Paladin]

Has anyone actually threatened to shut down ham radios, or is this all hypothetical?

There are actually legal workarounds even if they did. Per international agreements, if you have dual citizenship and a listed foreign amateur radio license, the US has to let you use it here:

Operation in the US by Foreign Amateurs

Truthfully, even the Soviet Union had ham operators. Its how the Soviet's got contact with the outside world.

[chamberc]

Has anyone actually threatened to shut down ham radios, or is this all hypothetical?

There are actually legal workarounds even if they did. Per international agreements, if you have dual citizenship and a listed foreign amateur radio license, the US has to let you use it here:

Operation in the US by Foreign Amateurs

Truthfully, even the Soviet Union had ham operators. Its how the Soviet's got contact with the outside world.

They can track down any stationary HAM user any time they want pretty easily... fox and hound exercises show it doesn't take much. You operate at their pleasure. Same goes for any technology even E2E encrypted...

[Paladin]

Has anyone actually threatened to shut down ham radios, or is this all hypothetical?

There are actually legal workarounds even if they did. Per international agreements, if you have dual citizenship and a listed foreign amateur radio license, the US has to let you use it here:

Operation in the US by Foreign Amateurs

Truthfully, even the Soviet Union had ham operators. Its how the Soviet's got contact with the outside world.

They can track down any stationary HAM user any time they want pretty easily... fox and hound exercises show it doesn't take much. You operate at their pleasure. Same goes for any technology even E2E encrypted...

Just FYI, handheld's with low wattage UHF and intermittent transmissions are more difficult to locate/intercept (i.e. FRS radios). You won't be talking to a lot of people with those.

[2farnorth]

Has anyone actually threatened to shut down ham radios, or is this all hypothetical?

There are actually legal workarounds even if they did. Per international agreements, if you have dual citizenship and a listed foreign amateur radio license, the US has to let you use it here:

Operation in the US by Foreign Amateurs

Truthfully, even the Soviet Union had ham operators. Its how the Soviet's got contact with the outside world.

I can guarantee you that those licensed operators had to be members of the communist party and in very good standing with political leadership. Comparatively to the US they were very few in number.

Side note: When I was in the Air Force with a high security clearance I was required to report all/each radio contacts with Soviets and Eastern Bloc countries to my local OSI office.

[2farnorth]

Has anyone actually threatened to shut down ham radios, or is this all hypothetical?

There are actually legal workarounds even if they did. Per international agreements, if you have dual citizenship and a listed foreign amateur radio license, the US has to let you use it here:

Operation in the US by Foreign Amateurs

Truthfully, even the Soviet Union had ham operators. Its how the Soviet's got contact with the outside world.

They can track down any stationary HAM user any time they want pretty easily... fox and hound exercises show it doesn't take much. You operate at their pleasure. Same goes for any technology even E2E encrypted...

With satellite technology a transmitter can be pin pointed in seconds if they wish. Radar (another form of radio) emitters are pin pointed from aircraft all the time. A single ham operator with a mobile very directional antenna would need several minutes to triangulate a general vicinity of a local transmitter if it was continually or regularly transmitting. Cell phone towers locate the general vicinity of phones continually.

I know all this stretching the original topic of alternate coms, but if anyone is planning on these things they need to know all the details. There are faults in all systems. Runners/messengers are slow, mail is unreliable, smoke signals, flashlight morse code, and flags have be in visual range. Where does it end?

[chamberc]

Has anyone actually threatened to shut down ham radios, or is this all hypothetical?

There are actually legal workarounds even if they did. Per international agreements, if you have dual citizenship and a listed foreign amateur radio license, the US has to let you use it here:

Operation in the US by Foreign Amateurs

Truthfully, even the Soviet Union had ham operators. Its how the Soviet's got contact with the outside world.

They can track down any stationary HAM user any time they want pretty easily... fox and hound exercises show it doesn't take much. You operate at their pleasure. Same goes for any technology even E2E encrypted...

With satellite technology a transmitter can be pin pointed in seconds if they wish. Radar (another form of radio) emitters are pin pointed from aircraft all the time. A single ham operator with a mobile very directional antenna would need several minutes to triangulate a general vicinity of a local transmitter if it was continually or regularly transmitting. Cell phone towers locate the general vicinity of phones continually.

I know all this stretching the original topic of alternate coms, but if anyone is planning on these things they need to know all the details. There are faults in all systems. Runners/messengers are slow, mail is unreliable, smoke signals, flashlight morse code, and flags have be in visual range. Where does it end?

Exactly. Nothing is perfect or fool-proof.

[Grayling813]

Has anyone actually threatened to shut down ham radios, or is this all hypothetical?

There are actually legal workarounds even if they did. Per international agreements, if you have dual citizenship and a listed foreign amateur radio license, the US has to let you use it here:

Operation in the US by Foreign Amateurs

Truthfully, even the Soviet Union had ham operators. Its how the Soviet's got contact with the outside world.

They can track down any stationary HAM user any time they want pretty easily... fox and hound exercises show it doesn't take much. You operate at their pleasure. Same goes for any technology even E2E encrypted...

With satellite technology a transmitter can be pin pointed in seconds if they wish. Radar (another form of radio) emitters are pin pointed from aircraft all the time. A single ham operator with a mobile very directional antenna would need several minutes to triangulate a general vicinity of a local transmitter if it was continually or regularly transmitting. Cell phone towers locate the general vicinity of phones continually.

I know all this stretching the original topic of alternate coms, but if anyone is planning on these things they need to know all the details. There are faults in all systems. Runners/messengers are slow, mail is unreliable, smoke signals, flashlight morse code, and flags have be in visual range. Where does it end?

Exactly. Nothing is perfect or fool-proof.

Good reasons to have close knit group that can communicate face to face.

[Frankie]

Just got my GMRS license (day before the fee reduction announcement ) and a couple Wouxon 805G handhelds.
Learning all about repeaters and using them.
Next will be a Wouxon 1000g as it will allow me to monitor the GMRS and well as other bands at the same time. I know can’t transmit off the GMRS freq but I can hear someone message being broadcast.
Also looking at the Retevis RT97 portable repeater for the camper.
No way I will get the wife and daughter to get a Ham ticket so I figure this was my best option for now since we all can use my license.

[johncanfield]

A good alternate form of communications would be UUCP. UUCP was used to distribute email and USENET newsgroups between computer systems long before the Internet existed. It is completely decentralized and would be very hard to shut down.

Oh my goodness - haven't heard that in a long time - Unix to Unix Copy.

Well equipped for comms here, 55' tower, HF beam, wire antennas, Elecraft K3s, KPA1500 amp, Icom IC-9700, etc. Amateur Radio Extra Class license.

[Soccerdad1995]

Has anyone actually threatened to shut down ham radios, or is this all hypothetical?

You are asking two separate and distinct questions. Let me answer each of them.

1. No - I do not believe that anyone with authority has threatened to shut down HAM radio communications recently.

2. No - this discussion is definitely not "all hypothetical", given that the powers that be have been shutting down the use of the most common forms of communication for political discussion they disagree with. I do not see any reason to believe that they will stop at Social Media (and now YouTube), and I believe it is entirely possible that this quest to silence opposing viewpoints will continue to all forms of communication including HAM radio.

[Liberty]

The Feds can eliminate legal Amateur Radio any time they want too. All it would take is an edict from Biden/Harris. Just like Hitler did. There is no constitutional protection for us. But anyway, the constitution doesn't matter anymore to the usurpers. It's being stomped on every day.

N5PNZ

The U.S. did in fact suspended all Amature radio operation during WW 1 and WWII