Alternate means of communications?

[USAFGopherMike]

If you haven't read "One Second After", do that before you do anything else. As a matter of fact, go to the damn book store right now and buy it. I hate to read and I read it in one night. Couldn't put it down as a matter of fact. I recommend it to everybody now. Probably the most important book I've read in the last 2.5 years. Spoiler Alert, Thread about it here: http://www.ar-15.co/threads/34413-Th...M+R.+FORSTCHEN

That said, I've run some comm-out scenarios and it's chaotic. People don't cope well, everything is disorganized and normal tasks/comm takes much longer. Now imagine if you no comms and no cars. Now imagine if you had no comms, no cars, and no electricity. Go get the book.

[Dave]

Does anyone keep a faraday cage handy to protect commo equipment from either an EMP detonation or a direct hit from a solar flare? Any designs recommended or how to keep them grounded?

[ChadAmberg]

Easiest way for them I think, is they would use drone strikes against any signals they find that are not on their authorized list.

Folks would need directed EMP charges pointed upwards to take out the drones.

[Teufelhund]

Folks would need directed EMP charges pointed upwards to take out the drones.

Having been a comm tech in the Corps, I've been thinking about this one a little bit (strictly out of curiosity). Unmanned aircraft are controlled by radio signals, which can be intercepted or jammed as easily as any radio. FYI, aircraft communications are typically in the UHF band. I guess the question would be how autonomous are they when the remote control is cut off? Do they crash? Do they still fire on targets? Do they just go home?

[patrick0685]

Having been a comm tech in the Corps, I've been thinking about this one a little bit (strictly out of curiosity). Unmanned aircraft are controlled by radio signals, which can be intercepted or jammed as easily as any radio. FYI, aircraft communications are typically in the UHF band. I guess the question would be how autonomous are they when the remote control is cut off? Do they crash? Do they still fire on targets? Do they just go home?

that all depends on the Drone and what its mission is

[Omicron]

Does anyone keep a faraday cage handy to protect commo equipment from either an EMP detonation or a direct hit from a solar flare? Any designs recommended or how to keep them grounded?

Eventually I'll build a real one. But for now, I have my most critical electronic equipment in the basement in an insulated container, sitting on additional insulation, contained within a metal shelf that completely surrounds it, grounded to a water pipe. Should protect it from most EMPs.

[ChadAmberg]

Blocking drone comm is tough, they tend to be satellite controlled, so their antennas are microwave and pointed up. Real tough to jam. Easy to eavesdrop since most still aren't encrypted from what I hear.

[Singlestack]

I read a book several months ago by a guy who piloted Predators in Afghanistan. They had in-theatre pilots that were responsible for takeoff and landing, and handed control off to the mission pilots located in the US. Yes, sat comm was and is used, but they did on occasion lose contact with drones. The drones were programmed to either fly in circles or return to base if comms were lost.

[Beprepared]

In relation to OP's question,
These might be work well for short range.

http://www.trisquare.us/index.html

Based on wireless phone tech, billions of channels, and encrypted.

[USAFGopherMike]

Old school rotaries with copper wire or one of those military radios where you have to crank it to charge the line. Also doubles as an excellent interrogation device if you have some jumper cables.

Edit - http://nwga.craigslist.org/clt/3483345767.html