REVIEW: The Guerrilla’s Guide To The Baofeng Radio, by Don Shift

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BLUF: What you can do and how you do it, not theory and regulations, in a practical, accessible format.

If you don’t know what this book is about, it’s about using Baofeng (and similar) dual-band VHF/UHF radios in a military manner, such as in a domestic conflict or catastrophic collapse of society. Why would I need this? Well, you’ve become a guerilla, insurgent, or have formed a self-defense cadre and need to communicate in an efficient, military like manner or clandestinely.

Ham radio books tend to start heavy on theory and little on the practical aspects of using the equipment. As the introductions states, the book is “written from and end-user perspective with technical data kept to a minimum and only emphasized where absolutely necessary.” The book reads more like a field manual than a beginner’s guide to ham radio, which often lack instructions in the “okay, now here’s how you do it” category.

What does the book cover?

• Basic operation of the radio and its features with recommendations on how to set it up for optimal use. Scout goes beyond mere instructions into the whys.
• Radio theory, including the differences between VHF/UHF and how the properties of each may affect your signal and how the environment (weather, terrain, vegetation, etc.) may affect your signal propagation.
• Discusses different roles of communications, such as: sustainment (ordinary communications, i.e. what we do now by phone), tactical, and clandestine (secret squirrel, low-probability of interception).
• The use of various bands (frequency ranges) and their applicability and utility to the guerilla.
• How your traffic may be intercepted and how your position may be triangulated based on your signals.
• TTP to minimize the chance of interception including: using the natural properties of bands and terrain to minimize propagation, and off-the-shelf equipment and modes to minimize propagation.
• Creating a communications plan (SOI)
• Communications security (COMSEC)
• Alternative means of communications, specifically how “PACE” communication options does not mean having four radios.
• How a radio (specifically programming) can be used by counter-intelligence agents against you should the radio come into their possession.
• Why a ham license may be useful even if not using.

A lengthy section of the book is dedicated to how to pass traffic in an efficient and military-like manner (using in fact military protocols). Why are military methods important? They are efficient, battle tested, and readers may be integrated with military/defected military, or veteran-filled forces passing traffic in that style.

Encryption is discussed, but Baofengs are not encrypted radios. Note that I’m referring to encrypted signals end-to-end, like your cellphone signal, not speaking in code. Obtaining integrally encrypted radios is beyond the audience’s means, but other methods such as using tablets to utilize digital transmission, which can be sent encoded, are covered.

Baofengs (the UV-5R family) are not digital radios in that they do not transmit your voice traffic as bits of data over radio, but they can be used with the correct cables, apps, and devices (tablets/phones) to send digital data over the air. This is done as digital bursts—a few seconds of data to transmit what might take thirty seconds to verbalize is a lot harder to intercept and triangulate.

Antennas are covered, including the equipment itself, such as why you should adapt your Baofeng from an SMA connector to BNC (bayonet). Another topic is wire antenna placement, such as stringing it between trees, that frankly a lot of people are confused by, is explained basically in terms that can be applied practically.

Who is this book for?

The audience is for those who expect to use a radio in hostile conditions, be it domestic unrest, a civil war, or clandestine use against tyranny. It is applicable to the typical prepper and tactically minded person. Experienced ham operators may not learn anything new but some of the perspectives on when survival is more important than FCC regulations may be helpful.

This is an excellent guide to those who have not made radios a hobby but anticipate a need for military communication methods. I would consider this a useful adjunct to any ham test prep book or course. A newbie might be a bit confused at first if they have no background knowledge of radio, but Scout boiled it down enough that a reasonably savvy person can figure it out and follow along.

What skill level is required?

Minimal, but a basic understanding of radios is best to get the most out of the book. Someone who has or can qualify for a Technician’s amateur operator (ham) license should have no problems with this book. I like the fact that while this book does explain basic principles, it goes straight into practical uses and examples, often something that ham texts lack. Most radio usage is really a matter of working the equipment and knowing operating procedures rather than electronic or physics theory.

I know a thing or two about radios but I learned a lot here, going from “you can do that” to “how it’s done.” So if you expect to need to use a radio when the government or other really bad, sophisticated dudes are trying to kill you, this is the book to start with.