Setting Up the Wolfpack with Radios: “I Don’t Know What To Buy” Guide, by GuerrillaLogistician
USS Razorback Radio room
Between medicine and comms, there is a lot of piss poor guidance. While I’m not an expert on these subjects and never will claim to be, I’ve seen so many people be conned into buying things or operating things they could get them killed. While the training is essential and you should attend a class to understand how to operate communications properly, everyone wants to buy things first. It could be a firearm, or it could be A $2000 radio. People tend to spend money before understanding a subject. Even worse, many people are selling things and marketing things to make a profit, such as mesh networks. Through ignorance or abject disregard, these peddlers push something to line their pocketbooks. Sometimes, it’s challenging to distinguish between an honest person selling a product that works and a snake oil salesman. I could go on for hours telling you about the expensive radios and their qualities.
Many YouTubers who operate radios tend to get gifted expensive radios that seem very useful to us, but sometimes their value is cosmetic. A well-known secret around radio sales is that many Japanese manufacturers now only put the radios together. Still, the core components are made in China, just like many of the products that claim to be made in the United States. For now, let’s focus on getting the best comms for small units in limited ranges, so we will not be going over HF radios, only the handhelds. Let’s talk about those tactical and contingency radios everyone should learn about and get accustomed to. While everyone might want these radios handy in the field, not everyone needs them on or with them so don’t feel obligated to buy radios for everyone.
Where can I find this information, and why am I not being sold a couple hundred dollar handheld?
This is all based on what you will learn from The Guerrilla’s Guide to the Baofeng Radio, found at https://brushbeater.store/products/the-guerrillas-guide-to-the-baofeng-radio-field-version, which is the field version. The bigger one is a bit cheaper: https://brushbeater.store/products/the-guerrillas-guide-to-the-baofeng-radio-authors-verison
Readers note ANY radio that can talk to another radio will work; Gucci can be worse for you than basic stuff. For instance, ICOM ID-51 stock requires lots of cash, and then you must mod it to make it work out of the bands it was designed for. A UV-5R has three buttons to open it up.
Any radio with a Kenwood plug works with this reference, but this is a limited list of radios to choose from. If you find other radios with Kenwood plugs you like, go for it. Why Kenwood plugs? Why not different designs? Because accessories for Kenwood plugs are way easier to find and cheaper. I am an ICOM Yeasu guy, and trust me, to match accessories, the cost goes up by 4x-10x sometimes. If you have a different radio, message me, and I will TRY to help.
Quick Myths
-I need high-watt/power radios to talk to people. (Negative. I have talked to Japan on 5 watts from AR)
-I need waterproof bomb-proof army gear (the Falcon III isn’t as durable as people think, and radios break. The AR-152 and UV-5R have taken heavy rain with no issues being dropped, etc. Yes, some radios are fragile. The DM-F8 isn’t super durable even though it’s an excellent radio)
-If it isn’t XXX dollars, it is shit. (Again, this is not true for our purposes. A Lambo goes fast, but when you need to haul dudes over a mountain, do you want a Lambo or Toyota Hilux?)
RADIO LIST to look for
Radios come with the capability to operate in many frequencies (bands)
GMRS/FRS/HAM bands
AR-152 (long battery life/no need for a charging base, just the wall wart)
UV-5R (cheap, easy to get, and you can buy packs of them affordably)
BF-F8HP (UV-5R with upgraded power)
CB radio
QYT CB-58 (CB with AM and FM capabilities/hiding your comms)
MULTIBAND (outside of common operation)
AR-F8 (Just like the DM-F8 in form factor and around the same price, this radio can hit a lot of different frequencies, although it is less rugged than the AR-152/UV-5R radios)
UV-5R with all you need 19$ on amazon.
AR-152
Frankly, the AR-152 is your best bang, but if you are going to do more public stuff and want a small footprint, the UV-5R is just fine. It is also cheaper, and it is good to have a backup.
https://brushbeater.store/products/ar-152-vhf-uhf-radio
Now that our radios are picked up let’s move on to accessories.
Accessories: Myths
-I need to have cool tactical stuff, or I must emulate tactical stuff (I can’t slap my head hard enough when I hear this. The antenna relocation kits were fucking horrible for the Special Forces, and they get constantly sold online for high prices.)
-Antennas must cost XXX dollars to be good. (Absolutely not; they can be made in your backyard with everything from speaker cable to cheap electric fence. Sometimes, you can make them better)
The first accessory I will show you will have a comparison with Amazon and the Brushbeater price and links. Prices may vary, but I will stick with the better deal unless it’s a few pennies. You can trust I did some basic searching; you can also fact-check me or find better values by doing your search. You might find a hot deal someplace, so go for it. If it’s under a dollar, burshbeater is just a more accessible shopping spot; frankly, they ship pretty fast if you order before 12, and it’s generally in the mail the same day.
Upgrading your radio from basic to quality
This is the core of making your radio do much more, and the primary adapter allows you to create/attach various antennas. Idiots who don’t know radios will tell you you need a better radio, but a better antenna is the key to success. Other idiots will tell you that you need to spend XXX dollars on this antenna when it costs nearly zip to make and requires little effort to learn.
Basic Level 1 upgrade
Adapter for SMA to BNC
I recommend this style because it’s less likely to break or damage the radio, and if it sits high, a small rubber washer will help waterproof it and stabilize it.
Brushbeater 5$ for 2
https://brushbeater.store/products/sma-female-to-bnc-female-adapter-2-pack
Amazon 5.50$ for 2
Let’s start with the replacement antennas and why. Brushbeater recommends the gooseneck antenna; it is foldable, and if you read his book, you will learn about polarization (ask me about this; it’s essential)
https://brushbeater.store/products/bnc-gooseneck-antenna
I also recommend this antenna, which you can do the same thing with, and I currently prefer it; however, it requires you to tie it sideways if you want horizontal polarization. The gooseneck is probably your better choice for the new guy, but I wanted to add this antenna.
https://signalstuff.com/product/super-elastic-signal-stick-bnc/
If you are already buying from Brushbeater, pick up the gooseneck. You won’t be disappointed.
Intermediate Upgrade Level 2
The following items are going to be two parts. This will set you up to make useful antennas instead of buying them.
First, we need a bit of COAX wire. It MUST be a 50 ohm COAX, unlike the COAX you find at home, which is 75 ohm, like your TV cable. There are ways to make it work, but it isn’t worth it, and for now, let’s keep stuff simple. What length do you need? I like two lengths, but let’s start with the long one. You can do everything with this length, from building HF (long-range antennas) to setting up a small base in the woods.
25’ RG-58 – For base station operations, jungle antenna, HF dipoles
https://brushbeater.store/products/bnc-rg-58-coax-cable-25ft
(very optional)3’ Jumper – this is to make things easier when doing Direction finding or messing with Yagi antennas
https://www.amazon.com/Superbat-Coaxial-Cable%EF%BC%883ft-Antenna-Generator/dp/B0B3RKQ2M1/ref=sr_1_6?crid=ZZAMIT34ABKX&keywords=4%E2%80%99%2BRG-58%2Bbnc&qid=1699552089&sprefix=4%2Brg-58%2Bbnc%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-6&th=1
Ok, now we have the adapter going to a COAX. Now, we need the base of the antenna. The book goes into detail and explains stuff in detail, but for now, let’s keep it simple. Know that Antennas must be a specific length and have a positive and negative side. We can make almost any antenna with a simple, cheap item.
This one is specifically to attach to your RG-58 cable. You will want a few of these on hand at all times. I suggest 4, but you can get away with one if you’re going to tear apart and rebuild antennas.
Cobra Plug/Banana Plug/Split Post Adapter
https://brushbeater.store/products/split-post-bnc-adapter-cobra-head-bnc-female-2-pack
You will also want one of these as well. They look the same, but you can attach them to your radio directly with your adapter. (For Loop Antennas)
https://brushbeater.store/products/split-post-adapter-cobra-head-bnc-male-2-pack
Next, you will need a wire for your antenna. You can go one of two ways with this: you can use either bare or insulated wire. For training and learning, use bare wire for now. As you improve or become the group RTO guy, you will want insulated wire. However, initially, we need bare wire and insulators. Solid wire will break over time, but it’s great for training and making specific antennas.
A better price from tractor supply, you can also go and pick it up in-store.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/red-brand-galvanized-electric-fence-wire-17-gauge-1320-ft
Once you start going out and learning this, you can upgrade to the coated wire; it won’t ground out on trees and will be a bit better for building Jungle, Dipole, and various other HF antennas. It won’t be suitable for making YAGI or loop antennas. It also costs more.
PolyStealth Wire #18 Black Poly
https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-010630
Insulators
So, you will need insulators, which come in many shapes and sizes; 10 packs run about 7-10$ at Tractor Supply.
Making Antennas
All the antennas below can be found on www.Brushbeater.org or in the manual sold at www.Brushbeater.store .
These plugs will be used to make one of several style antennas. The first is a simple Dipole Antenna. You can refer to the book, which shows and explains what a Dipole Antenna is and how to make it. It also will note the 2.15db of gain. Gain equals your reception power. As stated above, Watts/power doesn’t always equal better; the antenna matters. 3db means you doubled your power.
JUNGLE
The next one out of the book will be on page 80: a jungle antenna for base of operations and listening. Think of it like a giant beacon of light when transmitting in all directions. It also increases your 6db gain in all directions. It’s convenient, but you must raise it into a tree, just like the Dipole, except with vertical and 3 negative legs instead of just one.
https://brushbeater.org/2015/10/15/the-jungle-antenna/
THROW BAG
How do I get this damn thing into a tree 20+ feet in the air? Well, you will need some lines. Anything like Paracord works fine, and an arborist throw bag. You can make your own, but these bags allow you to pull them back over a branch if you miss something or things get messed up. They slide better than homemade stuff.
You can get a four-pack for not bad a price
YAGI
The next will be the YAGI antenna, which is directional. The directions on making this can be found online and, for our purposes, does 3 things well. If the Jungle Antenna is a beacon of light, this is a high-powered flashlight. Suffice it to say, though, this is the game changer. This takes cheap radios and literally turns them into highly specialized force multipliers. A YAGI antenna allows you to hunt down random signals, helps you cut through jamming, especially with a digital signal, and hides your footprint from people. Acting as a directional receiver and transmitter, you can point it and play with a 60-degree cone of effect. I won’t go into details here, but more director elements will give you a tighter focus, like a narrow beam of light.
https://brushbeater.org/2020/10/23/directional-antennas-for-the-small-unit-part-2/
For now, focus on a 3 element antenna. The center poll should be NON-CONDUCTIVE for the purpose of learning. Also, when you make them, PVC pipe, etc., cut them with a handle in mind (longer than the antenna length).
3 Element calc – set to US measurement for inches.
https://3g-aerial.biz/en/online-calculations/antenna-calculations/3-elemets-yagi-uda-online-calculator
Going Digital – Advanced
So, these radios are Analog and not digital, which doesn’t matter for you to know right now. It would be best to understand that digital helps shorten messages when texting and makes it harder to hunt you down. You might be sitting in an LPOP writing reports ready to send. Well, you can’t send that report from where you are because people can track you to your LPOP, and even though you will have to move to make your report, you don’t want people to know you are even in the area. It is time to break out a compass and possibly use a YAGI to direct your transmission away from the bad guys and decipher your ENCRYPTED message. Now you can sit on a radio and say, “The chair is against the door 38565 28493….” or you can type it up on a tablet, connect it to your radio, hit send, and cut your transmission time from 1/4 to 1/10.
Yes, Alliexpress is safe. It takes fucking forever, but it’s cheaper by orders of magnitude.
The next thing you will need is a tablet. Listen…. LISTEN TO ME RIGHT NOW. Do not use your fucking phone in the field, DO NOT USE ANYTHING THAT CONNECTS TO CELLTOWERS. Not your Galaxy LTE tablet nothing. Go out with a cheap ass tablet not some expensive easily trackable thing you spent 1000+ on.
Walmart has excellent small Android tablets; when black Friday comes, buy them CHEAP. They also have the required 3.5mm jack for the cable above.
Now, find AndFLmsg APK file, and install it on your new tablet. DON’T download from the app store. You can connect these to wifi, but DO NOT login with your regular account. Make a disposable email if you want, but for the love of god, don’t use your personal account. Now, how can you do this?
How to Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x446m4AmBzw
APK locations
https://sourceforge.net/projects/fldigi/files/AndFlmsg/AndFlmsg_V1.5.0-20210812.apk/download
https://sourceforge.net/projects/fldigi/files/AndFlmsg/
Ok, so the book again will tell you how to set up your radio and how to operate andFLmsg, so buy the damn book. Frankly, I need the book half the time to remember how to do stuff. Your RTO guys should have this book and maybe someone else, just in case.
Honorable mentions of accessories
(You won’t need these, but they are excellent)
H-250 dogbone. If you set up your radio just right, no one can hear the speaker but you, but it will allow you to hand this to other people easily. This is my favorite microphone for all-around fieldwork. You can hear everything going on without killing your ability to communicate.
Ok, onto the semi-tactical stuff head, wearing “Operator” stuff. Look, this stuff can be helpful, but it doesn’t make you “go fast,” if you are with a group of people, you need to take it off for others. It’s a PAIN. Also, all your guys don’t need a damn radio and be able to communicate until you are skilled; then, 99% of the time, you won’t say a damn word to each other anyways. Radios can get you killed if you are dumb.
TASC headset with PTT and Kenwood adapter
One ear covered and one uncovered isn’t the best, but this is affordable and works.
https://brushbeater.store/products/tasc-headset-u94-push-to-talk
Tactical noise canceling headset with PTT and adapter
https://brushbeater.store/products/tactical-communications-noise-cancelling-headset
BOWMAN headset
This guy is an honorable mention, as I haven’t chatted with SCOUT much about it. I like it because while it covers the ear, it does have openings to hear things. Depending on your head shape, it is NOT as good for getting a good cheek weld on some people as the TASC because how it hangs down/connects to the headset.
https://www.amazon.com/Retevis-Tactical-Headphone-Reduction-Compatible/dp/B07L8YW3VH/ref=sr_1_13?crid=3A62P1Z1TDZ6V&keywords=bowman+headset&qid=1699644478&sprefix=bowman+head%2Caps%2C129&sr=8-13
THE RULES
- Don’t transmit unless you have to! Don’t chat, don’t talk about your prostate (Sad Ham reference); if it can be done with hand signals, don’t use comms.
- Don’t speak in plain language unless necessary; everyone can hear you. Use prowords, use Trigrams or One Time Pads
- Ensure your radio isn’t randomly keying up as you move. This is why I like the H-250 less points of failure.
- Listen way more than you ever transmit.
- If things go Kinetic, don’t babble on the radio. People start vomiting words when things get wild.
- Pause, think about what you will say, breathe, then transmit!
- If it isn’t a priority but needs to be transmitted, encode it, then send it through your tablet.
- Learn your antennas and carry the gear to get an antenna in a tree.
- Never program your radio with preset channels. If you lose your radio, the enemy has your comms plan.
- Always lock your buttons to avoid accidentally changing channels, etc.
If you got this far right now, there is 10% off HONOR on www.Brushbeater.store
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About the Author: Patriotman
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GUNS N GEAR
Excellent post… love the picture of the radio shack!
Awesome post!
That “radio shack” photo gave me flashbacks…
If there was just one link you could share for RF coms to a potential asset, this would be it.
One note on small Android tablets; an advertised headphone jack may be different than a headset jack and I’d suggest trying before buying. A headphone jack is likely to be just that and not incorporate a microphone input. For two-way comms with the APRS cable, you want a headset jack that’ll be bi-directional. I learned this one the hard way.
One of the best articles ever to appear here at AP! THE RULES–make copies of ’em, they’ll save your life. Good points about the equipment. When it does go kinetic, the AR-152 is going to work just as well as that new $500+ ICOM 52. Also, digital will be very important as mentioned. Keep in mind another important aspect of all this, signals intelligence. Excellent equipment at the Brushbeater store, too. Many thanks for posting this & the radio shack is awesome! Stay safe, survive & prospser.