Many thanks to Charlie at Smoke of Satan and the Open Windows of Vatican ll. Charlie is an excellent writer (as you’ll see below) and I’m thrilled that he is much improved physically. I was impressed with this article because of the information on radios. You’ll see what I mean. Here is Charlie’s article: Radio Prepping (June 13, 2022)
It is better to win at checkers than to lose at chess.
C.
When I went to the brain clinic, the therapists recommended doing games and puzzles requiring you to think. You don’t have to have a brain injury to benefit from this as these cerebral exercises help to ward off dementia. I tried various games which I still play today, but I got the idea that I would learn how to solve the Rubik’s Cube and finally become good at playing chess. Mastering these tasks would salvage my pride after becoming a TBI survivor. But after some frustration, I remembered that I wasn’t any good at these things before my accident. So, I quit them and went with something much simpler and much better. I played checkers. That game and other simple but challenging games have helped me a great deal in my recovery.
I share this anecdote because it touches on a thing I refer to mockingly as my “Grand Unifying Theory.” It goes by other names such as the Blue Collar Theory inspired by the Chuck Daly coached Detroit Pistons basketball team or the smashmouth offense as practiced by the football greats Bear Bryant, Vince Lombardi, and Mike Ditka. The crux of the GUT is that I find in all fields of endeavor a strategy of sophistication matched by a strategy of simplicity. The difference between the two is that sophistication bolsters a psychological feeling of confidence while the simple relies on the belief that all success depends not on the strategy but on the execution of that strategy. The vaunted West Coast offense is rendered impotent with a fumble or interception. Having ten million possible plays at your disposal matters little when the ball falls into the opponent’s hands.
While I was recovering from my accident in my apartment, my wife tasked me with trying to figure out what to do about radio prepping for the Zombie Apocalypse. I rolled my eyes and felt sick in my stomach because I had zero interest in the subject. I had visions of ham radio nerds driving SUVs festooned with antennas like geek porcupines. But I couldn’t plant a garden, and my vision was clouding away. So, I started watching YouTube videos on the subject until the Grand Unifying Theory emerged as it always does. After much research, this is what I concluded was all that was needed for me to be radio prepped:
- An AM/FM/Weather Band radio.
- A CB radio.
This flies in the face of all those preppers who demand that you buy a shortwave radio or spend thousands on ham radio gear. You can do that sort of thing if you like. People like to have hobbies to consume time and money on before that gear ends up in the garage collecting dust. I get it. Having fancy radios gives people confidence. I prefer to have information and a simple way to communicate with people in my community. Those two radios get the job done.
The problem with shortwave radio is that there is little to listen to except government propaganda stations from overseas and Seventh Day Adventists here in the States. Once upon a time, EWTN broadcasted to North America on shortwave, but they dropped it in favor of streaming online. But if you are in a favorable area, you can get the network on your AM radio dial. You can get a lot of other stations as well especially at night when the AM band comes alive.
Ham radio is another matter. Most people aren’t going to shell out the money for that equipment and the time it takes to pass the exams, and most don’t. Yet, there are millions of CB radios either collecting dust or being used on a regular basis. CB radios are cheap, and you only need a little basic knowledge to use one effectively. One of the YouTubers I follow told of how having a CB radio in his car got him through a hurricane aftermath as electricity and communication in his town was knocked out. He was able to find gas, food, and water with that CB radio. And when the solar conditions are right, you can literally talk to someone two or three states away with the skip phenomenon.
Upgrading from these two radios will cost you more and provide you with less information. You don’t have to take my word on this. I recommend going to this WebSDR to listen for yourself:
This SDR is in Washington, DC ,and includes the AM band known as MW and the CB channels on 10M. You can also noodle around and listen to all the shortwave stations and ham radio operators. I have heard nothing on those bands that compelled me to go out and buy gear or get a ham ticket. Your experience and circumstances may be different. And if you want to listen to the guys on 2M, you can go here:
Now, if your eyes are glazing over with this geekery, I feel your distress and disinterest. This was how I felt when I made this deep dive. And that’s why I go back to my original quotation. Would you rather win at checkers or lose at chess? I am a checkers player, so I can ignore the chess players.
When would you need to use these radios? You can use them right now. I listen to both on a daily basis. I love radio and CB radio. But the scenario I envision is the Overlords of Doom hitting the kill switch on cellphones and internet communication. They already have this power. This would take us back to the 1970s and 80s when people listened to the radio and talked on their CB radios. I thought those times were awesome, so I can go back there again. They might shutdown some radio stations and operators, but they can’t get us all. As for those ham radio guys, their call signs are all the government needs to hunt them down and shut them down. I just hope and pray that it doesn’t come to that.
I told you he’s a good writer. I’ve been concerned about if/when the Church has to go underground and how will we be able to stay in touch with our brothers and sisters across the country, so Charlie’s article at Smoke of Satan is inspired, as far as I’m concerned.
Smoke of Satan and the Open Windows of Vatican ll is an amazing collection of opinions by Charlie and our much-loved Scoop. Don’t forget to sign up for email notifications of new articles.
Thank you, Charlie!