What kind of comms are accessible to the layman? Are there any encrypted channel walkie talkies that would be good enough for use or what? I have no idea where to even start with these.
>>3653You want something that's widely used. Get CB radio or HAM radio. CB radio doesn't require a license in all countries. PMR446 is also available to most without a license but it sucks. FCC hunts down pirate radio transmitters, so be careful (do not transmit from your home and do not copy someone else's callsign). If you are looking for a HAM transceiver, you should start with Baeofeng uv-82 or Wouxun UV-6KD (both are available under other model names, too). They cost like $50 new. ARRL has literature on HAM radio and material for studying for exams. I recommend ARRL Handbook but it's not a good starting point, in my opinion.
>Are there any encrypted channel walkie talkies that would be good enough for use or what?Civilians aren't allowed to use those.
most walkie talkies are some variant of narrowband FM, typically 12.5 kHz or 25 kHz on VHF
for encryption there are stuff like Tetra (beware the backdoors)
something like FreeDV with an encryption layer could be nice. development is hampered by retarded FCC rules. luckily those rules only apply to the US
also it should be said that even if you have perfect encryption your transmitter can still be triangulated. as with all things security you should first have a threat model
>>3655>luckily those rules only apply to the USAlmost every country bans encryption on CB and ham bands.
>>3658not where I live. encryption is only banned in international QSOs
>>3659Don't name the country
>>3653Meshtastic LoRa comms are good. They're encrypted, and don't require a license. You can also combine an ATAK plugin with it. Sends GPS data. Pretty good, but its text only.