Just ordered 72oz of whole coffee beans. That should last me at least a month and a half. Best $15 bucks I’ve ever spent.

I picked up two more base station radios and three hand helds. All are former public service radios that run on 12vdc except the portables and I have to reprogram. I also purchased a battery box and solar panels.

Don’t forget the Faraday cage Ray. I’ve thought a couple times about som small walkies for Patty and I but don’t really know much about them.

A 55 gallon steel drum lined with cardboard makes a good Faraday cage.

Hadn’t thought about that Tom. I guess maybe metal ammo cans would work as well?

I have an huge, antique, steel toolbox that I use as a cage. But I’m thinking that if we are hit with EMP strikes, we have much bigger problems than communications.

Tom, FRS walkie talkies are generally good for an about a 1/2 mile range if there are no obstructions like tall buildings or large trees around. No license needed. GMRS walkie talkie radios use higher power and have a range of about 1-2 miles. A GMRS mobile radio can usually range about 1-2 miles. A base station radio with a larger antenna can have a longer range but it depends greatly on terrain. A repeater can be used for GMRS but that’s another can of worms. A GMRS license costs $35 for a period of 10 years and it covers immediate family living at that address. Everyone would use the same call sign. No testing is needed. Some channels are shared between FRS And GMRS so both radio services can communicate with each other. A means to charge the batteries of the walkies is also needed. The mobile GMRS radios are meant to be used in a vehicle or at home with a power supply and they use 12 volt power. I use a battery box or a 12 volt power supply.

Randy, as long as the contents of the box do not actually touch the box itself, such as lining the box with cardboard, then it should be OK. I have several items such as charge controllers and power inverters in a drum, as well as a 2200 watt inverter generator in another drum. In the event of an EMP it will be good to know what is happening in our country as well as the rest of the world.

Thanks Tom

Another good item for a Faraday cage is those big popcorn tins so prevalent around the Christmas season, again lined with cardboard all around including the top.

I guess the metal doesn’t really need yo be all that thick then.

No, it doesn't have to be thick, just totally surrounding the items inside. I have read that as a bare minimum items could be wrapped up in aluminum foil.