'Viking' Prepper-Fam Seeking LMP for Fellowship and Training.

[Son Of Andrew]

Hi folks,
My name is Matthew, and I'd describe myself as a journeyman prepper/bushcrafter. A decorator by trade so nothing to write home about there, but I do have many of my personal preps squared away; I've practiced making myself comfortable in extreme cold and wet weather for up to three weeks at a time and I have a few years experience of Krav Maga and traditional MA. I've recently enrolled in Basic First Aid (should've done it ages ago, I know), and I've just completed my HAM Foundation License course (exam pending). I have a good amount of experience of working on vehicles, and I'm also a pretty confident amateur cook.

My friends and I are a small group of people here in the UK looking for other like minded individuals that believe in preparation, food production, self reliance and building a network of skill sets for our mutual benefit. An element of faith is valued, although we are a non religious and non political organisation. We met through Joe Fox's Viking Preparedness and have become our own independent offshoot.

We're creating a network, with a view to forming small local groups to assist each other with their preparedness and training. We've got a few people already with a wide variety of knowledge, experience and skill sets but are keen to increase our knowledge base and numbers. At this time we'd very much appreciate hearing from people who are experienced and knowledgeable with HAM radio, first aid, or have experience within the armed forces.

We light-heartedly refer to ourselves as 'Vikings', due in part to meeting through Viking Preparedness, but also because it seems a perfect template for a prepping community that can produce its own food, and look after its animals, and also train to fight, and protect each other when necessary.

We're gathering members and momentum and the idea is showing a lot of promise at an early stage. We've had a number of Skype sessions due to the current climate but we'll be creating group meet ups in person, perhaps arranging group training etc if logistics allow, and although we take our training rather seriously, we're also about having fun, and fellowship.

I want to put people in touch with one another, and empower families. I hope to network with loads of awesome people on ukpreppers, and in the near future I'll be organising one or two (non-profit) events to allow people to meet, train, and socialise together. I hope to see one or two of you there, that'd be awesome.

If you think that's something in which you might be interested then 'hit me up!' as the kids say. Check me out with the lingo, I'm so hip, I really am... =0)

[Edit: Please see last post for up-to-date changes]

All the Best,
Matthew
'Son Of Andrew'

[jansman]

Welcome to UK Preppers. I have edited the last paragraph, as it is referring to your organisation. Join in here on our forum, enjoy and build trust. Then perhaps folks may be interested in your group. Thank you.

[Son Of Andrew]

No worries.

Thanks,
Matthew.
=0)

[cbp125]

Hail and welcome, I am into ham radio, I have an advanced licence and quite a good set up. I am pagan and political but not on these pages...

Hope you enjoy the forums and if you need a hand with ham, ask away
73

[Son Of Andrew]

Awesome. Thanks for the welcome. It's good to be here.

Your help would be really appreciated, as I'm a total noob. I need to do some reading up on the subject, and I will in time, but with recent events I'm feeling the pressure, and I'm looking for an expedient way to kit out my group, on a budget, with the minimum hardware required to give us the ability to communicate with each other from the south coast to the Highlands of Scotland.

Can you tell me, please, what's the minimum hardware specification? What training is required? Where can I source reliable kit on a budget, and what should I look for? Any dos/don'ts?

I'll be starting my foundation license training around the 7th of next month, ordered a Foundation License Manual, bought a small Baofeng which I've tinkered with (and obviously, not used it to transmit anything yet), and that's as far as I've got. If you could just point me in the right direction to start, I'd be very grateful, as I can then use the information to help and empower my fellow 'Vikings'.

Cheers,
M.
=0)

[pseudonym]

Hello and welcome to the Forum.

[Son Of Andrew]

Hi Pseudo,
Thanks very much.

M.
=0)

[Son Of Andrew]

To the previous poster cbp125,

I've just found the comms forum, which I'd previously over-looked.
I can go from there, thank you. Although I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions.
Maybe I'll see you over there.

Cheers,
M.
=0)

[Arwen Thebard]

Welcome Son of Andrew, hope you find what you are looking for. (That sounds kind of "Lord of the Rings")

Ahhh. Pastor Joe Fox. That man has the largest coffee mug I've ever seen.

Enjoy the forum.

[cbp125]

I can help you get set up on ham, to work all of the UK you have 2 choices, the easist would be to use digital modes. The cheapest digi mode is DMR, your friends would need to live within range of a DMR repeater or have a hotspot (same as wifi hotspot). This would all be dependant on the internet so it is not what I would call "prepped". The cheapest DMR is your little boefangs big brother the RD5R. same size and power but has digi built in. I am not a fan however.

The more resilient way would be to use 80m on a hf radio. This would definatly not be cheap and is dependant on the conditions being right.
As a ball park a good hf radio like a FT450D or FT857 would be between £650 and £1000. You would need either a power supply or a solar battery setup costing £100-200. You would also need an antenna £50-200 depending on you garden size. You could also need an antenna tuner £100-200, swr meter £50-100 and you would definatly need cable £50.

I hope this does not scare you off, it is a big list but the hf radio would also connect you with the world, I could talk to people in Italy at the start of covid19 and find out what is happening.

On your course you will cover lots of things, and quite often pick up second hand bits and pieces from other hams as you learn.
While you wait listen to Hack Green Web SDR

http://hackgreensdr.org:8901/

An example of a UK wide group would be on 3760mhz from 5am until 8am, called the pathfinders net and then the horizontal net. They are a good bunch and you could hear how far people can get out. This morning I was talkng to someone in Shetland Isles from Kent.