Got a Baoefeng today and now have it programmed with... the fucking weather. That’s it. Police have all gone digital. Local Fire and EMS too. Wtf?
EDIT: I’m working on my license so I can talk to all the boomers out there but in the meantime it’s perfectly legal to LISTEN, but it’s crickets with everything being digital now.
I’m just confused as to how this would be of any help to me in SHTF.
Those HTs are for local amateur radio traffic through VHF and/or UHF repeaters, mostly. There are some interesting modifications out there if you look.
I recommend going to the ARRL website for an overview of what’s going on. In the meantime, you can monitor 146.55 MHz (read about that here https://radiofreeq.wordpress.com/2013/06/29/shtf-survivalist-radio-frequency-list/ ) Keep in mind, there isn’t a lot of traffic on ham radio unless you find a club repeater or you get a very expensive, complicated HF rig that will reach around the world on certain frequencies and atmospheric conditions.
His Baofeng can monitor GMRS and local land-mobile radio. Even in Megalopolis there's a lot of in-the-clear trunk systems and simplex traffic that can be monitored by a scanning radio.
OP: you're going to have to dig but there's a world of listening still available to you. Remember: encryption is a PITA and many agencies will end up "in the clear."
Also, the ancillary services are almost never encrypted because no one thinks about them. But trash needs to be moved, school buses still roll. Public Works have sewers to clear and on and on.
Also this answer is what I was looking for!
Mine will catch air traffic control, too!
This is the answer I was looking for! TY!
I hope you enjoy it!