If you're looking for local communications (5 miles or less, or at least get into a mountain top repeater) then you can get a 2m/70cm handie-talkie. You can find Baofeng's UV-5R for $35 or so (it's cheap Chinese stuff). If you want Japanese made, look for Icom or Yaesu stuff, you can find used for $100 or so.
If you're looking to do HF so you can talk around the world, you're looking at $500-$1000 for a setup. You'll need a radio, power supply (or battery), coax, and make an wire dipole antenna.
reddit.com/r/amateurradio is a friendly community that can help guide you. I'm a ham myself. There's plenty of used gear out there to be had at a discount. Antennas are easy and cheap to make, I wouldn't recommend spending a ton of money on an antenna, especially when first getting into it.
I think you answered your question in the title, single most reliable and effective means of communication in any emergency. our politicians are not looking out for us, they are looking out for the highest bidder. the shame will be after the nation falls, the us dollar wont be worth anything, so selling it out is just evil.
To silence one.
If you're looking for local communications (5 miles or less, or at least get into a mountain top repeater) then you can get a 2m/70cm handie-talkie. You can find Baofeng's UV-5R for $35 or so (it's cheap Chinese stuff). If you want Japanese made, look for Icom or Yaesu stuff, you can find used for $100 or so.
If you're looking to do HF so you can talk around the world, you're looking at $500-$1000 for a setup. You'll need a radio, power supply (or battery), coax, and make an wire dipole antenna.
reddit.com/r/amateurradio is a friendly community that can help guide you. I'm a ham myself. There's plenty of used gear out there to be had at a discount. Antennas are easy and cheap to make, I wouldn't recommend spending a ton of money on an antenna, especially when first getting into it.
I think you answered your question in the title, single most reliable and effective means of communication in any emergency. our politicians are not looking out for us, they are looking out for the highest bidder. the shame will be after the nation falls, the us dollar wont be worth anything, so selling it out is just evil.