Small numbers communication

[subcal]

Just wondering how others go for comms? I have a UHF / CB (5 watt GME) Fitted to my vehicle, a pair of .5 watt 40 chan uniden hand helds (good for 2 - 3 k's)and a couple of pre-paid mobile phones.

What sort of comm devices can be utelised DIY comms style?

I generally use my hand helds to communicate with the mother ship (combi) or another bush walking party. The mobile phones are good for urban comms and I get 100 free minutes of chat included with every re-charge of the phone. Atm to keep the phones ticking over its about $90 a year (my total phone bill) and obviously my air time is free on the UHF's aslong as I am using rechargable batteries.

Might get a HAM radio happening once I lower myself to one fixed position for an alloted time (incarcerate myself in a location / lease)

[BreadBros]

I dont have anything like that, I just own a cell phone, lol. I think im missing the point of this thread though, what exactly do you use all these radios for?

[Whitten]

Radios have teh following advantages:
1) They can be tapped (so long as you dont let your frequency out)
2) They can opperate in areas without good mobile phone network coverage (yes some places with poor/no signal still exist)
3) They dont suffer network problems when hundreds of people in a crowd attempt to use their phones at once.
4) They cant be used (without letting your frequency out) to track out.

They also have some obvious disadvantages

[apathy maybe]

Radios are cool, but in a protest situation the cops can easily and quickly find out what frequency you are on. And if you have a list of frequencies to change every 10 minutes and a person gets arrested (and they will get targeted) the cops got it too.

Mobiles in protests cost lots, and again can be tapped into by the cops.

Megaphones are obvious, but only allow from one to many communication.

Really what you need is encrypted phone or radio technology, then just make sure the people who have the things cannot get targeted by the cops. But I am sure they would cost shitloads.

[Rollo]

Mobile phones cannot be tapped without much planning ahead. So they are the most practical.

[subcal]

Originally posted by apathy [email protected] 17, 2006 04:36 am
Radios are cool, but in a protest situation the cops can easily and quickly find out what frequency you are on.


Really what you need is encrypted phone or radio technology, then just make sure the people who have the things cannot get targeted by the cops. But I am sure they would cost shitloads.
Use of 'pro-words' and 'code words' can jump the 'tapping' issue.

You can get analogue scramblers very cheaply if you know where to look, digital inverters are another little cheap encryption trick (ie O = I / I = O) and when you listen into that frequency its basically just squelch to the untrained ear.

Local police don't have the capability to JAM radio, nor do they dare because of the legal implications if someone wasn't able to use thier device (ie ambulance / fire authority)

Another handy little function is the CTSS coding system that prevents people breaking into conversation, they ofcoarse can hear you, but when they sing out or reply your radio doesn't bother to listen to thier transmission. CTSS is the way to go if you have that capability.

[apathy maybe]

The other problem with mobiles is that they can get expensive to use.

And of course the cops are likely to target anyone they think is a 'leader', so be wary.

[Sadena Meti]

Originally posted by [email protected] 16, 2006 11:47 pm
Mobile phones cannot be tapped without much planning ahead. So they are the most practical.
Mobile phones are actually extremely easy to tap (though it would be illegal without a warrant). I mean, just with my limited equipment I could do it. The great thing about mobile phones though is that in the US everyone and their grandma has one and uses them constantly, so there is way too much traffic to sort out. Since everyone is yacking away non-stop, the police wouldn't even bother trying to figure out if you are using them for communication and coordination.

Radios are way too obvious. There is no useful consumer level encryption you could use that will protect you, and it is visually and electronically obvious that you are using them so police will zero in on you. With a simple consumer scanner you can pick up on the frequency and zero in on the source (CloseCapture). With a police directional antenna it is even easier.

My philosophy is communicate in the open. Any attempt to be covert will draw attention. Let your communication just mix in with all the background phone use. Even if you are masked up, these days you might be coordinating a counterstrike or ordering pizza. Letting your communication blend in with the "background noise" of everyday life is a good strategy in all types of communication. I've always thought that if you wanted to covertly communicate by email, it would be a great idea to get the software that spammer's use to generate those meaningless emails that just combine sentances. Then half way into it insert your message, and the recipients know to scour their junk mail folder. With the amount of junk mail sent today it would be the perfect cover. Broadcast your message in plain text surrounded by infinite noise.

And I wouldn't use code words. Again, they attract attention no matter how well masked, and your use of them will create a noticable pattern. Better to agree on tactics before hand and then use vauge non-grammered statements to indicate what plan to use. If you use codewords, police will still know that group someone will be rallying at point somewhere to do something. You may code nouns and verbs but they still fall in a pattern, and the police can use the current situation to interpret the possible meanings. Whereas if all members memorize a list of plans in advance, a one word command can encompass a detailed order.

Mass SMS texting is a good technique.