Shopping List

Please read through this page fully before making purchases.

The required course materials are as follows:

*Baofeng AR-5RM Handheld Radio ($60 for 2-pack) – It is important that you obtain the AR-5RM version as opposed to the identical-looking UV-5RM, as the former allows the widest range of transmission capabilities. There are a variety of bundles of these radios available on Amazon - the link above takes you to what is currently the best bundle which includes holsters with MOLLE webbing as well as handy push-to-talk speaker microphones like what you'd imagine a trucker using.

These radios are very affordable and Amazon often has them on sale below the already reasonable retail price. If you have the means, consider buying an additional two-pack at some point and keep extras in your vehicles or in a Faraday cage (discussed below).

** NOTE ** If you already have some UV-5R radios, please bring them and don't feel pressured to get the AR-5RM. The course will absolutely apply to you. I personally have a a few UV-5R radios in various locations as backup options and they are great little units.

*Rite-in-the-Rain Notepad ($10 per) – These notepads will be used to write down frequency ranges and your squad's custom band plan, along with other notes you might want to take throughout the course and beyond. You need to have these notes with your radio at all times going forward. The 4"x6" size is recommended as it can fit in your back pants pocket or purse for easy access. Rite-in-the-Rain also makes a 3"x5" size of the same notepad if you want something slightly smaller. One Rite-in-the-Rain notebook of either size is required per participant for the course. I personally like the high-visibility orange color which is easy to recover if dropped in the woods, but please purchase the color suited to your personal preference. Sometimes certain colors are cheaper than others so please consider that as well.

*Writing instrument of your choice – see below for the recommended weatherproof pen.

In addition to the required materials, the following items are also recommended for purchase:

*AR-5RM Volume Knob Protectors ($12 for 2-pack) – These are designed to attach to your radio to protect the volume knob from accidentally being turned during use in the field. I have experienced first-hand a situation where my volume knob was unknowingly turned down amidst rigorous movement in a woodland environment, and the other transmitting party was inaudible for a moderate period of time. The volume knob protectors are highly recommended and should probably be required.

*17.7" Tri-Band Antenna ($21 per) – Sadly, the stock antennas that ship with the AR-5RM are not compatible with the entirety of the frequency ranges that the radio is capable of transmitting. These tri-band antennas will allow you to transmit on all three frequency ranges that we will make use of when making our custom band plans. These are sold individually so please remember to buy one for each radio. See below for a significantly upgraded antenna setup which is not that much more expensive. Please read about that before purchasing these antennas (these will not be necessary if you buy the upgrades).

Upgraded antenna setup:

*BNC Antenna Adapters ($5 for 2-pack) – These adapters screw in to the antenna port on the top of your radio and allow a far more durable antenna connection. The above tri-band antennas are decent, but the connection type (SMA) is not ideal for rigorous field use. SMA connections can lead to damaging fragile parts of your radio that simply need to be relied upon to the highest degree for sustainment communication. I would personally recommend that you pick up an extra two pack of these adapters – if you snag your antenna on an obstruction, this is the piece that will break. You can swap them out quickly and get back to business. No need to buy these adapters if you are unwilling to purchase the next recommended item:

*BNC 16.5" Telescoping Antenna ($36 per plus shipping) – These antennas are compatible with the BNC antenna adapter. In addition to a more robust connection to your radio, they are telescopic, meaning that you can adjust them based on which frequency range you are using. Smiley is the only company making a tri-band BNC antenna (as a bonus, they are a US company and have excellent customer service). I have been using these for a couple of years and they are unmatched in quality and performance. IMPORTANT: PLEASE make sure you buy the BNC NON-REMOVE-ABLE FULLY COVERED ANTENNA AND CONNECTOR option. I made the mistake of buying the less-sturdy "regular" BNC option on Amazon and ended up exchanging them directly with Smiley for the Fully Covered version. These are sold individually so please remember to buy one for each radio/adapter.

*Extended 3800mAh Batteries ($13 per) – Your radio is of no use to you if the battery is dead. These batteries are larger than the stock batteries (which are themselves ample at 2500mAh) and provide longer battery life. You should always have a backup in place. Personally, I run the stock battery that comes with the radio bundle (since they fit nicely in my radio pouch) and keep these larger ones in various places as backup.

*Rite-in-the-Rain Weatherproof Pens ($30 for 2-pack) – These are a perfect compliment to the required weatherproof notepad. They are small enough to fit unobtrusively in your pocket and can write in nearly any environmental condition. Again the orange color is recommended for visibility if dropped in the field. You should be carrying this pen and your notebook with you when you have your radio (or ideally, always!).

*Faraday Bags ($45 for 2-pack) – You can keep a spare radio in this high-quality Faraday bag, which will protect your radio (or any similarly sized electronic devices) from an EMP blast. Should such an event unfold, the power will be out indefinitely (weeks, months, years...) and your smartphone will become a shiny obelisk. Electromagnetic waves are here to stay, and if you keep a shielded radio for yourself and your spouse or whomever else, you will have a serious advantage over the general population in terms of communication ability. In the course, we will also touch on how to build your own Faraday cage with readily-available household items. This is the final item on the recommended list due to their cost, but they should be considered for what the course is all about – sustainment communications in emergency situations.

Please visit the Day Of page for details of the event and for a final checklist to review before the day of the course.