Civilian radio stations (walkie-talkies) in the NWO zone
The problem of providing communications is one of the main ones in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (RF Armed Forces). Communication for each fighter at the level of squad-platoon-company-battalion in the first Chechen war could only be dreamed of, and in the second too. During the war on 08.08.08, many people remember when the commanders of high-ranking Russian units had to use cellular communications.
Despite the measures taken to equip the RF Armed Forces with modern means of communication, they are still lacking in the troops, including in the zone of the special military operation (SVO). In addition to the RF Armed Forces, in the zone of the NMD there are also militia detachments of the Donbass and Luhansk People's Republics (DNR, LNR), employees of the private military company (PMC) "Wagner", who initially used civilian means of communication, and with the beginning of the NMD, they all began to feel lack of means of communication.
There are not enough army fancy radio stations for everyone. Photo: vitalykuzmin.net
As a result, civilian portable (portable) radio stations (walkie-talkies) are sent en masse by volunteers to the front line, since at least some communication is better than its complete absence. Walkie-talkies are purchased by volunteers, both individuals and organizations. At the same time, sometimes you can notice a situation where walkie-talkies purchased by seemingly respected communities cost twice as much as they are sold in chain stores. Yes, and according to the characteristics of the radio stations supplied to the front line, they can vary significantly.
Let's try to figure out which civilian walkie-talkies fall into the NWO zone, what are their advantages and disadvantages when used on the battlefield.
Let's make a reservation right away - the civilian radio communications market in Russia is a benefit of Chinese radio stations in the widest possible price range. Before the start of the CBO, American and Japanese products were also sold in the professional segment, but now their market share will steadily decline.
Distinctive features, advantages and disadvantages
Civilian radio stations are different - they differ in price, workmanship, battery capacity, protection from external influences, transmitter power, sensitivity, operating wavelength range for receiving and transmitting, as well as many other parameters.
Considering civilian radio stations, several main selection criteria can be distinguished.
Analog and digital radios
Everything is clear here, analog civilian radio stations can be listened to by any similar radio station or radio receiver that receives in the wavelength range used.
It is almost impossible to close information in civilian analog radio stations from listening. Theoretically, so-called "scramblers" - speech maskers can be used in analog walkie-talkies, but in practice, to ensure communication, the same type of scrambler must be installed on all used radio stations, which is physically impossible in the CBO zone, and the quality of "closing" speech in analog scramblers are small - in fact, they only distort the voices of subscribers.
It will not be possible to listen to a digital radio station with an ordinary radio receiver, however, if the enemy has a walkie-talkie that supports a similar data transfer protocol, this is often quite realistic. The basic encryption keys used with a length of 8/16 bits - consider that there is no encryption at all, extended encryption keys with a length of 40 bits are also quite vulnerable to hacking. For reliable protection, 128-256-bit encryption is required, which is not available in all digital radio stations.
Protection against interference, including from electronic warfare (EW)
The resistance of radio stations to interference is determined by the circuitry solutions implemented in them. Two main implementation options can be distinguished - direct conversion radio receivers and superheterodyne radio receivers (superheterodynes) of single or double frequency conversion. Superheterodyne radios have much better noise immunity.
It is also believed that pseudo-random frequency hopping (PRFC) provides high noise immunity, when radio stations change their frequency during radio exchange (about 100–20 times per second), but the author did not have to deal with PRFC on civilian models.
Transmitter power
For most civilian models, it is in the region of 5 W, which is often quite enough; for some models of portable radio stations, the transmitter power reaches 10 W, which allows you to slightly increase the communication range - it should be borne in mind that the communication range does not increase in proportion to the increase in radio transmitter power. By the way, in most Chinese radio stations, the declared power of 5 W is most often close to the real one, but when the Chinese say 8–10–15 W, then you already have to look here, in the cheapest models, increased power is not provided.
Also, the transmitter power is not the same for different wavelength ranges on which a particular radio station can radiate - depending on the selected frequency, it can drop up to two times from the maximum (the wider the frequency range of the radio station used for transmission, the higher the likelihood that in some areas the power of operation radio station will be significantly lower than stated).
Building a multi-layer secure military communications system - somewhere in the best of worlds
frequency range
In general, radio stations on the civilian market operate in the VHF 136-174 MHz (two-meter band) and / or UHF 400-470 MHz (75 cm band). There are also civilian radio stations in the CB band (27 MHz), but they are rarely used in portable form - mainly as car radio stations, since at a wavelength of 11 meters it is difficult to make a compact and efficient antenna.
Despite the fact that single-band VHF or UHF radios are most often more efficient than dual-band ones, the choice of dual-band VHF + UHF, according to the author, will be more justified, since the drop in performance relative to single-band radios is insignificant, and it is not known at what frequencies communication will be built in each case - it is better to have several antennas for them for different conditions and ranges.
On the other hand, you should not get carried away searching for tri-band radio stations or radio stations with any extended range (for example, UHF 400-512 MHz) - you should not hope that by organizing communication in a wavelength range inaccessible to most radio stations, you will be able to hide from enemy wiretapping – Wideband SDR receivers will pick up your frequency in a fraction of a second.
Sometimes the opinion is expressed that civilian radio stations are superior to army ones in terms of communication range. One of the reasons for this, according to a number of experts in the field of radio communications, is the use of broadband non-resonant antennas with army radios that can operate in a wide range of wavelengths, for example, from 33 to 527 MHz. The problem is that a non-resonant antenna is always inferior to a narrow-band resonant antenna tuned to a specific band - Low Band (30-50 MHz), VHF (136-174 MHz) or UHF (400-512 MHz). Thus, by installing a resonant antenna on an army radio station, it is possible to significantly increase its communication range in the selected range.
Battery capacity
Here it is quite possible to run into obvious exaggerations of the manufacturer, however, almost always the accuracy of the declared characteristics is often directly proportional to the price category of the radio station. For popular models, there are high-capacity batteries, adapters for working from a car battery, battery boxes for working with AA / AAA batteries.
Digital radios often consume much more power than analog radios, which must be taken into account when choosing digital radios with low battery capacity.
Protection from external influences
If we talk about solutions of the lower and middle price range, then it is better to use a case, since protection from external influences in them can be very conditional, even if it is declared - the volume of the speaker, which seems to be protected according to the IP-67 standard of the radio station, can easily decrease after it even in light rain. Of course, there are no such problems in professional civilian models, but the high cost is unlikely to make sending them to the front mass.
Professional or amateur radio stations
Here we are not talking about cost, but about the possibility of full control of the radio station from the keyboard, including direct frequency entry. It is believed that in professional radio stations the frequencies are programmed in advance, and then the user can only select one of the programmed channels with a rotary encoder.
It is possible that when it comes to some kind of construction site, some kind of industrial facility, then such a solution is optimal, but in relation to the war zone, the use of radio stations without the possibility of directly entering the frequency from the keyboard, as well as entering other settings, is hardly advisable .
Let us consider in more detail some models of civilian radio stations that fall or may fall into the NWO zone.
Again, let's make a reservation right away that we will consider only radio stations of the lower and middle price range (lowest - up to 10 rubles, middle - up to 000 rubles; it is clear that for 30-000 thousand rubles you can buy good professional-level radio stations Motorola or Hytera, but few people have the opportunity to purchase them both for themselves and as assistance to fighters in the NWO zone.In addition, there are rumors that the Americans have “master keys” for Motorola radios that level any encryption.
Given the specifics of China as a state, it can be assumed that their equipment also has "secret passages" for Chinese special services. But with regard to civilian radio stations, there is one nuance, as they say, "Russia will respond to any of your tricks with its unpredictable stupidity" - they have not yet worked with China. So many radio stations are being produced, models and firmware are changing so quickly, how many “jambs” are in them, that it is most likely almost impossible to isolate vulnerabilities in them, to bring them into a system. While you break one station, the Chinese will release a dozen new radio stations and a hundred new firmware - which ones will fall into the NWO zone, which ones to break, which ones not, which vulnerabilities remain, which ones are closed - the devil himself will break his head.
Analog radios
One of the most common walkie-talkies on the market are Baofeng radios and perhaps the most famous and widespread of them are Baofeng UV-5R radios. These radios are built on the principle of direct conversion, the declared power of 5 watts is most often maintained, although sometimes there is a feeling that these walkie-talkies are made in several different industries, as a result of which their quality and characteristics can walk.
Strangely, the author has seen posts in telegram channels about raising funds for CBO for the purchase of Baofeng UV-5R radio stations at a price of 4 rubles apiece, although even in Russian online stores and marketplaces they are sold at a price of about 000 rubles, and in bulk from China they can be ordered at about half the price.
Here it is dear - Baofeng UV-5R radio station
There is a UV-8R version with allegedly increased power to 8 W, but, according to the results of measurements by many users in the Russian segment of the Internet, there is still the same 5 W transmitter. There is also a tendency for the quality of the UV-5R family of radios to deteriorate, for example, the metal chassis was gradually replaced by a plastic one - a consequence of production optimization.
If we consider the lower price range, then, according to the author, it makes sense to pay attention to the QUANSHENG UV-R50 model. This radio station is based on Baofeng UV-5R solutions, however, the circuitry has been slightly redesigned, band-pass filters are installed at the signal input, which allows to slightly improve noise immunity, the chassis has remained (at the moment) metal. And the quality of QUANSHENG radio stations, according to personal experience and according to Russian users, is one of the best for its price segment. At the same time, their cost is only a few hundred rubles higher than that of Baofeng UV-5R.
What is the advantage of radio stations of the Baofeng UV-5R family is the huge number of firmware and accessories produced for them. By the way, not all of them will be compatible with the QUANSHENG UV-R50, and the firmware is not 100% compatible, however, in the CBO zone, it most likely does not make much sense to flash analog radio stations.
QUANSHENG UV-R50
A more preferred choice are radios with a superheterodyne radio. There are very few such radios in the low price segment, one of the best options is, again, the QUANSHENG radio station, model TG-UV2 PLUS with a power of 10 watts. Its cost is about three times higher than that of the previously reviewed Baofeng UV-5R / QUANSHENG UV-R50 radios, but the improved characteristics in terms of communication range and noise immunity justify this.
QUANSHENG model TG-UV2 PLUS
The author is in no way associated with QUANSHENG or its representatives, and has not received any remuneration in any form from them.
According to the author, it probably no longer makes sense to acquire / send analog radio stations of a higher class and cost to the NWO zone - they will not provide a radical increase in performance, if funds allow, digital radio stations can be considered.
Digital radio stations
There are two problems with digital radios.
The first is that almost all inexpensive digital radio stations are built using direct conversion, that is, no superheterodynes, which means that their noise immunity is minimal: it seems like the Chinese put filters in more expensive models that slightly improve noise immunity.
The second problem is that the encryption of digital radio stations from some manufacturers is not always compatible with the encryption of radio stations from other manufacturers, even though they formally work within the same digital communication protocol. Moreover, even from the same manufacturer, radio stations of different lines may not provide encrypted communication with each other.
One of the simplest and most inexpensive solutions, one might say, an entrance ticket to the world of digital radio communications, is the Baofeng DM-1801 digital radio station with a transmitter power of 5 W and the ability to directly enter the frequency from the keyboard. Not only the noise immunity of this radio station is under question, but also its ability to encrypt communication channels.
The advantage of Baofeng DM-1801 is a black-and-white display that is perfectly readable during the day without backlighting - in pursuit of fashion, contrary to common sense, radio manufacturers everywhere put color displays that are characterized by increased power consumption, the impossibility of working without backlighting and unreadability in bright sunlight
A little higher level are radio stations such as Retevis RT-3S, also known as TYT DM-UV380 / DM-UV390 (the latter has a waterproof case). These radios may be equipped with a GPS receiver.
Radio stations Retevis RT-3S, TYT DM-UV380, TYT DM-UV390
The Retevis RT-3 DMR radio station stands apart. This model is available in the VHF or UHF bands and has a superhet at the input, at least it was before - the Chinese can sometimes change the contents without changing the product designation. If the superheterodyne is retained as part of this radio, then it should be one of the most interference-resistant digital radios in the middle price range.
Digital radio station Retevis RT-3 DMR with a superheterodyne radio receiving path (of course, if the manufacturer has not made changes to the design without changing the model name)
Digital radio stations with AES 256-bit encryption provide maximum protection against enemy listening. These include, for example, RETEVIS Ailunce HD1 DMR and Zastone UV008. Both of these radios are based on RDA chip with direct frequency conversion, the maximum transmitter power is 10W. Both radios are fully protected against dust and moisture according to the IP67 standard.
According to reviews, the RETEVIS Ailunce HD1 DMR radio station has a slightly worse sensitivity in analog and digital modes compared to the Retevis RT-3S radio station, but rather stable developing firmware and good manufacturer support. The Zastone UV008 radio station is still new and rather “raw”, with a number of software and, possibly, hardware flaws.
RETEVIS Ailunce HD1 DMR and Zastone UV008 radios with 256-bit encryption
Please note that AES 265-bit encryption will most likely not work when communicating using radios from different manufacturers.
The pinnacle of relatively inexpensive digital radios with AES 256-bit encryption are the Anytone AT-D878UV plus / Anytone AT-D878UV II plus radios, whose parameters are comparable to Motorola radios, which are several times more expensive. Transmitter power 7 W, GPS, direct frequency conversion, but it seems there are some filters at the receiver input.
Anytone AT-D878UV II plus radio station
Russian manufacturers of civil radios
They exist. It seems that KB Berkut releases its radio stations entirely in Russia. But their portable radios operate in the CB band (27 MHz) - the debate about whether it is possible to get an acceptable communication range in this range with a compact antenna, apparently, will go on for a long time, nevertheless, the Berkut portable radios are widely used have not received. They are analog, there is no encryption in them.
Radiotekhnika LLC is promoting its network radio communication protocol called "Wave Network". In it, user radio stations provide relaying of up to eight signals of other subscribers, building a self-sustaining distributed network - traffic can be split along the way to the recipient between random nodes, 56-bit encryption is used.
The operating frequency range of the Wave Network system is 868,7–869,2 MHz. Due to the extremely low transmitter power - about 25 mW, the cells of the "wave network" are difficult to find direction, but low power has a downside - in the absence of repeaters, the communication range will be small. Some Russian Internet blogs talk about the successful application of the "Wave Network" in the LPR.
Most of the other Russian walkie-talkie manufacturers produce their products in Chinese factories with OEMs. Often there are practically no differences from Chinese counterparts, only the price is higher. Sometimes the menu is Russified.
It is possible that someone goes further, developing their own circuit solutions (which the Chinese will then copy), but there is much less information about Russian radio stations, especially digital ones, than about Chinese, Japanese and American ones.
Conclusions
Communication is extremely important in a war zone. No communication - and the war can be lost, despite the presence of any other modern weapons. There is a connection - but it is easily found and listened to by the enemy, and this can be worse than a complete lack of communication.
The civilian radio stations considered in this material will in no way replace modern army radio stations, but they can supplement them where there are physically no army radio stations.
Analog radio stations can be used in the rear, at a distance of about 20 kilometers from the enemy - there is also a need for radio communications. With the use of code tables and wise use of short passes, they can be used cautiously on the front line - but in general this is a bad decision. Analog radios can also be used as a last resort in certain critical situations.
Digital radios, especially those with serious encryption on board, can also be used on the front line. Of course, the lack of a frequency hopping mode simplifies their direction finding by the enemy, but options are also possible here - short radio exchange sessions, changing positions, brought out a few tens of meters towards the antenna.
Potentially, it is even possible to provoke the enemy to strike at a place where, in fact, there will be only a Chinese antenna for 500 rubles, to open his artillery positions and then strike with the Lancet or organize the useless waste of expensive Hymars by the enemy - after all, such radio games were conducted warring parties already at the dawn of the advent of radio communications.
At the very least, it is good that there are quite modern and effective solutions on the civilian market that allow relatively quickly providing communications to volunteer battalions, PMCs, and, if necessary, the RF Armed Forces.
Information