A full scale EMP attack in several regional areas at once would create such a total catastrophe no area of this country would be safe from its effects.

haha, more like Sauron to say that than Gandalf.

Wizard – I gave your question some more thought over the weekend and after doing some checking it may in fact be possible to track a HF signal via satellite. But being possible is different than it actually happening. Here is what made me change my mind (for what it’s worth).

Satellites orbit from ~100 miles to > 22,300 miles. The low earth orbit (LEO) satellites operate below and in the ionosphere. HF signals can bounce off the ionosphere so that would put those signals within range of a LEO satellite. This issue with LEO satellites is that they have to really be moving, about 17,000 mph. Because they are close to the ground, they have a very limited view of the earth, for a very short time. The higher the satellite the larger and longer the field of view. The issue with higher orbiting satellites is that even a 1/2 degree error in tracking makes the search area much larger.

For example if a satellite is orbiting at 17,000 miles and the detection error is 1/2 degree, the area on the ground for the govt to search would be a circular area about 148 miles.

So while it may be possible to track you from a satellite, it wouldn’t be practical. The geostationary satellites, tend to be in high earth orbit (HEO) so the tracking would have to be spot on to find you even if they could detect a signal without any skip. Those satellites that are not geostationary would have to be in a location where they could detect a signal again without a skip, while you were transmitting.

Sorry about the book….

Hmmm. That’s interesting as I understand it, the control operator is licensed. Not the radio itself. When I got my ticket, they asked for a mailing address. I gave them a P.O. box. No one even batted an eye. That being said, the FCC can request to inspect your gear, and you have to respond and comply or they can fine you and pull your ticket or both.

From my limited research, the need for the actual location of your gear is no longer required just a mailing address.

I really don’t know how possible that would be, because HF signals can have various take off angles. Depending on the type of antenna you are using the angle can very a great degree. A satellite in orbit by it’s very nature is above the atmosphere. So even if the satellite got the signal it could be bent or could have even skipped by the time the satellite picked it up.

Again: Be carefull, here. Your Ham station must be licensed. You still have to give the FCC one of two things; either the street address of your primary station, or if no street address (e.g. you live at some exotic, off-grid location, you may be asked to supply the lattitude and longitude coordinates of your primary station). The FCC excercises considerably more oversight of Amateur (Ham) radio stations than it does CB, for example. As previous posters have hinted, best to get your Ham ticket and learn what really goes on. Try http://www.arrl.com, the website for the American Radio Relay League, America’s longest-lived Ham Radio organization. They have some really good materials and advice on getting licensed and doing things the right way, so that you stay on the right side of the law…at least while there still is law.

Unlike CB, however, your marine radios must be licensed. Otherwise, you risk a visit from the FCC (usually accompanied my a member(s)) of the local constabulary.

Trrrust me (as the Terminator would say), if the government wants to track (find) you bad enough, it won’t matter what you’re using. CBs can be tracked just like any other type of radio transmision. The main reason the gov’t doesn’t bother to do it more often is purely cost. There are so many CBers that it’s just not cost efficient to spend the time and money to track every QRP clown who cusses over an open mike or acts like a jerk on the air. But, make no mistake: if you’re using your CB in a manner that attracts enough negative attention long enough, for something really egregious (like, say, continually interfering with other users of the airwaves, or stirring up anti-government riots etc., etc.), they will find you, and quicker than you might imagine. And, the penalties could be stiff.