Your Off Grid Backup Radio Might Already Be In Your Basement.

Two benefits for the price of one.

Radio amateurs who operate off grid already know that their pastime has a secondary benefit of being very valuable in times of disaster. In some cases it’s the other way around. Many people get involved with amateur radio primarily for its usefulness during disaster and survival situations. The hobby/pastime aspect of it is secondary. Unfortunately, an off grid backup radio usually becomes overlooked in the mix.

No matter what one’s motivations may be, an off grid radio system is only as good as its equipment. If something breaks, you’re dead in the water. Modern radios are very complex and aside from simple repairs, they cannot be serviced by the ordinary ham.

One is not enough.

For amateurs concerned with emergency communications it of course makes sense to have a backup. The big question: what kind of backup? Should you have another modern, computerized HF transceiver? Absolutely, if you can afford to tie up a fair amount of funds in what is essentially a “spare tire”.

In the case of VHF/UHF, having a backup is easy because the equipment is relatively inexpensive. Furthermore, most hams already have more than one VHF/UHF rig anyway so the “backup” aspect of it is already built in. off grid backup radio 

HF radio is another matter. Having duplicate HF radios is usually a significant financial commitment. We must also address the issue of maintaining them. In a SHTF scenario, sending a radio out for repairs will not be an option. And even if you do have the means to repair it yourself, where will you get parts? Your big-dollar, high tech, microprocessor-based HF radio could become a brick when you need it the most.

There are reasonable solutions.

There are options that will keep you on the air. The first option is the one we already mentioned: simply buy another copy of the radio you already have. If you’ve got the money, go for it. But most of us don’t have funds to tie up in a radio that exists “just in case”.

Collaborate with a friend/neighbor/relative. This may be the easiest and least expensive option. Coordinate with one or more people you can work with and trust. If everyone has the same equipment, you can be each other’s backup. This avoids one person having to accept the financial and logistical burden of owning multiple radios. Added benefit: If everyone has the same equipment, you have interoperability regarding batteries, microphones, cables, and spare parts. off grid backup radio

Old tube radios. Consider acquiring an old tube radio as a backup. No, it’s not a crazy idea. Admittedly, it sounds counterintuitive for an off grid operator who needs to ration every watt, but sick with me for a bit.

Tube radios? Are you serious? Yes. 

Tube radios consume a lot of power and do not have any of the functions and features of modern rigs. What you get in trade for that is a very sturdy, reliable radio that is easy to service and has a very high resistance to electromagnetic pulses (EMP). And wow, they have a breathtakingly long service life. There are fifty-plus year old rigs still fully operational, healthy and kicking great signals.

Replacement tubes are not expensive if you know where to look. Likewise for capacitors and resistors. Old radios never need software upgrades and can’t be kicked offline by viruses, malware, computer glitches, or incompatibility with other hard/soft ware. They also do not require proprietary software or tools to work on them. Service manuals and schematics are easy to source.  In many cases, radio amateurs can find service data for old tube radios with just a quick google search.

The cross examination.

There are plenty of arguments against old tube radios. The the most obvious problem from an off grid ham perspective is power consumption. Second, running data modes will be difficult if not impossible. As a teenager in the 1980s I ran RTTY from a Commodore VIC-20 computer through a Kantronics interface to my (tube based) Heathkit SB-102 radio. It was considered cutting-edge tech at the time. That was then and this is now. I don’t know how one could set up FT8 or any of the modern data modes on an old tube radio. Someone out there may be doing it, but I imagine it’s not easy. off grid backup radio

There likely aren’t too may VIC-20 computers and Kantronics interfaces floating around the used market, but a sufficiently-motivated ham could probably figure out how to run at least RTTY using currently available hard and soft ware. Still, for all practical purposes we’re limited to voice and CW, and that’s not nothing.

We can’t ignore these issues.

Power consumption is the elephant in the room that needs to be addressed. Here’s the proposed work-around:

For starters, the tube radio would not need to be on all the time, and the transmit side requires the most power. This can be mitigated by reducing output power and using the receive only when needed. You will not have the functionality and energy efficiency of a modern transceiver, but keep in mind this is a backup radio. It’s not going to be used all the time, and when it is used, it’s used sparingly. Another possibility is to add off grid generating capacity to partially or fully offset the power consumption of the tubes.

The other elephant is portability. If your emergency communications depends primarily on a go-box or similar portable setup, lugging along a heavy tube rig is not practical. The workaround: Leave it in a car or other safe place, and take it out only when needed. If you have to evacuate the area with only what you can carry, then the tube radio will probably not make the cut. It’s just one of those tradeoff decisions you’ll need to make.

The not-100% solution.

Before anyone cranks up the blowtorch to flame me for even suggesting a tube radio for off grid comms, keep in mind that I am not endorsing it as a 100% solution for everyone, all the time. But it should be possible for most hams. Recently I was rummaging through the loft of my parents’ barn where I store quite a bit of radio gear. I came across a cool little Knight receiver that was very clean. I didn’t even know I had this radio, nor could I remember where or when I got it!

This nifty little Knight Star Roamer has only four tubes. The large orange sectional capacitor needs to be rebuilt/replaced. The schematic was easily found with a quick google search. When completed, this will be a backup/spare receiver and a fun display piece. OFF GRID HAM ORIGINAL PHOTO ©2025

The light bulb in my head went on: “Hey! This would would be a sturdy, simple, useful backup receiver!” And here we are. I took it home and am in the process of getting it working. It does not have SSB or CW so it’s not an ideal choice; ultimately I’ll need something else. But it’s better than leaving it in a barn loft, and it will be a cool working showpiece.

Which brings up another point: Many hams already have an old tube radio stashed somewhere. So why not dig it out and get it ready for service? Although there are a lot of disadvantages, the expense and trouble of having an sturdy tube rig on standby is minimal. What do you have to lose, besides a few watts?

What to look for.

Clean, working tube radios such as the Drake R-series, Yaesu FT-101, Heathkit SB-series, Swan, and many others are out there for not a lot of money. If you really want to be spartan, go find a Heathkit HW-8. The “Hot Water 8″ is a small solid state rig (no tubes, but no microprocessors either). It’s a no frills, CW-only QRP radio. They are incredibly easy to work on, but you’ll likely never need to. Pre-1980s Kenwood TS-series HF radios had tube finals but everything else in the box was solid state; that’s a great mix that gives you the best of both formats.

Anything is better than nothing.

The cliche´ “one is none and two is one” is actually true. Whether you pour big bucks into a duplicate modern radio, share resources with others, or revitalize a vintage rig, anyone who thinks of themselves as “prepared” should have some kind of backup radio. My little Knight receiver is a good start, but I’m going to make another road trip to my parents’ barn loft and see if I have a forgotten old transceiver up there to complete my backup package.