Tags:
  1. Sclavus

    Sclavus Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2017
    Messages:
    744
    Likes Received:
    702
    Location:
    Colorado

    Cutting Communications

    Discussion in 'Research' started by Sclavus, Sep 22, 2017.

    I need to shut down communications in my story, across Colorado Springs and the surrounding area. I can shut down the power plants no problem, but cell phones are the pain in my butt at the moment. There's a bad blizzard that helps, but how would the authorities shut down cell service completely?

    I need:
    • The authorities (National Guard, CDC, FEMA, etc.) to maintain communication.
    • Civilians to be mostly unaware of the reason for the inference. It's fine if they blame the storm, but I can't have them saying, "The government shut down our communications."
    • Communication for civilians to be limited to in-person contact, even across devices like walkie-talkies, HAM radios, etc.
    • The rest of the nation to be unaware of the government interference. This is absolutely vital. Basically, if Marge from Mississauga calls Jimbo in Colorado Springs, she can't get through to him, and I need her and everyone else to assume it's because of the storm.
    • A quick solution. The zombie outbreak starts at 0100. Communications need to be down by 0300, well ahead of when most civilians are going to be awake.
    The idea is to create a situation in which most Springs residents will wake up, see their cars and streets buried in snow, decide not to go out, and focus on staying warm indoors. I don't want them going out to get eaten by zombies, or even aware they're under attack. If civilians look outside to see military vehicles, they can't go blabbing about it on Facebook or Twitter.
     
  2. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2016
    Messages:
    22,568
    Likes Received:
    25,882
    Location:
    East devon/somerset border
    turn the masts off - simple. Most masts can be set up so that with a code they work but without a code they don't allowing the authorities to still use them but no one else
     
  3. Sclavus

    Sclavus Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2017
    Messages:
    744
    Likes Received:
    702
    Location:
    Colorado
    What do you mean by "masts?"
     
  4. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2016
    Messages:
    22,568
    Likes Received:
    25,882
    Location:
    East devon/somerset border
    cell phone masts/towers - unless its an iridium sattelite phone , most cell phones send their calls to a mast which then retransmits them - if you turn the masts off the cell phones are useless (as wreybies is currently discovering as hurricane maria has taken out most of the PR cell phone masts)
     
  5. Sclavus

    Sclavus Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2017
    Messages:
    744
    Likes Received:
    702
    Location:
    Colorado
    Okay, so that takes care of the cell towers. Thank you.

    What about radios? From my understanding, some countries employ jamming to disrupt communications, so I imagine it's possible to knock out the capability of battery-powered devices. I just have no idea how to go about it. My first thought was to have jammers on vehicles throughout the city, say one or a few miles apart, so anything within range of the jammers would be blocked. Would that work?
     
  6. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2015
    Messages:
    17,922
    Likes Received:
    27,173
    Location:
    Where cushions are comfy, and straps hold firm.
  7. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2016
    Messages:
    22,568
    Likes Received:
    25,882
    Location:
    East devon/somerset border
    Most civillian radios are short range jobs - there'll be a few radio hams but you can't do anything about them, if you shut down the stations a few hams reporting zombies will be written off as nut cases
     
  8. Sclavus

    Sclavus Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2017
    Messages:
    744
    Likes Received:
    702
    Location:
    Colorado
    Thank you, Cave. Those links gave me some ideas.

    Thanks. In my story, after the city has been shut off from the rest of the world, my protagonists will want to use ham radio and other communications to coordinate their efforts. I thought about my antagonists bombing the power plants, but I think I'll just have them shut down the power. My protagonists will have to figure out how to turn it back on.

    My story takes place in an ambiguous near-future era, so I can modify technology a bit. I just don't want to make things too easy or too difficult. My protagonists will have to develop a code for communicating with others, so even if the antagonists hear their transmissions, they'll have a hard time decoding them.

    Short of an EMP weapon, it seems impossible to completely destroy communication. I don't suppose there's anything I can do about satellite phones to shut them down?
     
    Cave Troll likes this.
  9. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2016
    Messages:
    22,568
    Likes Received:
    25,882
    Location:
    East devon/somerset border
    ham radios can be made to work off car batteries

    in regard of sat phones - if your antag are the govt, just turn the sattelites off
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice