I find it funny that people are talking about federally controlled repeaters. If it goes down, I've got my own repeater and my own radios.

Just how are the Feds controlling that?

Nice thing about VHF and UHF radios, while they can be used with a repeater, they can also be used without one. You can use them for radio to radio communications.

Another interesting item is power. If you turn the power down because your close, say in a moving convoy, someone would have to be on top of you to be able to pick up your communications and listen in.

Alternatives to Ham radios? CB's, MURS, FMRS, GMRS. So the little handheld Motorola's that you can get at Walmart? Typically these are on FMRS frequencies. CB's are AM so the sound quality and clarity can suffer with conditions and distance.

Some of the cheap Chinese radios are popular because they can transmit on MURS and FMRS frequencies as well out of the box.

More traditional radios will need to be MURS model. (Not recommended unless you know what your doing / don't mid the risk of "bricking" a radio) Once done they have the transmit capabilities of the inexpensive Chinese rigs.

Downside of the Chinese rigs? They suck to program! Most of them will drive you crazy over time due to spurious crap. However, they have their place…their cheap and a good entry point.

Another kicker…you don't need a "base" station in most cases. A good antenna and a handheld will do nicely in most instances. (The antenna is the key and height is your friend)

Oh, and you can use the handheld in the car as well. One radio for multiple useful applications.

It's possible to set up a "station" for $100.

Study for the Tech license (Free randomized tests at QRZ.com) and you can even do this legally.