OK... Here's my second weigh in on this subject. Lets assume that All cell towers are dead. Then, what is the next best way to communicate? Uhhhhh, radio? Yep. Now, let's assume you want to pass info quickly and on the sly. Then, for voice, you'd probably want small signal, close in communications and that would most easily be UHF, because UHF sucks for long distance work. Now, if you want to send long text messages or pictures, then use your computer and send digital messages by PSK31 for text and Slow Scan TV for pictures by way of VHF. There doesn't even have to be a physical connection to the radio and computer. As long as VOX is available on the radio and the computer has a microphone and external speaker, you're good to go. Myself, I prefer to make a physical connection to the computer and radio by using the line in and headphone out over to the radio's audio input and output. The trick is to then find somebody else who had the same number of brain cells and thought of doing the same thing.
