Reviews – NC Scout Books

I realized that I hadn’t put out a review on the Guerrilla’s Guide to the Baofeng Radio as I finished his second book, the Guerrilla Dispatch, Volume 1. Now is as good a time as any to review them both. As usual, the photos and links are affiliate links so that you can buy the items. I may make a small commission at no cost to you (FTC rules require me to say that every now and then).

So many people rush out and buy a Baofeng, stick it in their gear pouch, and then never do anything else with it. Then, when it is time to train, they admit that they haven’t programmed it or are amazed at some feat NC Scout or I perform with a Baofeng that they had no idea it could do. NC Scout’s book, the Guerrilla’s Guide to the Baofeng Radio was written by him to correct this.

The name is misleading, though. The book is far more comprehensive than just being a guide to the Baofeng. Only Chapter 2 is actually Baofeng specific. Also, while the instructions in the digital section are Baofeng specific, you can apply them to any dual band VHF/UHF radio that you own. It’s more of a “Guerrilla’s Guide to Radio”.

The book covers how to design your communications plan and how to format reports. Communications security is covered in depth.

The instructions in field expedient antennas are outstanding, but you need to get out and take a course or practice. I found it to be a great refresher for the skills I learned at the Brushbeater RTO Course. I can’t overstate the improvement in communications range and quality if you use a field expedient antenna.

The most amazing part is on how to use Baofeng radios for digital communications. Most people, especially “those guys”, think that digital comms are for HF use only. Also, the Sad Hams will screech that digital comms are ILLEGAL on GMRS/MURS (which is not 100% accurate). It’s partially true, but in a WROL situation or resistance situation, that would be the least of my worries. This book demonstrates how it can be done, including sending photos. It works and works well. You do need the above cable though.

The book also covers a couple of different options for creating portable repeaters for field use.

You can buy the full-size book for your library at Amazon, but there is a spiral bound copy for field use (toss it into your pack) available directly from NC Scout at the Brushbeater Store (click link).

Almost immediately after releasing his #1 Bestseller above, NC Scout put out The Guerrilla Dispatch, Volume 1. This is a collection of American Partisan articles and topical articles written specifically for the book by many in the preparedness, patriot, communications, and tactical training world. It covers a wide range of topics.

There are several articles on setting up your rifles. Some cover basic duty rifles, and others cover DMR/Sniper rifle set-ups based upon real-world experience.

Tactics for defeating and using drones and thermal imaging are covered. Being realistic about the capabilities of both is vital. While they are great tools that you should be aware of, they aren’t magical. Knowing their limits and a few tactics to mitigate them can help.

Basic team set up and tactics are covered. You need to be realistic; you need a team. You also need to acknowledge that you won’t be part of a massive formation and that scout skills will be absolutely vital. There as good starters in this volume.

It wouldn’t be an NC Scout book if there wasn’t comms information in here. There are the usual pieces about setting up a comms plan and security, as well as encryption/encoding. More importantly, though, there is information on how to carry your communications gear. It does you no good to have a quality radio and good plan, but then place your radio on your gear in a way that limits it. We ran into this live at one of NC Scout’s Recce Courses, and it is no fun in the dark with the bad guys wandering around.

If there was anything you’ve ever wanted to know about NVIS (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave) communications, it’s in a four-part series here. There is also a pair of articles on how a patrol can use directional antennas best. A brief discussion on a portable CB rig is also included, which is vital because CBs are by far the most commonly owned and available radios on the market. You can walk into any truck store and buy a quality base station and handheld in minutes.

I highly recommend both books.

I also recommend both the Baofeng AR-152 and the TH-9800D, as does NC Scout.

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