Power is the bug-a-boo of post catastrophic communication. Alternative methods of generating power is a discussion all within itself. Largely, I will leave the matter to the creativeness of the individual and their particular circumstances, but I will provide some general broad strokes.

The radio itself requires very little power. It works on 12 volts and any car battery will provide sufficient power. Deep cycle such as marine power batteries are generally considered better. The issue is - how to recharge the battery. If there is an operating automobile engine with an alternator, and one can salvage gasoline from what may be hundreds of stalled cars - then the solution is as simple as hooking the battery up to the running engine/alternator and letting the car charge it. This could be an ongoing process to keep several charged batteries in reserve. The radio will work directly off the charged battery that is removed from the car.

But the problem is not the radio. The problem is the computer to which the radio must be connected. That computer also requires power. There are certainly 12v portable computers. There may be difficulty in finding one with the appropriate sound card/connection requirements that permits the disabling of the microphone, and so forth, but many/most today (so lang as they have appropriate operating system) will have the processing power to handle the application. The real problem will again be how to recharge the batteries and maintain a power supply for the computer. Every situation is so different that I will have to leave it to the individual to work out those solutions ahead of time.

Many people will not have a suitable portable computer and will wish to use a regular desktop computer. This is fine - but again requires special considerations and preparations. The desktop computer must be a PC. The software will not work with an Apple. The desktop computer will require AC (Alternating Current) power which will not likely be available in the type of catastrophe for which the SAFE EMS is designed.

The solution for a desktop computer will be to use an INVERTER with the same power source as used for the radio. The problem is that the computer and its monitors will require a LOT more power than the radio and greatly compound the need for alternative generating of power and recharging the battery(s). The solutions will be varied and individual but they are something that one wants to work through ahead of time so that they have a plan, the required cabling, the INVERTER and so forth.

During peacetime, and to just use the radio and gain practice with it, one may do the inverse. That is to say - leave their computer hooked up to the house 110v power outlet and get a small inverter from that to supply power to the 12v radio. This works, for now, but is not being prepared.