I've come up with this guide to give examples and techniques that could be employed should one need to recon an area for information. Keep in mind that these techniques can be used in a mixed capacity or singularly depending upon the situation, level of preparation, and materials available for effective reconnaissance.
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Direct Reconnaissance
Large group: You send out a large group of people and bring back pictures or descriptions.
Pros:
Redundancy
Survivability
Safety in Numbers
Group members not well trained
Cons:
Noticable
Resource-Intensive
Slow info-gathering rate
Usage
You send out a group of between 10 and 30 people somewhat heavily armed. All the people in the group need to have rudimentary drawing skills or descriptive writing ability. If you decide to do so, you may split into smaller groups to cover parts of cities, towns, or country with one or two agreed upon regroup points. A regroup time may also be a good idea in case a group runs into trouble.
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Small group: You send out a small, well trained group of people.
Pros:
Low resource requirements
High-quality information
Fast info-gathering rate
Cons:
Not particularly safe if they are caught
Usage:
You send out a small group of people, armed with lightweight but effective weaponry and rations. To make it easier for the group to find supplies, the weapons should use m4/m16 magazines, or use standard pistol caliber ammo. Weapons with a bullpup configuration will be lighter and less bulky, making the user more agile. Each person should carry between 200 and 300 rounds of ammo. A sidearm is optional, and must be lightweight. The group should be between two and ten people. It should include a medic, and everyone in the group should have at least rudimentary first-aid skills and be carrying light first-aid kits. As a general rule, if you plan on them going longer distances, have no fewer than four people. They all need to be skilled in sketching things, and/or descriptive writing and need to be very observant. If you can get them cameras with film and have the ability to develop the film, then do so. If you have electricity, make it a priority to give them radios. To cover areas in detail, they can split into even smaller groups, such as pairs.
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Remote Reconnaissance
Remote Control Vehicles: Radio controlled vehicles with reconnaissance equipment attached to them.
Pros:
Fast info-gathering rate
Movable, controlled reconnaissance
Lower human risk
Cons:
Requires electricity
Easy to damage
Can lure zombies back to base
Short ranged
Usage:
RC cars and planes are useful for short-range reconnaissance, and for improving of the effect of direct reconnaissance. However, a downside is the fact that they must carry a camera of some type, they and the camera require electricity, and they're easy to damage and hard to repair. This is all in addition to their very short range. They can also lure zombies back to base. You find a cheap remote control car, boat, plane, or helicopter. If it doesn't have a built in camera, install one on a sturdy mount and transmit it somehow. You use it out in the field for reconnaissance on enemy forces or terrain. It can also be used to provide detailed, unobstructed visuals of the area around your base, and provide a warning of approaching people or zombies. Because such things are in abundance, it's OK if it is destroyed. Be careful, but do not be fearful, unless you're in the middle of no where and you brought only one with you. If it is destroyed, salvage the transmitter and camera at a later time.
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High-quality RC Planes: High quality RC planes, such as those used by the U.S. military and RC hobbyists.
Pros:
Fast info-gathering rate
Long range
High-quality information
Safe in the sky
Cons:
Really, really expensive
Requires electricity
Usage:
Can be used for long range reconnaissance. They aren't going to be hit by a zombie, and are hard to shoot out of the sky with your average semi-automatic weapon if they're flying fast. They also can capture high-quality imagery. On the downside, they can be USD10,000. They would also be hard to find after z-day. United Nuclear (http:\\www.unitednuclear.com/jetengines) sells small jet engines providing up to 30 pounds of force, if you're interested in building your own. This is the kind of thing that needs to be prepared and ready before z-day. You need a reasonably durable, long-ranged remote control aircraft or ground vehicle. You should mount a high-quality camera on it beforehand, and have a transmitter and receiver ready. Ensure that you will have electricity and/or fuel. Always keep spares for everything. You can use it for short or long range reconnaissance in the field or from a base, because it can provide detail and is mostly unaffected by obstacles, although you should try to stay out of the woods with aircraft. Be careful. If you break it beyond repair, you probably won't ever get another one. Even if it repairable, you may not be able to get to it, so once again, be extremely careful.
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Telescopes/Binoculars: Long range sight and recon devices made from a set of lenses and lens housing that can usually be adjusted for variable distances.
Pros:
Short to long range
Fast info-gathering rate
Not resource intensive
Cons:
Affected by visibility
View is blocked by obstacles
Usage:
Telescopes and binoculars are useful for medium-range to long range reconnaissance, depending on the power of the optics. They provide great detail, as long as visibility is good and nothing is in the way.
Telescopes and binoculars will probably be in good supply after a disaster. They can be used for short range reconnaissance, and some can be used for long range. You must be careful not to use cheap, poorly made ones, because peoples' lives may rely on them. In the field close or medium range ones should be carried by a few people, regardless of the purpose of the group. Longer ranged optics should be mounted on vehicles or at a base, and kept as far off the ground as possible. Keep the lenses of all optics clean, and covered when not in use. They should not be relied on as your only source of reconnaissance, because most optics will only work during the day when you have light.
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Fiber-Optics: n.
use of light transmitted through fibers: the technology of transferring information, e.g. in communications or computer technology, through thin flexible glass or plastic tubes optical fibers using modulated light waves.
Information is transmitted in the form of coded pulses.
(takes a singular or plural verb)
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Pros:
Great for a long-term sentry system
Long-lasting
Not affected greatly by visibility
Long-range
Fast data-gathering rate
Cons:
Resource-intensive set up.
Requires that you have a set base and lookout spots
Usage:
A bundle of fiber-optic cables can transmit an image long distances. They are great when you know where you want to observe. However, this is pointless if you are on the move or don't know exactly where you want to observe. On the other hand, it provides real-time reconnaissance, and you could even have a full 360 degree view if you set up telescopes or periscopes on all four sides of a tower, and run fiber optics from all of them to your base or outpost. If possible, set such a thing up before a disaster. You will have easier access to high quality fiber-optics then. The more fibers you can fit into a space, the more detail you have, and the clearer each fiber is, the better color you have. You can set up a periscope or telescope on a tower far from your base. You replace the view piece with a bundle of fiber optic cables, and run these on, above, or under the ground all the way to your base or an outpost, where they are hooked up to a view piece like a lens or something. The denser the cables, the better resolution you get. If the device on the far end also has a solar-charged flashlight, it will provide you with long-range reconnaissance all day long. You can increase detail for large fibers by packing them as tight as possible, and then putting a lens on the end which detects the image to expand a small image to fit the entire bundle, and then focusing it at the receiving end. It will increase detail, but decrease area. Area can be increased by increasing the size of a bundle or reversing the process described above, putting a lens on the detecting end to focus a large area onto the bundle and then expanding it again at the watchers end, however, this process will of course reduce detail.
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Camouflage: Camouflage is important for both direct reconnaissance, and other forms. I am not an expert on camouflage, so if anyone wants detailed information, I would recommend Army Field Manual 5-20 and Army Field Manual 20-3. When it comes to direct reconnaissance, you very rarely want to be known, and would prefer to stay hidden. However, when it comes to remote reconnaissance, a number of factors apply. What it really comes down to is do you want your presence to be known, and over how large an area. There are advantages and disadvantages to having your territory known. If it is known, you may scare off some weaker potential enemies and possibly draw potential allies. However, you may also fail to scare the stronger and/or more arrogant and now they know where you are. If you are confident in your ability to defend your location, then allowing the ones within a certain distance of you to be visible is probably a good idea. Since it is generally held (and hoped for) that zombies won't be particularly intelligent, you need not worry about them noticing your reconnaissance, so long as you don't have flashing lights and sound and other things like that. If a group of the uninfected are walking through your area and don't notice your not-particularly-camouflaged stations or robots or whatever you're using, you probably don't need to worry about it anyways.
