i have a old short wave radio and tune in once in awhile,winter nights seem best.i have the book for the HAM test and look around for a unit on Ebay when the thought hits me,but--thinking about it trying to use a HAM radio in a real "grid down" national emergency would be trying to drive north to what is in normal times a quiet camp ground.it would be full,full of everyone who has a radio,ticket or not trying to push thru to whoever to get info or give or take commands,you get the idea.there is no control of who uses the airwaves the radio with the most power wins that frequency.with millions trying to get on the air HAM would be a lost bet for most users.
also it would be a source of misinformation for folks like me who just have a receiver.you could never trust any info and how would you know if a official station was real.even a HAM who you had contact with in the past might say anything to keep you from a source of,say food and shelter when it would be in his best interest to tell you nothing..."gee bill i would stay in chicago things are really bad in minneapolis"