Ham radios
One or twice the subject has come up but the FRS and the other channels are not a great idea. When out on the road in the middle of nowhere and the cells don't work and the CBs, now rare, and you don...
Forum Discussion
wa8yxm wrote:
"Beg to differ, 2mtr and 70CM CAN be far more "reliable" in an CLOSE emergency than HF, period."
I would agree with that but the key word which you were kind enough to highlight is CLOSE.
But if you are miles from the nearest repeater or another ham They don't work that well... By miles i mean like 50 or more in most case In some cases I've used repeater networks where I could be over an hour's drive from the tower and it was great. other systems 20 miles is out of range.
But for "Local" work. chat around the campground hey Honey Dinner's ready. kind of thing. Fantastic way better than the other options..
If you are in range of a repeater fantastic
But I was out in the desert with no hope of reaching a repeater or a cell tower when I first needed to call for a tow.
If you are "out in a desert then just HOW can a "HF" rig help?
Sure, you can toss 1500W on HF out with a linear and wrap your signal halfway around the globe in the early evening or late morning when most HF bands are active..
But do you think that someone in Europe is going to be of help a little piddly ant (you) in billions of grains of in thousands of acres of sand hundreds of thousand miles from that poor sap in Europe?
The answer is no.
Your HF rig in this case IS just as "useless" as you claim with 2mtr/440.
The PROPER device in this case is to be prepared with the proper equipment and a Sat Phone most likely would be the absolute best choice with no cell coverage, no local Ham repeaters.
CBs, Ham, FRS/GMRS would be totally worthless in your "desert scene" unless you have a "buddy" system and have OTHER folks that you can keep in contact with.
If you are going to wonder into wilderness, the "buddy system" is a good idea, TELL a friend where you will be and how long you will be..
Never wonder alone, never wonder without TELLING someone where you will be, how long you will be and make plans with that person or persons to "check in" at regular intervals. If they do not hear from you within a specified time they can alert proper authorities quickly which may SAVE YOUR LIFE.
Backup commercial communications like cell phone or Sat phone and/or even carrying a rescue beacon designed for hikers. Those are real world better choices that are specifically designed for this use.
Personal Locator Beacons
