Originally Posted By: hikermor
Why on earth do you need a radio to supplement a heliograph network? After all, the US Army operated with mirrors successfully and effectively around the 1890s, well before radio.

There is no better way to give your location to a pilot than a signal mirror - I have done so many times. Ounce for ounce and dollar for dollar, nothing beats a signal mirror and/or a whistle.


Well, yes it tells ones location. But if you want to say anything more than that......


I played ham games here in Colo where we had guys on as many of the 14,000' mountains as possible just to exchange signal reports. Was a good excuse to climb a mountain. (although I cheated and rode my motorcycle to the top of Mt. Bross that time. I later climbed it honestly :-)

Cellphones have given the masses mobile comms so things like 2m phone patches which once were very cool - are now clunky and awkward. (but they still work)

But if you learn only a little in ham radio, understanding some things about antennas and radio pathways (propagation, barriers, reflections) may prove useful in many situations.