Hi all,

I searched the forums and could not find a definitive answer. Can anyone recommend some radios or radio bands best for an emergency? I'm a boater, so a radio that covered VHF and was waterproof would be nice. I noticed there are several radios that cover VHF, FRS, and receive several other bands. In an emergency would FRS be of any use? If I'm on land I technically shouldn't use the VHF, but if life or limb were at stake I think I'd risk it.

Thoughts are appreciated. Would I be better off getting something HAMish (I know NOTHING about HAM radio, feel free to briefly inform me).

Thanks in advance!

R

First, where are you located, metro or suburban/rural area? That will be a big factor in the amount of amateur radio operators and repeaters available. Additionally, is any one listening? There are a large number of amateur repeaters operational but the frequencies just aren't monitored as they once were prior to cellular telephone.
Secondly, amateur radio requires a license to operate and unlike FRS/GMRS it requires the owner to pass a knowledge exam, not just pay a fee. However, it's worth it if you have an interest in communications, either terrestrial or satellite. There is a myriad of interesting projects and activities available to licensed amateurs including Amateur Radio Emergency Services, SkyWarn, etc. Ham radio may be the only thing working after a major natural disaster because Hams pride themselves on being ready to assist in those events. Most have dedicated portable equipment and "homebrew" antennas that are rapidly deployable to the scene, shelters, and emergency operations centers. The folks that provide these services are highly skilled and properly trained to get the job done.
Thirdly, WELCOME to ETS! Don't be a stranger as a lot of good information is passed here also.

Standard Horizon makes some half decent radios for the marine environment. Here's one that has some additional features (noaa, am/fm, etc).

http://www.standardhorizon.com/indexVS.c...mp;isArchived=0

Take a look at their site, some good stuff there!

Awesome, I knew there would be a lot of great info here. I'm buying a PLB so if I'm ever in immediate danger I figure I can use that. I'm thinking of the radio more for disaster situations. I live relatively close to the shore in Connecticut (not the snooty NY part :P ), so I figure a hurricane is eventually going to happen here. I'd use a VHF on a regular basis so it would be more likely to be charged in case of an emergency, but ham sounds promising. I did see the Standard Horizon radios that do VHF and FRS. I don't mind a simple FCC license, but I'm hesitant to commit to HAM as it sounds fairly pricey and likely a major time commitment. I'm more interested in being "equipped" to supplement my other hobbies (Sailing, hunting, fishing, skiing, kayaking) rather then taking on new hopes for it.

Satellite was mentioned, can you communicate via satellite on a hand held radio or are you referring to a satellite phone. I'm obviously a total newb at this.

Thanks for all the great info!

It all depends...

Like most things, you can buy all kinds of radio equipment but if there's no one listening, what good is it?

Marine band radios are great, on or near a boat. You won't be raising many people using one on dry land nor is it legal to do so unless in an actual emergency.

As for GMRS and FRS and MURS, same thing, who's going to be listening to you and what do you want to communicate to them? You also have some pretty severe transmitting issues with GMRS and FRS radios in that you're limited in wattage.

CB's are ok for what they are, but again, who's listening and what good will it do for you in an emergency?

The only viable alternative is Ham radio, with a pretty small investment you can get up and running on the 2 meter, 220 and 440 bands and you'll be able to actually make contact with people. A small handheld radio with a simple antenna mounted on the roof will give you the means to at least hit a repeater and theoretically get a message out. You might also be surprised at how many people are Ham operators out there. In addition, unlike any of the other accessible radio formats available to you, there are people in Ham radio who actively monitor and help out during emergencies. Do a Google search for a local ARES group to learn more. The test for an entry level technician's license is pretty easy to pass, there are numerous online resources that can help you. While it's true that you can spend thousands of dollars for Ham equipment, there's no reason to do so if you're only going to be using it in your stated limited fashion. I've got a mobile radio in my car and a handheld and together, including antennaes I've spent less than $1000.00 and I am an active Ham operator. You could get set up for far less.

And yes, it is possible to transmit using satellites and an amateur radio. It's even possible to do so with a handheld radio and beam antenna, it's not something that your likely to do on a whim but it's very much possible.

John E

Actually "Ham" equipment is relatively inexpensive compared to commercial radio, ie: public safety or business radio. An operator can purchase the newest and greatest multi-band handheld with all the "bells & whistles" for less $350.00. There are probably EchoLink stations and the new D-Star repeaters in your area. As for the Satellite comms, I was refering to the ability of Hams to access amateur radio capable satellites stations and with the same equipment and the right schedule, communicate with the International Space Station.
In order to get my Technician ticket, I attended eight, 3 hour classes for the basics, however I tested and passed after only 3 classes. There are practice tests online @ www.QRZ.com for free. When you can pass the practice tests 9 of 10 trys, you can easily obtain your ticket. From that point the world is wide open within the spectrum of your license. Try it and have fun.

I just reread your last post and realized that you are indeed a sportsman and an outdoorsman. The ham radio compliments all of these as it may be the only viable communications link from some remote areas.
I travel and teach technical rope rescue in some very remote parts of the NC/SC mountains and these places have never seen a cellular phone signal. The only thing other than the hard line telephone that gets out of those places is, you guessed it, Ham radio.
If you have an oppurtunity, check with the local Red Cross, the usually maintain an up to date list of Hams who staff there operational shelters in disasters and those guys train regularly. They are always more than willing to help a new guy.

Sometimes

I'd hate to tell you how many 2m and 70cm rigs I have (Last I counted, it was close to 20), and almost all of them are Commercial Business/Public Safety radios, purchased used. I spent the money on the gear to be able to program them, and they are wonderful radios (a LOT less intermod tham most ham rigs, but you give up frequency flexibility). Some of the radios I've bought have been under $20. Heck, some of the radios that were $400 a year ago are down around $100 now

One REALLY nice radio out there - the M7100 series by MA-com (or whatever they call themselves this week). What I really like is it did away with "splits" and does 136-174Mhz on ONE radio, plus it's type approved for both Ham (well, you don't NEED type aproval there), as well as Marine and GMRS if programmed correctly. I also have all the National Westher Service Frequencies programmed in as receive only frequencies.

Quite nice. I have one bank that has my favorite 2m repeates, and has the Marine distress and calling frequencies in it. That is my "scanner" bank. If I'm just listening, I'll turn that on to scan the bank

Thanks, that was interesting. I used to be into electronics a little bit in high school but haven't done any projects in a long time. I've never touched a single book on Ham radio. But I went to take a look at the technician's test you linked to just for the heck of it and scored 75%. I was under the impression that getting the license was tougher. But looks like it's a lot more accessible than I thought. Now I'm seriously thinking about getting the Technician ticket.

The test process for all of the Ham licenses are easier now, have been for a few years now. Some Hams don't like that as they think that it will dilute the pool of knowledge but it's simply the way of things. If you got 75% without studying, you can easily get your license by simply taking some more sample tests. I'm guessing that you missed the questions pertaining to the FCC and such, those are pretty easy to learn. If you understand Ohms law, the rest is easy.

One thing I've found since getting my license last year, there a lot of Hams who are more into the electronics and the theory of radio then they are into actually communicating with radios. In some cases it rises to the point of ridiculousness.

I get it as some of my other hobbies, photography and woodworking, are also filled with people more into the equipment and the process than they are in the final product.

The nice thing about Ham radio is that you really don't have to spend a ton of time or money or effort to get started, if you want to pursue it more, there are a lot of ways to do so that will involve a lot of time, money and effort. For now, I'm happy with my setup and with my Technicians license but I'm going to get my General later this year and will probably end up with some sort of HF radio at some point too.

JohnE