HAM travel/emergency channel

[Nwcid]

I will start of by saying I am not a licensed radio operator and I have no plans or intent of transmitting on unapproved frequencies.

We spend a lot of time on our side x side out riding and I have been using an integrated hand held radio on approved off road channels. We just got a new machine and I installed a mobile radio and I am also installing one in my tow vehicle.

Since I am in a "big rig" and we mainly boondock, my wife will often scout locations on the SxS while I wait with the truck and we communicate by radio. Also depending on the access road, she will travel ahead and "clear" the way or alert me to hazards.

Since I now have dual band (VHF/UHF) mobile radios in both the SxS and truck I thought they might make good emergency tools. Are there any standard travel or emergency channels like 9 and 19 with CB?

[TXiceman]

The ham bands have what is called "call frequencies". If you really want to use the ham band VHF or UHF radios, I strongly encourage you to get the FCC Technicians license. This will give you a legal call sign and use of the frequencies. I seldom monitor the call frequencies as thet is very little activity on them. VHF and UHF ham radio do not use channels.

If you do not want a ham license, look at the GMRS radios. They still require a license, but no exam. The Technicians license is really a pretty simple test and there are no longer require Morse code. GMRS uses channels and some are designated for specific purposes.

Ken

[Nwcid]

Originally Posted by TXiceman

The ham bands have what is called "call frequencies". If you really want to use the ham band VHF or UHF radios, I strongly encourage you to get the FCC Technicians license. This will give you a legal call sign and use of the frequencies. I seldom monitor the call frequencies as thet is very little activity on them. VHF and UHF ham radio do not use channels.

If you do not want a ham license, look at the GMRS radios. They still require a license, but no exam. The Technicians license is really a pretty simple test and there are no longer require Morse code. GMRS uses channels and some are designated for specific purposes.

Ken

I guess it depends on how you look at the terminology. I have used 2 way radios for almost 30 years now for work. Most of our frequencies are named, so we call them by their name and usually use the term channel since we are not dialing in a frequency. Same for the off road frequencies we are using, they are named so again channels.

I do know many of the frequencies off hand and I often have to provide them to others in one of my work settings so they can be programmed in. I do see you point though.

If I had a desire to communicate that way I would get a license. Maybe someday I will, but not in the foreseeable future.

I only have a CB in one rig and I only have it for 2 reasons, first is there was a OEM spot to instal it and all the wiring was done. Second is that I picked a quality antenna that also doubles as a height gauge for my toy hauler. If the antenna clears so will the toy hauler. In 3 years of heavy traveling I have yet to talk on it but has come in handy to listen to a couple of times. Back in the day I had a lot of CB gear including base stations and large antennas. We used them a lot and then cell phones came around.

I just thought having more available frequencies there might be something worth monitoring.

[Solo_RV_Guy]

Transmitting on any frequency requiring a license, without possessing the requisite license, is a federal crime and can violate international treaties (they get cranky about that kind of thing).

You really want FMRS, which, IIRC, is a sub-set of frequencies from the GMRS allocation. FMRS is license-free, GMRS is not.

Don't use any "ham" frequencies without a license unless it's a human life emergency.

I take it there is no cellular service in the areas you go...

[Nwcid]

Originally Posted by Solo_RV_Guy

Transmitting on any frequency requiring a license, without possessing the requisite license, is a federal crime and can violate international treaties (they get cranky about that kind of thing).

You really want FMRS, which, IIRC, is a sub-set of frequencies from the GMRS allocation. FMRS is license-free, GMRS is not.

Don't use any "ham" frequencies without a license unless it's a human life emergency.

I take it there is no cellular service in the areas you go...

The only time I would consider using "ham" frequencies to transmit would be in a life threatening situation with no other option for communication.

I have had a variety of radios that have been used for 2 way communication on legally licensed frequencies for the past 30 years.

My question was about monitoring, not transmitting.

Depending on where I go will depend on cell coverage. Yes, much of our time on the SxS is out of cell coverage.

[n2zon]

Originally Posted by Nwcid

I will start of by saying I am not a licensed radio operator and I have no plans or intent of transmitting on unapproved frequencies.

We spend a lot of time on our side x side out riding and I have been using an integrated hand held radio on approved off road channels. We just got a new machine and I installed a mobile radio and I am also installing one in my tow vehicle.

Since I am in a "big rig" and we mainly boondock, my wife will often scout locations on the SxS while I wait with the truck and we communicate by radio. Also depending on the access road, she will travel ahead and "clear" the way or alert me to hazards.

Since I now have dual band (VHF/UHF) mobile radios in both the SxS and truck I thought they might make good emergency tools. Are there any standard travel or emergency channels like 9 and 19 with CB?

First, I suggest you get your licenses. It's not hard.

Second, There's nothing like a "channel 19" or "channel 9" in amateur radio. I rode around for *years* with the national simplex calling frequency for 2m on the back of our rig with my call sign. Never got a single call.

Also, 2m and 70cm, while popular repeater bands, are not helpful for long range communication where there are no repeaters. Probably the most useful emergency band would be 80m, but (a) you need a higher license class to use it and (b) HF equipment and antennas are more expensive and generally much larger. In range of a decent repeater, though, you can get 100 miles or more of effective range depending on the height of the repeater antenna.

I think the best things for emergencies are PLBs, satphones, and Starlink.

[GuyG]

Originally Posted by n2zon

I rode around for *years* with the national simplex calling frequency for 2m on the back of our rig with my call sign. Never got a single call.

Me, too, n2zon. And it's still in my back window. I got one call from a trucker on I-71 in Columbus, Ohio, one day. He had to get up alongside of me and wave his mic at me before I realized someone was calling

73
Guy

[Jon_C]

I use a Spotx for when we’re out of cell coverage in the Jeep. If I had to do it again tho I would get a Garmin inreach.

[Nwcid]

Originally Posted by Jon_C

I use a Spotx for when we’re out of cell coverage in the Jeep. If I had to do it again tho I would get a Garmin inreach.

I have considered an InReach. With that said that is not the primary motivation for this project.

[Solo2]

Originally Posted by GuyG

Me, too, n2zon. And it's still in my back window. I got one call from a trucker on I-71 in Columbus, Ohio, one day. He had to get up alongside of me and wave his mic at me before I realized someone was calling

73
Guy

Yes, this has been a topic of frustration for many hams and the national calling frequency. A partial solution to this has been using Voice Alert http://www.aprs.org/VoiceAlert3.html on an APRS enabled radio. If you happen to have APRS capability, it does as advertised and might be something to try. I use it whenever traveling and have had considerable success making contacts on 52.

[GuyG]

Originally Posted by Solo2

Yes, this has been a topic of frustration for many hams and the national calling frequency. A partial solution to this has been using Voice Alert http://www.aprs.org/VoiceAlert3.html on an APRS enabled radio. If you happen to have APRS capability, it does as advertised and might be something to try. I use it whenever traveling and have had considerable success making contacts on 52.

Wow! Good info, Solo2. Thanks! Gonna give it a try. All I have for equipment now is a Yaesu FT-250 talkie (2 Meter). May have to splurge. Been looking for an excuse anyway. My part of Oklahoma is kinda dead on 2 Meter, despite having a bunch of Hams in the area. Thanks again for the info.

73

Guy

[Solo2]

Originally Posted by GuyG

Me, too, n2zon. And it's still in my back window. I got one call from a trucker on I-71 in Columbus, Ohio, one day. He had to get up alongside of me and wave his mic at me before I realized someone was calling

73
Guy

Originally Posted by GuyG

Wow! Good info, Solo2. Thanks! Gonna give it a try. All I have for equipment now is a Yaesu FT-250 talkie (2 Meter). May have to splurge. Been looking for an excuse anyway. My part of Oklahoma is kinda dead on 2 Meter, despite having a bunch of Hams in the area. Thanks again for the info.

73

Guy

Guy,

You actually don't have to have an APRS enabled radio to use the Voice Alert technique as mentioned in this link http://www.aprs.org/VoiceAlert3.html but rather, any 2 meter radio can be programmed to monitor the APRS frequency using CTCSS squelch set to 100 so that if another HAM is using an APRS enabled radio and has Voice Alert functioning on their rig, your squelch will break and you will hear the "squawk" of the packet letting you know that they are within range. When traveling, I always scan two frequencies: 52 and then also the APRS frequency with CTCSS squelch. I don't hear the normal packets of APRS unless another HAM is in range and is using Voice Alert which means they are likely monitoring another frequency that you can QSY to. Now with that said, if you happen to be partial to Yaesu and are looking to upgrade your equipment, the FTM 200-500 series radios with APRS are REALLY nice!