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Best radios to use in an emergency (2021)

plannedemergency.com

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Re: Best radios to use in an emergency (2021)

#61

Post by vitaflo »

WrtCdEvrydy wrote: post #52
nonrandomstring wrote: post #9

Whether or not this is a good list, I find the topic very interesting. For more exercise I've started to increase the range of my usual hikes, from just mooching around a 10 mile radius of home to some much more ambitious yomps out into wilderness. Being alone out there obviously raises thoughts about safety. Everyone knows I hate "smartphones" with a passion. For possible emergencies I carry a powered-down (battery…

Honestly... Baofeng UV-5R is still my go-to for emergency usage... program in GMRS/FRS/Coast Guard frequencies as well as the simplex HAM frequencies. Sadly the new generation ones and the GT-5R which is cleaner spectrum-wise are all software limited to only HAM frequencies so in case of an emergency that one would less useful.

It’s illegal to have a radio that transmits on both FRS/GMRS as well as the ham bands. FCC Part 95 (GMRS) & Part 97 (Amateur) spell this out quite well. Baofeng has played fast and loose with these requirements in the past. The newer radios just fall in line with FCC rules.

Re: Best radios to use in an emergency (2021)

#62

Post by Foivos »

dorfsmay wrote: post #48
mabbo wrote: post #29

I woke up yesterday to: no home internet; no mobile connection. I own no broadcast tv service. (Why yes, I am a Canadian Rogers customer). I literally started searching through my junk to see if I owned a radio of any kind, just to try to hear news of what the hell was going on. Eventually I gave up and walked to the library instead, discovering 500 other people in the same situation sharing the wifi. Time to invest…

No car with a radio?

Since he walked to the library, I am going to guess "no car at all".

Re: Best radios to use in an emergency (2021)

#63

Post by zanethomas »

iasay wrote: post #28
samatman wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you elaborate? I'm interested in having an emergency radio which can listen to (and send on) frequencies I'm not allowed on, I have no intention of transmitting on the prohibited channels, and I have a Baofeng. Is there some obviously better radio I should have instead, and why?

Honestly the Baofeng is mostly fine. Just use it. 90% of it is elitism. The harmonic suppression of the transmitter is crap which is the issue but the radiated power is constrained by the antenna so not usually a problem unless you’re testing it in a lab. Most of the problem is just sinophobia. If you want something actually with decent capability then the Yaesu FT818 is a good bet. It does all amateur bands, UHF, VH…

"sinophobia"

That translates to "fear of china" which is almost always incorrectly applied. Were there a single word for "boycotting china" that would be more appropriate.

Re: Best radios to use in an emergency (2021)

#64

Post by grendelt »

defrost wrote: post #3

In an extreme emergancy (eg: captured in a POW camp) you might just have to build your own: Queensland Prisoners secret radio revealed >> Two Queensland brothers, Ernest and Charles Hildebrandt, built a secret wireless radio receiver which they operated in the camp near Bandoeng in Java which was overran by Japanese soldiers in 1942. >> Constructed of parts scrounged from the internment camp where they were held pris…

Scanning that article I was blown away to see it said "the transmitter..." - then I realized the author is play fast and loose with the terms transmitter and receiver (surprise! They aren't interchangeable!). It looks like a tube-based regen receiver.

In Europe, Allied POWs would build "foxhole radios" which had no selectivity and you'd hear the strongest signals best - and during WW2, that was the BBC.

Re: Best radios to use in an emergency (2021)

#65

Post by iasay »

zanethomas wrote: post #63
iasay wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly the Baofeng is mostly fine. Just use it. 90% of it is elitism. The harmonic suppression of the transmitter is crap which is the issue but the radiated power is constrained by the antenna so not usually a problem unless you’re testing it in a lab. Most of the problem is just sinophobia. If you want something actually with decent capability then the Yaesu FT818 is a good bet. It does all amateur bands, UHF, VH…

"sinophobia" That translates to "fear of china" which is almost always incorrectly applied. Were there a single word for "boycotting china" that would be more appropriate.

It’s definitely fear based on the crap I’ve heard.

“Why would I buy a radio from communists. It’s probably bugged”

I facepalmed so hard I nearly imploded my skull on that.

Re: Best radios to use in an emergency (2021)

#66

Post by ianpenney »

If you’re going to use a radio in an emergency, the radio is less important than the skill of the operator. So, if you’re serious, go do the test and get the license so that you can practice.

Radios don’t work like in the movies. There’s a lot to know. You’re not likely to get help in a timely manner by slapping 146.52 into that shitty Baofeng spurious emissions potato.

Re: Best radios to use in an emergency (2021)

#67

Post by LinuxBender »

vitaflo wrote: post #61
WrtCdEvrydy wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly... Baofeng UV-5R is still my go-to for emergency usage... program in GMRS/FRS/Coast Guard frequencies as well as the simplex HAM frequencies. Sadly the new generation ones and the GT-5R which is cleaner spectrum-wise are all software limited to only HAM frequencies so in case of an emergency that one would less useful.

It’s illegal to have a radio that transmits on both FRS/GMRS as well as the ham bands. FCC Part 95 (GMRS) & Part 97 (Amateur) spell this out quite well. Baofeng has played fast and loose with these requirements in the past. The newer radios just fall in line with FCC rules.

For an emergency I personally would disregard FCC regs. I don't think the rescuers will care either. Certainly local law enforcement won't care. Out in the wilderness it is unlikely one will be causing interference using a few extra watts. I say this as someone who used to pump out a few thousand extra watts. People generally get into trouble when they are playing around on frequencies they should not be on and causing interference, especially with businesses or law enforcement. Prolonged interference is what draws the attention of the FCC via complaints, usually because of harmonics from cheap radios. I should add that the FCC are few in number and spread very thin. It is extremely difficult to get them to respond to interference complaints unless the complainant are a big business.

Re: Best radios to use in an emergency (2021)

#68

Post by kQq9oHeAz6wLLS »

Zircom wrote: post #55
linsomniac wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's what I got as well: ACR ResQLink -- you register it with NOAA every 2 years, I can't find anywhere listing the price, I think it's $50 or $75. It then talks to NOAA satellites to send out your distress call and location. The device itself when I got it was $250, looks like they are $350ish now. The downside is there is basically nothing other than "I need rescue" that you can do with the device. You turn it on…

Do people get charged after they get rescued? I'd imagine it's pretty expensive to send a team out into the wilderness, do they recoup the costs from the rescued?

I believe if it's a legit emergency, then no. If they find you obviously were clowning around, yes.

Most SAR teams are not dedicated to SAR, but do other tasks (firefighting, soldiering, etc) so SAR operations kinda fall under training.

Re: Best radios to use in an emergency (2021)

#69

Post by AtheistOfFail »

vitaflo wrote: post #61
WrtCdEvrydy wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly... Baofeng UV-5R is still my go-to for emergency usage... program in GMRS/FRS/Coast Guard frequencies as well as the simplex HAM frequencies. Sadly the new generation ones and the GT-5R which is cleaner spectrum-wise are all software limited to only HAM frequencies so in case of an emergency that one would less useful.

It’s illegal to have a radio that transmits on both FRS/GMRS as well as the ham bands. FCC Part 95 (GMRS) & Part 97 (Amateur) spell this out quite well. Baofeng has played fast and loose with these requirements in the past. The newer radios just fall in line with FCC rules.

It's not illegal to have but it is illegal to misuse. However, this is a post about radios for emergency use and most readings of the HAM and GMRS rules state that emergency use is allowed.

Re: Best radios to use in an emergency (2021)

#70

Post by willcipriano »

LinuxBender wrote: post #67
vitaflo wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s illegal to have a radio that transmits on both FRS/GMRS as well as the ham bands. FCC Part 95 (GMRS) & Part 97 (Amateur) spell this out quite well. Baofeng has played fast and loose with these requirements in the past. The newer radios just fall in line with FCC rules.

For an emergency I personally would disregard FCC regs. I don't think the rescuers will care either. Certainly local law enforcement won't care. Out in the wilderness it is unlikely one will be causing interference using a few extra watts. I say this as someone who used to pump out a few thousand extra watts. People generally get into trouble when they are playing around on frequencies they should not be on and causi…

The hams tend to be "lawful good"[0] types. It's pretty alien to my way of thinking[1] but that sort would rather follow the law to a bad outcome as opposed to violating it to achieve a good one. If you are in mortal danger please do whatever you can to obtain help.

[0]https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LawfulGood

[1]https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChaoticGood

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