(I started drafting this in 2020 and must have forgotten about it… but another Reddit post yesterday made me think of this again)
I keep seeing this question over and over on Reddit. (Here’s another one that inspired me to finish my ‘thoughts’ on this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/xln3kq/question_rocky_mountain_national_park_emergency/ )
As I’ve mentioned a few hundred times already, I’ve been out of the loop for 2 decades. And before that, I was only mildly in the loop.
For me, amateur radio was about trying to connect with family. I didn’t join the ranks of ham radio operators to make new friends, but it didn’t stop me from doing so.
My interest was mainly in HF and CW. Beyond that, 2m and SSB on HF really didn’t trip my trigger. I had a 2m HT and a 440 HT but my heart wasn’t in it. I’m finding the same basic interest level in VHF/UHF again in 2020!
Once again, I find myself drawn to CW on HF but I’m also interested in checking out the new digital modes as well.
I keep seeing posts on Reddit (r/amateurradio and r/hamradio subs) where folks are asking about using ham radio as an emergency service for hiking and driving in the wilderness. These are usually people without a license but who have already bought a cheap Baofeng radio.
Like me, they were lured in by the low price.
Unlike me, they bought the radio with another purpose in mind – transmitting for personal use either on FRS/GMRS or other frequencies (possibly in the ham bands) but without any desire to get licensed.
Sure, some of them go through the motions and get a license. Maybe they actually enjoy the hobby.
But many of these folks bought the radio thinking they could communicate with or monitor emergency services like Fire, Rescue, and Police.
Well, those days are largely in the past. Emergency services folks are using trunked, digital radios that operate outside the bands covered by these Baofeng rigs.
And so, naturally, these same folks ask questions like “Will this radio be useful in an emergency? Like if I fall over a cliff or get stranded in the middle of a national park?”
The answer, unsurprisingly, is largely “no”.
There are no centralized emergency frequencies – though I don’t know why there aren’t. Ham radio was never designed to be an emergency service alternative; although in the past, hams have been very helpful during national disasters when traditional communications services are disrupted.
I’ve seen it in action but it’s been a few decades since I’ve witnessed it. I assume there is still some usefulness for hams in these situations.
There are many reasons why I would not rely on ham radio to save my life.
- First, the range of an HT in the middle of nowhereland.
- Choice of frequency – will anyone be listening?
- Availability of a repeater – did you preconfigure before traveling? Is there even a repeater within range?
Those factors aside, I wouldn’t NOT bring my rig with me. But I also wouldn’t expect it to save my life.
Yes, I am aware of the situations where a person has been able to make a distress call with a 2-meter rig while out hiking and successfully raised help. I know it happens and if that’s all I had, I’d get on 146.52 and shout for help until my battery died.
One guy on Reddit described his ham radio gear as something that ‘kept him company’ rather than ‘kept him safe.’ And this makes sense to me. You never know when someone will answer up on a CQ or Listening call. Oftentimes, it’s just dead air.
I’m not a hiker or a wilderness camper; however, I’ve gleaned that some tools are better in a wilderness emergency: “When you’re on an outdoor adventure, PLBs and satellite messengers are your two best options for sending distress signals.” Of course, these are probably way more expensive than a $30 Baofeng.