Originally posted by Surefire M6:
Does ham freqs have an "emergency" channel?
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While we don't call them channels (Oooh, I can tell I sound snotty again, sorry) there are simplex frequencies that are used for priority calls that vary with bands and location.
I'm mainly interested in calling for help when stuck in the boonies.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Your most effective tool is often a cell phone with analog capability.
I'll stop by radio shack tomorrow and pick up a Ham License book.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Excellent. It certainly isn't all that hard to obtain a license. Then you can join some repeater clubs and talk all over the place. I can talk from one end of CA to the other on 2M.
It's an unmanagable problem, not that I agree with it.[/QB]
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Oh, I know everybody over-boosts. It is the cool thing to do. They rarely achieve what they are after though. A better, higher antenna will benefit you more than power almost every time. Plus, even if your signal can get out, extra power doesn NOTHING to recieve the response. So even if you're calling for help at 1000W, you'll have no way of knowing if the guy in East Bumfrick has copied your message. This is the kind of stuff you learn when you study for you HAM exam.
FCC rules require that the minimum power necessary be used for any tx. I have three power settings on my mobile rig, and use the lowest for about 90% of what I do. 50x more power (which I have available) helps only on the very fringe. A few miles away after that and I'm dead in the water. Extra power is NOT where its at.
OK, back to the subject at hand. Klaus - I was right!