Best radios to use in an emergency (2021)(plannedemergency.com) |
Best radios to use in an emergency (2021)(plannedemergency.com) |
-First, have a Personal Locator Beacon. If funds allow, have one with two-way messaging (there's a monthly subscription fee). Needless to say, be mindful of battery condition.
-Second, have a GPS with maps from your area, or the equivalent smartphone app. Learn basic map reading, a good Youtube video about it will do.
-Third, take 3 hours to study for a ham license. Pass the easy exam and get a reliable, easy to use HT (Amateur radio's name for walkie talkie). Learn to use the repeaters in your area.
You're good to go.
P.S. this is concerning a getting lost scenario. He also recommended taking a First-Aid course.
edit: My recommendation for an HT is still, after 10 years, the Yaesu FT-60r. Pros: Very solid build, easy to learn and operate (compared to others), reliable. Cons: Bigger and heavier than newer models, battery not as good but can be upgraded. Also, analog only, but to me this is a plus as I want simple, reliable comms and don't want to invest time in zillion other features.
So many things can and do go wrong with gadgets.
This comment posted while on a remote backpacking trip with somehow just enough coverage to load HN.
Yep, Technician is pretty easy. With privileges available to techs, I was able to get into a repeater 70 miles away with 5 watts on an HT (Yaesu FT-70D) using Fusion (a digital voice mode). This is in an area with precisely zero cell coverage, but plenty of elevation. Also, because it was digital voice, it was as clear as a phone call.
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 prisoner in Java during the war, the transmitter was built into a Dutch gas-mask container and hidden under a square of concrete measuring 12 by 7 inches.
[*] https://blog.qm.qld.gov.au/2019/11/12/on-this-day-queensland...
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.
All of the foxhole radio designs I've seen actually do have an (albeit very crude) way to select a frequency. Maybe all the designs I've seen aren't faithful to the ww2 versions?
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 in a nice radio for emergencies.
Hopefully librarians can use this incident to lobby for funding, as "community internet access of last resort".
Everyone knows I hate "smartphones" with a passion. For possible emergencies I carry a powered-down (battery flipped) Nokia wax-sealed in a dry-sack. Regardless, the cell coverage can't be relied upon and I don't fully trust it.
Lately I started looking at alternatives, and considering the fascinating array of features some devices have.
Stand alone GPS devices with loadable OSM maps seem really useful. Emergency beacons seem to fill a need for the bad case where you really need rescue. But there's also powerful handheld radios and sat phones. The landscape of affordable civilian RF gear seems to be changing fast.
What kit do people pack for hiking? Or what gadgets do you wish existed?
It's also noteworthy that different countries have different allowed frequency bands and usage restrictions.
I suppose those who have an interest in emergency communication may want to have a look at what their national amateur radio society has to offer.
The US MCRP 8-10b.11 Antenna Handbook is a great starting point.
But as I have said again and again - the handsets are missing.
I’m not going to take a laptop with a serial link to a yaesu into the woods, nor am I going to 9key in my texts on one of the two models that support it.
Where is a teenage engineering for radio handhelds ?
Where is a qwerty ham handheld ?
I’ve sent messages just fine with the built in pad on a th-d72 and d710g.
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.
Why not? What should you do instead?
That way you'll learn about propagation, what makes a good radio cost 10x as much as a Baofeng, antenna systems, signalling modes, communication protocols, handheld channel programming, what local repeater systems are around and what their capabilities are.... You'll also learn who are the other hams around you, and where and what time they tend to be listening.
Or, assuming a 911 call from your cellphone isn't an option, you could pay for a Garmin InReach device.
1. It depends where you are and who's monitoring.
2. If you're near a city or busy highway this may be "good enough" but the range can the big limit (One number thrown out was ~10 miles)
I'm guessing from the parent that they wanted immediate help and this frequency would not get you directly to emergency services
If you're going to buy a radio "just in case" Make sure you know how to use and maintain
Beyond that, having apps, systems and data that are available offline and have appropriate plans for powering them without grid power is also critical.
You can do that even with radios on this list, no special equipment needed.
The short preparedness lists prepared by the Red Cross, FEMA, local government, etc will have you ready for actually likely disaster scenarios.
Since the GMRS radios are reasonably cheap, I was thinking of getting one and just trying it out, to see who's normally on. Also so I don't have a panicky read-the-manual moment in a real emergency. Thoughts?
you get FM for local stations to rebroadcast EAS, am for longer distance in the event the emergency affects multiple counties or provinces, and shortwave if your dumpster fire communications monopoly just wrecked the country.
you also have antennae options that can be spooled from most cheap household wire to boost the signal
Is not a great start when the second line contradicts the first one...
Once cell coverage was restored I was charging my phone and calling in to meetings in my air-conditioned car. Not too long after that I was able to borrow a generator and keep my freezer from defrosting. I would rank the generator and a good cooler over fancy radios even though I am the sort of person who occasionally buys radios he doesn't need.
You probably don't need anything more than a decent portable AM/FM radio: one with a speaker and conventional analog dial controls and that runs on batteries. You'll want a good supply of batteries, which are another topic. You will possibly benefit from a way of telling time that doesn't plug into the wall so you can turn the radio on for scheduled broadcasts to save batteries. A wall supply for normal use of the radio is also nice. You will want to listen to the station that broadcasts baseball games in the summer and high school football games in the fall and agricultural commodity prices at 5:00AM.
If you need a weather radio, you probably know it already and already have one. Otherwise they are merely nice to have, and inexpensive enough. If you want one you should get one. A dedicated weather radio with alerts that plugs in the wall and has a battery backup is ideal. I don't own one, though I would have to stop to count the radios I own that can receive weather band. I tuned in to the weather band maybe once while the power was out. We got weather alerts on our phones during the actual storm.
FRS/GMRS radios beat shouting by at least a quarter mile. You probably don't need a set. Some people get irritated, upset, tired, offended, or embarassed by shouting though, and they do let you avoid that. I like mine, which live in my toolbox and allow me to say "is it on now?" in a normal tone of voice. They're also nice for comms on multiple-car road trips and have a number of other use cases. I did not use mine while the power was out.
Scanners: mine are outdated and not much use. Useful ones that will cover digital modes and trunked systems are kind of expensive. I have found scanners nice on occasion for situational awareness beyond CB on road trips. I would have liked to have had a handheld one ready but I didn't suffer for not having one.
Ham radio: I am licensed but don't operate. I did not find my HT useful. It's a nice hobby and if you are interested at all in it you should get licensed and get a cheap radio and have fun.
CB: I have a portable CB and mag mount antenna for road trips. Great for finding out from truckers why the interstate is backed up and the best local road detour to take. It was not useful while the power was out.
Shortwave: hahah. Just not what it was since the big international broadcasters have mostly shut down. I like mine, but I don't listen to SW on it much. I cannot imagine the catastrophe that would bring back SW broadcasting in the USA. It's my favorite FM radio though so it did technically see use.
Two way communication with rescuers is an absolute game-changer in real emergencies. You can tell rescuers exactly what happened and the conditions of people, the environment, etc. to expect. Without two way comms rescuers only see a ping from a beacon and have to first send out a small team to recon the area and find you, then they have to radio back to get a proper rescue going. With two way comms you can short circuit that recon and tell them exactly how many people are injured, if you need a helicopter right now, if you're safe to spend a night, etc. Rescuers can keep you in the loop of progress too like if they're delayed from weather, etc.
I listen to a great podcast about climbing accidents (the sharp end: https://www.thesharpendpodcast.com/2022 ) and every single episode that involves a rescue mentions that having two way communication with the search and rescue team was critical in getting a fast and safe rescue. Don't bother with anything else beside a satellite communication device that can talk both ways IMHO.
I'm a ham operator but I don't bring my radio for emergency purposes. In Europe ham usage is so low it's hard to find someone to talk to at the best of times. Not something I'd rely on in an emergency.
Perhaps in the US things are better. But here no. The InReach is a better option and it didn't even require a license (most 400Mhz PLBs do over here!)
Some of them might be wearing multiple hundred dollar jackets and boots and can probably afford them without even needing to think of the cost.
I can only assume they either don't know they exist or don't particularly want them? Do they enjoy the extra adrenaline of not having one?
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.
A bonus is FM broadcast reception. Was a real help keeping my mother-in-law occupied once we lost power and internet during a tropical storm.
The downside is there is basically nothing other than "I need rescue" that you can do with the device. You turn it on and a rescue team shows up.
For an unknown emergency situation at that price point they seem ideal. You never know what band you might need to communicate on and CB has its own limitations.
No, they are the worst thing you can buy "for an emergency."
Sometimes people buy them with no intention of transmitting, they see the Baofengs as cheap VHF/UHF scanners. But they make terrible scanners. Their frequency range is very limited, their scanning is very slow, their selectivity is poor, and they are missing almost all of the bells and whistles that come with modern hand-held scanners.
If you think you might want to transmit during an emergency, then just grabbing a Baofeng or three off the jungle site and hoping for the best is a TERRIBLE plan.
A popular line of thinking is, "but during an emergency, you can use any radio and frequency necessary." Yes, that is logically true but those who say it are conveniently ignoring several aspects of reality: Unless you have a business license or an amateur radio license, you are not allowed push the Transmit button on a Baofeng. If you cannot transmit with the radio, then you cannot practice using it. If you cannot practice using it, you are NOT PREPARED to use it in an emergency and your own incompetence with it could lead to loss of life.
You also have to consider what kind of emergency you are likely to face. If you're out in the back country where there is no cell service, then a VHF/UHF radio is very unlikely to do you any good either. You need something with satellite capability in this case.
If you want to be prepared for an urban emergency (tornado, flooding, terrorist attack, war) then you want TWO radios: a scanner for receiving weather, listening in on emergency services (if not encrypted), and listening to others on various services. To communicate: a CB, FRS, or MURS radio. A $25 Baofeng CANNOT be used as any of these.
Potentially the best option is to learn about radio, get an amateur radio license, AND THEN purchase a Baofeng or higher-quality amateur radio. Then you will have the skills and license to actually operate the thing correctly when needed and legally when not.
Disclaimer: I own a Baofeng and use it legally.
Since in the UK it is common to put radio masts on a hill top this can make them useless on adjacent hill tops. Adding a decent antenna makes it worse. In fact the only way to get clear receive is to use an input notch filter or a narrow band and highly directional aerial like a yagi
Edit: if you really want to use it on 2m or 70cm amatuer spend another £40 and get a yaesu
The most basic is a length of wire wound around a coil form (toilet paper tube, plastic bottle, etc), the "detector" was a blued steel surface (DE safety razor blade), a safety pin to act as a "cats whisker" (bonus if you can use graphite pencil lead attached to it), some high impedance headphones (WW2 tanker/air crew headsets usually fit the bill), a good ground and as much wire for an aerial/antenna as you could get away with.
Using the length of the coil, and where you connected the antenna, you could kinda-sorta tune for better efficiency at different parts of the band (be it SW or AM). (Longer coil = lower freq)
I made a few of them years ago, and posted the results on my now-defunct blog. The DB is still intact with my files and findings, but my code base is hosed (need to remake it).
Driving to the library would be more of a hassle than just walking. It's maybe 7 minutes away.
Unfortunately you will not find a satellite comm device without some kind of monthly service plan, it's how they base their business models.
Get the Garmin inreach, it is absolutely worth it and two way communication is critical in a real rescue situation.
So absurd to read this, as "not allowed" to does by no means translate to "cannot practice". You can do things you're not allowed to do.
There might be consequences for you if you get caught, but choosing to ignore a law is always a choice that can be made.
Most SAR teams are not dedicated to SAR, but do other tasks (firefighting, soldiering, etc) so SAR operations kinda fall under training.
When I hiked alone, I never told anyone where I was going, and I wasn't going to ask someone to come rescue me in a helicopter from my poorly advised climb or snowshoe hike. If I got hurt, I was in trouble.
You took the gear you thought you needed to make it back alive, meaning backups for most of that gear, and you knew how to use them. A compass and map isn't a drop in replacement for a GPS, if you're going to use a compass you need to know how to use it. And so on.
But yeah, the risk was certainly part of the fun of it.
DNR.
Only in the last ~10(?) years have companies cut offerings in a price point catering to the backcountry crowd.
I've never used a PLB myself. I have my ham licence and these days I use an InReach because hams are spread too thin these days.
However, there’s nothing illegal about using the uv5r to receive. And in reality if you only use it on the pmr446 frequencies you’re very unlikely to get busted.
If you want something actually with decent capability then the Yaesu FT818 is a good bet. It does all amateur bands, UHF, VHF, airband, FM broadcast all modes. But it costs money.
I’m not an active ham anymore but I keep an 818 around.
As for why I’m not a ham anymore, spend some time with some hams and you will get the idea.
Also a former ham (age 14!).
Nearly all conversations:
"We read you loud and clear here. What kind of equipment are you using? Mine is blah blah blah. How do I sound? Ok, over and out."
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.
If you just want to listen, a handheld scanner would be a far better option than a Baofeng (but of course cost a bit more).
Anyone who makes a habit of transmitting on a frequency they are not authorized on WILL be caught eventually, especially if they are interfering with police, emergency services, business users, and broadcasters. And all of these are very easy to do if you own a Boafeng and don't know how to use it.
“Why would I buy a radio from communists. It’s probably bugged”
I facepalmed so hard I nearly imploded my skull on that.
But I agree that ham's tend to be "lawful good" as you say. That is why I generally do not get along with them but have always had ham gear. I've had the FCC sitting right next to me monitoring what I do and to my surprise they did not care at all that my friends and I were running power since we did not interfere with anyone. I have also had the FCC suggest/imply that we resolve issues with locals that were shutting down some trucker channels since they were too busy. This was in the 70's and 80's. I'm sure they must have evolved by now.
The reason hams are anal about this is because the FCC grants us frequencies as a privilege. If we abuse that privilege they can easily take it away.
Agreed, that is what I was trying to convey.
As an aside, I sat in police dispatch while two of the senior officers were playing light-sabers with their HT's on transmit to create feedback "music" for the dispatcher yes on the repeater main frequency of whom was the biggest software pirate I knew at the time. Kids will be kids.
CFR § 95.1761 GMRS transmitter certification.
(a) Each GMRS transmitter (a transmitter that operates or is intended to operate in the GMRS) must be certified in accordance with this subpart and part 2 of this chapter.
CFR § 95.1761 GMRS transmitter certification.
... No GMRS transmitter will be certified for use in the GMRS if it is equipped with the capabilities to operate in services that do not require equipment certification, such as the Amateur Radio Service....
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-D...
https://www.amazon.com/BAOFENG-UV-5X-Repeater-Rechargeable-H...
It is completely legal to own a Baofeng UV-5R or purchase a GMRS version of it which has a keypad. It is completely legal to program GMRS/FRS frequencies into either radio and it is legal to broadcast on either one in case of emergency due to Part 95 Subpart E (c) (3) which states:
> Any individual who holds an individual license may allow anyone to operate his or her GMRS station if necessary to communicate an emergency message.