[Az-Geocaching] More Communications

[listserv@azgeocaching.com]

Hi Fred!

Was kinda wondering where ya  went, now I see....) Nice to hear from
you again, and thanks for the detailed explanations. There's nothing
wrong with 50M, 220M and 1.2G.....we just happen to use 2M and my
husband is totally into 440. In Reno he had 5 repeaters up, now we
have 2 here in Prescott Valley.

When I go "out" in the boonies (anywhere, actually, as all this stuff
is in my car/purse) I have:

1. cell phone

2. Mobile Ham (50 watt) 2 meter and 70 cm (440) radios, one with
auto-patch (link to phone line). Also a 4 or 5 watt handheld, each
band.

3. Mobile VHF (50 watt) radio for Posse (search and rescue), with
ability and authorization to transmit on Sheriff, Forest Service,
Prescott Police and Fire Dispatch frequencies for emergencies ONLY.
Handheld for same. And the Posse just put their new repeater up on Mt.
Union.

4. Scanner(s) - just for fun

5. We also have 3 FRS radios that we use with the kids for close range.

6. Extra batteries and of course, my GPS (and compass) and all the
other stuff I carry!

I don't have all the fancy new GPSr's and map programs and PDA's and
all (would be nice) but I've got the 2-way comm covered pretty well!  

Ah, time to do something else. It IS New Years, after all.

Brian, be careful out there and I appreciate your work in keeping us
safe. Everybody....be careful! Designate a driver and preferably one
with defensive driving training for tonight!!

Take care all,
Trisha "Lightning"
Prescott





On Tue, 31 Dec 2002, "Fred Coe" wrote:








Greetings,
 
I couldn't let this thread die, particularly 
considering my occupation....
 
Now the Techno-babble:
 
CB uses either AM (like the commercial radio 
stations) or SSB (single side band-sounds kinda like Donald Duck if
its not 
tuned correctly) on 27 Mhz.
 
FRS (and GMRS) use narrowband FM (similar to the 
'other' commercial radio stations) on 460 Mhz.
 
The frequencies aren't the same, the mode of 
modulation is not the same; therefore they can't talk to each 
other.
 
Range of these radios is rather speculative.  
It's kinda like asking how for can you see?  Looking out the window I
can 
see the sun at something close to 93 million miles away, but if I walk
into the 
closet and shut the door I can't see two inches.  Except during
unusual 
periods of atmospheric activity (and, well, ionospheric activity)
these radios 
are going to be limited to what is called line of sight, and often
times much 
less.  
 
Trisha mentions the use of ham radio repeaters on 
the 146 MHz & 440 Mhz (what's wrong with 50 Mhz, 222 Mhz (my 
favorite),  & 1.2 Ghz? <grin>), again you have to have line of 
sight to the repeaters in order to use them, but they effectively can
extend 
your range, in some cases to over many thousands of square miles if
you can 
get a signal to the repeater.  
 
Cell phones are actually full duplex (gwad, more 
techno-babble: transmit and receive at the same time) repeaters, most
on 800 
Mhz.  Again, you need to have line of sight to a cell site (cell 
tower).  
 
I added all these frequencies to note that 
generally the higher the frequency, the more the radio frequency
energy will be 
absorbed by things.  What kind of things? Lotsa things: snow, wet 
vegetation, dry vegetation, rock, buildings, concrete, etc. Note that
cell 
phones are at the highest frequency, but because of the abundance of
cell sites 
this signal attenuation is not usually a major factor, until you go
into the 
backcountry where fewer sites are to be found.  The receiver needs a 
certain level of energy to hear the incoming signal.  
 
Another factor in received signal strength is how 
much power you transmit.  CB is 4 watts (or thereabouts, but its rare
to 
find that in a portable radio), FRS uses 1/2 watt, cell phones use .6
watt (6/10 
for those with eyes over 40 and miss the decimal point).  Ham radio 
portables can sometimes run to the 7 or 8 watts, but the most popular
is 5 
watts.  Antennas figure into the equation also.  Portable ham radios 
can also use for more efficient antennas effectively doubling or
quadrupling 
their power.
 
Having gone through that discussion the question 
remains, "Which is best for emergencies?"
 
In my opinion nothing beats being prepared in terms 
of planning and equipment to be able to handle what is most likely to
come 
up.  But since we can't plan for all possibilities I recommend: 1)
Cell 
phone because it takes no license and little skill, and the coverage
is pretty 
fair.  2) Ham radio, excellent coverage, great flexibility, 3) FRS/CB
are 
also rans.  Not Rated) GMRS--cuz my experience is very limited.  

 
As Trisha said getting a ham license is almost easy 
these days--no morse code, no diagrams, just some multiple guess 
questions.  Pick up a copy of 'Now You're Talking' (at many Radio
Shacks) 
or contract you're local ham club for more info.
 
When I go (when I went?) geocaching I would take my 
cell phone and my duo-band ham handi-talkie.
 
Actually, I hope that Bonnie and I will be able to 
start caching again.  Fire season is over (I think, Bon just told be
about 
a smoke report on Lemmon, but isn't there snow up there?), our house
is built, 
the barn is built, we're almost unpacked.  I hope we will be able to
run 
into some of you on the trail.
 
I do have a new e-mail address: 
wa0rto@direcway.com
 
Fred
Team Boulder Creek
Ham: WA0RTO
Work Coronado-91 (Radio System Manager, Coronado 
NF)
Tucson, AZ
 
 


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"Although no one can go back and
make a brand new start,
Anyone can start from now and
make a brand new ending."
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