Sounds like a good ideal but an FRS radio maximum output is 500mW and at 462.7125mHz you are not going very far. CB and ch 1-7 on GMRS radios are 5
watts, higher channels 50 watts.Gulliver - 4-12-2017 at 10:01 PM
As stated, the 462 mHz. stuff is line of sight for any range more than a mile or so.
I dunno about other areas but no one is monitoring any frequency in my area with two exceptions.
If you are near the water you have a fair chance of raising someone on a marine VHF channel. 16 for starters and then maybe 22 or 21. It varies with
location.
The ranchos on the mountains near me use ham radio VHF radios. No licensing, of course, and all sorts of frequencies. I have put my radio in scan mode
when wandering about and heard a few transmissions. All in Spanish and highly intermittent. One, you would have to know the frequencies in use, and
two, be reasonably fluent in Spanish.
My option, available only to licensed hams, is to carry a small H.F. radio with a wire to throw over a cactus. I can talk to people all over the world
and can usually get someone state side to call my partner in Mulege on our U.S. phone (magic jack).
But hey, it's my other hobby.
The racers and promoters mostly use commercial VHF radios in the 162 mHz. range.
Be self sufficient and get a tracker or a sat phone. The prices are coming down.ehall - 4-13-2017 at 04:27 AM
Are you able to tune a ham radio, race radio , or marine band to 462.712 mhz? BooJumMan - 4-13-2017 at 06:03 AM
My 2m/70cm ham radio would tune into it, but I cannot transmit (Yaesu mobile). That is an odd frequency. I'm a novice ham though.
I've picked up a lot though in the backcountry with the standard 70cm/2m bands.... yeah they are all in Spanish, but you could probably get help if
needed with the right setup. The handheld ham radios might not have the power and range to transmit to them though. Gulliver - 4-13-2017 at 06:45 AM
I have at least one handheld ham rig that works fine on 462 mHz. but the problem is still that the combination of low power and pretty much line of
sight makes for poor performance. If you had a 1000 watt radio it still wouldn't reach out more than a few miles unless you were on a mountaintop and
the other station was similarly located. I have talked to the International Space Station with only a watt of power on a handheld VHF radio. But when
it pops over the horizon it is as if the radio had been turned off.
My partner and I sometimes caravan down here from Washington and we communicate with 50 watt vhf radios (147 mHz ham radio) with fairly decent
magnetic mount roof top antennas. We find that even in open country the signals get unreliable beyond five miles or so.
To work around the topography and distances involved requires lower frequencies and a bit of power. CB takes you part of the way by being down at 27
mHz.
As I said in an earlier post, being able to depend on ionospheric propagation makes for at least half way reliable communications over wide areas.
The associated problem is that of having someone listening when you need them. The hams partially solve the problem by having regularly scheduled
gatherings, called nets, on agreed upon frequencies. There are scads of them so unless you are trying to get time critical medical help the system
works well.
The hard reality is that there is no way to have time critical help down here. Even with a sat phone there are only a few operations, such as
Antonio's in El Rosario, that are at all prepared to come and stop the bleeding.
You just have to carry enough water to walk out and rely on a goat farmer to happen by.
At 73 I have more years dealing with emergency communications that I care to think about (starting at age 15) so if anyone is after more detailed
information I watch my U2U closely.
[Edited on 4-13-2017 by Gulliver]Enrique2012 - 4-13-2017 at 07:17 AM
FRS handhelds for emergency situations?
Sounds like another Escalera Nautica.Gulliver - 4-13-2017 at 07:28 AM
I Googled 'Escalera Nautica' but my Spanish isn't up to figuring it all out.
Something about a bunch of marinas?TMW - 4-13-2017 at 10:40 AM
Are you able to tune a ham radio, race radio , or marine band to 462.712 mhz?
The Baofeng handhelds work from 136-174mhz and 400-480mhz. They are a dual channel radio, set the VHF frequency and a UHF frequency and you can switch
between them. They are 1 and 4 watts output.David K - 4-13-2017 at 10:54 AM
I Googled 'Escalera Nautica' but my Spanish isn't up to figuring it all out.
Something about a bunch of marinas?
Do a Nomad search... it was a huge deal 10+ years ago! The harbor and wide paved road at Santa Rosalillita are most of what came of that before the
land ferry across Baja and yacht marinas every 100-200 miles plan was abandoned. The paved wide spots every so often along the L.A. Bay highway was
also done for the land ferry (so it could pull over and allows cars to pass).Gulliver - 4-13-2017 at 10:58 AM
Ah. I knew about the road and harbor at Santa Rosallita. Didn't know that it was anything more than the trans peninsular boat hauling fiasco.
You can barely launch a kayak there now due to the silting.Maderita - 4-13-2017 at 12:18 PM
My understanding is that the primary use of FRS channel 7-7 is for convenient communication between hikers/outdoor sports participants and rescue
team, and between rescue team members. Many outdoor enthusiasts and groups have simple FRS radios. Many of the rescue personnel are volunteers and do
not have more expensive/sophisticated radios. They also need to communicate with government agency fire/rescue and air support.
This is in response to a dangerous increase in the recent number of accidents, missing/lost, and deaths in northern Baja. The Sierra de Juarez in
particular. Ecotourism and adventure group activities have expanded exponentially over the past couple years. Many are ill-prepared, lack contingency
planning, and unfortunately seem to have a travel plan that is mismatched to the weather conditions (extreme heat or cold).
Btw, the new emergency telephone number for BC (Baja California North) is 9-1-1. Gulliver - 4-13-2017 at 01:02 PM
Very good. I think that FRS radios, given the low cost and anticipated use will be as good as anything else I can think of at this time.Gulliver - 4-13-2017 at 01:22 PM
Maderita. Or anyone.
Given my poor Spanish skills, I need some assistance reading the many posts there on the Facebook pages.
Can you tell me if they are recommending regular use and monitoring of that channel? Or only using the channel for calling for help and responding. It
strikes me that having it be in regular use might promote more listening. No good calling for aid if no one turns on their radios.StuckSucks - 4-13-2017 at 01:58 PM
Be self sufficient and get a tracker or a sat phone. The prices are coming down.
Best advice. I spend a fair amount of time in canyons and far away from humans - I need a communication device that's agnostic toward topography.David K - 4-13-2017 at 02:24 PM
The DeLorme (now Garmin) inReach Explorer transmitted out from Agua Caliente and El Berrendo canyons, and the Matomà narrows and Azufre Wash camp,
among other spots, pretty well.
Text messaging and email to anywhere from the middle of off-grid Baja is pretty cool.Gulliver - 4-13-2017 at 02:33 PM
As far as getting help, we often forget how populated much of Baja still is.
I cannot speak of other areas but within maybe a hundred miles of Mulege, my Winter base, I would have to work hard to be able to get more than ten or
maybe fifteen miles from a rancho.
Again and again I stop for a break or a snack and within a few minutes I hear a goat, a cow or a bell. And before long an old battered Toyota rattles
down the road.
There are exceptions like dead end roads that are totally wiped out. But even then, they seem to end not more than five miles beyond the last
habitation.
Not to get careless and get hurt so you can't walk but carry plenty of water and basic survival stuff like fire makings and you are unlikely to be
the subject of one of our stories.Maderita - 4-13-2017 at 05:34 PM
Gulliver,
I don't know the answer to your question about regular monitoring of channel 7-7. I just assumed that it is only used or practical during a search and
rescue operation. The range on an FRS is only 2 or 3 miles; less in canyons. That is not of much use in wilderness areas to call for help, but useful
when help arrives nearby. Gulliver - 4-13-2017 at 08:16 PM
I have programmed up my two FRS radios and one ham HT to Ch 7-7. I carry a bag of communications, first aid and basic rescue gear when on the road.
For you hams out there, FRS channel 7 (also known as GMRS channel 15) is 462.7125 mHz and the FRS tone (the second number) is the same as CTCS or PL
tone frequency 85.4 hZ.
There is really no new information to add to this topic. If you're in an emergency (life or death) situation and you're banking on your FRS radio to
save your life, chances are you're going to die.
Sat phone, SPOT, Delorme. That's it.Gulliver - 4-14-2017 at 10:10 AM
As is now clear to me, the FRS radios aren't intended to call for help. Obviously they don't have the capability for that. But used to co-ordinate a
rescue and guide in already alerted personnel to an accident site they seem like a good solution.
When I first heard about FRS I thought, "Oh boy. Another CB mess for every ratchet jaw to get on there and bloviate." But, at least in my experience,
the channels don't seem that active and the absence of available base stations has kept the worst abuses at bay.
I carry a couple of them. Mostly for Barbara to find me in the tool bin at Home Depot.ehall - 4-14-2017 at 12:01 PM
I only asked the question because I thought it might be a good idea to keep our radios tuned to this freq. while out exploring the backcountry,Gulliver - 4-14-2017 at 01:44 PM
Hmm. I will surprised if anyone leaves their radio on very much of the time. Most of the FRS radios are hand held with limited battery life.
In my case, not representative at all, I'm on a motorcycle so even if I wanted to the wind and bike noise would prevent that.
I think it's a good idea to settle on a frequency and a code but it just won't work for calling for aid. If you are that close to other people you
will be able to walk out.
I do strongly suggest doing a bit of testing with your radios to get a feel for how far you can hear each other. It really, really depends on the
terrain.
Thanks, though, for bringing this to my attention. Good information.
