At the risk of being a pain in the ass I will say it again.....HF is far more of a lifeline than VHF/UHF. Because when it comes down to it, it will be like having a cell phone......when you really have to have it there will be no coverage. Same with VHF/UHF.....when you really need it, you may be down in a spot where you can't hit a repeater.....such as is seems they were when the guy hit his head. And if this happens then all you can hope for is hitting somebody by chance via simplex. Where even being down in the deepest darkest canyon hundreds of miles from nowhere.......HF will still work.

I guess when I refer to HF, I am just assuming that I am talking to HAM radio ops that pretty much consider it more of a lifestyle rather than just a hobby. Reason I say that is because a very high percentage of the HAMs that at least hold a General license, have found that HF IS THE ULTIMATE in communications, and use it daily. Especially now with the sunspot cycle picking up. It will get to a point where you can damn near guarantee you can talk to somebody on a given band, at a certain time, day after day, after day... And people do this on an ongoing basis pretty much year round....

 

I just checked out what you and the others were saying there. One mentioned the antenna system being the "week link". Altho you and he mentioned them getting damaged, (altho there's not much you can do to a 102"SS whip to hurt it) I believe what he was getting at was that mobile antennas are small, thus week/er. Again there are ways around this if you absolutely have to. One guy mentioned throwing a wire over some trees.....THIS IS HUGE and an extremely simple thing to do. The gain in your signal this presents is leaps and bounds above a standard mobile antenna. Also, being an extra now, you are allowed 1500 watts of power. I have talked to countless mobile ops that run little solid state amps pushing upwards of 500 watts or so. Let me tell ya, again, this makes a huge difference. And again, if you want to do pretty much everything you are saying....think...........Icom IC-706.

 

I agree that HF is the way to go if you make the assumption that ham is indeed the way to go for emergency use. My point was that I wound up realizing that it's a lot more cost effective and reliable to go the personal locator beacon route if that would be your only or primary use of the HF equipment.

Agreed -- it seems like an awesome hobby and I'm definitely planning to experiment more with this stuff. I don't mean the above (or my previous post) as a knock on ham at all, just trying to offer what I think is a pragmatic solution to a farily specific problem.

Now I just need to scrounge up another grand for my HF rig so I can start to play...

 

I guess you need to analyze your communications needs. I live in San Diego County. We have dozens or UHF/VHF repeaters we can hit driving around the county. I spend most of my time in the Anza Borrego Desert, a very remote area. You can get out of cell phone range in a hurry, that's why I got my HAM Technician license. Because we have repeaters on most of the mountain tops
surrounding the desert, I can always find someone to talk to when I need to.
That being said, last fall I took a run through the Mojave Desert and was out of UHF/VHF range in a few hours. What I needed was HF. My communications needs had changed. It's not that UHF/VHF are better, or worse, than HF, it's that you need to apply the capability to meet your needs at the time. I'm currently studying for my General test so I can increase my capabilities to include HF. Like many things in life, it's all about options. The more options you have - the more problems you can solve. I currently have and use a Yaesu
VX-6R HT and a Yaesu FT 7800R in my Jeep. When I pass my General test, I will buy a Yaesu FT 857D. That will give me all the options I will need in one radio -UHF, VHF and HF plus a digital capability if I care to pursue it. Bottom line in my book is, don't worry about which capability is "best", concentrate on what you need to get the job done.

KI6VBQ

 

Yes, I understand that things have changed considerably with the invent of SPOT, SAT phones, EPIRB for personal use, etc... But HAM radio is still one of, if not THE major forms of communication during a national disaster. This is why it is still tested daily by means of local "Nets" all over the US. It is not only used just to report an emergency, but for coordinating relief efforts as well until local phone and cell service is back up and running.
So, HAM radio for emergency coms is not an assumption, it is a reality. I think when you said "if you make the assumption.....", you meant if YOU PERSONALLY make that assumption to use it as such as a HAM radio operator.....no?

Believe me my friend you are new to this, and, btw, I commend you on getting your Extra right off the bat.....(I'm jealous....lol) But when you do finally get into HF.....THEN you will know what I'm talking about. The possibilities are endless.

Oh and as far as the cost. Many HAMS enjoy the "buying, selling, and trading" part of the hobby as a means of upgrading their gear. I NEVER was one to be able to put down big lump sums of money for HAM gear. Look around in your house/garage, are there a few items there of value that you just don't use anymore? Can you say Craigslist or Ebay? One little thing here, one little thing there, and before you know it you have a piece of gear you want. Then, when you find something new that interests you, you sell that, or something else, to upgrade to it, and on, and on, and on. It is a HUGE part of the hobby as well. Granted it's been YEARS in the making, but I am now pretty happy with what I have, and when put in perspective, it's come from very little out of pocket expense. Try this.....go to Ebay and type in the search Kenwood TS, or Icom IC, or Yaesu FT, and see what comes up. It will boggle your mind.

Good Luck, Enjoy, and hope to hear you on the bands someday..!!!...