Yes i know.......jeep with a group or a buddy. But frankly, i like the adventure of doing it solo. I spend alot of time offroading in AZ, NV and UT out in the boonies for many days at a time. Last year I was in the Grand Staircase Escalante on the UT/AZ border for 8 days by myself, never on the same trail or BLM road twice and didn't see a single human or car the whole time. I like my time alone !!

Anyway, cell phone doesn't work out there and was wondering if i got a ham radio whether i could use it for either emergencies or contact my family. I thought of one of those new emergency orange GPS like devices for emergency, but the monthly fee seems pricey and of course no voice. Besides telling me not to jeep alone, does anyone have a suggestion? thx

 

i think with a ham radio would be one way to go, you can even get a phone patch in an emergency from another opperator if i remember rite.

 

I think that the SPOT GPS is well worth the monthly fee.... Wish I had this back in my dirtbike days...

 

Why not look into a satellite phone.

 

Yes a HAM can be patched to a line line, and if some one in your family has a license you can talk to them. and dont for get that you will also need a license.

 

If you've decided to wheel alone, there's only one logical answer.

EPIRB. It's the only device that I know of that I would truly trust my life to in a backwoods emergency. You buy it, register it, and then you're good until you need to swap out the battery years in the future.

A "Spot" is neat...but no real substitute for an EPIRB.

http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/

There's lots to learn, but here's the gist of it.

#1. You turn your EPIRB/PLB on because you're in a SERIOUS situation.

#2. Your EPIRB/PLB sends a signal up to a satellite. This includes your position.

#3. That satellite sends a signal to a ground station.

#4. That ground station makes a phone call to the appropriate search and rescue agency saying "Jeepur is in trouble. He's located 5 miles north of deadman's curve."

#5. A rescue helicopter (or boat or Jeep or dogsled or hot air balloon) is dispatched to your location. If the location fix provided by your beacon is poor, don't worry...that same beacon also transmits a homing signal on a different frequency.


A HAM radio is a GREAT piece of gear to have in your trail rig...but I don't know of any piece of equipment that provides the level of help in a life-threatening situation that an EPIRB does.

 

I agree with the sat phone. You can get them with prepaid mins.

There is emergency and then there is extreme emergency. Plus your family can get a hold of you in case they are the ones that need you.

 

EPIRB is great for emergency use only, but like you mentioned you may want to talk to your family.

And no, legally you wouldn't be able to contact your family just for the sake of checking in, if that was what you were referring to....you need to get the license for that. So although I would like for you to get your HAM license, I have to agree.....sat phone is the way to go. We've used them in remote Alaska and work great.

 

I'd get a SPOT, a 2-Meter HAM rig and a Sat phone - they are all too much $$ and hassle until you need them. Luck favors the prepared.

 

since a billion is tip money and a trillion is the new baseline, i wanted to offer you guys a zillion thanks for your responses. I really like the "luck favors the prepared" way to go.......