Your Emergency Communication Protocol When Solo'ing

[Coops4284]

I thought that the SOS and Assist button were satellite connected, not cellular. Otherwise I have a 40 watt in cab Midland MXT400 and then GMRS handhelds. I also try and never wheel alone, but if I do I always tell some friends and family where I am going and when I am supposed to return.

EDIT: The manual states that 3G/LTE is necessary for the SOS and Assist buttons to work... Ordering a SPOT lol!

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[Coops4284]

I carry a SPOT with me. Similar to the inreach garmin folks are talking about. I can share my location with family, and I can call for rescuing services if necessary. I bought it over 10 years ago and still going strong.

My SPOT is my last resource though, I hope I never have to use it. You should never, ever, go out exploring somewhere remote with a chance of getting lost. Bring a compass and a map at the minimum. Nowadays the best thing to bring is a GPS. You can even use your own phone with a GPS app that lets you download maps. You should never get lost at this day and age.

Your Jeep having a mechanical failure is another story. That can happen to anyone. I always carry a backpacking tent + sleeping bag + sleeping pad + some food and water. In the case my Jeep fails in the middle of nowhere, I'll use my satellite emergency device and set up camp to spend the night. This guarantees survival until I get rescued.

You don't need to carry that much crap with you. Just a simple plan, and simple gear to spend the night.

They even have a Jeep branded one. I am ordering one of these now as I often wheel where there is no cell service.

 

[Jeepeto]

+1 on ham radio. Not as reliable as GPS, but I wasn't going to pay a monthly fee for a spot, or in reach. Really not that hard to get licensed, if you have any interest it takes about 8-10 hours of studying and you can test online.

 

[grimmjeeper]

2m/70cm. A club I wheeled with used hand held ham radios on a frequency that did not hit on repeaters they said no license required. Is that what you are saying.

Nope. You need a license to legally operate a ham radio on any ham frequency.

They're easy to get. They publish the answers to the questions so you can study a little bit and easily get a technician license.

The exception to that law is anyone can use any radio in an emergency.

 

[ThirtyOne]

@Ran4 bought one of those emergency radios. Can’t remember which one.

 

[Odyssey USA]

Garmin Inreach mini paired to phone. Easy interface but you’re still able to send messages without the phone although painfully slow. Daily check in with friends and family using that.

GMRS/FRS Midland GXT mobile handheld. You can use GMRS unlicensed in emergencies if you haven’t gotten your license yet. The license is $80? or less as I’ve heard the cost is being lowered. It’s good for 10 years for you and family.

Really it’s just better to have a second vehicle driven by family or a friend and recovery gear.

More water than you think you need, ideally, if you can fit it. Fill the largest containers as full as you can and keep them topped off so you don’t have to hear the constant sloshing. lol

 

[NewJLU2019]

@Ran4 bought one of those emergency radios. Can’t remember which one.

Ran4 has the Spot Gen4.

 

[Goin2drt]

Bottom line I would never go out alone but having said that if I did I would be over the top on at least being able to contact emergency support so the Garmin or Spot would be a must. No way would I count on cell service. Also I would have my Garmin Colorado with a bunch of extra batteries with me in case I needed to head off on foot. Lastly I would have a bunch of "earthquake" water pouches with me. Always had an "earthquake" bag in each car growing up in Kalifornia. Lastly I did get this pretty cool fire starter at a camping expo once so it is almost fool proof for being able to start a fire.

 

[grimmjeeper]

So 151.775 is what they use and is not legal without ham license.Humm, makes me wonder why they think it is OK and they have been doing that for several years. Having been talked into buying a dual band Baofend H.H. at least it good to know in a dire emergency it can be used. I have looked at the free test online but have no interest in the hobby. BTW, how would one make contact in a emergency?

That's out of the ham band, I believe into a commercial band. Also technically illegal to use without a license.

I have my ham license but no interest in the hobby. I just use the radio on the trails with friends who are also licensed.

If you need to reach out in an emergency, 146.520 is the universal calling frequency. You can also find repeaters easily. I use the RepeaterBook app on my Android to see who's close.

 

[Ran4]

@Ran4 bought one of those emergency radios. Can’t remember which one.

I bought the SPOT Gen4, and it has served its purpose when I'm off the grid. I hope to never use it for emergency purposes..

 

[Ruby Mike]

That's out of the ham band, I believe into a commercial band. Also technically illegal to use without a license.

I have my ham license but no interest in the hobby. I just use the radio on the trails with friends who are also licensed.

If you need to reach out in an emergency, 146.520 is the universal calling frequency. You can also find repeaters easily. I use the RepeaterBook app on my Android to see who's close.

Thanks for the info about the universal calling frequency. My jeep club uses 147.480 on the trail. I finally broke down and bought the Yaesu FTM-400XDR/DE transceiver. It has a 50 watt maximum out, along with 20 watt and 5 watt. I looked at the garmin radio and according to the site you also need an iridium satellite subscription. Expensive but then again, what's your life worth?

 

[J0E]

Garmin Inreach is only $15/month and you can suspend at any time. Pair with phone and send some practice texts. The recipient gets a link to a map with your GPS coordinates.

Plenty of canyons in the west where ham does no good.

 

[Shibadog]

SPOT satellite link. Always carried one on the bike. Handy in the Jeep as well.

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