Calgary Jeep Association
General Forums => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: Tinkerer on August 26, 2008, 09:37:46 PM
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How would one contact emergency services with a ham radio? Does 911/SRD monitor HAM or would you just have to hope that someone was listening & would call EMS for you?
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For the cost and hassle of licensing........would a Sat phone not be more lucrative ??
Or possibly that new Sat tracking system with emergency link up ??....sorry can't remember the name of it :-[
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have a sat phone, it costs me $360 a year to collect dust, a ham radio setup could pay for itself pretty quick.
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SPOT ............this is the one I was thinking about. They even have them at London Drugs off 32ave N.E.
http://www.findmespot.com/Home.aspx
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I read the info on the SPOT. Sound like in a real life/death situation it would be too slow. It has to go through too many channels before help is actually sent. Better than nothing though.
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you mention that you dont even need a course now to get a liscense? when did that cahnge. do you know of where to get contact information on courses/ liscensing. are there any active open clubs in calgary? i am in for taking a course. waht frequency do you recomend. any recomendations on equipment?
ive actualy took a 2 year course called rf tech in BCIT, but have done nothing with it, and keep meaning to get my radio liscense. seeing as i can damn neer build a radio from peices( it was one of our labs)
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you mention that you dont even need a course now to get a liscense? when did that cahnge. do you know of where to get contact information on courses/ liscensing. are there any active open clubs in calgary? i am in for taking a course. waht frequency do you recomend. any recomendations on equipment?
Well, like most government exams, there is no need to take the course. BUT I highly recommend taking a course, or pickup the study guide and go through it to prepare for the exam.
Cost for the exam from Industry Canada is $25, you can pick your callsign, and its yours for life. http://www.rac.ca/acl/
There are a few clubs/organizations in Calgary.
http://joomla.caraham.org
http://members.shaw.ca/wildrosenetwork
Southern Alberta
http://saralink.ca
Central and Northern Alberta
http://www.caarc.ca
http://narc.net
The Calgary Amateur Radio Association (CARA) typically runs a ham course in the fall and spring. Cost is like a hundred bucks, includes the study guide and your exam cost, plus a years membership.
There are two types of license: (OK, well 3)
Basic - Which allows you privileges in the 30 Mhz and up frequencies.
Basic Plus - Score over 80% on the basic exam, and you also get privileges below 30Mhz, or HF, or Shortwave.
Advanced - Allows you to operate your own repeater, have a club callsign, and a few other things. Need Basic first.
Industry Canada only recognizes a 5 words per minute morse code proficiency test. I think. I'm likely wrong on that.
Frequencies depend on who/what/when/where/how you are trying to communicate.
Every repeater must be licensed, and have a callsign. Its input and output frequencies must be carefully arranged and set. BUT a 2m or VHF repeater in High River *can* have the same freq's as a repeater in in Fort McMurray. Since a vhf signal at that frequency cannot interfere over such a great distance. Likely, no; possible, maybe.
For wheeling around Calgary, I have a 2m VHF mobile radio, capable of 75watts of output, and a 5/8 wave antenna. I carry a list of repeater freq's with me at all times. If I'm in the bush, I can get into a repeater. Even if I have to drive to the top of a hill, I can hit a repeater. From there, I can either dial Emergency Services, if that repeater has a phone patch. Or simply ask for someone listening to pass 3rd party traffic to Emergency Services for me. There is almost always someone listening!
As for equipment. That all depends on what you feel you want/need; and how much you are willing to spend.
Equipment goes from about $200 to $15,000; just for a radio!
Antenna's can get pricey, or you can homebrew. Quality coaxial can get pricey too. It all depends if you want to use it as a hobby, or as a last ditch means of communication.
Obviously, spending a bucketload of cash on a radio setup, only to have it sit gathering dust, hardwired into a 4x4; has limited uses.
Even a handheld radio, with a decent antenna, with you standing on top of a hill, can get pretty far out reception.
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Just a heads up that CARA (Calgary Amateur Radio Association) is holding their Ham course once again this year. I think they were starting late sept. I took it last year and passed the final with a 96%. I really enjoy having the radio. I know I can reach farther than FRS and CB, and depending where I am there are usually repeaters around that I could call into to reach others.
Scott - VA6SMS
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I have really been interested in getting my license but i have just been too freakin lazy. Where can I find out about the course
Here are a couple of examples of when a 2m radio was used, both were by ECO members during the jamborees:
1. There were at the fire look at trail and happened to see a forest fire and they were able to call it in
2. There came across a group of quadders where 1 had broken his leg, and they were actually able to call 911 and get help for the guy
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I'm a member of CARA and actually work with the new instructor. I believe Howard said the course was for 15 weeks (could have been 12 but will check it out) and is (again guessing) $125.00 but if you guys want I'll see him on Tuesday, he is the next office to me.
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I think that Howard was going to be teaching it again too, but I believe that John VE6TUG is the new education co-ordinator. Just an FYI, they are trying to get together an Advanced class.
As for the ARES...it's a great group. I've been a member for about 8 months now. No call outs yet (thank goodness), but we did work out at Stathmore's Heritage Days and Global Fest.