How does this radio work?

[STEVEM]

I am hoping there is someone out there with some ham radio experience who can help me learn how to use a radio that my wife purchased for me last year. The radio is a Yaesu VX-7R with 50/144/430 MHz ham bands.

As background information, my wife is a nurse and has seen a few hikers at the hospital who have been rescued after having been injured or becoming ill while hiking. I told her that for these few there are many thousands whose hikes were uneventful. This reasoning doesnt seem to work and she seems to worry a great deal about me. I hike solo, primarily in the winter and cell phones do not work reliably in the mountains around here.

Anyway, she purchased this radio for me (internet source), and was assured by the salesperson that this model would allow me to call for help if necessary, and would work in the mountains. Unfortunately I know nothing about radios and have only been able to listen to the NOAA weather band. The instruction book is written for a person who already understands radio and is of no help to me.

1. Is there an emergency band that is monitored by police or emergeny organizations where civilians can call for help like a radio version of 911?
how do I find out what it is and how would I use it?

2. Can I select a particular band and frequency and leave it in a note in my car along with my destination? That way if something happened potential rescuers could contact me on that band.

3. Is there a way for the radio to send some type of S.O.S. signal that could be used by rescuers to find me?

Thanks for your help and please answer in basic simple terms, I'm not kidding, I really know nothing about radios. If you feel the urge to tell me how silly this is I almost agree, but my wife is freaked by my solo hiking, and the recent events in Oregon have really set her off.

[The Old Fhart]

I suggest you check on just how illegal it would be for you to use it. Broadcasting on ham, police, fire, etc., frequencies without the proper licence is not legal. If your wife is really concerned, return the Yaesu and carry a cell which could have spotty coverage, or a satellite phone for good coverage.

[LostInSpace]

It is illegal to use an amateur radio transceiver unless you have a license of a class appropriate to the band on which you are transmitting. Different license classes have different band coverage privileges. It is just as illegal to get a police band or aeronautical radio band transceiver and use these as emergency equipment. That said, I don’t know that you would necessarily get prosecuted for using one in an emergency.

In those frequency ranges, particularly the 144 and 430 MHz bands, communication is “line-of-sight”. So, mountains are going to be problematic. In many places, amateur radio clubs have repeater stations on mountain tops. However, you would need to know the particular channels that these repeaters use. Yes, you could probably use the scan feature until you picked up a channel and use that one. Do you want to do this in an emergency? If you were using it in a metropolitan area, you MIGHT be able to use it for the purpose you state.

Internet linking is generally available for packet (data) communications. The radio you mention may provide the transceiver functions. For Internet communications you likely are going to need additional equipment.

If you got someone on the 50 MHz band, and that is the least used band of the three, they may not be local enough to respond, but they might be able to relay emergency information.

Most amateur radio operators are consciencious enough to help in what they believed to be a true emergency. However, many amateur radio operators are reluctant to communicate with anyone that is not using a legitimate call sign. Whether or not they would respond if you indicated that you had an emergency situation is uncertain. There have been too many instances of illegal operators transmitting erroneous calls.

Although there are call channels, police and normal emergency organization do not monitor them. There is no 911 equivalent. There are many amateurs that support SAR operations; however, these operations are generally post-incident initiated.

It would do little good to leave a note at your car. Channel use intentionally varies by area in order to prevent interference among stations. You would have to know in advance where you emergency was going to occur and the frequencies (channels) that were used in that area. Obviously this is not going to happen.

There is no way to send an S.O.S. Theoretically, if you kept transmitting, until the batteries wore down, someone might be able to get a fix on you using direction finding techniques.

Don’t depend on an amateur radio transceiver when there are more reliable devices. If you wife is that worried about your hiking solo, I recommend spending the money to purchase a Personal Locator Beacon with a built-in GPS. The best deal I have found is here (http://www.onlinemarine.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/online_superstore/safety/acr_aquafix_plb.htm?L+scstore+vgpd4302ffcf63cf). Although this unit is designated “AquaFix”, it is identical to the ACR “TerraFix.” The color and name difference is strictly marketing. I have verified this fact with ACR, the manufacturer.

BTW, I hold an Amateur Extra class license.

[LostInSpace]

PS: If the climbers on Mt. Hood had carried a PLB, they might have all been found many days ago ... or at least their location would have been known.

[hopefulhiker]

The technician class of Ham radio is relatively easy to achieve. Heck even I passed this test.. No morse code necessary.. It might be worth looking into. You can get the guide book from Radio Shack..

[halftime]

Contact your local Ham Radio Club and they can help you with the license exam. Below are a couple of links in your area.

http://www.scarcnj.org/www.scarcnj.org/index.php

http://www.qsl.net/w2vtm/exams.html

If you are ever faced with an emergency situation, I think is it would be good idea to have a hand held HAM radio. Some may say it is not necessary on the AT, but could be useful during any emergency or natural disaster. My cell phone was useless during Katrina but Ham operators could communicate through their network. If needing assistance in a remote area you can communicate with rescurers if needed. A cell phone will do you no good if your are out of service area.

[saimyoji]

Ham radio is fun. A great network to find info. through listener info is coasttocoastam. Lots of people who span the country listen, are hams and hike. Great listening too.

[EMAN]

For those interested in ham radio, I believe I read somewhere that just recently the FCC has decreed "no code" for all classes. I think it actually goes into effect mid spring or summer. You still have to pass the written exams.