From: EC92@AOL.COM
Date: Wed Aug 30 2000 - 19:33:12 CDT
As I pointed out to Mark, if you read "What I did on my summer vacation" you
will see how FRS stopped the camp waterfront staff from getting real serious
over a missing youth when #1 son radioed #2 son at his campsite using one.
For the record, distance is 1-1.5 miles, dense forest, and over a low hill. I
don't work for 'em but I will tell you outright: Motorolas will make that,
the other FRS radios will not. I know, Motorola was the third brand I tried
in the same place and situation.
I wouldn't give one to everybody in a unit, and in fact, wouldn't give it to
#2 except he's one of those youth who is easily distracted by something and
forgets something like meeting dad here or there for this or that. Something
to do with either a need to rebel or a need to investigate everything he
sees, I haven't figured out which yet.
On the other hand, it is real easy to get out of range, and if you have them
"just for emergencies" and when the emergency comes its in somebody else's
jacket pocket, you're kind of in trouble anyway. See the same story, I
believe in part 2.
I see them as something useful in travel and to help a dad track a youth, or
as something for a complete and total emergency situation, but not to make
the camp you're in into your own little phone system. We've had troops where
every dad had one and they followed around packs of kids all day and just
like cell phone abusers, we were always forced to tell him to get away from
us while a MB was being instructed as they held conversations on jimmy or
johnny doing this or that. That, to me, is a step too far.
And while Bob mentions their place, I will tell you there is one adult on the
national venturing committee who strongly advises all HA crews to have kids
include them in their supplies, it provides a way to contact someone when
they're only a little bit lost if you realize someone disappeared fast
enough. And I'm pretty confident Ham nut #1 could even use one to hold a fox
hunt and find someone within a couple miles that is strong enough to hold on
that talk button from time to time, but I haven't tested that theory.
Yet.
Tom Petrik
