Re: moble telephones on campoutslong

Murphy Peter asked if it was practical to use moble cellular type
phones on campouts, the replys answered the question that any form
of communication to get emergency help should be used. It was not
ment to be used as a means to call home for the fun of it, but for
emergencies, and getting messages to others such as where to pick up
the troop etc. I agree with these uses and actually have a moble
phone but I have found something that works well in wilderness areas
and seems to have more coverage than cell phones. Oh and it doesn't
cost any thing for air time. Amateur radio! with the advent of the
small hand held radios of today and the FCC relaxing the requirements
for learning morse code (imagine a scout not knowing that) by taking
two writen tests of 55 questions all of which are multiple choice and
the questions and answers can be obtained in book or computer form
word for word (government test remember)
Any one can pass the test. and here is the good part when taking the
radio into the wilderness other hams are allways listening. Three
years ago I participated in a rescue of a scout in the Unita's
Wilderness area. I was one of what turned out to finally be 7
different people passing the same message from the radio operator who
was camping in the same area (6 hours of hard hiking from the road)
who was able to contact myself who as part of a emergency response
team is stationed on a popular mountain above Provo Ut. we help
climbers on that mountain not usually ones 120 miles by the crow. We
contacted the county sheriff in the county they were in and by
relaying messages from the dispatcher to the helicopter eventually
got the scout off the mountain. He spent some time in intensive care
with pulmonary edema which the MD told us later if he would have been
on the mountain a hour longer he probably wouldn't have made it. I
have used it just this year when putting on the fall camporee one of
the vehicles caring equipment missed the corner and rolled the truck
causing luckily minor injuries but when out of cell range we were
able to contact another ham who called the ambulance and 15 min later
the ambulance arrived a few people were impressed. Oh we also have
used it to call home and tell one of the parents who was comming up
mid week on our week long summer camp to bring a few things
(necessary items) and once had the mother of a homesick scout who
wanted to go home mid week try to talk him into staying. The scouts
even made up a song about me being a ham, (in more ways than radio).
I appoligize for the long post, just my soap box. Amateur radio is a
fun way to keep in communication with the outside world and around
the world.
YIS
Terry Gardner N7QGA EPA post 1973 roundtable staff, committee
chairman tr 163, district jamboral comissioner Utah National Parks
Centennial Jamboral.
used to be an Eagle... still seeking the heights.

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