Some of the places I have traveled are pretty remote. I have found myself in situations where I needed help and also the capacity of being the helper. There have been quite a few times where I needed to call in reinforcements and couldn’t because of the remote area I was in. In the last few years I have attempted to solve those situations with various forms of communications.
I have used cell phone, FRS, GMRS, CB and satellite phones. Of these, the FRS, GMRS and CB are the most affordable, but lack range. Cell phone is great when you have signal. You can talk all over the world. But – no signal – they are useless. FRS is cheap and requires no license. They are good for short distances and must be in almost direct line of sight. GMRS is a better signal and can work in somewhat more cluster. However, GMRS requires a license. Currently that license is $35 for ten years and anyone related to the licensee may use GMRS.
Next up is the CB or Citizens Band radio. Currently not requiring a license and has a stronger radio wave that can reach longer distances. They also cost more. Yet they come in a variety of options. You can get a home base unit, a mobile unit or a portable unit (walkie talkie) that can do all.
And a new arena for me is the next up. Ham radio. Camille and I are currently studying for our Ham Technician license. Since I have never been a Ham operator before, a lot of what is in the study packet is fairly complicated. Understanding the radio waves, polarity, skip, frequencies, legal issues, how to and eventually buying all the right equipment will be rewarding. So way more complicated and definitely not cheap, but, being able to reach out further from remote locations and to areas around the world will make it worth the process.
Lastly is SatPhone. They are great yet very expensive!! The cost of the phone is way up there. And the phone plan is expensive so they are rarely used. Since the use versus expense is so great, they are not the best option for the average person. I put this in the “Good to know someone that has one.” category.
Currently – I have achieved the requirements to use and have the equipment for: FRS, GMRS, CB and cell phone. I am working on my Ham Technician license and already have a basic kit to get started. I’ll keep you posted on the process.