Texas Floods and GMRS

[WRUE951]

My RV Friends are just now getting out of Bear Creek Texas, untouched by the floods because they were camped high enough.. They say the devastation is unmanageable and the amount of rain they got in short period was beyond belief..  They've been staying in touch with the world via their GMRS  radios, which they say were very busy by both rescue groups and people in general.  There cell service has been spotty and just now coming back, they even had a hard time senidng text, which i thought worked off satellites now..   I would have been on the trip with them but had last minute issues with my VGT Exhaust break and still in the shop for a $4,500 repair..    (3weeks latter)...     Thank god they are all safe..  

[TrikeRadio]

Wow, good to hear you and your friends are safe.

[marcspaz]

Pretty wild stuff.  Glad they had working radios with them and people to correspond with, too.  If they were in trouble, it may have saved their lives.  Just being stranded or cutoff from leaving is enough to make someone panic.  Sometimes, just having a voice on the other end and some mildly useful information can really make the difference on the psychological impact of a situation.  

[LeoG]

This is where I tell the "cell phone" people you need an alternate means of communication.  You know the one's.  Walkie Talkies aren't crystal clear and I can't call someone on the other side of the world.

 

Sometimes the $100 option beats the $250 billion dollar option.

[WRTC928]

1 hour ago, LeoG said:

This is where I tell the "cell phone" people you need an alternate means of communication.  You know the one's.  Walkie Talkies aren't crystal clear and I can't call someone on the other side of the world.

 

Sometimes the $100 option beats the $250 billion dollar option.

I didn't get this old by leaving things to chance. That's why I have a cell phone, a satellite emergency beacon, and CB, GMRS, and ham radios (and the appropriate licenses). It's only overkill until you need it.

[LeoG]

All I have is the GMRS and cell phone.  I know when the cell phone quits the GMRS will work.  But what I don't know is if there will be someone on the other end that will answer or help.  But it's certainly better than having a useless cell phone and nothing else.

On top of it the GMRS radio I have can transmit on a whole host of bands by just putting it into open mode.  If it's an emergency, anything goes.  If the eff sea seas comes to arrest me for using it without a license it still means someone is coming.

[GreggInFL]

1 hour ago, LeoG said:

All I have is the GMRS and cell phone.  I know when the cell phone quits the GMRS will work.  But what I don't know is if there will be someone on the other end that will answer or help.  But it's certainly better than having a useless cell phone and nothing else. [Emphasis added]

With hurricane season underway, our HOA just announced that the board and staff will be monitoring 462.550. Now everyone knows someone will be listening. Including FRS means folks will at least be able to hear updates, even if they can't TX very farz with their $10 HTs.

At the next board meeting I'm tempted throw out the idea of a portable, off-grid repeater. This place is too flat with too much vegetation for reliable HT simplex, but a decent antenna on the property high point would make a world of difference.

[UncleYoda]

53 minutes ago, GreggInFL said:

 monitoring 462.5550.

Did you mean 550?  555 is not valid for FRS or GMRS.

[GreggInFL]

Yes. My bad. Fixed.

Thank you.