Real world use

[WRHS218]

Our little mountain town just got over 5 feet of snow in 3 days and most people in my small area are snowed in. We lost power for three days, got it back for 7 hours, and then lost it again for another 26 hours. During that time cell service was working. I spent one day with other neighbors trying to open up driveways and move some downed trees. Everyday I would leave the house to do get a vehicle unstuck or try to clear a path to the wood shed or start and stop the generator, etc. Instead of using cell phones to keep in touch with my wife we used our GMRS handhelds. I also used them to stay in contact with other family near by. I found it much easier to use the radio than a cell phone with gloves on and in heavy snow. My wife even said she was glad we have them. One neighbor was inquiring about the radios. We share a well so it would be nice for him to have one as today I needed him at his house while I got the well pump and system thawed and restarted after getting power back. Our radios may be a fun to have tool/gadget , but, they are a great tool to have when you need them.

[WRUU653]

Wow. You have had some couple of days. Nice to hear the radios are coming in useful.  I was just reading they shut Yosemite down due to the snow fall. Stay safe and keep them charged. 

[WRQC527]

7 minutes ago, WRHS218 said:

Our radios may be a fun to have tool/gadget , but, they are a great tool to have when you need them.

Perfect example. Thank you for posting this. There was a guy over the weekend who got his SUV stuck in Lytle Creek. He couldn't get a cell signal. They finally found him after he barely got one text out to his girlfriend, but if he had a radio (GMRS or Ham), he could have given his exact coordinates from his phone even without cell service, to any of a number of repeaters within reach of Lytle Creek.

[OffRoaderX]

37 minutes ago, WRQC527 said:

but if he had a radio (GMRS or Ham), he could have given his exact coordinates from his phone even without cell service, to any of a number of repeaters within reach of Lytle Creek.

Except for the fact that where he was in Lytle Creek (Coldwater Canyon to be exact) there are no GMRS repeaters within range..  as is the case with 98% of Lytle Creek past the public shooting range.

[WRQC527]

4 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

there are no GMRS repeaters within range

Which is why I also mentioned ham repeaters. The idea is not to rely on a cell phone and have multiple options if you're going to do something stupid like this. 

[OffRoaderX]

I am fairly certain that due to the laws of physics, there are no ham repeaters available anywhere within miles of that canyon either..
But I do agree with you on his stupidity, which is surpassed only by the 4 assclowns that decided to go Jeeping up Cleghorn on Saturday night in the middle of the blizzard/flurry.. and... got stuck/trapped... Lucky for them Cleghorn has cell-service almost the entire route -otherwise they'd still be there, Jack Torrance style..

[WRQC527]

15 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

I am fairly certain that due to the laws of physics, there are no ham repeaters available anywhere within miles of that canyon either.

True, true. Lytle Creek has one that might work, but it appears restricted to just Lytle Creek Canyon, Keller Peak is about 30 miles, Big Bear has one on Sugarloaf, both of which I've been able to reach from the bowels of Wrightwood. But I'm always surprised at how a 2-meter signal can get out under the right conditions. Ya, ol' Jack Torrance...  If he only had a smart phone... But then it would have been a much shorter movie.