Vegas desert hiking

[Mbarr913]

Hi all, taking my first trip to Vegas desert for some hiking and I have failed to find any definitive info for comms to check in and in case of emergency through gmrs. Just wanted to pick anyone’s brain about best comma options while out there. Thanks much! 

[OffRoaderX]

IMO, your best option is to not go alone and take a reliable source of communication like a Garmin InReach Sat-communicator, or a new iPhone with satellite connectivity..

Otherwise, unless you have someone waiting & listening for you, and you KNOW that your radio will reach them from wherever you may be (which is doubtful), you do not have a reliable means to call for help.. Or Pizza..

Source: I have done a bit of high-temperature, long-range hiking in the desert

 

[WRUU653]

Not sure when you are planning to go but be advised still getting into triple digits out there.

[Mbarr913]

Yeah I figured satcom would be most practical. Appreciate your input..do you know if they happen to have a SAR station that is always listening?.or even if the park itself has a comms center monitoring?. I guess that’s more so what I’m asking, if there are specific parks/channels/freqs that are always monitoring? Again thanks for all the info. 

[OffRoaderX]

I dont know if they have SAR/Anyone always listening, I'll leave that up to a local to answer, but I can tell you that unless you have good line-of-sight to whoever is monitoring, or the repeater they are monitoring, it wont matter.

[bd348]

I wish that parks and such without cell service but which already have a tower would put up a GMRS repeater for the masses.  Or at least a simplex radio always on at the park headquarters.

[nokones]

A project of this nature is more involved than you think because of governmental bureaucracy. The funding of equipment, installation, engineering, and staffing; and in some cases the respective agency's employee union(s) may also be a matter.

[SteveShannon]

4 hours ago, bd348 said:

I wish that parks and such without cell service but which already have a tower would put up a GMRS repeater for the masses.  Or at least a simplex radio always on at the park headquarters.

Who would own and operate the repeater?  New GMRS licenses are only issued to individuals. There are no new government or commercial licenses. Each of the park personnel would be required to be privately licensed in order to transmit.  It’s just really not the way GMRS is currently intended to be used.  

[Lscott]

3 hours ago, Sshannon said:

Who would own and operate the repeater?  New GMRS licenses are only issued to individuals. There are no new government or commercial licenses. Each of the park personnel would be required to be privately licensed in order to transmit.  It’s just really not the way GMRS is currently intended to be used.  

That’s a real shame. This is one case where a special class of GMRS license could be issued by the FCC. It would be strictly for a repeater to be used by park guests. All individuals would still be required to have their own GMRS license however.

An alternative solution is to license a business class license for a repeater. Park guests would sign an agreement requesting permission to use that frequency and program it into their radio, likely for a fee, if their radio supports it. Those that don’t have the ability can rent a cheap radio already setup.

[bd348]

We were at Okefenokee Swamp, GA.  The state park there has camping sites out in the swamp on platforms, and a big campground on land.  There is a big tower at the headquarters.  I don't know if they give campers radios, but the boat guides had some.  It'd be nice if the folks on the platforms could talk to the headquarters and campers on land.

Years ago in the boundary waters in Minn they gave canoe campers these walkie talkies with big antennas, not to be used unless an emergency.  These days they are probably given Garmin Inreach or similar.