[GreenKeys] OT: emergency communications

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

Another option would be first to get a Ham license.  Much easier to do 
today than years back.  Second, find out whether or not there are any active Ham 
repeaters on top of the hills or mountains surrounding your valley.  If so, 
get a hand held (handie talkie) that covers the band the repeater is in.  
Handie-Talkies for VHF or UHF these days are typically about the size of two 
I5's stacked, plus 6 to 12 inches for the antenna.

Considerably more expensive but If there are no repeaters in line-of-sight 
from your place, you might try to establish your own if you can find some 
land-owner who would allow you to do so.

Yet another option (but I'm not certain of the legality of operating  a 
phone patch remotely) would be to get a 2-Meter hand-held radio and put a 
repeater at your house that's tied into your land line.

The second and third repeater options will also require a license for the 
repeater.

A non-ham option would be a satellite phone, but that's also expensive and 
I have no idea how large or portable present day equipment is.

In a message dated 04/09/2017 23:38:43 PM Central Daylight Time, 
dmm at lemur.com writes: 
> I have a question primarily for the amateur radio folks on the list.
> It's clearly off-topic, but this is the only venue I know of with
> a deep knowledge of ham radio. 
> 
> Since my wife's recent and unexpected death, I'm now living in our
> rural home alone.  It's 50 acres, and the terrain is complicated.
> To cover it all line-of-sight would take half a dozen positions.
> Adding to this, it's all within a valley in which there
> is basically no cell reception.  We have land-line telephone
> and terrestrial-radio-based Internet (ex-Motorola Canopy) 
> at the house (only).
> 
> This has been made more difficult for me because last year
> I injured my back rather severely.  So a real possibility now exists
> that if I'm out working on something remote from the house and
> re-injure myself so that I can't make it back, it might be too
> late before anyone notices and comes looking.
> 
> What I need to find is some kind of device that I can carry with me
> on foot which can, perhaps with the aid of a base station at the house,
> permit me to make an outgoing emergency call (or at least send a signal).
> It can't require line-of-sight, and it can't depend on the cell network.
> 
> What, if any, are my options?
> 
> Thanks very much for any and all advice.
> 
> Regards,
> David M.
> ===
> Dr. David M. MacMillan  -  dmm at lemur.com
> 

Robert & Susan Downs - Houston
wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
MVPA 9480
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