Radio channels in Colorado

[PJ-Hunter]

With all of the lost, stranded sledders lately, I have been thinking of safety precautions. I would like to know what would be a good channel to use on the
2 way that would make my chances of contacting someone better. Cell phone service is spotty in some of the better riding areas, but I always carry one anyways.

From now on I plan on telling the wife where I'll be, what radio channel I am on and I will have my GPS so I can relay exact coordinates. I just wanna know what a good channel would be, chatter won't bother me so much if there is a chance that someone will hear an SOS call.

Thanks

 

[Snoman69]

Excellent Post

I was thinking about the same thing.... Would be good to have one channel that is used to radio SOS....

Is there one that S&R typically uses, or does it vary by group? state? ect....

 

[CatWoman]

S&R typically have different radios that they use, with programmed frequencies (same as Sheriff's office, Police Departments, Forest Service, etc).

What some of us have done here, is we have a call list. And set up with that call list, is the channel that we will use. So while we may use a different channel any other time, this is the channel we would switch to if any of us ever got into an emergency situation and sent the call out for help.....or if we don't show up home by a time given, we know we will need our radios on that channel as the call list will have been activated.

We always give the area we will be riding, who will be in our group (and if we break off due to a lot of *extras* showing up, we text that info before we leave the parking lot) and that we will be home by dark at the latest. The only leeway here is that there is 2 hours after dark (just in case of breakdowns, or little stuff). If it hits 2 hours, then things are set in motion. My son is who I let know our info, and he has our call list. He's usually texting me to check in long before the 2 hours though (phone gets turned back on at the truck, or at a safe area if we've had non-emergency problems).

I've also been checking over the past couple of years while riding, where I can get reception on my cell phone. When we stop someplace in a safe area, I will turn it on and check. I do this repeatedly on rides, until I know a bunch of the good reception areas for different places (so no panic if I do need to call, I can know where to ride to). I also let the others I ride with know what areas I'm receiving reception in.

Just all part of our trying to be as prepared as possible while out there.

Edit: We also carry ACR WW-3 Survival Whistle. It's 109 dB....it's LOUD!

 

[AndrettiDog]

Channel 1-1 (privacy code 1) seems to make sense because there are a lot of people that don't know how to change their channels or privacy codes. Then again, that might put a lot of people on one channel.

Just having a two-way is huge. I'm sure that S&R scan when looking for someone.

 

[Ex-Member]

If you have a scanner, the CRA has a scanning net on the 145.460-/147.225+ system, 107.2Hz PL tone. Those guys know quite a bit about the emergency freqs around town, might be worth tuning into there. RadioReference.com used to be good, but need a registration or somescht now. CityFreq.com has a lot of data, but there's a lot to sort out there. Also, those are more for scanning than TXing, so PL/DPL/Shift/etc won't be listed on there. My radio (FT60R) can scan for those, but sometimes the TX code is different from the RX code....

73 de K7AIH

 

[milehighassassin]

Most agencies that I know of are using 800 mhz. I know state patrol still uses UHF.

 

[Ex-Member]

A lot of agencies are moving to DTRS, but still maintain an analog VHF or UHF repeater for handhelds and older radios.

Found this, might be of help to you:

 

[jp@weknowsnow]

cant wait to get my spot

but any other HAMS out there.. post your repeaters you use. we are on the kremmling and walden one alot

 

[Ex-Member]

I lurk on CRA 145.145 in CO rather frequently... covers castle rock to cheyenne, idaho springs to nebraska. Occasionally I'll hop on IRLP.

In Wyoming I park a radio on N7UW 146.610.

73 K7AIH

 

[Vinsanity]

What about the ELT Emergency transmitter Locators I've heard about? I guess they are satellite active. I heard they transmit a distress signal to the network?
Anyone know anything about these?