Ham Radio Calls In Helicopter Medevac!

[@jakep5121]

I knew he was a firefighter immediately. Mustaches don't lie.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Lmao. Right?

[@slappomatthew]

Came to post this. He didn’t even need to say anything

[@k6usy]

I mustache you a question but I am shaving it for later.

[@patrick70335]

@@k6usy 50 DKP minus

[@arupian666]

haha, not only a mustache, a justache...

[@TheDoug625]

Just shows that any radio is better than no radio.

[@Lon1001]

unless that radio doesn't operate in the same freq range as what you need it for, as shown by this story

[@georgespeck8761]

I agree with you

[@CMDR_John_Crichton]

I love the Flipper Zero just chilling on the shelf in the background.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Me too!

[@Riverbend1752]

There's a saying in the photography circle that goes "The best camera is the one you have." Same thing goes for radios.

[@Lon1001]

or like in this case the best camera is the one that works

[@imrich884]

And guns too.

[@corywilliamsmith]

Same for fire arms

[@BigJohnsHamShack]

Baofeng for the win!

[@johannesincalifornia]

Great story. Hopefully this calls more people getting ham radio licensees to learn about radio communication, which the world cannot live without.

[@EZPromoVideos]

Great info from a fellow DFW Fire Chief! What a great story and a Baofeng redemption story!

[@markchase5323]

Do the best you can with what you've got right where you are at.

[@PaulRReyesActor]

Terrific story! Passing it on to my brother, who was a firefighter medic in San Diego for years. Tnx de kb3nje.

[@AlexsanderVogl]

I love how every time I watch one of your videos it sends me into hours of research. Now I'm working on getting one of my UV5Rs configured with VTAC freqs.

[@Todd_S]

What an amazing story. I love my Baofeng.

[@TSGEnt]

Baofeng to the rescue! Right on! I say Baofengs for EVERYBODY!

[@Sonicgott]

What a legendary tale. I’m happy to have a smattering of radios on me. Now I’m thinking about keeping a spare in my car (aside from the GMRS radio). Thanks for sharing this!

[@phoenixvideos]

Awesome story, goes to show the need for comms. We have had failed radios while heading to a scene. We have permission to self land without a ground crew, but we do many more orbits at different altitudes on the way down. Mostly if we are going to be first on scene, but it's much less dangerous if someone has looked for hazard on the ground already. Also, we call the hospital after a few hours and send a report to the fire and ambulance crews that were at the scene of what we did and what the hospital found.

[@PatrickRich]

So I've actually experienced this to a smaller and less life threatening degree. I worked with the large air med provider here in Utah to create training material for local emergency agencies: Urban and rural LZ training mostly. For filming purposes we used my Baofeng UV82 to get audio of the comms between the LZ coordinator and the pilot, we just had to set both radios to a frequency the UV-82 could hear (but not Tx on...I think it was air band maybe). I just happened to have it in my truck so I put it to monitor near a mic in a quiet place to capture the audio.

[@kingwalker733]

I am a volunteer with a group that works with our local PD blocking streets and directing traffic for parades and fires and such. A lady went around the five barrels I was at and headed straight for me. After hitting me she drove off and by Baofeng was able to radio her license number to the motor cops that we were working with. Go Go BaoFeng!

[@dustinmeier9753]

Sometimes, the best radio is like the best firearm. It’s the one you have with you that you are proficient with.

[@BrassCatcher365]

Wow this is amazing. Im so glad it worked out like that!

[@bendeleted9155]

The more we go to the most expensive and complex systems that talk through trunking computers and preclude ANY ability to talk to radios not included in the approved fleet, the more we will need to carry ham radios in our gear in public safety. Great outcome! 👍

[@flowerpt]

Wild coincidence, I just ordered a pair of the 10W for under $60 to have ready for emergencies with local programming like this EMS driver (let's hear from him!). It almost feels irresponsible to not have a pair to hand out on a disaster scene at this point.

[@ChrisKD9YSW]

Smart thinking

[@donnakano3697]

Back in the days before cellular phones, it was pretty common to hear either phone patch or relayed calls to emergency services. Even after cell phones started to be more common in cars, I used my cell phone on speaker to relay emergency calls via repeaters so the emergency operators could speak to the ham on-site. It was very funny to see how surprised people would be when they needed a jump start and someone would make a call for jumper cables on the repeater and get the cables there in just a few minutes.

[@dannypittman4766]

Vmed 28 is still standard in Texas. I used it recently several weeks ago on a first responder event when the local city, which is all digital needed a way for the chopper to contact us in the county, since the event took the city police into the county. I advised the city officer that we will use the Vmed28. Went smooth is glass, chopper on the ground. BTW UV-82C

[@spldrong]

Baofengs have called in multiple air stikes too

[@Don-mb9fo]

Great story!

[@JRGRAY-33]

Another interesting video. Greetings from England 🇬🇧

[@bendeleted9155]

Joshua can be reached on his D74 at KMG365. He reminds me of Chet. 😂

[@zomday71]

FENG GANG

[@silasbland4515]

As an EMS pilot and ham general, I appreciate this story. Generally, if there is no communications with LZ Command and the Pilot-in-Command can clearly identify the LZ (markers, lights, etc..) and determines the LZ is safe, they can land. Obviously, some programs may establish policies prohibiting this. It is not uncommon for EMS helicopters to be the first on scene and land without any other first responders present.

[@DonzLockz]

Wow, great story. Glad it all worked out. 👍🤠

[@mdwestlund1]

Another case where amateur radio comes to the rescue. Good job Josh. Hope to see you on the air wa6ols Wes.

[@gagewright2220]

Like hearing these stories. Helps give insight if I ever need to in the future. Its like Skinnymedics After Action Reports. What happened what worked, what didn't, how to improve.

[@ShulerBurton]

Actually in our area the standard backup home radio to the Motorola Analog was the Baofeng uv5r every deputy and EMS and the coroners office. They’ve moved to fleet talk digital but the analog freqs are still kept and the baofengs too. Local freqs and neighboring areas and then the NIFOG freq standards and marine. Then the weather radio channels. Makes an impressive little package with Nagoya antennas and the larger battery they fit well in hand and can reach almost any location in county. Remember in an emergency any method or freq can be used, so if needed the little Baofeng is there and it performs better than the Motorola handhelds.

[@lewistasso8866]

Moral of the story: EVERYONE should have at least 1 Baofeng GT-5r. As a 20+ year licensed ham, the GT-5r is worth every cent (and more) and my go-to HT.

[@jmac217x]

Thanks Josh

[@KristineMorand]

Never under estimate a Baofeng!

[@seanfichera]

I have been on a local FD and did radio maintenance for a PD. The National Interop channels are still in every radio I own.

[@webanon]

Dude, while somewhat funny (Feng), this was a really cool story. Thanks for sharing!

[@jwfox54]

Great story, thanks Josh

[@georgespeck8761]

it goes to show you having a low cost two way radio to use during emergency communications when your public safety radios don't have interoperability communication its a great idea

[@georgespeck8761]

making sure it's programmed correctly with the right pl tones

[@BruceForster-k9n]

My everyday carry Radio is a Yeas FT-65-I have two of those, and my wife uses an FT-4 For shift types of incidents, I have a VX-6, and a VX-8. ALL but the VX-6 have the TX Mod.

[@dan_in_sd]

I found a NIFOG-type document for EOCs around Southern California. but a lot is on Radio Reference. VTAC-22 is one used here in san diego

[@davehardtke1712]

Awesome story thanks for doing this episode Good stuff

[@ocsrc]

This radio is FM, not AM. I used to carry an air band radio when I was a firefighter. We did have a VHF FM band 155.715 to call the helicopters from our fire and EMS radios. But I had my own air radio and could talk to them on 123.000 The new phase 2 digital 700/800 encrypted system is a nightmare Our old VHF system just worked. The new system is a disaster

[@cwd243]

I'm a wilderness EMT and former SAR crew member. I've thru hiked the AT, PCT, and many other long trails. I love my uv-5r, but I'm not going anywhere without my personal location beacon. (Garmin in reach) It's satellite based. You hit one button, in comes the chopper. Please don't trust your life to a 15 dollar radio....

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I don’t think anyone is advocating that. I’m all about layered approaches to communications here.

[@cwd243]

@@HamRadioCrashCourse oh, don't get me wrong. I don't think you are advocating that at all. In fact the opposite. That being said there's an army of prepper channels out there that think the UV5r is gods gift to emcom. They don't know what a QRP HF radio is and think repeaters run on pixie dust, thoughts and prayers. This dude got lucky a chopper heard him....

[@IamSpectre2020]

@@cwd243 Said like a true You Tuber Ham with acronyms and all including a ton a free radios. I drive a beautiful jag XJ8 paid for it myself, can we both make it to the 7/11 in the next hour?

[@cwd243]

@@IamSpectre2020 lol. It depends, how far is the 7/11? If it's line of sight, in a new XJ8 made by Ford, yea. If it's more than 15 miles away, your over hyped, underperforming sports radio might as well be a 10 speed. Everyone knows that the correct Internet Ham nomenclature for a uv-5r is "boof wangs" sir. My 1986 Honda Civic, g90 edition will make it to 7/11s in Honduras....

[@cwd243]

@@IamSpectre2020 go get yourself a (tr) USDX. It only costs like 8 boof wangs and has arguably better build quality than a uv-5r or XJ8. This guy has several videos about them....

[@mcgrath16511]

In the world of CCW, the saying is any gun is better than no gun,, same goes for the world of communication,, For the cost of just a basic fang,, why not have one.. great story!!

[@Yozimbo]

Ken, Yea and Ico walk in a bar bragging... Little Bao: "hold my beer, got a medevac to coordinate"...

[@GadgetReviewVideos]

I love how this guy has a flipper zero on the shelf in the background.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Same!

[@mikemeadors2291]

The APX6000 is capable of 800, 700, UHF, and VHF. The Texas interoperability channels may be already programmed in his department radios, but no one told the field. If no, the radio shop should be able to easily program the VHF interop channels in the APX handheld AND mobile radios.

[@jacksarebetter]

If the helo had a crew then someone on there had a cell phone so dispatch could have given the number to someone on the ground and they could have just called them...am I wrong here?

[@wd8dsb]

Not sure the crew on the helo would be able to even hear their cellphone unless they have it connected to their headset (wired or Bluetooth) whereas their radios are piped into their headsets. Also suspect the folks on the ground would have difficulty hearing the helicopters cell phone audio due to the very high background noise within the helicopters cabin.

[@CalebDavis-e3g]

They use a P25 Trunked system. It requires special radios to decode and compile data from an array of frequencies. There’s no easy way to dial in a specific frequency, especially from the 700-800 down to 155 mhz.

[@full_metal2452]

Josh- speaking of Dispatch: love to see an interview with dispatch person as well police officer and ask them how they can understand and relay information when almost 95% of police eat the mic or don’t talk legible into mic 😂 Funny monitoring local stations and can’t understand half of what the officer says.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Oh man. I have a scanner running most days coming off a discone antenna. I think I hear pretty well, but I’d be damned to copy half of what I can hear. 😅

[@Ted-F-Strassburg-III]

Where can we get a spiral bound copy of the NIFOG manual? I've been looking for over a year with no luck yet.

[@edwardverduzco88]

My God!!!! That is a glorious mustache!

[@nerdgarage]

Now I gotta figure out how to program more stuff into my radios. [sigh] =)

[@bobave2463]

I want my life to be saved with a Kenwood TH-D75A.

[@CoaxAndCampstools]

That mustache! 😍

[@levi5548]

Feng gang for life

[@mrtechie6810]

So that's why it is called "crash course"!

[@JamieStuff]

§ 97.405 Station in distress. (a) No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station in distress of any means at its disposal to attract attention, make known its condition and location, and obtain assistance. (b) No provision of these rules prevents the use by a station, in the exceptional circumstances described in paragraph (a) of this section, of any means of radiocommunications at its disposal to assist a station in distress.

[@danielkramarsky5858]

Amen

[@bobmueller7989]

8tac92d and 8tac94d are the national air to ground interoperability channels. It is a failure of the air Ambulance company to not have this capability in the aircraft. If they did have that capability in the aircraft, then it was a failure of the firefighters on the ground to get their radios on that channel. I have witnessed many firefighters unable to find that channel in their 700 / 800 radios.

[@NickBEADG]

How though? Aren't they mostly on digital signals? I don't think Baofeng can communicate with basically any officials these days?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

In this case, no. Not he helicopter crew anyways

[@solidstrike165]

Where did you get your NIFOG? I cant find the current issue spiral bound anywhere

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I don’t have a current. Mine is 2021.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I don’t have a current. Mine is 2021.

[@NatesRandomVideo]

Exposed a big gap in their comm plan that shouldn’t have been there in 2024. Our local metro dispatch has had “patch” capability to the V/U interop frequencies for literally decades now, dispatch controlled, with multiple TX/RX sites. I can almost guarantee any sales folk worth their salt have asked that dispatch leadership team about it and recommended such “patches” for at least a decade also. Minimum. Someone was sitting on it until word got around a Feng saved their butts. In the grand scheme of things with a multi-agency Motorola system, it’s a tiny tiny fraction of the overall cost of the system. That patient is very lucky multiple people’s carelessness about Interop didn’t kill them. I’ve sat through the tabletop exercises that would have been done on an annual basis and caught the missing intetop capability, too. From a “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain” behind the scenes look, that’s a MAJOR screwup in 2024. Glad you asked him if they freaking fixed it, too. Negligent is the best word I can think of for it. Reason: Disastrer bring aircraft from all over - even if your local aircraft typically have your local digital system on board.

[@evgenylikhachev5535]

Hey. Thank you for your knowledge and interesting content. Im almost your neighbor. Any suggestions on ham club to join and store to visit. Thank you.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

W6TRW

[@evgenylikhachev5535]

Im not a ham licensed yet. On preparation state yet. )

[@keithsafford3056]

Where do you find the VTAC UFH and VHF frequencies? Maybe I need to program them into my Baofeng HT's and Yaesu HT's!

[@J...1]

Radio reference has vtac and utac freqs on the US national freqs section of their website. Note these are used to coordinate usually multiple agencies on a scene or in adhoc situations and not always monitored. Many wild land fire teams use a certain vtac channel for an emergency distress on their Motorola HT's

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Check it out. www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-04/NIFOG%202.01_508%20FINAL%20VERSION%205%2011%2022.pdf

[@Iamdebug]

Each state potentially has their own as well. I know Texas does.

[@ReikibyMike-SixofCupsTarot]

This is awesome 😎

[@SovereignHam]

Hams and prospective hams have asked me what is the best radio to have. My reply has been any radio that works and can get you on the air. Nothing angers me more in the ham community than to hear one person dogging on another person because they have a Baofeng or any other of the affordable radios.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Well said. But I also encourage people to get better quality if they can!

[@45auto]

I doubt the emergency frequencies were programmed into the Baofeng. The spurious emissions just happened to land on one.

[@cwd243]

Lol.😂

[@N2ELS.]

Great mustache

[@AmboscottUK]

Inter-agency communications are critical and should of been sorted way before this

[@johnbuchman4854]

Wouldn't the helicopter be AM VHF and the HT FM VHF???

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

🤷🏼‍♀️😅

[@hardwired3640]

I understand why you would think this but no, the helicopters interface with Public Safety frequency allocations which are all FM. Check out the NFIOG that he’s talking about. PDF version is available online. VTAC, VFIRE, VLAW are popular frequencies for interfacing with helicopters. It varies with your area, whatever they like to use. It’s usually kinda informal. Join your local volunteer Fire department or EMS, they’re always needing more help and you can learn firsthand

[@SaltBayGull]

The helicopter's NAV/COM radio, which they would be using for contact with Air Traffic Control, is AM VHF. However, they would not be using that radio to communicate with other agencies. That one is locked on to traffic control usage. They would be using a different radio to contact ground resources in an air ambulance situation, and those interoperability radios would be FM.

[@NatesRandomVideo]

Most Medevac and SAR aircraft have VHF and/or UHF FM radios in addition to the aircraft radios. High band radios are less common but are available also, typically both FM and APCO P-25 capable.

[@tracyrreed]

MAH BOOFWANG CALLED DA AMBER LAMPS!!!

[@freedomfalcon]

*WHEEZE 😂😂😂

[@jamesbridges7750]

Using the dispatch repeater is still a single point of failure- there's zero reason for them not to have mobile UHF/VHF.

[@RobCanada]

Interesting story. In the UK you can use any frequency / radio in a life threatening situation. Is it the same in the rest of the world?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

In the states? Yes

[@howlingwolven]

Life over law is a pretty established comms principle.

[@IamSpectre2020]

May not be the best radio but your wrong, it was the best radio in the world that day, ask the survivor so stop bashing what doesn't meet your standard of what everybody else should have.

[@JSMachine1]

Exactly. Ask through person calling 911 if they care what you bring.

[@jplacido9999]

FCC entered the chat.... (😂😂😂 if it's life risk or big property it is legal...if you have no other way)

[@OctavMandru]

Not FCC compliant, illegal rescue means. Please return patient to incident site immediately

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Lol

[@seandrake7534]

O fantastic another podcast to have to listen to 😂😂😂😂 73 , Kj5GTB

[@seantajkowski]

Nope…..poor policy to be a life safety service and command does not have a multi band. Technology available for too long now with a known issue with “intra”-operable systems. If you put these systems in, you have the responsibility to provide “Inter”-operability. All systems are at risk with dispatch running the show. What if they are out of network? Lessons learned here should have led to a Multiband, not cross patch. Especially after a hurricane, tornado, earthquake and so on. Network depended systems are not part of an appropriate PACE plan

[@jplacido9999]

No one have heard about airbanb VHF...that's the legal way... Most other systems are not legal aboard airships....

[@Factory400]

Yaesu would save a life even better 😂😅😂😅 When calls come in with spurious emissions, they can be ignored. Definitely. For sure.

[@d.j.roberts187]

what is foreskin profusion? @2:15ish

[@gary-f2i]

What does that have to do with emcom?