Using Ham Radio as First Responder Review - TERT (Timpanogos Emergency Response Team)

[@bhamptonkc7]

Lessons learned you will get better, many people can key a handheld but it is when comms go to crap is when your skills shine, be ready.

[@backcountryamateurradio]

thank you! Yes, like anything, exposure makes us better. Sometimes it's a matter of finding these opportunities to get that experience. It's just not enough to participate in our weekly nets.

[@bhamptonkc7]

@@backcountryamateurradio very true, I volunteer with my local SRR group I do communications for sarbase and I tell the teams I can have the best equipment but Without the teams doing there part it won’t do any good, this weekend I am taking part in a point to point exercise that is centered in Seattle mostly uhf/vhf and a bit of Hf I am located in central WA and I will be running an NVIS station mostly on 40m exchanging traffic. That will add an extra bullet to there exercise. I am learning also.

[@backcountryamateurradio]

@@bhamptonkc7 That is fantastic! Please stop in to share more. That is really the kind of work I'd like to hear more about. I hope you had the best results with the Point to Point exercise!

[@clydeosterhout1221]

This is still one of the most useful and informative videos I have ever viewed!

[@backcountryamateurradio]

Glad it was helpful! thank you for the feedback.

[@KI4ASK]

Great stuff. I really want to hike Timpanogos next summer when we come back to Utah.

[@backcountryamateurradio]

Thanks Joe. I hope you make it Timpanogos next year. It's majestic. If I can answer any questions about the hike (and it's toll on knees), let me know!

[@clydeosterhout1221]

Good information! Great practical real world stuff. Thanks!

[@backcountryamateurradio]

Thanks Clyde, glad you found it useful. I hope to do more of this in coming seasons. Hope you're doing well!

[@charlierumsfeld6626]

Beautiful country.

[@backcountryamateurradio]

Thank you. Truly blessed to be here.

[@alvarogaitan2529]

great video fantastic thanks 73 from kb2uew

[@backcountryamateurradio]

Thank you for checking it out. I appreciate having your thoughts here! KI7WJP 73

[@SamHaraldson]

Thanks for sharing some practical successes and mistakes. The elevation profile showing the directional limitations of 2m/70cm comms with various antennas was eye opening. And I appreciate the commentary on when using the GS-5B for a widened band of communication in an emergency scenario could be of value. Hands down the best part of the video was the goats though!

[@backcountryamateurradio]

Haha, the goats were everywhere! It was pretty normal to have them wandering through our camp, our daytime hangout, and pretty much everywhere. They don't mind people but they don't like dogs... Thanks for the feedback. I plan to do a bit more on the limitations of radio in mountain geography in the spring. It's was an interesting breakdown and I've gotta do some more research to fully understand what's happening with it. And, yes, the GS-5B is a pretty stand-out radio, even with its quirks. Be well friend! Have a great winter! Eric

[@chrisdonner2910]

Great video! How many watts were you using on HF? How did you set up your NVIS antenna? Thank you!

[@backcountryamateurradio]

Chris, I appreciate you exploring my content. It means a lot! So, I built a linked dipole for 80 and 40 meters tuned for NVIS, at roughly 10-13' off the ground. 13' up at the feedpoint and maybe a little higher at the wire ends, sagging in between the supported ends to about 10' or so. I scan it every time for VSWR and it seems very happy each time. I have a whole playlist about this antenna here if you're interested. kzbin.info/aero/PLWIdCBv9qIkwJu_craiFitBiVwl3EPb5d - the "Part 4" has a diagram of the setup. This one shows action from mine and 3 other stations while using this antenna. Also, 5W transmit power. Actually, in most of these videos 5W is all I ever use. - 73 - Eric

[@chrisdonner2910]

@@backcountryamateurradio Thank you very much for the info and your excellent videos!

[@davidnelson6889]

Great video and information. Do you monitor a frequency on HF in the wilderness or do you carry with you a list of HF nets when you are in the backcountry? I was thinking about the Wilderness Protocol and was thinking that it could be just as important to know what frequencies are being used by a group of HF operators. These nets would have a lot of operators scattered around that could hear a weak signal and could facilitate emergency traffic if needed.

[@backcountryamateurradio]

Thanks for checking this out David. I realize it's kind of tough to make this kind of content exciting but there are some worthwhile lessons we all take away from them. Going back to your previous comment on the NVIS video, I don't have a set list of HF nets. But as you know, there are many going on often. I think that creating a specific net for the backcountry radio group out west might be our best bet. Building that network of invested operators that we could count on to listen for us out there.... really, this is something I've also been thinking about. Thanks for your thoughts. I look forward to doing some radio work with you this coming summer. KI7WJP Eric