mobile radios

[Vader]

West kootenays there is limited coverage most areas.. If you happen to have a problem and are not high enough you may not get out at all with Cell or radio. I believe Beaver Valley Communications still operates a repeater service that is essentially the same in the east.. Allows phone patches through to telephone service.. It is subrcription and requires access code to activate the repeater. It was pretty decent coverage with repeater on Red mountain, slocan ridge and a few other places. If you had access code you could use the East K system as well. Check it out.

[Comshel]

I know Killman, cell can work up high, but it is designed for urban use only and if you were to descend 500 ft you could lose your signal. I was installing a repeater station for Forestry on Bluejoint Mtn. Granby Prov. Park, middle of friggi'n nowhere a few years back and I had great cell coverage on top, because Big White was the same height and line of sight a few ranges over but 300 ft below, nothing. Two way radios with the proper freq. for your hunt area is more reliable than just a cell phone.

[Comshel]

There you go if Beaver Valley has a repeater system setup for your area then you could probably rent some portables/ mobiles for your hunt. I don't see why most of us couldn't have communication in the bush if not for yourself than for others. I believe that with the new shared hunt regs. you have to have some form of comm. between you and your hunting partners, I know it could be two cups and a string but radios could be a life saver. For the purists, you don't have to use them but you may need them.

[killman]

Ya, it was just more of a comment I would not want to have to walk to where I was if hunting or stuck in the valley.

[Hunterguy]

When hunting my partner and I use the mobile radios that we have mounted on our quads, 50 watt. Illegal but we make sure no one is on the frequency. We also have a handheld set that we purchased quite a few years ago. I is klike a small ham set. You can dial in any frequency you want, forest services roads, ambulance, co. right down to the radios of flaghags, We used it a couple of times with the co's on searches. They used our radio to dial in the helicopter. You can dial in radio telephone but is expensive to get a call number and monthly charges. Lastly I have roadstar and they will take emergency calls at no charge, they also offer a phone package, you just by minutes.

[diggerpax]

I use a sat phone- often when in the boonies I'll have to weight 20 or 30 minutes for sat to come over to make a call. So, if you need to make a call and all you have is a sat phone, make sure you are clear overhead and wait. It's a globalstar, and I have not been impressed to say the least. Even when you do connect a call, it usually drops it within a few minutes.

[Franko Manini]

It justso happens I instal communication sites through out our awesome province and have lots of experience with two-way radios for the woods. Autotels are being phased out and therefore have limited areas to work in, I still take mine with me but every year the coverage deteriates. Sat phones are expensive and need to see over our mountains and trees to work, and both these only talk to other phones. The radios that loggers use are VHF two-way and can only be used with other radios that have the same freq. programmed into them, All commercial radios require licensing and authorization for using frequencies not leased by you. Now in the real world we walk into the local radio shop order a couple of field programmable portables, a frequency list book, program the frequencies into your radio for the area you hunt and be on your way. Be careful not to intrude on those that have the legal right to the frequencies in your area. You can also purchase government pre-approved radios from outdoor stores but their range and quality are extremely limited. Just a start if you want more info let me know.

What's a setup like this gonna cost?