Ham Radio Saves Off Roading Family (CA to OHIO!)

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  • @K8BSR
    @K8BSR 7 місяців тому +39

    Caleb is a great guy and a very valued member. We here are so thankful he was able to be there when he was to help out the stranded operator.
    Huge shout out to Josh for picking up the story. Great work, Caleb and everyone who was involved.

    • @HamRadioCrashCourse
      @HamRadioCrashCourse  7 місяців тому +9

      💯! Calleb and all those that supported deserve a lot of Kudos!

    • @markw.4679
      @markw.4679 7 місяців тому +1

      ​@@HamRadioCrashCourse I would like to see you Interview these guys‼️
      👍

  • @Superacerc
    @Superacerc 7 місяців тому +32

    When you've got ham radio knowledgeand equipment, you get the whole country calling and looking for you asap. Love it!

  • @justsayingforafriend7010
    @justsayingforafriend7010 7 місяців тому +35

    This is why I am a Ham...
    Before cell phones during the earthquake in San Francisco. I was on a Navy Ship outside of the Golden Gate Bridge about 12 miles. I had my HT. I went to the Bridge of the ship and plugged into the ships VHF Marine antenna and contacted a Repeater. I asked for a Ham to check on my wife and house. Sure enough he drove over to my house and made contact with her and called back to me and reported that there is damage and she is ok.... Ham radio and Ham radio operators are so important in times like this. Stay trained up and be willing to help always. Never met the gay that gave me peace at sea....

    • @indridcold8433
      @indridcold8433 7 місяців тому +4

      Cellular phones are a convenience, not emeergency communications. Nothing depending on a subscription to cellular tower service is emeergency communications. Granted amateur radio, GMRS, and some Citizen's Band around the Can/Am border has repeaters. But, these radio services are not 100% dependent on repeaters. Cellular service is 100% dependent on cellular towers, which are glorified cellular frequency repeaters with a very hefty fee to use them. Cellular service is worthless in any catastrophe. Electricity is always the first thing to go down (goodbye electric cars), second is always cellular service.

  • @yugbe
    @yugbe 7 місяців тому +17

    Thank You!
    This will aid me in talking my wife into getting her license and installing HF in both the vehicles.
    These operators should feel proud. Great Job!!

  • @utahradioman
    @utahradioman 7 місяців тому +14

    That's AWESOME!!! Ham Radio DOES save lives! God bless! KB7TJM 📡♥️🙏

    • @indridcold8433
      @indridcold8433 7 місяців тому

      Amateur radio has always saved lives. Even the anarchist Citizen's Band saves lives, though not as much. It is not just a hobby. It is a resource as well, even for the nonlicensed that had never seen an amateur radio. I have often toyed with getting my amateur radio license. But, even if I never do, the resoruce is there to assist me in a dire emeergency. It is the way it will always be.

  • @KI7JOM
    @KI7JOM 7 місяців тому +13

    Glad you shared this story, but also glad that someone was listening when that guy was calling!

  • @miket7184
    @miket7184 7 місяців тому +1

    For new hams, at a minimum I recommend getting your General license and a portable HF transceiver. If you're out of range of repeater towers this is what's going to save you. Also getting active with Parks on the Air to keep you're 'bugout' skills in order! I like remote locations, and without fail, have made a lot of contacts. Even in a canyon accessed via a dirt road near Green River, UT (at a never activated park designated site), I made a good number of contacts activating it. It was a canyon with pretty steep sides and it made a believer out of me of the value of HF.

  • @SilentPrepperFL
    @SilentPrepperFL 7 місяців тому +6

    Josh, thank you for the story.. My family often makes fun of me that I have several radios in my car at all times. I do have a SpotX satellite, a CB Radio a GMRS radio and I also have a ham radio... they often joke that I am trying to communicate with extra-terrestrial because of several antennas. But this story clearly answers that. Awesome story. Glad to hear that the Overlanding guy and his family is doing well... and Caleb, you rock!

  • @Davidjb37721
    @Davidjb37721 7 місяців тому +8

    What a great story thank you for sharing

  • @DutchmanRadio
    @DutchmanRadio 7 місяців тому +5

    This story actually brought a tear to my eye.

  • @donniedotson3318
    @donniedotson3318 7 місяців тому +2

    Not a life saving situation but I heard a fellow calling for help on a Ham Radio repeater and I answered him. He was working on some remote equipment in a remote area and his truck wouldn't start. I called his company on the telephone and got someone from his company to come rescue him. This was years. Before cell phones.

  • @BravoBassin
    @BravoBassin 7 місяців тому +2

    This is a great story and this is what the radio community should be about all the time.
    Instead of all the drama that sometimes goes on with the GMRS and HAM operators.
    I always enjoy your approach to the radio world that you should use multiple types of radios depending on the situation.
    And they all have there place.
    This just shows the value in taking the time to learn and educate yourself a little can end up saving your life.
    Hats off to all that helped these people out great job and appreciate you sharing the story as well.

  • @DarkShadowCustoms
    @DarkShadowCustoms 7 місяців тому +3

    Awesome job to all the ham radio operators that responded. I saw the post about an hour it was made and read that police and the park were contacted in the comments. Glad that the operator who got stuck was able to get a message out and get rescued.

  • @TaylorHamRadio
    @TaylorHamRadio 7 місяців тому +2

    One of the guys from my club relayed Caleb’s message in our chat. I was at work but tuned in on WebSDR to no avail. I’m glad they were found and are safe. Strong work Caleb, I’ll send you a roll of Jersey’s very own Taylor Ham as a thank you on behalf of the ham community. Well done!

  • @Ammed_KN6STX
    @Ammed_KN6STX 7 місяців тому +4

    Great story Josh!!! Thanks for sharing!!

  • @k6nvg541
    @k6nvg541 7 місяців тому

    Went on an offroad trip in Death Valley with my father, a long time ham. Watched him hook up a HF radio to my truck battery, and laid a wire antenna on the ground in a H pattern. He turned it on and talked to his friend in Burbank on 40 or 80m. I became licensed shortly after that.

  • @toybuns775
    @toybuns775 7 місяців тому +6

    I hope some day we can hear from the operator who was in distress. I would love to hear if it was a mobile HF rig or a portable rig and why 10 meters? There are probably some good lessons to learn from this incident. Thank you to all involved in the rescue operation! Great job and I am so proud of my HAM community.

    • @Kody10538
      @Kody10538 7 місяців тому +1

      He's a technician so he was using his legal HF band plan

    • @toybuns775
      @toybuns775 7 місяців тому +1

      @@Kody10538 And that could have saved his life. Lesson #1 as a tech practice using SSB on 6 and 10 especially in emergencies. I know many Techs enjoy 2M/440 through repeaters but that wont do you any good in remote areas

  • @David-km8in
    @David-km8in 7 місяців тому

    Always treat a emergency call as genuine. Well done to all those hams who got involved and secured the safety of the caller. Best wishes David M0DUU

  • @justsayingforafriend7010
    @justsayingforafriend7010 7 місяців тому +5

    When all else fails....
    Ham Radio always works....

  • @vicmiller7191
    @vicmiller7191 7 місяців тому +1

    Fantastic story Job well done. Kudos Mr. Calleb My hat is off to you fellow HAM buddy.

  • @heiser_bill
    @heiser_bill 7 місяців тому

    I saw the post about this in the POTA fb group but it was several hours after the post. I tuned in but nothing heard here in central Calif. Glad to hear someone was able to hear and get the family the help they needed.

  • @Durang0318
    @Durang0318 7 місяців тому +2

    Nice work Caleb and everyone involved. Happy to call you a friend and club member.

  • @javabeanz8549
    @javabeanz8549 7 місяців тому +1

    Going back a very long way, I was a CB channel 9 monitor, with Cal State Emergency Radio, and took a call via skip. I was someone stuck in the middle of nowhere back in the Midwest. HF and skip can sometimes be a life saver. As to GMRS, this kind of situation is why our radio club is trying to get a repeater on the air, to reach some of the areas that are out of line of sight.

    • @HamRadioCrashCourse
      @HamRadioCrashCourse  7 місяців тому +2

      Good for you! This is why I respect all services and we need to encourage people stay multi-layered.

  • @TravelinHam
    @TravelinHam 7 місяців тому +2

    Awesome story! I’m so interested to learn the details of how the initial contact was made. GO HAMS!!!!

  • @jeffyork4021
    @jeffyork4021 7 місяців тому +1

    Great Story! Thanks for getting it out there.

  • @major__kong
    @major__kong 7 місяців тому +1

    The problems started long before needing to make a 10m contact like getting lost in Death Valley. Did they even plan out the route (see the story about the Death Valley Germans)? Did they try to understand the geography of the route? Did they even let anyone know where they were going and when to expect them back? Did they have extra food and water and shelter for the night? Did they have proper maps and know how to use them? Did they know how to use GPS? And when you finally get down to needing to ask for help, there are so many more options to start with than ham radio. Garmin inReach, PLB, airband HT set to Guard (121.5), and even cell phones will start talking with satellites soon to allow text messaging in emergencies.

  • @chriscroley9279
    @chriscroley9279 7 місяців тому

    Great job. More positive stories like this will help grow the HAM community and gett more people thinking about preparedness for just such occasions.

  • @sandraschwind-ie1nu
    @sandraschwind-ie1nu 7 місяців тому +1

    Very awesome! From one Swamper to another Swamper! You Rock Caleb!
    KE8UTX

  • @ItsEverythingElse
    @ItsEverythingElse 7 місяців тому +8

    Now I need HF in my vehicle.

  • @bebopwing1
    @bebopwing1 7 місяців тому +1

    A few months ago I did a pota on the Appalachian Trail, and my Mom wanted me to call her whenever I parked my car and started hiking. I told her I wasn't sure I would have cell coverage where I was leaving my car but if she hears nothing, that's good. Now if a random guy from Kansas calls her to say that he talked to me on the radio, and I was stuck in a ditch somewhere, that's bad!

  • @dorvinion
    @dorvinion 7 місяців тому

    Great story
    For spring break this year we traveled to some remote parts of southern Utah. At one point we saw a sign claiming the next services were over 100 miles away as we were driving to our destination at a very rarely visited park.
    Wife usually thinks of the radio stuff as a joke, but she saw the value it could have out in the wilderness after I mentioned that while the cell phone signal was gone, if we had the need to get help the little radio in the trunk would almost certainly be able to reach somebody who could relay a message to emergency personnel for us.
    I should probably create an ultra-basic instruction manual for it so wife can use it just in case. Trouble would be convincing her to actually practice it a couple times before our trips.

  • @johnboggan4390
    @johnboggan4390 7 місяців тому +4

    Good video and thank you much. 😅😅

  • @full_metal2452
    @full_metal2452 7 місяців тому +3

    Would a Garmin inReach do this easier or even a newer Apple iPhone with SOS features?

    • @dorvinion
      @dorvinion 7 місяців тому +2

      Sure, if you have one
      I don't do the apple thing.
      Living in the midwest we have nearly universal cell coverage so its hard to justify such a device even though I do most of my vacationing out west in NPS/NFS/BLM lands.
      If I lived in Utah or some other remote place and my weekends were filled with 'go on trail and the only people I see are in my party' I'd probably get one.

    • @HamRadioCrashCourse
      @HamRadioCrashCourse  7 місяців тому +2

      Hypothetically. Again, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

    • @k6nvg541
      @k6nvg541 7 місяців тому +2

      I take HF, mobile radio and a Garmin Inreach on backcountry off road trips. Expect to self rescue because help will be hours away.

  • @aj2isotadxing
    @aj2isotadxing 7 місяців тому

    Is 14.300 a good emergency frequency to use in this type of situation? That seems to be a very frequent monitored net for maritime traffic, obviously anywhere would work but just curious

  • @mikegianfrancesco9431
    @mikegianfrancesco9431 7 місяців тому +1

    I woeked him on 40 meters back this Jan 8 while I was calling cq

  • @davidsradioroom9678
    @davidsradioroom9678 7 місяців тому +1

    This is really cool! Thanks!

  • @thelliez
    @thelliez 7 місяців тому

    Not a ham (yet): sorry for the naive questions but I am curious. Is there a dedicated emergency frequency? Or are you just hoping that someone would listen? When I was sailing we had channel 16 that we had to monitor. Is there a similar convention in ham?

  • @ronpetroski7203
    @ronpetroski7203 7 місяців тому

    Where i live, they use gmrs. I keep a h8 on at all times.

  • @Plays111295
    @Plays111295 7 місяців тому

    Hey Josh, could you make a video about a good vehicle setup for HF along with the basic understanding of that radio?
    I’m new into HAM radio and my goal is to get up to my extra license but that will take a little bit of time. In the mean time I really think having some decent equipment along with some basic knowledge would be useful incase this ever happened to me or others who may be in similar situations.
    I definitely understand that there’s a lot to it but I think that for someone who’s learning (which takes time) that a slight jump into the basic understanding of how to setup/use a HF radio in a vehicle could be vital.

  • @maverickmig211
    @maverickmig211 7 місяців тому

    How do I get started with Ham knowledge/equipment? I have basically no knowledge other than using walkie Talkies in church. Used to be a volunteer firefighter so I used the radios there as well. Any help will be greatly appreciated

    • @s8ultra732
      @s8ultra732 7 місяців тому

      Buy a 10m mobile radio and 10m antenna with mag mount and use 10m simplex frequency to ask for help if theres emergency and no cell service and no vhf uhf repeater available.

  • @swartzautoman2
    @swartzautoman2 7 місяців тому

    This is what I use my radio for.
    I go hiking in deep wooded location that have week to no cell service.
    If I'm in need of emergency services, chances are I'll be making the call on my radio.
    Only my radio is only 25w uhf/vhf.

  • @maggiescott9289
    @maggiescott9289 7 місяців тому

    Doing my RAE hope to be of help if something goes wrong and maybe meet new people

  • @ItsEverythingElse
    @ItsEverythingElse 7 місяців тому +3

    Let's see GMRS do THAT!

    • @HamRadioCrashCourse
      @HamRadioCrashCourse  7 місяців тому +1

      It has its place, should be layered into a comms plan.

  • @JustOneSmallExplorer
    @JustOneSmallExplorer 7 місяців тому

    Is it acceptable to own a handheld ham radio without a license if it's only used for non-transmitting purposes, except in emergencies?

    • @fenra13
      @fenra13 7 місяців тому +1

      That's what I did! I got one mainly to have something to listen to weather while camping and a mild interest in amateur radio. After listening to the skywarn net in my county during severe weather, I decided I wanted to get licensed so I can contribute.

  • @channelview8854
    @channelview8854 7 місяців тому +1

    If the operator had an NVIS antenna and used 75 or 40 meters it probably would have all worked smoother. But of course, the main thing is he was rescued.

    • @HamRadioCrashCourse
      @HamRadioCrashCourse  7 місяців тому

      Busting out an NVIS when bogged down in mud sounds like a nightmare.

    • @channelview8854
      @channelview8854 7 місяців тому

      @@HamRadioCrashCourse Maybe one of us is confused. I've used a quarter wavelength of wire, worked against a counterpoise, deployed low and horizontally and had dynamite results out to a few hundred miles. I figure a spool of maybe 20 gauge wire and some nylon mason's line stored for emergency use. I could deploy that in a couple minutes. Oh yeah, you need a bananna plug to plug into the SO239 on your radio. In a pinch you could lay the wire on the ground, especially on poorly conducting desert soil. The antenna need not require more space than a baseball and deployable in less than five minutes in nearly any environment. How is this a nightmare? Oh yeah, for best results in difficult conditions, go to CW for a 9 dB boost in SNR.

    • @HamRadioCrashCourse
      @HamRadioCrashCourse  7 місяців тому

      NVIS is generally 40 meters and lower. For 40, Roughly 32’ on each leg dragged out over the mud. Not fun. I’d try the mobile Hf antenna first. But NVIS not a bad idea as a back up.

    • @channelview8854
      @channelview8854 7 місяців тому

      @@HamRadioCrashCourse After I finished the earlier post, I realized that merely tying down an HF whip to a somewhat horizontal position would get you where you want to go. I have normally used wire so it captured my thinking. I live near a huge Army post and see HF whips tied down on vehicles regularly. I'm told one reason for that is to maximize the vertical radiation pattern.

  • @BricelynTowne
    @BricelynTowne 7 місяців тому

    If a guy or gal was to use HF to call out for help what band / Freq do people listen to for this sort of thing? UHF/VHF I'd expect to hear it on 146.52 of 446.000.

    • @HamRadioCrashCourse
      @HamRadioCrashCourse  7 місяців тому

      I’d try all bands until I heard someone. If that didn’t work, I do my best to pick the best band and start calling for help.

  • @i335a
    @i335a 7 місяців тому

    Does anyone have a link to the original story?

  • @fredwebster1091
    @fredwebster1091 7 місяців тому

    Cell service is almost non existent in Death Valley other than a few places

  • @AZREDFERN
    @AZREDFERN 7 місяців тому +1

    imagine trying to call for help and every 3KHz is full of rag chewers lol. We have mountains and valleys in AZ, so you're always in HT range of a repeater. Any mountain a mile or taller can basically hit max HT range. But this kind of j u s t i f i e s me installing HF in every vehicle now.

  • @paulsmeltzer4414
    @paulsmeltzer4414 7 місяців тому

    Does this count as a chase?

  • @rrrandommman
    @rrrandommman 7 місяців тому +1

    Strange choice for a thumbnail, the third generation Suzuki Jimny was never sold in the USA, and they're not known for being easily bogged.

    • @HamRadioCrashCourse
      @HamRadioCrashCourse  7 місяців тому +2

      It was the best stock image of a stuck vehicle I could get. Also, I secretly want a Jimny really bad.
      I guess third, for those that know, it engaged them enough to comment. 😅

    • @rrrandommman
      @rrrandommman 7 місяців тому +1

      @@HamRadioCrashCourse Us hams like to notice details haha. They're great cars if you can get one too. Can you import German left hand drive models there?

  • @bobinmontana777
    @bobinmontana777 7 місяців тому

    A Garmin Instinct would have identified his location and he could have emailed/messaged a map as part of his “pace” plan.

  • @bobr6555
    @bobr6555 7 місяців тому

    The operator was, to put it simply, an idiot for risking his family's and his life. Never ever drive into mud, or any other difficult terrain, without first checking the track, especially if you are not with other vehicles. Then, as you rightly said, he should have had a layered set of communications means and I would add Starlink into the ones you mentioned.

    • @miket7184
      @miket7184 7 місяців тому

      Did you find it necessary to call a fellow ham an idiot?

  • @paxbillton1042
    @paxbillton1042 7 місяців тому

    Just wanted to add that making such a contact on CB is possible (not probable) given the nature of CB and some of it's users, it's unlikely that anyone hearing a mayday call would actually take it seriously.

  • @DonzLockz
    @DonzLockz 7 місяців тому

    That's super great to see the ham community help out and save lives.👍
    However, "Some people" will swear that GMRS Boowhangs are still far superior.🤷🏻‍♂️🇦🇺73

  • @rfcdgaf
    @rfcdgaf 7 місяців тому +1

    I mean cool, but what would've been even better would be a $150 USD used spot or inreach. You have a way way way way higher chance of getting to emergency services as that is the whole POINT of the device. Rescue coordination centers manned 24/7/365
    Use what you got, but part of your PACE plan needs to be satcom if you regulary go out of cell service.

  • @wasylbakowsky5199
    @wasylbakowsky5199 7 місяців тому

    An Inreach device is the real way to go these days (SPOT was obsolete 10 yrs+)

  • @bellatoramatbellum
    @bellatoramatbellum 7 місяців тому

    Isn't CB on 11 meters which is pretty close to 10 meters?

    • @HamRadioCrashCourse
      @HamRadioCrashCourse  7 місяців тому

      Absolutely. See my pop-up note on the latter half of the video.

    • @N2YTA
      @N2YTA 7 місяців тому

      To use CB in that way you would not only have to operate outside of the FCC rules, you would need someone else also operating outside the rules (using more power than allowed) to establish contact. . . Regardless of what “some people” say, in an emergency operating outside the FCC rules and counting on others also outside the rules isn’t a good option. . .

  • @jessemazo4791
    @jessemazo4791 7 місяців тому

    i hear this all the time from nearby friends and family Aswell... they keep telling me over 1) how ham radio has no real purpose other than sitting around and talking trash and till probably even get you in trouble eventually.. 2) which was told by my elders to which i no longer have is... its for crazy old retired men thats have nothing but time to dedicate to a hobby and infinite money driving them crazy! which both can be true neither are fact! its all what you make of it.

    • @miket7184
      @miket7184 7 місяців тому

      I'd tell them there's a lot more to ham radio than just talking on the radio. Ask them what they do to have a purpose in life other than sitting on their butts drinking beer and watching football games all day.

  • @kk6onl
    @kk6onl 7 місяців тому

    I would also encourage people to not just rely on the spot page when hunting and spin the big knob...

  • @dougdaniels
    @dougdaniels 7 місяців тому

    Many/most of us Hams have VHF in our vehicles, what percentage have HF in their vehicles? Wake up call!

    • @N2YTA
      @N2YTA 7 місяців тому

      We don't know if the person in Death Valley had an HF radio/antenna mounted in his vehicle, he may have had a portable HF kit that he set up when he got stuck.

    • @dougdaniels
      @dougdaniels 7 місяців тому

      @@N2YTA Exactly, which would still have been in his vehicle. I keep my POTA setup in my vehicle.

    • @N2YTA
      @N2YTA 7 місяців тому +1

      @@dougdaniels I don’t usually have an HF kit in my vehicle, but if I’m going to someplace remote I would bring some HF capability.

  • @justsayingforafriend7010
    @justsayingforafriend7010 7 місяців тому

    It can happen anytime or anywhere...
    Be ready.... Have your ECOM plan...

  • @togeika
    @togeika 7 місяців тому

    Sounds like without social media, they wouldn't have been able to help the folks in distress. Good not to be myopic and use all the tools available to us.

  • @WastedTalent-
    @WastedTalent- 7 місяців тому

    Remember, Ham operators pretty much saved the world in ID4.

  • @nc4xldom375
    @nc4xldom375 7 місяців тому

    Just wanted to let you know that we have posted you on seven additional amateur radio pages with your UA-cam video on this excellent subject thanks for being there.
    NC4XL Dom

  • @kelley64
    @kelley64 7 місяців тому

    Thanks for doing in this story. Fantastic job Caleb 73 KF7ZVL

  • @chrisfiat
    @chrisfiat 7 місяців тому

    What frequency was this on, and what frequency shou.i I monitor when traveling

    • @s8ultra732
      @s8ultra732 7 місяців тому

      Buy a 10m mobile radio and 10m antenna with mag mount and use 10m simplex frequency to ask for help if theres emergency and no cell service and no vhf uhf repeater available.

    • @chrisfiat
      @chrisfiat 7 місяців тому

      I got that but what is the frequency. The actual number

    • @N2YTA
      @N2YTA 7 місяців тому

      ​@@chrisfiat I don't think there are specific calling frequencies on the HF bands. The most active part of ten meters for SSB voice is 28.3 to 28.5 MHz. Ten meters is good now and will be for the next couple of years because we in the high point of the solar cycle.

    • @s8ultra732
      @s8ultra732 7 місяців тому

      @@chrisfiat i think no specific frequency. Imo, i will just transmit distress signal on any of the 10m frequencies in an emergency.

  • @stephenmooney1153
    @stephenmooney1153 7 місяців тому +1

    Notarubicon