Local VHF Frequencies

Having some form of wireless communication is handy and could save a life when you're out in the woods. Cell phones only work line-of-sight to a tower, and that means you have to be at a high point and clear of thick forest to make it to a distant tower. The FRS/GMRS walkie-talkies are good to have to keep in touch with group members. Many outdoor adventurers are already carrying them. Think of this...if  everyone in the Plumas National Forest monitored Channel 1, left the tone squelch off, and only used it for a calling channel...call someone, go to another channel for your extended conversation, when done, go back to channel 1. Then there is the possibility that your group could reach another group in the area and relay out to someone that can use a cell phone or if the ranger is listening you can use these to get help. However this sort of a plan is only as good as the participants and their ability to stick with it.

 

A better way is to have at least one member of your group carrying amateur radio. If you are hiking the PCT in the Plumas, on the east slopes you can use The Mt. Hough repeater near Quincy, The Dyer Mountain repeater near Almanor, on the west slopes you can reach the Sutter Buttes repeater, the Willows repeater. If you really want reliable communication all the way down in the canyons, you may carry a “QRP rig” that uses the 80 or 40 meter amateur bands. Yaesu makes the FT817 which is a backpack radio that will do all of the above, as well as monitor weather, CalFire dispatch, USFS dispatch which is helpful during fire season so if a fire breaks out you will know where and what is going on. For frequency listings check this page. There is also a nationwide radio network for wilderness adventurers that monitors certain frequencies on a schedule. Even though you went out in the wilderness for solitude, it can be a welcome break to be able to talk to someone or get a message out at some point in your day. Getting an amateur radio license would be a good start, remember you are not paying expensive air time like you would on a satellite phone!

 

Even though trails around Lake Oroville have cell coverage in many places, amateur radio has been a regular help to endurance ride events. Volunteers have helped with communications networking between the base camp at Loafer Creek, the start at Thompson Flat, and operators on horseback in between. This last year, members of Oroville Amateur Radio Society and Butte County Sheriff Communications Reserve were involved relaying radio traffic over the Oroville Dam.

 

If you are into four-wheel drive or ATV off-roading it is fine to have helmet radios or CBs in your  trucks for local intercom, but if at least one member of your group has amateur radio, you have a line to the outside world! A multi-band mobile radio no bigger than a CB, a general class amateur license, some whip antennas mounted on your rig will let you communicate from just about anywhere, and since a lot of hams are using many frequencies regularly, you will be able to reach help very quickly if needed, or just to tell someone in town you got your deer and you're on your way back.

 

If you are boating on Lake Oroville, or anywhere in the Oroville area, OARS has a repeater available on Kelly Ridge that reaches out to the west all across the valley, and is linked to repeaters in Napa.

 

If you live in the Oroville area and are an avid outdoor person who would like to try amateur radio communications, the OARS club can help! We're all about people and do-it-yourself wireless communication. Please contact the club or come to one of our meetings!