From an emergency comms perspective, ham radio is like a backup generator. It's cheaper and quieter to run from the grid, but it's sure nice to have that generator when the grid goes down.
Great video. I think the word "works" is the main confusion. Here in Florida, during the hurricanes, I was able to get more accurate and up to date info in my area through the radio than internet on my phone. Both devices worked, but my HT was more useful.
Time after time cell networks fail. I have a friend that was the SAR director for our county and he and his team was sent to the MS Gulf coast right after Katrina. They had satellite phones that didn't work and had to resort to runners to get messages to the Incident Command people. That is until a man showed up, set up a portable Ham station and got them back on a comms net. He stayed with them 12 days and was the only link to Incident Command during that time. This is not the only time Ham operators have stepped up. Sometimes life deals a hard lesson that's only learned by experiencing it first hand.
So I am a sysop for several repeaters. I monitor these repeaters most all day. I am normally sitting at my computer, typing emails and watching videos. Many times people will put their call out on the repeater when I am busy, so I don't answer. But I am listening. I would NEVER ignore anyone if there was someone who came on with an emergency. Also, if it is a callsign I do not recognize... especially if it is a callsign outside of "4 land" (I'm in metro ATL), I normally will grab the mic and answer. You will find tons of repeaters that many people are listening but may not be responding to a general call out. And yes. There are tons of repeaters out there with NO ONE listening. Do understand that. But Jason totally agree with your video. Robert KD4YDC
PS. Robert I didn't realize your family has a huge Christmas Light Show each year. (I just googled it!) We will have to come check that out, since we live in the next county over!
I recently supported a bicycle tour as a mobile mechanic riding a newly created bicycle mobile station (two stories on my website). A fair portion of the tour took place in the National Radio Quiet Zone in West Virginia. There's NO cellular coverage in a huge area there, approximately 13,000 square miles! There are wide coverage repeaters in the area, at least two of which are linked. Personally, I don't see how the local residents DON'T choose to install ham radios in their cars. Anyway, the operators there are friendly. But let's pretend for a moment that they're not... and that they'd never answer a call from a stranger. Even if I transmitted my call sign on their repeater several times during the week and got no answer, I have a hard time believing that a transmission would be ignored if it said, "This is KE4WMF with emergency traffic on the Greenbrier Trail. May I get assistance with a medical emergency?" That was my planned transmission if one of the riders crashed or was seriously injured. I *have* to believe that even a shy ham would answer and do their best to help, even if all they did was call 911 from home, sent help to me, and then went QRT. What do you think? 73!
Thank you for your volunteer service. When I did the half marathon in 2021, there were quite a bit of traffic from the local ham club supporting the race. It is what works in that area. The area needs more repeaters, esp GMRS repeaters. Beautiful rail trail btw. The full was really good as well when I did it in 2019.
Prior to Helene I had very little knowledge of Ham Radio. I live right under the Blue Ridge Parkway, as the crow flies I live 11 miles from the mount Mitchell Repeater. Having a few of HT's to distribute would have been incredibly useful. It took over ten days for the cell network to be fully restored. I just upgraded to an iPhone 16 a couple of weeks beforehand with satellite sos messaging; it was the only thing that allowed me to contact my partner and coordinate with a friend who was bringing supplies into the area. The debate of one being better than the other is completely null, you'll use whatever works to get whatever you need to get the job done. The benefit of Ham is the how democratic the medium is, seeing my neighbors from all walks of life and political viewpoints pull together was incredible. I wish I'd found Ham Radio beforehand.
I absolutely get your point! My radio always works. (As long as my battery works). However, people have to understand that there has to be a plan in place. You have to make sure that you have someone to talk to on that radio to be effective! Make a PACE plan!
Cell phones and radios are different kinds of devices. A cell phone is dependent on the network working to operate but will always reach the intended target and no others. (We all intend to keep our phones with us and charged.) When the network is up, I can reach for my cell phone and contact anyone I please. A radio will operate at any time but while not dependent on a network is highly dependent on other things. It should also be noted that almost no operators are "always on" like a cell phone. Even if your target is at their HF equipment or HT, they may not be able to receive your signal. They are different tools intended for different uses. You can draw comparisons between your oven and your grill all day long but if you intend to bake a cake, you *can* use your grill but it's going to do a poor job of it. Likewise you *can* use your oven to smoke a turkey but you won't like the result.
"when the network is up" You hit the nail on the head. I'd challenge the claim that "almost no operators are always on". You might be right but I'd challenge it because I've found it fairly easy to make contacts on the radio for 30 years
I live roughly 25 miles north of Erwin, TN. While we did sustain some property damage (trees downed) we were well away from the flooding. I was able to monitor the Mt. Mitchell repeater from my QTH. But there was another repeater that went down because of power loss, and the repeater owner could not immediately get up to the repeater site due to road closures. It took a few days before service was restored to the downed repeater. So just because you have a repeater in the area doesn’t mean It is available. This area is very mountainous, so ham radio is also spotty but we all know those problem areas. And during the emergency the HF bands were down due to solar activity. 2m was basically the only ham band that was working - and it did an admirable job. The ham operators on this area stepped up and did a great job. And while cell Service is spotty even when everything is working normally, ham can also be spotty in the mountains. Yes, the radios are working, but the terrain restricted the reach. But there was one Service that actually outperformed cell and ham - Starlink. When the bands are down, Starlink doesn’t care. When cell service is noon-existent, Starlink doesn’t care. But you do need power!!! When mobile Starlink boxes were donated, they were able to set up small WiFi spots for people to use and that was a godsend. Where ham radio won out was in an emergency, everyone can listen. Police, fire, public, everyone. On the case of cell service or Starlink, only the party you contact can listen - and they have to relay the message. And there’s a reason why they call it the telephone game. So does Starlink replace ham radio? No. You need power for it to work. An HT with a charged battery was all that was available to some areas here, and IT WORKED. But Starlink does as a tool to our emergency communication kit that I think we need to explore.
Good video. Apologies for length following. 1. I flew into Bozeman MT for a 2+ week "bucket list" trip to Glacier National in late Sprng this year. I carried both my ham handheld and GMRS. My intended use for GMRS was being-nearby comms with the wife during the trip, as I was aware of the general lack of cell coverage. And yes, with VZN, we had very little cell coverage anywhere between Bozeman and Glacier/surround except in metro areas. I had preprogrammed a good set of repeaters before the trip for many locales between Bozeman and Glacier. I hit them, getting responses but no answers, Simplex hailing, silence too. Carrying the ham radio and accessories all the way to MT was just as useful as toting a bag of bricks. I was pretty disappointed. 2. There was some spotty WiFi connectivity near the open lodge (this was preseason, not everything was open) and a few other places, but generally nothing else. Cell was useless mostly everywhere. There was a town we didn't get to, Polebridge, with warnings for intended visitors - "isolated, no cell, bring spare tires, etc." Well, I thought, the rental SUV has OnStar for roadside help. Nope, it's cell-based. 3. One of my activity days involved a solo bike trip along the Going to the Sun Road (recommended). As it turned out, I met a family on the shuttle bus who came prepared with GMRS. We set channel agreements and went our ways. I was able to hear them throughout the ride (they were generally 1-2 iles behind me, with kids). Note that there were reports of active bear (black and grizzly) in the area and it was a late Spring sleety day as well. Emergency comms were not unexpected. Fortunately, not needed. And my cell phone was useful only as a camera. 4. The terrain in Glacier is essentially being in a succession of bowls or valleys surrounded by mountains towering another 3000+ feet above you. LOS range is very limited. A summit-based repeater network would be a good idea, but naturally that isn't going to happen. I volunteer for NPS locally, and would wish radio connectivity to them, but at least in my Park there is cell coverage for Dispatch needs. I also did a check on this issue in Glacier. 5. I think the question isn't strictly "cell vs. ham." Not in an era where there are handheld satellite communicators, with or without connection through the cell phone. iPhone has a satellite capability now; I didn't think it was fully baked in the Spring, but they keep on releasing upgrades. At some point it will be a great in-a-pinch comms facility. If I were off-grid enough, I'd be carrying a dedicated unit for now. Maybe in the future, too. We'll see. 6. You have a great point about responsiveness on repeaters. Maybe no one will be answering a general hello hail; I haven't had much success. I'm based in NJ and have been trying this from MD Eastern Shore to Ontario Canada, in conjunction with my bike riding and just generally. Hardly any contacts. Maybe people would respond to an emergency situation vs a general howdy. 7. I had gotten my General-class about a year before 9-11. I was at the WTC that day, and experienced the loss of cell coverage in lower Manhattan and general saturation of the remaining cells in the wider area for the rest of the day. The next day, my handheld went into my briefcase, where it was in readiness for the next several years. I did a lot of road travel, and worked repeaters all over the multistate region from the car. Then I went radio silent for some years, coming back into the hobby a couple of years ago. I was just shocked at the complete lack of activity. I know why, but it something to experience, as a before-and-after point of view. I had thought for a brief time that POTA or BOTA would be a neat activity; then I realized they were about contacts rather than communicating. I am thus revealed as an old rag chewer. 8. Your question has some presumption of land-based communications. I volunteer for the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and do a radio-oriented job for them. The preferred mode of em-comms is marine radio for a host of reasons, one important one being the help you need might be in that boat a few yards from you, and not the CG responders miles away. Only with marine radio broacasting would nearby help be alerted, as opposed to point-to-point cell comms. And then there's limits on offshore cell coverage ... 9. Keep up the good work on the channel.
You’re right about cell service out west. I’ve been on 3 hunting and fishing trips to Montana & Idaho, and cell service is nonexistent in remote areas! We used cb radios to bs back & forth between the three trucks we took. I wouldn’t depend on em to get help! Ham radio would be the better option.
The main issue with any form of communication without being face to face with someone is whether or not someone will answer. I have called people on the phone and it went to voicemail. I have put my callsign out on repeaters I know are active and received no response. I have called CQ on HF for 20 minutes without someone answering. Cellular phones, landline phones, internet access, and repeaters all rely on infrastructure to work. If the infrastructure fails the communication doesn't happen. However using simplex on VHF/UHF requires no infrastructure if you are using handhelds or if you have backup power for your base station set up. Using HF also doesn't require infrastructure if you have some form of backup power. Most people think of a generator when thinking backup power, but hams that operate portable will typically have batteries for their portable operations and those batteries can be used to power their ham shack in the event of a power outage. Basically radio doesn't require an infrastructure to work so in my opinion radio is better in an emergency.
Out in those remote states like Wyoming and Utah, HF. HF. HF. Other rural areas around the country? HF. Urbanized areas are the only places I would feel comfortable with VHF/UHF. And I don’t hang around those places very long.
The type of radio communications that are needed for emergencies depends on the scope of an emergency and the remoteness of your location. If your cell phone works it is likely the best way to communicate. I do travel and live in areas with marginal or no cell phone service. For this reason my cell phone is most often turned off. My son lives in Western MT so your point is well taken. Satellite services such as "Garmin in reach" provide for emergency rescue in remote locations as well as text communications to friends and family when many other types of communication are not possible. HF including HF NVIS can provide communications when communication via repeaters is not possible. VHF and UHF communications may not be useful in remote locations for the reasons mentioned in the video. One can use VHF and UHF to keep track of nearby group members and repeaters can certainly be used in locations where and when they are available.
I was thinking this same thing throughout the video. Technically your cellphone always "works". You just may not be able to communicate with anyone. Which is the same as the argument that the radio always "works". I understand the point he is making, but the purpose in using a radio or a cellphone is to communicate, and if you can't communicate, then the semantics don't matter.
You gotta separate out the crazy a little. Are we relying on only VHF/UHF HT-based communications? Cuz, *duh* that's a really limited capability. There's probably all sorts of 'wooden' repeaters that don't actually see traffic for days or weeks at a time. We know this -- it's an oft-lamented fact. But to the guy's point, that HT still has the potential to provide communications, even if cell service cannot. The same is not the case in reverse. Now, VHF/UHF line of sight communications is not the end-all, be-all of Amateur radio communications; nor is it particularly representative of Amateur radio communications in general. I spend a good deal of time in the wilderness, and there has never been a time when I lost cell service that I was not able to actively make communications over Amateur radio. And I'm not just talking about exchanging signal reports over FT8, either: I'm talking about being able to pass actual message traffic, at a minimum, over radio. And I'd wager that a goodly-portion of the Amateur radio community has done exactly the same, if they've ever activated a park in the POTA program in a place that doesn't have cell service.
I will never understand why "some people" can't understand that there is no such thing as a "one size fits all" technology. There are use cases where a cell phone is the most appropriate technology to use; other use case will require a satellite phone; and still others will require some form of radio communication including ham radio. Why has the world become so polarized and narrow minded?
I never said that you should get one and forget the rest. In fact, I've always said that your phone should be a part of your Go Bag. But let's make sure that we understand the technology that we want to use and entrust our lives with.
@@billcosgrave6232 True - there is no 'one size fits all's technology when it comes to communications. The difference between Amateur radio, on the one hand, and all of the communications technologies you've mentioned on the other hand is that cell phones and satellite phones / messages (be they Garmin InReach, Inmarsat / Iridium phones, Zoleo, SPOT devices) all rely upon an infrastructure that not only does one not own, but can be throttled or cut off entirely by a service provider. If you don't own the wires, you don't own the communications. Further to the point, cell phones and satellite communications are a fixed infrastructure that can -- and often *does* -- have several failure modes. Cell tower gets blown-over, cell site loses power and has no redundancy, carrier throttles service to paying customers to provide communications for first responders (AT&T FirstNet); satellite suffers jamming or gets fried with a solar storm. What all these have in common is that, ultimately one is a subscriber to a service. Amateur radio does not rely upon a fixed infrastructure, and is more resilient to such failure modes. And if the little fixed infrastructure present in Amateur radio *does* stay up, it can be used to communicate over *far* more area than a cell tower. There are, of course, other services that have a potential to provide similar capabilities -- albeit on a more limited (but by no means use-less) basis: CB, GMRS, FRS, MURS all have a capability to provide a similar resilient, infrastrucure-less communications capability. GMRS repeaters have similar capabilities to Amateur UHF repeaters, for instance. FRS can be used to great effect to organize a neighborhood. The difference on this notion is that Amateur radio provides this capability not only over a small area, but can also extend these same capabilities over distances, as well -- and with a level of consistency not found in other radio services. Lastly, there's a training and rediness component that is present in Amateur radio that simply isn't replicated in the other radio services. Many Amateurs have trained to efficiently and effectively pass traffic in an emergency or disaster situation. This simply isn't the case with other radio services. This, of course, doesn't mean these other radio services cannot serve a similar role: I often mention the Cajun Navy and their use of FRS/GMRS in their operations. But emergency communications isn't written into the rules for FRS/GMRS anywhere close to the way it is for Amateur radio; and the organization for emergency/disaster communications is trained to a much higher level with Amateur operators because of that fact. So while there is no "one size fits all" communications technology, the fact that Amateur radio provides an infrastructure-less means of communicating that is simple, resilient, and as versatile as it is (different modes, different bands, capability to pass traffic locally, regionally, nationally) makes it unique compared to other radio services available to the public.
Basically, hams have "service" available in places that cellphones probably won't or don't. A prime example is the hurricane damaged areas. Or when we had the ice storms in North Texas.
And do what with it, have a DX contest? That's real useful. Amateur radio can't handle the requirements of a modern disaster response, and it was never designed to. It's an experimental radio service that can perhaps do some other things in a limited fashion. It's like the entire amateur radio community is trying to show the service off as something it's not in some sort of desperate attempt to hold onto a little relevance in the face of modern communication available to the masses. Starlink is now here, and some cell phones can now directly connect with satellites for basic text messaging for emergencies. My amateur radios are for literally when everything else fails - I ain't reaching for them first or second. Maybe third.
Great video. So many times cell networks go down. I did hear in NY last summer from hurricane that came threw TX and left a path of destruction threw NY. Power was out a few hours and cell phones as well but only like 20 minutes. 2- tornadoes EF2 did some damage. Skywarn was on a local repeater getting damage reports . Many reported internet was out as well. I can say that winter storms like a blizzard takes out cell phones in NY at times. Usually weak signal and call drops. Forget 5G . first part of network to go down during snow storm or heavy rain. Even star link goes out. What works is VHF radio some what UHF but HF radio gets out the best as long as antenna is up. Some HF bands get wiped out from snow static. Making like 6 meters and VHF and( UHF as shortened range) The best to use. The MURS radios work well for us in the worst of snow storms. 73
I couldn't agree more. I live in St. Louis where we have our fair share or storms and in every case there was severe damage where cell phone coverage was affected, not totally but enough, our ham radio network here worked wonderfully. And, a few months ago when all the cell phone companies had a "glitch" that affected cell communications, my radio and everyone else who had a radio had no problem. So in all fairness, cell phones are the "go to" for communications as a standard, but when the conditions are below standard it's nice to have a good back up.
Last Saturday I want to the Shenandoah national Park in Virginia. all our cellphones are not working. But My gmrs radio is working. Me and my wife used my gmrs radio for communication and other friends. You are right my friend.
The question should be, "what can you use to help When you need it with out fail? " I would say a sat massager. I am jumping ahead and continue ahead. Love your vids.
There are a lot of people that forget that HF exists. All the more reason to add HF. I can always get someone on HF if I can't get someone on VHF/UHF/GMRS. More tools in the bag will always mean a better outcome when coms are needed. So I agree, radio works when cell doesn't.
There are lots of days that the pain meds are not cutting it. I'm in bed and the radio is on. If someone calls to rag chew, there's probably a 1 in 10 chance of me getting up to go to the radio. If it's an emergency, I'll get to the radio. Period. We've gotten better about using the club repeater this past year. Folks passing thru are a lot more likely to get a reply because of it as well. With the exception of Sunday night net, it was dead thru the rest of the week, and the net was done in 10 minutes. I'm still in the process of getting set up, both in the shack and for mobile. Damn, almost started rag chewing here. Y'all have a good day. 73.
Yes, ham radio is better in the outback. Now, if you're on the Interstate and need the AAA, just whip out your ham radio and, oh, right, ask someone for a phone patch to get the AAA and a motel for the night. Sometimes a Jeep is faster than a Ferrari. Sometimes, not so much.
There are more than 310 million cellphone users in the U.S. In contrast, only around 750,000 ham radio licenses. Let's add 250,000 unlicensed users, being conservative, that adds up to 1 million plus the users of the other radio services. That is a 300 to 1 ratio. I can agree with your opinion that radio works everytime and cellphones might not. It is obvious the recommendation of having an alternate method of communication is not understood or at least implemented by the vast majority of American citizens. The FCC's Chairwoman, Rosenworcel has been promising a robust, resilient cellphone network in the U.S. or at a minimum for the 911 to never fail. The latest super storms ( CAT 4 - 5 hurricanes ) clearly show this is far away from being a reality. Just my two cents. This is a topic that requires further discussion. Thank you Jason, let's keep the comments flowing. We need more videos about this topic. 73's
I just made a 4 hour round trip and got on my dual band radio and I got no one on simplex, repeater and DMR. Not one contact. And yes, I got in the repeaters.
Definitely ham repeaters, especially when cell towers are acting goofy, even when phones are working alot of voice transmissions get garbled alot and drop calls, great video tnx Man!
I have observed the amateur radio repeaters become more active during cellular outages. During the icemageddon back in February 2021, the repeaters were very active.
Can I Google with a radio? If we are going to use your definition of works, where "works" means the unit is functional, then the cell phone works even when there is no service. You are as dependent on the repeater working as you are the cell tower. Likewise the cell tower could work too and the other cell towers don't. It still wouldn't be the function of the unit that is the problem.
I spend a lot of time in the Catskills NY and in northern Maine where you can drive for hours without cell service. I care more about having my ham radio in the car than my cellphone. I have even had an instance where a storm took out the local cell tower near my camp while I was working remotely. I was able to radio one of my friends back in CT to get a hold of my office and let one of my employees I would need them to finish a project we had been working on.
I live in the suburbs. After a hurricane a few years ago I had Verizon working, voice and data; my neighbors on both sides had AT&T with no signal. Also, remember cell providers can restrict access to priority customers.
Funny, I experienced this on a normal day with Verizon even as a 5G Get More customer. Full bars, .01 Mb/s download, 50Mbps upload. If VZW would actually give their PP customers lower QCI I’d come back to them. AT&T at least lets you buy lower QCI
That's funny about the guy that went through Colorado, there are several active repeaters here you just might have gotten on the wrong ones next time try the Colorado Connection system of repeaters that is a state wide system of link repeaters also there is a group of hams that monitor that system 24/7 for emergency traffic! This is a great system. While it doesn't cover absolutely everywhere, it does a good job and can even be reach in some of the remote back country up in the mountains!
I live in a major city in Canada and have probably the main cell service provider at the moment. There are dead areas in the city never mind on the highways and nearby mountains. Last time I was up in the mountains on a hike I didn't have any cell service from the point I parked. Around 60 miles away from the city half way up the mountain with my ht, I was able to reach one of the repeaters in the city. Had a message relayed telling my wife I was running extremely late and needed her to pick up our daughter. Amateur radio isn't perfect, neither are cell phones. But in my experience I can definitely rely on amateur radio more than cell phones. Unfortunately I still need a cellphone though 😉🤠 Cheers beers and whiskey 🤠🥃
Assuming there is cell service, their towers aren't on the ground and the power or batteries hold out, cell service may be better. Other than that, ham radio is 'gooder' lol. Thanks for the video, 73 N2SCD
An old scottish guy here. Heck only 57. Ex cb and US military guy.. with my british navy chiefs hat on. To be clear worked with and for US Navy. Never rely on Cells. Why would we 2E0IXA 73
If you're preparing for remote areas or grid-down scenarios, ham radio is your best bet. If you’re in daily life, cell phones win out. Ham radios aren’t "better" or "worse" than cell phones; each is just better suited to different situations and needs.
I live in Sidney Ohio. Population of 20k+. There are parts of the city that has horrible cell service on all carriers. Also dead areas across the county. My radio rig has never failed in these same areas. In fact I had to call out to a friend on my gmrs repeater to get storm (just a thinderstorm) updates because of these dead spots. Also, I guess I'm fortunate to live in an area where almost all the repeaters are very, very active. So I never have a problem contacting someone when needed. Just my $.02.
All im saying is when if ever S.H.T.F cell networks are easily taken down and you won't be able to use them but its practically impossible to take down radio communication. To many frequencies to talk on for "them" to shut down but its easy to block cell phone communications.
Excellent video!! I don't know about Texas, but here in california in the event of a major disaster like an earthquake, first responders will take over the cell towers so they can do what they do. That's if any of the cell towers survive the earthquake. Ham radio on the other hand, I can ALWAYS set up my own antenna and get my signal out there!!
My friend You give some great advice but you can't fix stupid no matter how hard you try. These people that are relying on there cell phones alone will only learn the hard way and for some that will be to late because the will be in a bad situation and wish they ahd taking just a little of this good advice. Always appreciate you HRCC, And notarubicon you are my 3 favorite radio guys that I can actually understand what the hell you are talking about lol!
Don't forget Freezemageddon here in DWF. At&t cell towers down for days. Only open to first responders. Understood but I was shut off to what was happening for days. No Internet. No water. Nearly froze to death. I am now GMRS licenced and studying for ham. More than one HT on hand and now I can hear NOAH and radio so at least I know what's happening. Grid down? Phones are toast. None of my HTs ever are.
Yes, you have less on repeaters, how ever I talk to more people simplex on the national call than repeaters. And yes, Amatuer Radio is more reliable than cellphones. We work a lot of ultra marathons in the mountains, and I like it when the runners can not get a signal on their phone, I just look at them and tell them " I don't understand the raccoon was talking fine on his a few minutes ago.
We really need a phone patch dongle the plugs into cell phone charging ports. That's right, your USB charging port also allows duplex audio from a standard earmic set. Only $10 for a phyical adapter. Unless your radio has bluetooth--in which case we need an app. Anyone want to step up to the challenge?
I admit the repeaters in rural areas like where I live are "working" with little to no activity, but they do come "alive" with people on them during emergencies, and just before big storms during the tornado season. Whereas just about every time there is a wide spread power outage the cell towers are the first thing down in my area, and there is a cell tower a quarter mile from my house. If I had to guess these people are probably the ones calling CQ DX on the local repeaters! 😂😂😂
I think eager, new hams get confused when calling out to the repeater and no one answers. They "Assume" no one is there! And the reality often is someone is most likely there, but just fail to answer, for whatever reason! Many hams are eager to help during a crisis, but just are not the Chatty Kathys we want them to be.
@@HamRadio2 Like you said. The repeater is there, and its working. But, no one is answering! 😩 It happens.... You hear an annoying person, and don't want to talk to that person, for the next 2 hours! 🙉
@ yes agreed. My point is ham radio or even the phone depends on someone being on the other end. When during an emergency that ham radio/repeater doesn’t have anyone answering you your SOL. Mt Mitchell is a whole other story as it’s very high profile, in a fairly populated area, & sees a lot of use. Whereas the commenter probably lives in the middle of nowhere where there isn’t even a medium sized ham operator population.
AT&T locks your phone until it’s completely paid off, so if it goes down, you cannot even use the secondary SIM. Kind of hope the FCC stops the locking crap. You have to pay the phone off _either way_.
While I understand the point you are making...."works more often" can have more than one meaning. I can promise you that there are more "contacts" being made by cell phone by huge orders of magnitude than via Ham Radio. There are 6 guys in any given county that have Ham Radios, every American over the age of 5 has at least one cell phone.
Which one is used more often isn't the point I was making, either. The radio WILL work when the phone works and when the phone doesn't work. The technology is just different.
There is no one listening on the repeaters so having a radio is useless, accept when the cell network is dead and people with a radio start them up to use instead of their phone, hence solving the radio is quiet problem!?
Not sure of your point here, Jason. Apples and oranges. This isn't really a real debate or conundrum, is it? I guess some people need to to justify a passion. I find my radios fun and useful, if someone want me to justify what i do for leisure, well, who cares.
@HamRadio2 I guess it's the paranoia in me that I prefer to have emergency communications only going to who I want it to. I've dealt with too many less than honorable opportunists waiting for someone in distress to pounce on.
Suggestion, please when capturing cell phone video hold it horizontal. Held vertically then viewing on a horizontally orientated computer screen, TV screen, and the like, it is as though we are viewing the video through a small keyhole, the left and right one-third of the screen is cut off, a stick video. Hope this helps.
As I stated in this video, the Vertical video is a TH-cam short that I posted a couple of months ago. Those are always vertical, it is how the platform works.
@@HamRadio2 Very much appreciate your polite reply. Truly, I was completely unaware of the TH-cam short requirement for always vertical, please accept my sincere apologize for my lack of knowledge. As I become older, 80+ my eyesight is not what it is used to be, thus when I watch vertical videos it is difficult for me; thus, rarely I watch TH-cam Shorts. Again, thank you for your polite response, a class act you are, I tip my hat to you.
You MUST get Involved & Help others get licensed or Get Other Hams USING their radios. Maybe create a NET. Weekly or more. Likely Others are just as frustrated with the repeaters in your area as you. But SOMEONE owns them & has them there to USE. Get off your butt & get INVOLVED! Sir
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There’s a reason why the ham radio motto is “when all else fails”
Cellphone lot desd zone Repeater cover all county
From an emergency comms perspective, ham radio is like a backup generator. It's cheaper and quieter to run from the grid, but it's sure nice to have that generator when the grid goes down.
Great video. I think the word "works" is the main confusion. Here in Florida, during the hurricanes, I was able to get more accurate and up to date info in my area through the radio than internet on my phone. Both devices worked, but my HT was more useful.
Time after time cell networks fail. I have a friend that was the SAR director for our county and he and his team was sent to the MS Gulf coast right after Katrina. They had satellite phones that didn't work and had to resort to runners to get messages to the Incident Command people. That is until a man showed up, set up a portable Ham station and got them back on a comms net. He stayed with them 12 days and was the only link to Incident Command during that time. This is not the only time Ham operators have stepped up. Sometimes life deals a hard lesson that's only learned by experiencing it first hand.
So I am a sysop for several repeaters. I monitor these repeaters most all day. I am normally sitting at my computer, typing emails and watching videos. Many times people will put their call out on the repeater when I am busy, so I don't answer. But I am listening. I would NEVER ignore anyone if there was someone who came on with an emergency. Also, if it is a callsign I do not recognize... especially if it is a callsign outside of "4 land" (I'm in metro ATL), I normally will grab the mic and answer. You will find tons of repeaters that many people are listening but may not be responding to a general call out. And yes. There are tons of repeaters out there with NO ONE listening. Do understand that. But Jason totally agree with your video. Robert KD4YDC
I agree. 😊 KE4WRN
PS. Robert I didn't realize your family has a huge Christmas Light Show each year. (I just googled it!) We will have to come check that out, since we live in the next county over!
I recently supported a bicycle tour as a mobile mechanic riding a newly created bicycle mobile station (two stories on my website). A fair portion of the tour took place in the National Radio Quiet Zone in West Virginia. There's NO cellular coverage in a huge area there, approximately 13,000 square miles! There are wide coverage repeaters in the area, at least two of which are linked. Personally, I don't see how the local residents DON'T choose to install ham radios in their cars. Anyway, the operators there are friendly. But let's pretend for a moment that they're not... and that they'd never answer a call from a stranger. Even if I transmitted my call sign on their repeater several times during the week and got no answer, I have a hard time believing that a transmission would be ignored if it said, "This is KE4WMF with emergency traffic on the Greenbrier Trail. May I get assistance with a medical emergency?" That was my planned transmission if one of the riders crashed or was seriously injured. I *have* to believe that even a shy ham would answer and do their best to help, even if all they did was call 911 from home, sent help to me, and then went QRT. What do you think? 73!
Thank you for your volunteer service. When I did the half marathon in 2021, there were quite a bit of traffic from the local ham club supporting the race. It is what works in that area. The area needs more repeaters, esp GMRS repeaters. Beautiful rail trail btw. The full was really good as well when I did it in 2019.
Prior to Helene I had very little knowledge of Ham Radio. I live right under the Blue Ridge Parkway, as the crow flies I live 11 miles from the mount Mitchell Repeater. Having a few of HT's to distribute would have been incredibly useful. It took over ten days for the cell network to be fully restored. I just upgraded to an iPhone 16 a couple of weeks beforehand with satellite sos messaging; it was the only thing that allowed me to contact my partner and coordinate with a friend who was bringing supplies into the area. The debate of one being better than the other is completely null, you'll use whatever works to get whatever you need to get the job done. The benefit of Ham is the how democratic the medium is, seeing my neighbors from all walks of life and political viewpoints pull together was incredible. I wish I'd found Ham Radio beforehand.
Thanks for sharing
Wow. Thats bad. Ur British hams are here for u guys. Obs the skip and time of day affects support in times of needs
I absolutely get your point! My radio always works. (As long as my battery works). However, people have to understand that there has to be a plan in place. You have to make sure that you have someone to talk to on that radio to be effective! Make a PACE plan!
I am in NC and I worked in chimney rock NC for relief efforts and my iPhone 15 pro emergency sat coms worked well.
I'm glad you had a good experience with that phone.
@@HamRadio2 When youn are deep in a holler even HF is problematic KG4MXV
Cell phones and radios are different kinds of devices. A cell phone is dependent on the network working to operate but will always reach the intended target and no others. (We all intend to keep our phones with us and charged.) When the network is up, I can reach for my cell phone and contact anyone I please.
A radio will operate at any time but while not dependent on a network is highly dependent on other things. It should also be noted that almost no operators are "always on" like a cell phone. Even if your target is at their HF equipment or HT, they may not be able to receive your signal.
They are different tools intended for different uses. You can draw comparisons between your oven and your grill all day long but if you intend to bake a cake, you *can* use your grill but it's going to do a poor job of it. Likewise you *can* use your oven to smoke a turkey but you won't like the result.
"when the network is up"
You hit the nail on the head.
I'd challenge the claim that "almost no operators are always on". You might be right but I'd challenge it because I've found it fairly easy to make contacts on the radio for 30 years
I live roughly 25 miles north of Erwin, TN. While we did sustain some property damage (trees downed) we were well away from the flooding. I was able to monitor the Mt. Mitchell repeater from my QTH. But there was another repeater that went down because of power loss, and the repeater owner could not immediately get up to the repeater site due to road closures. It took a few days before service was restored to the downed repeater. So just because you have a repeater in the area doesn’t mean It is available.
This area is very mountainous, so ham radio is also spotty but we all know those problem areas. And during the emergency the HF bands were down due to solar activity. 2m was basically the only ham band that was working - and it did an admirable job. The ham operators on this area stepped up and did a great job.
And while cell Service is spotty even when everything is working normally, ham can also be spotty in the mountains. Yes, the radios are working, but the terrain restricted the reach.
But there was one Service that actually outperformed cell and ham - Starlink. When the bands are down, Starlink doesn’t care. When cell service is noon-existent, Starlink doesn’t care. But you do need power!!! When mobile Starlink boxes were donated, they were able to set up small WiFi spots for people to use and that was a godsend.
Where ham radio won out was in an emergency, everyone can listen. Police, fire, public, everyone. On the case of cell service or Starlink, only the party you contact can listen - and they have to relay the message. And there’s a reason why they call it the telephone game.
So does Starlink replace ham radio? No. You need power for it to work. An HT with a charged battery was all that was available to some areas here, and IT WORKED. But Starlink does as a tool to our emergency communication kit that I think we need to explore.
Good video. Apologies for length following.
1. I flew into Bozeman MT for a 2+ week "bucket list" trip to Glacier National in late Sprng this year. I carried both my ham handheld and GMRS. My intended use for GMRS was being-nearby comms with the wife during the trip, as I was aware of the general lack of cell coverage. And yes, with VZN, we had very little cell coverage anywhere between Bozeman and Glacier/surround except in metro areas. I had preprogrammed a good set of repeaters before the trip for many locales between Bozeman and Glacier. I hit them, getting responses but no answers, Simplex hailing, silence too. Carrying the ham radio and accessories all the way to MT was just as useful as toting a bag of bricks. I was pretty disappointed.
2. There was some spotty WiFi connectivity near the open lodge (this was preseason, not everything was open) and a few other places, but generally nothing else. Cell was useless mostly everywhere. There was a town we didn't get to, Polebridge, with warnings for intended visitors - "isolated, no cell, bring spare tires, etc." Well, I thought, the rental SUV has OnStar for roadside help. Nope, it's cell-based.
3. One of my activity days involved a solo bike trip along the Going to the Sun Road (recommended). As it turned out, I met a family on the shuttle bus who came prepared with GMRS. We set channel agreements and went our ways. I was able to hear them throughout the ride (they were generally 1-2 iles behind me, with kids). Note that there were reports of active bear (black and grizzly) in the area and it was a late Spring sleety day as well. Emergency comms were not unexpected. Fortunately, not needed. And my cell phone was useful only as a camera.
4. The terrain in Glacier is essentially being in a succession of bowls or valleys surrounded by mountains towering another 3000+ feet above you. LOS range is very limited. A summit-based repeater network would be a good idea, but naturally that isn't going to happen. I volunteer for NPS locally, and would wish radio connectivity to them, but at least in my Park there is cell coverage for Dispatch needs. I also did a check on this issue in Glacier.
5. I think the question isn't strictly "cell vs. ham." Not in an era where there are handheld satellite communicators, with or without connection through the cell phone. iPhone has a satellite capability now; I didn't think it was fully baked in the Spring, but they keep on releasing upgrades. At some point it will be a great in-a-pinch comms facility. If I were off-grid enough, I'd be carrying a dedicated unit for now. Maybe in the future, too. We'll see.
6. You have a great point about responsiveness on repeaters. Maybe no one will be answering a general hello hail; I haven't had much success. I'm based in NJ and have been trying this from MD Eastern Shore to Ontario Canada, in conjunction with my bike riding and just generally. Hardly any contacts. Maybe people would respond to an emergency situation vs a general howdy.
7. I had gotten my General-class about a year before 9-11. I was at the WTC that day, and experienced the loss of cell coverage in lower Manhattan and general saturation of the remaining cells in the wider area for the rest of the day. The next day, my handheld went into my briefcase, where it was in readiness for the next several years. I did a lot of road travel, and worked repeaters all over the multistate region from the car. Then I went radio silent for some years, coming back into the hobby a couple of years ago. I was just shocked at the complete lack of activity. I know why, but it something to experience, as a before-and-after point of view. I had thought for a brief time that POTA or BOTA would be a neat activity; then I realized they were about contacts rather than communicating. I am thus revealed as an old rag chewer.
8. Your question has some presumption of land-based communications. I volunteer for the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and do a radio-oriented job for them. The preferred mode of em-comms is marine radio for a host of reasons, one important one being the help you need might be in that boat a few yards from you, and not the CG responders miles away. Only with marine radio broacasting would nearby help be alerted, as opposed to point-to-point cell comms. And then there's limits on offshore cell coverage ...
9. Keep up the good work on the channel.
You’re right about cell service out west. I’ve been on 3 hunting and fishing trips to Montana & Idaho, and cell service is nonexistent in remote areas! We used cb radios to bs back & forth between the three trucks we took. I wouldn’t depend on em to get help! Ham radio would be the better option.
The main issue with any form of communication without being face to face with someone is whether or not someone will answer. I have called people on the phone and it went to voicemail. I have put my callsign out on repeaters I know are active and received no response. I have called CQ on HF for 20 minutes without someone answering. Cellular phones, landline phones, internet access, and repeaters all rely on infrastructure to work. If the infrastructure fails the communication doesn't happen. However using simplex on VHF/UHF requires no infrastructure if you are using handhelds or if you have backup power for your base station set up. Using HF also doesn't require infrastructure if you have some form of backup power. Most people think of a generator when thinking backup power, but hams that operate portable will typically have batteries for their portable operations and those batteries can be used to power their ham shack in the event of a power outage. Basically radio doesn't require an infrastructure to work so in my opinion radio is better in an emergency.
Out in those remote states like Wyoming and Utah, HF. HF. HF. Other rural areas around the country? HF. Urbanized areas are the only places I would feel comfortable with VHF/UHF. And I don’t hang around those places very long.
The type of radio communications that are needed for emergencies depends on the scope of an emergency and the remoteness of your location. If your cell phone works it is likely the best way to communicate. I do travel and live in areas with marginal or no cell phone service. For this reason my cell phone is most often turned off. My son lives in Western MT so your point is well taken. Satellite services such as "Garmin in reach" provide for emergency rescue in remote locations as well as text communications to friends and family when many other types of communication are not possible. HF including HF NVIS can provide communications when communication via repeaters is not possible. VHF and UHF communications may not be useful in remote locations for the reasons mentioned in the video. One can use VHF and UHF to keep track of nearby group members and repeaters can certainly be used in locations where and when they are available.
Man, the fact that the radio 'works' is immaterial if there is no one to talk to when you need it.
I was thinking this same thing throughout the video. Technically your cellphone always "works". You just may not be able to communicate with anyone. Which is the same as the argument that the radio always "works". I understand the point he is making, but the purpose in using a radio or a cellphone is to communicate, and if you can't communicate, then the semantics don't matter.
You gotta separate out the crazy a little. Are we relying on only VHF/UHF HT-based communications? Cuz, *duh* that's a really limited capability. There's probably all sorts of 'wooden' repeaters that don't actually see traffic for days or weeks at a time. We know this -- it's an oft-lamented fact.
But to the guy's point, that HT still has the potential to provide communications, even if cell service cannot. The same is not the case in reverse.
Now, VHF/UHF line of sight communications is not the end-all, be-all of Amateur radio communications; nor is it particularly representative of Amateur radio communications in general.
I spend a good deal of time in the wilderness, and there has never been a time when I lost cell service that I was not able to actively make communications over Amateur radio. And I'm not just talking about exchanging signal reports over FT8, either: I'm talking about being able to pass actual message traffic, at a minimum, over radio. And I'd wager that a goodly-portion of the Amateur radio community has done exactly the same, if they've ever activated a park in the POTA program in a place that doesn't have cell service.
I will never understand why "some people" can't understand that there is no such thing as a "one size fits all" technology. There are use cases where a cell phone is the most appropriate technology to use; other use case will require a satellite phone; and still others will require some form of radio communication including ham radio. Why has the world become so polarized and narrow minded?
I never said that you should get one and forget the rest. In fact, I've always said that your phone should be a part of your Go Bag. But let's make sure that we understand the technology that we want to use and entrust our lives with.
@@billcosgrave6232 True - there is no 'one size fits all's technology when it comes to communications. The difference between Amateur radio, on the one hand, and all of the communications technologies you've mentioned on the other hand is that cell phones and satellite phones / messages (be they Garmin InReach, Inmarsat / Iridium phones, Zoleo, SPOT devices) all rely upon an infrastructure that not only does one not own, but can be throttled or cut off entirely by a service provider. If you don't own the wires, you don't own the communications.
Further to the point, cell phones and satellite communications are a fixed infrastructure that can -- and often *does* -- have several failure modes. Cell tower gets blown-over, cell site loses power and has no redundancy, carrier throttles service to paying customers to provide communications for first responders (AT&T FirstNet); satellite suffers jamming or gets fried with a solar storm. What all these have in common is that, ultimately one is a subscriber to a service.
Amateur radio does not rely upon a fixed infrastructure, and is more resilient to such failure modes. And if the little fixed infrastructure present in Amateur radio *does* stay up, it can be used to communicate over *far* more area than a cell tower.
There are, of course, other services that have a potential to provide similar capabilities -- albeit on a more limited (but by no means use-less) basis: CB, GMRS, FRS, MURS all have a capability to provide a similar resilient, infrastrucure-less communications capability. GMRS repeaters have similar capabilities to Amateur UHF repeaters, for instance. FRS can be used to great effect to organize a neighborhood. The difference on this notion is that Amateur radio provides this capability not only over a small area, but can also extend these same capabilities over distances, as well -- and with a level of consistency not found in other radio services.
Lastly, there's a training and rediness component that is present in Amateur radio that simply isn't replicated in the other radio services. Many Amateurs have trained to efficiently and effectively pass traffic in an emergency or disaster situation. This simply isn't the case with other radio services. This, of course, doesn't mean these other radio services cannot serve a similar role: I often mention the Cajun Navy and their use of FRS/GMRS in their operations. But emergency communications isn't written into the rules for FRS/GMRS anywhere close to the way it is for Amateur radio; and the organization for emergency/disaster communications is trained to a much higher level with Amateur operators because of that fact.
So while there is no "one size fits all" communications technology, the fact that Amateur radio provides an infrastructure-less means of communicating that is simple, resilient, and as versatile as it is (different modes, different bands, capability to pass traffic locally, regionally, nationally) makes it unique compared to other radio services available to the public.
Exactly the point. Even if you don't have a repeater. If you have an HF Radio, it will get out as long as we don't have a bad solar flare.
Basically, hams have "service" available in places that cellphones probably won't or don't. A prime example is the hurricane damaged areas. Or when we had the ice storms in North Texas.
Yes, agreed
And do what with it, have a DX contest? That's real useful. Amateur radio can't handle the requirements of a modern disaster response, and it was never designed to. It's an experimental radio service that can perhaps do some other things in a limited fashion. It's like the entire amateur radio community is trying to show the service off as something it's not in some sort of desperate attempt to hold onto a little relevance in the face of modern communication available to the masses. Starlink is now here, and some cell phones can now directly connect with satellites for basic text messaging for emergencies. My amateur radios are for literally when everything else fails - I ain't reaching for them first or second. Maybe third.
Great video. So many times cell networks go down. I did hear in NY last summer from hurricane that came threw TX and left a path of destruction threw NY. Power was out a few hours and cell phones as well but only like 20 minutes. 2- tornadoes EF2 did some damage. Skywarn was on a local repeater getting damage reports . Many reported internet was out as well. I can say that winter storms like a blizzard takes out cell phones in NY at times. Usually weak signal and call drops. Forget 5G . first part of network to go down during snow storm or heavy rain. Even star link goes out. What works is VHF radio some what UHF but HF radio gets out the best as long as antenna is up. Some HF bands get wiped out from snow static. Making like 6 meters and VHF and( UHF as shortened range) The best to use. The MURS radios work well for us in the worst of snow storms. 73
I couldn't agree more. I live in St. Louis where we have our fair share or storms and in every case there was severe damage where cell phone coverage was affected, not totally but enough, our ham radio network here worked wonderfully. And, a few months ago when all the cell phone companies had a "glitch" that affected cell communications, my radio and everyone else who had a radio had no problem. So in all fairness, cell phones are the "go to" for communications as a standard, but when the conditions are below standard it's nice to have a good back up.
Last Saturday I want to the Shenandoah national Park in Virginia. all our cellphones are not working. But My gmrs radio is working. Me and my wife used my gmrs radio for communication and other friends. You are right my friend.
Thanks
The question should be, "what can you use to help When you need it with out fail? " I would say a sat massager. I am jumping ahead and continue ahead. Love your vids.
There are a lot of people that forget that HF exists. All the more reason to add HF. I can always get someone on HF if I can't get someone on VHF/UHF/GMRS. More tools in the bag will always mean a better outcome when coms are needed. So I agree, radio works when cell doesn't.
Yep, true
I totally agree with you
"Information: Invalid Market code specified." is the response at ARRL site for renewal with JAS1 code.
I confirmed with them this morning that it should be working
There are lots of days that the pain meds are not cutting it. I'm in bed and the radio is on. If someone calls to rag chew, there's probably a 1 in 10 chance of me getting up to go to the radio. If it's an emergency, I'll get to the radio. Period. We've gotten better about using the club repeater this past year. Folks passing thru are a lot more likely to get a reply because of it as well. With the exception of Sunday night net, it was dead thru the rest of the week, and the net was done in 10 minutes.
I'm still in the process of getting set up, both in the shack and for mobile. Damn, almost started rag chewing here. Y'all have a good day. 73.
Yes, ham radio is better in the outback.
Now, if you're on the Interstate and need the AAA, just whip out your ham radio and, oh, right, ask someone for a phone patch to get the AAA and a motel for the night.
Sometimes a Jeep is faster than a Ferrari. Sometimes, not so much.
There are more than 310 million cellphone users in the U.S. In contrast, only around 750,000 ham radio licenses. Let's add 250,000 unlicensed users, being conservative, that adds up to 1 million plus the users of the other radio services. That is a 300 to 1 ratio. I can agree with your opinion that radio works everytime and cellphones might not. It is obvious the recommendation of having an alternate method of communication is not understood or at least implemented by the vast majority of American citizens.
The FCC's Chairwoman, Rosenworcel has been promising a robust, resilient cellphone network in the U.S. or at a minimum for the 911 to never fail. The latest super storms ( CAT 4 - 5 hurricanes ) clearly show this is far away from being a reality. Just my two cents. This is a topic that requires further discussion. Thank you Jason, let's keep the comments flowing. We need more videos about this topic. 73's
I just made a 4 hour round trip and got on my dual band radio and I got no one on simplex, repeater and DMR. Not one contact. And yes, I got in the repeaters.
Definitely ham repeaters, especially when cell towers are acting goofy, even when phones are working alot of voice transmissions get garbled alot and drop calls, great video tnx Man!
Could you send an aprs text or use a phone patch if you don't get an answer? I don't know how everything works yet.
Yes
I have observed the amateur radio repeaters become more active during cellular outages. During the icemageddon back in February 2021, the repeaters were very active.
Yes
There's only a few repeater around where I am and they're mostly silent. But all 3 are 911 capable. So theres that
Just checked mine, 628 mbs down and 6.2 MBs up. I’m on ATT but I think it’s a Verizon tower about 3/4 mile away
100%!!!! well said!!!
Cell phone networks in the mountains north of Ashville are still very restricted when they do work.
Sounds like Wyoming
It seems that there are many radio owners, licensed and un-licensed, that think radio communications begins and ends with UHF/VHF.
It doesn't
Can I Google with a radio? If we are going to use your definition of works, where "works" means the unit is functional, then the cell phone works even when there is no service. You are as dependent on the repeater working as you are the cell tower. Likewise the cell tower could work too and the other cell towers don't. It still wouldn't be the function of the unit that is the problem.
I spend a lot of time in the Catskills NY and in northern Maine where you can drive for hours without cell service. I care more about having my ham radio in the car than my cellphone. I have even had an instance where a storm took out the local cell tower near my camp while I was working remotely. I was able to radio one of my friends back in CT to get a hold of my office and let one of my employees I would need them to finish a project we had been working on.
I live in the suburbs. After a hurricane a few years ago I had Verizon working, voice and data; my neighbors on both sides had AT&T with no signal. Also, remember cell providers can restrict access to priority customers.
Funny, I experienced this on a normal day with Verizon even as a 5G Get More customer. Full bars, .01 Mb/s download, 50Mbps upload. If VZW would actually give their PP customers lower QCI I’d come back to them. AT&T at least lets you buy lower QCI
@@PaulGriffith We have ATT phones and Verizon 5G internet. I don’t know how long either would last after a loss of power.
And it will absolutely happen, my work phone is on the Wireless Priority Service to support network restoration.
Use my pigeons for my primary communication over my cell phone and ham radio.
I live in the uk. It’s Mobile EE
That's funny about the guy that went through Colorado, there are several active repeaters here you just might have gotten on the wrong ones next time try the Colorado Connection system of repeaters that is a state wide system of link repeaters also there is a group of hams that monitor that system 24/7 for emergency traffic! This is a great system. While it doesn't cover absolutely everywhere, it does a good job and can even be reach in some of the remote back country up in the mountains!
I live in a major city in Canada and have probably the main cell service provider at the moment. There are dead areas in the city never mind on the highways and nearby mountains.
Last time I was up in the mountains on a hike I didn't have any cell service from the point I parked. Around 60 miles away from the city half way up the mountain with my ht, I was able to reach one of the repeaters in the city. Had a message relayed telling my wife I was running extremely late and needed her to pick up our daughter.
Amateur radio isn't perfect, neither are cell phones. But in my experience I can definitely rely on amateur radio more than cell phones. Unfortunately I still need a cellphone though 😉🤠
Cheers beers and whiskey 🤠🥃
My radio works all the time , whether someone is on the other end or not lol .
Correct
Assuming there is cell service, their towers aren't on the ground and the power or batteries hold out, cell service may be better. Other than that, ham radio is 'gooder' lol. Thanks for the video, 73 N2SCD
The Beartooth Hiway is my back yard in Red Lodge Mt. N7YZF
Nice
My Tracfone had 5 bard in Yellowstone!
Ham Radios Work's most of the Time!
60% of the time it works all the time.
An old scottish guy here. Heck only 57. Ex cb and US military guy.. with my british navy chiefs hat on. To be clear worked with and for US Navy. Never rely on Cells. Why would we 2E0IXA 73
If you're preparing for remote areas or grid-down scenarios, ham radio is your best bet. If you’re in daily life, cell phones win out. Ham radios aren’t "better" or "worse" than cell phones; each is just better suited to different situations and needs.
I live in Sidney Ohio. Population of 20k+. There are parts of the city that has horrible cell service on all carriers. Also dead areas across the county. My radio rig has never failed in these same areas. In fact I had to call out to a friend on my gmrs repeater to get storm (just a thinderstorm) updates because of these dead spots.
Also, I guess I'm fortunate to live in an area where almost all the repeaters are very, very active. So I never have a problem contacting someone when needed.
Just my $.02.
All im saying is when if ever S.H.T.F cell networks are easily taken down and you won't be able to use them but its practically impossible to take down radio communication. To many frequencies to talk on for "them" to shut down but its easy to block cell phone communications.
Excellent video!! I don't know about Texas, but here in california in the event of a major disaster like an earthquake, first responders will take over the cell towers so they can do what they do. That's if any of the cell towers survive the earthquake. Ham radio on the other hand, I can ALWAYS set up my own antenna and get my signal out there!!
That happened during our Snowmeggedon 3 years ago.
Cellphone With Satellite texting capability is the best I think
73
My friend You give some great advice but you can't fix stupid no matter how hard you try.
These people that are relying on there cell phones alone will only learn the hard way and for some that will be to late because the will be in a bad situation and wish they ahd taking just a little of this good advice.
Always appreciate you HRCC, And notarubicon you are my 3 favorite radio guys that I can actually understand what the hell you are talking about lol!
Don't forget Freezemageddon here in DWF. At&t cell towers down for days. Only open to first responders. Understood but I was shut off to what was happening for days. No Internet. No water. Nearly froze to death. I am now GMRS licenced and studying for ham. More than one HT on hand and now I can hear NOAH and radio so at least I know what's happening. Grid down? Phones are toast. None of my HTs ever are.
Yep
Sorry about the 2021 freeze. I left a box of northern weather when I visited the Austin area for a paintball game that January.
Yes, you have less on repeaters, how ever I talk to more people simplex on the national call than repeaters. And yes, Amatuer Radio is more reliable than cellphones. We work a lot of ultra marathons in the mountains, and I like it when the runners can not get a signal on their phone, I just look at them and tell them " I don't understand the raccoon was talking fine on his a few minutes ago.
YOU CANT COMPARE CELLULAR WITH RADIO, it’s two totally different types of communication,, ( you got me I commented) Happy Halloween
We really need a phone patch dongle the plugs into cell phone charging ports. That's right, your USB charging port also allows duplex audio from a standard earmic set. Only $10 for a phyical adapter. Unless your radio has bluetooth--in which case we need an app.
Anyone want to step up to the challenge?
When I had Sprint, my pigeons worked better.
try some bands other than 2m or 70cm de N3SBA
I admit the repeaters in rural areas like where I live are "working" with little to no activity, but they do come "alive" with people on them during emergencies, and just before big storms during the tornado season. Whereas just about every time there is a wide spread power outage the cell towers are the first thing down in my area, and there is a cell tower a quarter mile from my house.
If I had to guess these people are probably the ones calling CQ DX on the local repeaters! 😂😂😂
For me it’d be: cell service > satellite (with my iPhone) > ham radio.
Whatever happens to work at the time. In NC, after Helene, it was radio only
I can tell what happens to cell towers when a cat 5 hurricane pases over them. That is why after hurricane maria in 2017 I got in ham radio.
I think eager, new hams get confused when calling out to the repeater and no one answers. They "Assume" no one is there! And the reality often is someone is most likely there, but just fail to answer, for whatever reason!
Many hams are eager to help during a crisis, but just are not the Chatty Kathys we want them to be.
Valid point
@@HamRadio2 Like you said. The repeater is there, and its working. But, no one is answering! 😩 It happens....
You hear an annoying person, and don't want to talk to that person, for the next 2 hours! 🙉
I agree with you 100% Jason but, if there’s nobody there to answer you what good is it? So I understand where that commenter is coming from.
The same as no one answering your phone call. But that doesn't mean the phone isn't working.
@ yes agreed. My point is ham radio or even the phone depends on someone being on the other end. When during an emergency that ham radio/repeater doesn’t have anyone answering you your SOL. Mt Mitchell is a whole other story as it’s very high profile, in a fairly populated area, & sees a lot of use. Whereas the commenter probably lives in the middle of nowhere where there isn’t even a medium sized ham operator population.
Now ham radio vs satellite phone?
I kinda did something like that a while back, but I need to do more research with the Satellite phones
Are you cell phones only locked to one cell phone provider can you go to another area of your the cell phone might not work what do you think about
That's also true
AT&T locks your phone until it’s completely paid off, so if it goes down, you cannot even use the secondary SIM. Kind of hope the FCC stops the locking crap. You have to pay the phone off _either way_.
While I understand the point you are making...."works more often" can have more than one meaning.
I can promise you that there are more "contacts" being made by cell phone by huge orders of magnitude than via Ham Radio.
There are 6 guys in any given county that have Ham Radios, every American over the age of 5 has at least one cell phone.
Which one is used more often isn't the point I was making, either. The radio WILL work when the phone works and when the phone doesn't work. The technology is just different.
$50.00 I think you should check again.
If the cellphones go down, then the repeaters will get busy.
There is no one listening on the repeaters so having a radio is useless, accept when the cell network is dead and people with a radio start them up to use instead of their phone, hence solving the radio is quiet problem!?
Verizon is number one on area coverage.
Doesn't matter if "it is working" if nobody is hearing your call.
Just like no one answering your phone call.
Can include my Starlink 😂
I have another video about Starlink coming soon
I have another video about Starlink coming soon
Not sure of your point here, Jason. Apples and oranges. This isn't really a real debate or conundrum, is it? I guess some people need to to justify a passion. I find my radios fun and useful, if someone want me to justify what i do for leisure, well, who cares.
I just call a spade, a spade. That is all.
@ love ya!
There is 1001 reasons that can make cell network fail.
Cell phones are NOT 100%!
SAT phone.
Yes but you can still only call 1 person at a time and they're not cheap
@HamRadio2 I guess it's the paranoia in me that I prefer to have emergency communications only going to who I want it to. I've dealt with too many less than honorable opportunists waiting for someone in distress to pounce on.
I will rely on 2m repeaters
Or keep multiple options available at your disposal
Star Link
I have Starlink. It didn't work well in Yellowstone either. Video coming...
We desperately need to save 900MHz
Yes
Suggestion, please when capturing cell phone video hold it horizontal. Held vertically then viewing on a horizontally orientated computer screen, TV screen, and the like, it is as though we are viewing the video through a small keyhole, the left and right one-third of the screen is cut off, a stick video. Hope this helps.
As I stated in this video, the Vertical video is a TH-cam short that I posted a couple of months ago. Those are always vertical, it is how the platform works.
@@HamRadio2 Very much appreciate your polite reply. Truly, I was completely unaware of the TH-cam short requirement for always vertical, please accept my sincere apologize for my lack of knowledge. As I become older, 80+ my eyesight is not what it is used to be, thus when I watch vertical videos it is difficult for me; thus, rarely I watch TH-cam Shorts. Again, thank you for your polite response, a class act you are, I tip my hat to you.
You MUST get Involved & Help others get licensed or Get Other Hams USING their radios. Maybe create a NET. Weekly or more. Likely Others are just as frustrated with the repeaters in your area as you. But SOMEONE owns them & has them there to USE. Get off your butt & get INVOLVED! Sir