Thread: Question: Radio frequencies ??

I'm always thinking of weird things. You may or may not know, but aircraft have 2 channels on the UHF frequency range that they can use any time they are having a problem. 243 and 121.5 (half of the 1st). They get in trouble, they can broadcast on that and damn near anyone within LOS (line of sight) of that aircraft will be able to pick it up.

I think CB radios used to use Ch 19 for problems.

Now switch gears.... if you were to get lost somewhere in the National Park Service areas, is there a predesignated frequency you can go to when in trouble? Granted, most campers get themselves into trouble by just being stupid in the 1st place, so they are not likely to have 2 way communications anyway. Cell phones don't necessarily work in remote areas. Does each park co-ordinate their own SAR nets? I'm leery of calling the parks and asking them such a question, I imagine it would raise red flags if they even answered the question in the 1st place.

I'm going hiking/camping in Big Bend for Thanksgiving, debating on taking the radio I usually use to monitor for aircraft when I"m flying my hang glider. It's a bad ass little radio. Smaller than many cell phones. Makes flying with it easy when I have it wired up to my helmet.

Yaesu VX-2R
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/3318

For what it's worth, I've already done some Googling for my answers. Just no luck. Some useful stuff found here

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/d...uts=1&aid=1338

but not an answer to my basic questions of a predesignated frequency and if each park has their own SAR net defined.