[Elecraft] please, short listen in the HAM bands]

[David F. Reed]

Mike,

mc wrote:


>Suppose you were out to sea,  a long way from any noise, would any of those tiny  hand held sets still work like the 6m, 2m, 70cm or do they need to use repeaters on land to go very far. 
>
>Mike



I am sure someone will provide a more detailed and technical answer, but 
the short answer is VHF and UHF signals are line of sight, and repeaters 
are usually situated with high antennas to give them plenty of that...

So how high above the sea will you be? From an airplane, you can "see" 
typically 100 miles or more (all depending on altitude of course); and 
from the space shuttle? Even more; and they do not use much power to 
make their contacts when running ham radio.

But there is not much blocking it, and sometimes you get ducting.

So I think the answer is to what purpose? If you are just playing, it 
might be boring; if in a life raft, it might be useless, but a low power 
emergency beacon would work.  You could get a lot of action signing 
maritime mobile though, even with a QRP rig...

I would recommend taking it and playing, but taking other radios as 
well. (but I tend to consider myself a pack mule and bring everything I 
can to assure fun).

If you are really interested, you might join the HFPack group, and pose 
the question "I am going to be at sea on this sort of boat <insert craft 
type, length, and so on> at sea on a journey from <x> to <y>; what would 
be the ideal portable set up to bring along?"

I expect you would get a lot of answers; I am positive I would bring my 
K2 along; too much fun to leave behind! And the ocean provides such a 
nice ground; an insulated back stay, or a vertical, and you are in 
business to to speak.

73 and good luck de W5SV, Dave

-- 
David F. Reed  - W5SV -     cell: 512 585-1057