From: tjw@vms.cis.pitt.edu (TJ Wood)
Newsgroups: alt.feminism
Subject: Re: CB Radio / Ham Radio -- can we trust these Geeks? ;-)
Date: 6 Oct 92 19:51:35 GMT
Followup-To: alt.feminism
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

In article <pschleck.718391209@cwis>, pschleck@cwis.unomaha.edu (Paul W Schleck KD3FU) writes:

> Seriously, Citizens Band has several drawbacks that you need to be aware
> of:

> 1.  The police probably aren't listening.  Even if they say they do,
> it's probably a CB in the dispatcher's station with the squelch turned
> up and the volume turned down.  

True.  More than likely you'll be reaching other people on the road, such
as truck drivers or the local REACT, a group of people who voluntarily
montitor the airwaves.  Unless you are on a major road, such as the turnpike.

> 2.  Range is very limited.  Especially those portable "emergency CB's."
> If you are more than 5-10 miles away from a metropolitan area, you are
> not likely to be heard.

Even the "best" CB is limited to 5-10 miles in normal use.  You can expect
communications to be with the trucks/cars nearby you.

> 3.  CB is populated with a lot of shady characters.  The police may not
> hear your call, but some criminal might.  In this context, calling for
> help is broadcasting, "I'm a stranded women, please come and rob me."

You are dealing with the general public, which is populated with some
shady characters.  In my experience, I've found the people on CB to be
as helpful as any.  If you need help you can usually get it.  I myself have
helped out in a number of situations, calling the police from a pay-phone
etc.

> CB is cheap and unlicensed, but you get what you pay for.  If you're
> lucky and you're in a metropolitan area, something like Douglas County
> REACT (a volunteer CB emergency service in Omaha, Nebraska) *MIGHT* hear
> you and get help before others "help themselves," but why take chances?

If you are on an interstate, you have a good chance of getting help with CB.

On a turnpike, such as Pennsylvania's or Ohio's, the police actually
monitor the emergency frequency.  I've wittnessed accidents and contacted
the State Police within seconds and had them on the scene within minutes!

If you are on lonely state/county roads, the situation is much different.

> Your best bet, thought expensive, is cellular phone.  I'd recommend one
> of their "evening" calling plans for reduced rates (remember, you are
> paying for both calls made and calls received).

Cellular is probably the best bet.  On the turnpike(s) you can dial a number
on your cellular phone and get in direct contact with the police.

> I'm kind of biased on the subject, but I recommend to anyone who wants
> some communications security and can't afford a cellular phone to
> consider becoming a "ham" (amateur radio operator).  The service offers
> much better communication bands and better range.  Hams are also able to
> provide "phone patches" which are automated base-stations that will
> allow you to make a telephone call via radio using touch-tones.

This is certainly true, if you can reach another ham.  Many times you can
call on your ham radio till you are blue in the face and not raise a single
person.  Nothing like that sinking feeling when you realize that you've
just broadcast your situation to the world and there's NOBODY listening.

Or, at least NOBODY listening who's going to help you. BUT somebody COULD
know where you are now and be coming to "get" you!  Scanners are everywhere.

> The amateur service is also populated with a much higher class of
> individuals (this also means that they are more traditional - read
> sexist - but I see this as more of a stimulating challenge than a
> drawback :-).

Once again, you are dealing with the general public.  The only difference
between the public you will meet on CB and those that you will meet on ham
radio is that the people on ham radio are legally required to have passed a
test.  But there's nothing to stop someone with a scanner (the very general
public once again) from hearing your call for help and coming to "get" you.

So the warnings about broadcasting your plea for help on CB apply here, too.
Just because it's "HAM" radio is no reason to lower your guard.  (And then
again, can we trust these nerdy, solder sniffing geeks who spend their
evenings listening to dots-&-dashes? ;-)

The hardest thing about dealing with Hams is that you have to be careful
what you say to them.  The average age of a ham is well over 85 years old
and if you *shock* them with your predicament, their pacemaker stops. :-)
(Actually that's a little "inside" ham radio humor.  The real average age is
somewhere around 59 and getting grayer as we speak).

How ever you broadcast a plea for help, never get out of the car until
someone from the Police arrives.  In uniform.  In a squad car.  Ham or CB or
Cellular makes little difference in this regard -- they can all be overheard.

73 de Terry, WA3VQJ, The child of 2 solder-sniffing geeks who met on the air.