Mountain Climbing Guide Service and Radios

[Mountain_Guide]

I am the head guide at a Mountain Climbing Guide Service based in Bellingham, Washington. We are interested in beginning to use UHF/VHF radios for communications between guides and for emergencies. The problem is that we know little about this stuff. In the past we have used Motorolas and the like to speak to each other, but this really doesn't give us any leeway for emergencies.

A couple of our guides picked up the YAESU VX7-R radio upon recommendations from other guides. I recently acquired this particular radio for myself.

In any case, I have a few questions:

1) I'd like to get myself and some of our guides trained in the use of the radio. How should I go about finding a qualified individual to hire to do a training for us?

2) The American Mountain Guides Association acquired a frequency for themselves for when they run their courses. How could I go about doing that for our guide service?

I have a million other questions, but I think that if I could get great answers on these first two, the others might all fall into place.

Thanks in advance for your responses,

Jason

[Mountain_Guide]

Opps. It looks like I put this in the wrong area. Maybe a moderator could move it to the right spot?

Jason

[wayne_h]

Originally Posted by Mountain_Guide

Opps. It looks like I put this in the wrong area. Maybe a moderator could move it to the right spot?

I've moved it to the Industry Discussion forum which is under Commercial & Professional Radio. Basically what you've described so far looks like you're looking for commercial radios and their use. Use of the VX-7 is for licensed amateur radio operators and is not meant to be used to transmit outside the amateur bands. If the activities were performed by them you could use them for search and rescue but I don't get the feeling you're all licensed.

[Mountain_Guide]

Some of the guides are licensed and some are not. It appears that studying for the test to get the license is the easy part... But I don't know, I'm not licensed.

I'm definitely interested in creating a plan for our guide service, both with emergency use as well as with general communication between guides in the mountains.

Jason

[rfradioconsult]

First have a set down with your local law enforcement agency and find out how they handle mountain emergencies and rescues, this will give you an idea were to start. The rescue folks should have some sort of MOU for coordination and which frequencies to use. Hopefully you can explain how your group can provide a beneficial service and sign a MOU allowing you to communicate with their units on an emergency need basis. Then contact a fwo way shop to assist you with the coordination and licensing process for a channel within the same band as the rescue services. Then you will know what radio equipment to buy; you will want a good public safety class radio that will be compatable with the type of equipment in uae by the other agencies, you don't to want to trust someone's life to a $250 radio.

Stay away from ham equipment; it is not approved for use on part 90 radio services and even if your group are all hams use of ham frequencies for business, commercial, or public safety is prohibited.

Take the right steps will make the process go much smoother.

[Mountain_Guide]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is a fwo shop? What does that stand for?

Thanks for the advice though!

Jason

[texasemt13]

Originally Posted by Mountain_Guide

Pardon my ignorance, but what is a fwo shop?

I believe he misspelled "two," as in "two way radio."

Wayne is right to assert that the VX-7 is for licensed operators (hams, amateur radio operators), but you could all go get licensed for that as well (here:arrl.org it's pretty easy to do).

Other than that, as a company you can get a specific frequency licensed to ya'll (by the FCC), then purchase radios programmed for that (those) frequency (frequencies). That is where the "two-way radio shop" comes in.

rfradioconsult had the best advice though, try to coordinate this with the appropriate public safety groups. They might have some specific suggestions beyond what anyone here can offer.

[rfradioconsult]

Originally Posted by Mountain_Guide

Pardon my ignorance, but what is a fwo shop? What does that stand for?

Thanks for the advice though!

Jason

Me BAD. Two-way radio shop.

[Mountain_Guide]

Thanks guys!

I talked to a guy at a Two Way Radio shop and it looks like they will be able to help us out with everything.

We were aware that the radios we got required licenses. It looks like the shop will help us all jump through the hoops to get the license.

Part of the reason we got the VX-7R is because of the fact that the different parks, national forests and SAR groups that we with all have different frequencies that are all over the spectrum.

Again, I appreciate the help!

Jason