belvdr
No longer interested in living
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Never heard of "pan pan pan". I do know "Pan! Pan!" from Little Caesar's though.
Ham Radio & Contacting Emergency Services
- Thread starter ccg_ga
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mmckenna
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It's not covered in the multiple choice test.
hahahaaa that actually made me laugh. As to pan pan pan, yeah we could probably leave that one out as mayday is international and avoids people having to guess wrong on the multiple choice test. hahaa I'm still laughing.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
They are French terms that were adopted a long time ago, and generally well understood in the maritime community. Even the USCG uses them:
Mayday = emergency, urgent life or death, etc.
Pan Pan, Pan Pan, Pan Pan = urgent safety message, non-life threatening
Securitie', Securitie', Securitie', = urgent notice
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Yeah, sort of meant it to be funny, but also a lot of truth to it. I've brought this up before in other discussions...
We have a lot of hams, and a lot of people training hams, that just focus on passing the multiple choice test, nothing more. To truly understand, it takes more than that. Learning and understanding Part 97 rules is a requirement, but far too many hams won't.
As for emergency use, relying on volunteers/hobbyists to be standing by and responding would not be my first choice. Just too many places out west here were population levels are too low. Heck, I've got places I go for work where there is zero cell coverage, zero land line, zero amateur radio repeaters, zero internet "tubes", zero utility power, and limited public safety radio coverage. Reliable communications in those areas is handled via satellite phone. Even my employer issues satellite PLB's to people that spend time in remote areas. I carry my own InReach device, I carry a work satellite phone. We'd probably use HF if we had more people out there, but adding HF radio watch to our dispatchers jobs wouldn't go over well. Being able to hit the button on the PLB/InReach/Spot device is easy and doesn't require stringing up a temporary antenna. When lives are in the balance, we don't really on hobbyists.
Perfect
K9DWB
QRT
Are you sure that wasn't Pizza Pizza?
Unfortunate me but I've just got my HT that I sometimes take when I go out and about. I do keep the cell phone with me at all times. It does bring about thinking if something serious does happen, would my communication get in touch with emergency services? Mostly yes it probably will be OK, but then again, that guy Murphy always has bad things happen to him.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
If you come across in an emergency, the system is set up to prefer the use of telephones. Dialing 911 from a land line will give the dispatchers your street address. Dialing 911 from a cell phone will give them your latitude and longitude. If, for whatever reason, you cannot speak, they will know there is something wrong and know where you are. They will dispatch someone.
The entire E-911 system is set up around this, and that's the way PSAP's prefer you contact them.
If your cell phone/land line doesn't work, then sure, use the radio, but understand the limitations:
-There is no guarantee someone will answer.
-If someone does answer, they're no guarantee they'll assist.
-If they do assist, you'll need to give them accurate location data. May not be easy if you are unfamiliar with where you are, or are in a high stress situation. Also assume that someone well outside the immediate area will have no idea of the location, and it will take them additional time to reach the correct dispatch center.
The benefit to devices like InReach, PLB's, EPRIBS and Spot devices is that it's a one button push, it includes a number of useful pieces of information, including GPS derived latitude and longitude. The trigger sends the information to those that are trained to assist and know how to get help to you as quickly as possible.
Making it easy for the first responders to find you should be your highest goal.
The entire E-911 system is set up around this, and that's the way PSAP's prefer you contact them.
If your cell phone/land line doesn't work, then sure, use the radio, but understand the limitations:
-There is no guarantee someone will answer.
-If someone does answer, they're no guarantee they'll assist.
-If they do assist, you'll need to give them accurate location data. May not be easy if you are unfamiliar with where you are, or are in a high stress situation. Also assume that someone well outside the immediate area will have no idea of the location, and it will take them additional time to reach the correct dispatch center.
The benefit to devices like InReach, PLB's, EPRIBS and Spot devices is that it's a one button push, it includes a number of useful pieces of information, including GPS derived latitude and longitude. The trigger sends the information to those that are trained to assist and know how to get help to you as quickly as possible.
Making it easy for the first responders to find you should be your highest goal.
There's a whole section in the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual about the procedures for declaring an emergency. The difference between "PAN-PAN" and "MAYDAY" are described there.
www.faa.gov
Distress and Urgency Procedures
www.faa.gov
My own excellent posts notwithstanding (
), this is pretty much the best information I've seen on this threadccg_ga
Member
I'll catch up on the comments tonight but I got a Black Friday flyer from Bass Pro/Cabelas and they have 3 of the Garmin inReach devices on sale if anyone needs to pick one up - they are the clear winner on this thread
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
My own excellent posts notwithstanding (
Of course, secondary to yours.
If someones tool box only includes a radio, then use the radio. But it's a pretty piss-poor tool box if that's all you've got.
I keep waiting for someone to bring up the "I'll use my ham radio on public safety frequencies" nonsense...
nd5y
Member
Very few hams know what pan pan and sécurité mean. Probably because they are not mentioned in Part 97.
Break is a term that hams picked up from CB and was never used correctly by hams or CBers, especially the part about the higher the number of times you say break the bigger the emergency. That's total BS.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
I'll catch up on the comments tonight but I got a Black Friday flyer from Bass Pro/Cabelas and they have 3 of the Garmin inReach devices on sale if anyone needs to pick one up - they are the clear winner on this thread
I've got the InReach Mini, and I'm pretty happy with it. I went around and around with myself on that choice, came real close to getting one with the larger display, but ultimately glad I didn't. The Mini will connect to a cell phone and the InReach app and give you all the features as the larger ones, yes, even if you don't have a cell signal. I can compose and send messages from my cell phone through the InReach device. The app will use the GPS in the Mini to find your position and put it on a map.
And the Mini is really small. I have no issues clipping it to my backpack or jacket and forgetting it's there. Weighs a few ounces at the most. Since I don't use it for receiving messages, I can leave it turned off until I need it. Never had any issues with battery life.
So far the only times I've actually used it was for checking in with my wife every night while working out on a remote site. It'll send her a canned message I can chose (and modify) and it'll pop up on her cell phone, e-mail, etc.
And $12/month for the service is only a few cups of coffee (or one Baofeng).
ccg_ga
Member
100% agree. I got the Explorer+ with the screen but it also doubles as my speedometer in the Jeep since I haven't switched out the gear to recalibrate it to account for the larger tires. It also sends GPS position data to my iPad which I use off-road for maps and navigation.
I got exactly for the same reason to check in with wife after she wasn't able to reach me one night and I came home from a trip at about 9PM. The monthly subscription cost is worth the peace of mind alone.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Yeah, she really likes it.
After 21 years of marriage, she's sort of used to the weirdness of the job, so she's kind of accustomed to it. Took her a little while to get used to bright and bubbly dispatchers calling me in the middle of the night and not thinking something was weird about that.
Oh, wow! Now there's a term I haven't heart in a long time!
I went with the Garmin SE+ as it has twice the battery life of the Mini, plus I got it new for $203 after some Amazon discount and taxes. I also leave it on instead of waiting for a GPS fix in case an emergency occurs. The emergency may be my own and I don't need others fiddling around. I top it up when sleeping so the Mini would also work for me, but the discount and battery life sold me on the SE+.
Dear part 95 users, get your amateur radio license so you can use mayday too...after you hit the button on your Garmin.
Dear part 95 users, get your amateur radio license so you can use mayday too...after you hit the button on your Garmin.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
If I could have found one for that price, I would have gone that route. Nice find.
By the way, one may be able to send a text or email message via APRS in order to gain assistance, whether emergency or not. Much depends on coverage blah blah blah. If this was already pointed out, I missed it.
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