Mount Everest ...

[ffemtbland]

I was watching some show on Discovery Channel last night, and the gentleman at Base Camp was communicating with the climbers about the weather and such from his tent ... advising them to come down / continue climbing, whatever. The mic he had is his hand looked like an amateur mic ... with the little metal ring on it to hang it up. I never once heard a call sign or any actual radio unit, but the comms were pretty clear ... Anybody have any ideas about what an expedition group might use to communicate with? What about power supplies? What band / spectrum / mode would allow reliable comms? Lets get thinking ...
Thanks,
Lars
Madison, Wisconsin
KC9JMD

 

[N4JNW]

Could have been using a modified 2M/70cm dual bander on MARS or GMRS frequencies...

Just a shot in the dark..

 

[mam1081]

I saw that show last week - they showed the display, and it was on something like 146.250 or so. It was in the US 2m ham band (not sure what the bands are over there).

 

[N4JNW]

Interesting them not using a callsign...

BUT.. They might have been using a callsign, but only showed a snippet clip of where they might have already started thier QSO. Callsigns are only required at the beginning, end, and at every 10 or 15 minutes you are on the air.

 

[ffemtbland]

good ideas and thanks. who knows what the everest equivalent of 146.52 is ... hmm. it seemed to me that most of the tx/rx was roughly line - of - sight ... 2m vhf would work well with no really high power requirements, i imagine ... i suppose that helps the batteries last longer ... but what about the age old issue of cold and batteries??? it gets cold in wisconsin and my ft 60 doesnt last as long ...
Lars

 

[MMIC]

They were all Icom radios on 145.250 MHz. I would suppose that up that high, in the middle of nowhere at the border of India and Nepal, who's going to stop you from using any frequency you want?

 

[SAR923]

I was at Everest base camp about five years ago and there were climbers from about 10 different countries, some in national teams. They were using everything from 2m ham portables to a complete UHF 460 sytem with a portable repeater. The Japanese team was the one using the UHF system. Nepal is a country not known for strict enforcement of any rules and you can just about use anything you have with you. We were using MURS radios for our trekking party. Once you reach base camp, it's pretty much line of sight up the mountain so it doesn't take a lot to be able to talk up the mountain. It's much more difficult to keep in contact on the hike from Lukkla to base camp since it's nothing but up and down some pretty big valleys.

And no, I didn't make it any further than base camp. I was lucky to make it that far. Everest isn't known as the "Death Zone" for nothing.

 

[MMIC]

Well, ABC is what - 20K feet!? That's nothing to scoff at, that's for sure.

 

[SAR923]

Well, ABC is what - 20K feet!? That's nothing to scoff at, that's for sure.

Actually, it's about 18,200 feet...but still nothing to scoff at. There's nothing technical about getting to base camp. It's just long, hard, rocky, and steep. Really steep. It was worth doing once for the experience but I'd never do it again. It was the toughest 15 days of my life.

 

[MMIC]

Ahh..so you were at the "plain old" base camp, not advanced base camp. Still a cool feat - and probably a great view of the mountain!

By the way, they were using a couple of Icom IC-229H units for base station operations:

http://www.rigpix.com/icom/ic229h.htm

and what looked to be Icom IC-V8 sport radios for portable operations:

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/0088.html

 

[car2back]

Actually, it's about 18,200 feet...but still nothing to scoff at. There's nothing technical about getting to base camp. It's just long, hard, rocky, and steep. Really steep. It was worth doing once for the experience but I'd never do it again. It was the toughest 15 days of my life.

Wow, I'd love to do that! The highest I've been was Mt Elbert (14,440ft) near Leadville, Co in 2003 with a crew from my Boy Scout Troop. We did Elbert day 1, then Massive (14,421ft) day 2, Wheeler Peak near Taos, NM (13,161ft) day 3, then Black Mesa in Cimarron County, OK (a measly 4,973ft :lol: ) on the 4th day.

 

[landonjensen]

not to hijack the thread !

Wow, I'd love to do that! The highest I've been was Mt Elbert (14,440ft) near Leadville, Co in 2003 with a crew from my Boy Scout Troop. We did Elbert day 1, then Massive (14,421ft) day 2, Wheeler Peak near Taos, NM (13,161ft) day 3, then Black Mesa in Cimarron County, OK (a measly 4,973ft :lol: ) on the 4th day.

did you make it all the way to eagle?

 

[car2back]

did you make it all the way to eagle?

Yep, got it in 2004 when I was 18

 

[landonjensen]

wow, awesome,p im getting mine next year, im hoping, just biking, personal managment, and fire safety to do, and im done, besides my project.

btw, you have a PM.

Yep, got it in 2004 when I was 18

 

[red8]

Wow, I'd love to do that! The highest I've been was Mt Elbert (14,440ft) near Leadville, Co in 2003 with a crew from my Boy Scout Troop. We did Elbert day 1, then Massive (14,421ft) day 2, Wheeler Peak near Taos, NM (13,161ft) day 3, then Black Mesa in Cimarron County, OK (a measly 4,973ft :lol: ) on the 4th day.

Gee phil,
The highest I have ever been was in the Smokies,Lookout mountain
back in 88'. I have a fear of heights. And I am not being sarcastic.
Merry Christmas Podnuh!!!!!!!!
red8