[pct-l] Amateur Radio on the PCT -- Part 1

[AsABat at 4Jeffrey.Net (AsABat)]

Doodad has quite an interesting plan for the trail and I look forward to
following how it works next summer. 

I got my ham license about 10 years ago specifically because I wanted a way
to get help in the backcountry, especially since I was a Scoutmaster at the
time. While ham radio never "saved my life," it did save us a lot of extra
walking and hitching when our Scout troop had to bail off the PCT in the
high snows of 1998. (I have used it to get help for others, though.)

For those who might be interested, I have some more information on using
radio repeaters at www.qsl.net/aa6j/pct , along with a conversation I had
with another thru hiker thinking about ham radio (sort of an FAQ). There's
also a list of repeaters that might be helpful along the trail. Repeaters
are usually on mountain tops and automatically relay signals. For example,
at Rae Lakes (a deep hole for those who have been there), I have used a
repeater to talk to others in Bishop.

You do have to have a license to use a ham radio, but the test is not that
hard. There is no longer a Morse Code requirement for using VHF and UHF
repeaters. My daughter passed the multiple-choice test and got her license
when she just turned 11.

AsABat
PCT Repeater Guide www.qsl.net/aa6j/pct