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I just bought a set of fancy Cobra Radios to take in the forest with me.

I'm wondering, are there any certain frequencies that I should program in that a lot of people use in the Tillamook Forest? I mainly bought them for emergency situations if our car breaks down or we have a medical emergency but no cell service. Which leads me to the next question,are there any frequencies I should be aware of that I could get in touch with Park Rangers/ Police/Fire and rescue?
 
Not really going to be much help to you! What you really need is a UHF/VHF radio to do what your looking to do! And don't forget a SpotX is also a very helpful tool, likely the fastest means to getting help should you find your self in great need!
 
Ah I see. I've been playing around with them a little and noticed it has 22 channels GMRS and FRS... I thought you could actually punch in the frequencies. I'm aware about the licensing stuff :)
 
Smoke signals...just kidding. GMRS/FRS can be your friend in the woods. Hunters and campers use it frequently, you never know who is out there. The FCC recently changed its ruling on GMRS. You can have rigs up to 50 watts now. Midland sells some real nice mobile units. I have one of their 50 watt'ers. FRS does not require a license, GMRS does. You can get it on the FCC's website. I believe it costs around $70 now. It covers your family and is good for ten years.
Getting your ham license isn't hard, just takes some studying. Free practice exams at www.hamexam.org. The test is only $15 bucks compared to the GMRS.
Go on ebay and get yourself a little Baofeng (or spend more if you want). An F8HP will not set you back much and you can program it easily with CHIRP, which is free. During an actual emergency, you can transmit on any frequency for help. So if you have SAR frequency (search and rescue), programmed in, you can get help. But do make the effort to get your ham license. It's a pretty cool community and you will learn a lot along the way.
 
Well, I guess I had read that packaging wrong. But yes it is GMRS/FRS. I got it because it was waterproof and had the weather emergency channel thing and I was under the impression that one could set the frequency and not just have 1-22 along with the privacy channels. I think in the rare case that we'll ever get stranded, the license is the last of my problems lol
 
@Knebel a key question is whether your radios permit programming of custom frequencies. I think the answer is "No" based on your comments.

Assuming the radios are not programmable:
  • They work in "simplex" mode, which means radio-to-radio and no ability to use a signal repeater if one was in the vicinity.
  • You might use channels 15-22. These are typically the pre-programmed GMRS channels on those radios, and your radio may transmit with slightly more power on those frequencies. Check the instructions to confirm.
  • Assume there won't be a useable signal if there is more than 1/2 mile between the radios.
 
@Knebel a key question is whether your radios permit programming of custom frequencies. I think the answer is "No" based on your comments.

Assuming the radios are not programmable:
  • They work in "simplex" mode, which means radio-to-radio and no ability to use a signal repeater if one was in the vicinity.
  • You might use channels 15-22. These are typically the pre-programmed GMRS channels on those radios, and your radio may transmit with slightly more power on those frequencies. Check the instructions to confirm.
  • Assume there won't be a useable signal if there is more than 1/2 mile between the radios.
I think they have 2Watts. And no, I don't think they allow custom frequencies unless I have not found that option yet lol. They have a function where you can store channels but whats the point of that when its not custom frequencies? I guess they are still fine for what they are.
 

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