Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una@lanl.gov>]

[The problem:  how to provide backcountry communications for a 
deaf person.]

Jorene Downs wrote:
>The only option I can think of - outside the 2-way text messaging 
>for cell phones or pagers - would be the very expensive option of
>satellite phone connection transmitting from a handheld device
>capable of text messaging.  Someone would need to be set up to
>send/receive and act as the relay.

This can be done very cheaply using digital ham radio technology.
The person in the field, and the base station, would each need a
computer linked to a radio...but perhaps by now the computer used
in the field can be a palmtop?

The major issue here is:  what is the terrain like?  This would
dictate the choice of radio frequency, or the need for repeaters
at strategic high elevations.

One advantage of digital radio is that neither station needs to
be attended by a person for the message to be received;  the
station itself receives the message and will store it until it
is read, or print it just like a conventional teletype machine.

        Una Smith
        Santa Fe County Sheriff's Posse, in New Mexico