On Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at 8:27:25 PM UTC-7, bumper wrote:
On Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at 12:12:31 PM UTC-7, Wojciech Ścigała wrote:
Gents,

You forgot about one more device we all have installed: VHF radio. Tune
in 121.5 MHZ and ask for a message relay. All airliners monitor 121,500
so the "coverage" is very good.

Wojciech

That worked for me when I spotted a "body" lying face down in Nevada's Black Rock Desert a dozen years back. Landed my Husky and found the guy was still alive! Got on 121.5 and had they were scrambling to help! Airliner relayed call for air ambulance to Reno Approach. Another Husky in Oregon heard the traffic as well and asked on another forum who was that Husky who rescued the guy in the desert :c)

I used the aircraft radio, I'm sure a handheld would have worked also, though the rubber ducky antenna receives far better than it transmits, plus you aircraft radio may be putting our over 10 watts and the handheld is probably less than 1. Still worth having if your tail boom is broken.

I checked several popular handhelds, and they are all 1.5 W carrier (they also use peak envelope power, PEP, but the carrier is what gets the job done). Rubber ducky antennas are crap, especially when you are close to the ground. It would be great if there were a telescoping 1/4 wave emergency antenna.

Tom

Tom