Communication Beyond Cellphones

Ever since my health problems started, I have been carrying a cellphone wherever I go.  I rarely use it socially but have needed it to call 9-1-1 for myself far too many times.

Today I have even more health complications and need to stay close to help.  This poses a problem while we are at the lake house because there is absolutely no wireless service anywhere near the lake.  The lake is still close to one of our local hospitals so, geographically, there is no major problem.  So, what is the solution for effective communication in case I need help in this relatively remote area?  Or, what if Sheila or Adam need help while out hiking, biking, kayaking or sailing?

Radios.

Before cellphones became 'mainstream' for families, you would often see families using small walkie talkies at amusement parks and other places families frequent.  Those were decent radios but they were nothing like some of the radios which are available today.

Much of our activities at the lake involve water so waterproofing, or at least weatherproofing, is important to us.  I managed to find a very good set of waterproof walkie talkies!  These walkie talkies are high quality, heavy, built like a tank, large in the hand and are so powerful that I needed a license issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Radio communication is more familiar to me than cellphone communication.  Actually, it is abundantly more familiar to me than texting!  Other than building a crystal radio set when I was a kid, my first real experiences in radio communication came during pilot training in the 1980s.  Then came years of radio communication throughout my career in the Air Force and Department of Defense, especially while an air defense controller.  Later, after being medically discharged from service, I was certified again after earning a commission as a Aerospace Officer in the Air Force Auxiliary.

Adam is the Cadet Commander of his Civil Air Patrol squadron so he, too, is certified in radio communications for his disaster relief operations as well as search and rescue operations.  So, Adam and I will have absolutely no problems communicating on the radios.

These Motorola radios are so powerful they required me to apply for a radio station authorization.  I was quickly approved and assigned a callsign.  I have to say that it is really odd to receive an approval certificate from the government for my own radio station!  Who am I?  Howard Stern?  Or, Delilah?

So, the plan is no matter where I go while at the lake house...   out on the kayak...  out on the sailboat...   for a short hike...  I take a radio with me.  If Adam wanders out on his own, he takes a radio.  If Sheila heads out, she takes a radio.  What if someone is left alone at the house?  Well, I found a nice base station two-way radio for us to use at the house!

This base station radio can be powered by plugging it into an outlet.   It has a rechargeable battery pack.  And, if necessary, it can be powered by using a hand crank!  It also receives NOAA weather and AM/FM radio.  It is a nice little radio.

Oh, and the lake house has an old landline 1980s telephone!