What are all the emergency signals?

[malcolmc]

Have to confess that i have no idea so i t's about time i found out. Where better to ask?
Blasts on the whistle, markers and internationaly known distress signs etc. Whether made from fire , piles of clothing or whatever i think it would be good to know them all or at least the common ones to use and their meanings.
Over to you

Thanks for posting the question Bilko and all those who replied.
I knew I was a bit out of date ; it was something on my list to find out about before any serious trekking.

Just as a matter of interest anyone know how to find out when these things change - is there a recognised international body that sets standards? (I had a quick look at the United Nations web site but couldn't find anything)

 

[swyn]

This is something that I have in my 'phone and is recognised by the emergency services in this country........ I C E ...... IN CASE of EMERGENCY.
ICE followed by your wife/mother/closests 'phone number can be ICE.1. Then ICE.2. etc. If you are unconcious or in a mess this can save a lot of time and hassle to you or your helpers so is worth considering especially as most of us now are never far from a mobile 'phone.
Swyn.

 

[BOD]

So who can tell me how to make a spark plug transmitter?

 

[pteron]

Not too sure about the amature thing. It might be ignored. There are alot of people on that will do this for a laugh, but aren't licenced to transmit on that band, and if someone isn't licenced a person that is licence to transmit who talks to the person who isn't i think will have there licence taken away or something along those lines. I know if i heard one i would be very reluctent to answer unless a call sign came after it and i know some that may be the same, but as i say anywhere i have gone even placesrural have had problems with non licenced people trying to block other people. But still worth a try. There are certain freq' that are allecated to raynet and there some kind of emergency services. PMR is always worth a try if your stuck, but only running a small amount of W means that getting out might be a problem.
I only just new about the whistle thing when i read a Ray Mears book.

I'm not saying dont use the amateur freq' because there might be someone that will come back to you.

The regulations specifically exempt you from needing a license for emergency communications.

 

[JoeG]

So who can tell me how to make a spark plug transmitter?

Pretty much like this one here. Be very careful making one, i think there were deemed so bad that some people thought they were too dangerouse to make. No connection to the site and making one might/is very dangerous so if you know what your doing is good for this


pteron, i'm not saying dont use the amateur freq' but i would think that a reply might be hard to get. But you never know who might be out there. I know you can use it in an emergency, i think some boats have used it or something along those lines. In a very old book it tells you what to do if you hear mayday and its from a boat. I dont know if its still known by many people now.
I have my hand held radio with me most of the time, and i can get repeaters and talk to people where mobile phones cant get a reception, i always knew i never needed a mobile phone.

 

[Doc]

Several amateur HF bands are shared with other users (eg maritime radio and the MoD). In the 1953 East coast floods, a number of coastal radio stations closed down and amateur stations handled much emergency traffic.

A lot of ships carry amateur transceivers as there are several maritime nets and weather nets on hf ham radio.

Just occasionally you get an idiot (a 'lid' in radio slang) on an amateur band and as Joe says, there is a chance other operators may suspect a distress call as being bogus, or be unwilling to talk to an unlicensed station. But suppose you were trawling the 80m ham band one evening and received this:

"MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY.
This is Evelyn Rose, Evelyn Rose, Evelyn Rose

MAYDAY Evelyn Rose.

My position is: 54 24 North 018 33 west.

I am sinking and require immediate assistance

Four crew members on board.
OVER."

I don't know about you, but if there was no acknowledgement from a coastguard or ship station, I would acknowledge it myself, get any other information and dial 999 to pass it on to the coastguard.
I think most amateur stations would relay any distress message that sounded legitimate.

Spark transmitters transmit all over the spectrum.. I use to do vhf operating from a hilltop and I could tell if a car was diesel or petrol from half a mile away by pointing the antenna at it and listening for ignition noise.