Monitoring a FSR frequency definitely increases safety, and being able to transmit your location increases safety that much more. I don't know to what level truck drivers follow the rules/guidelines for calling out their KM's when on FSRs so I feel safer being able to call out my KM's every couple KMs, so if they are not calling out regularly, hopefully they'll hear me, and start calling out.
The legalities of calling out your KM's are dumb. Technially you are supposed to have:
- Commercial license from Industry Canada... No test, I think the fee is $25 or something.
- Commercial Radio - cannot be programmable on the fly, needs to be pre-programmed
- Written permission to use that frequency from whoever is leasing the specific frequency from Industry Canada
The practical reality (in my experiences) is that most logging companies are happy to have you enter the frequency on your programmable amateur radio (ILLEGAL) and call out your KM's on that frequency, even though you don't have a commercial license (ILLEGAL) with no special permission (REQUIRED). IT makes it safer for the commercial drivers on those roads and there are no meaningful negative side effects. Just don't use that frequency for chit chat.
As far as I know, it is legal to monitor the commercial frequencies with a HAM radio as long as your radio isn't capable of transmitting on those frequencies.
In terms of receiving capabilities of a Mobile vs a Handheld, I don't entirely know. I think you could significantly increase receiving range of a handheld by connecting it to a full size vehicle mounted antenna. I just bought a 1/4 wave antenna for my UV5R... Haven't tried it out yet... but it will be interesting to see what kind of difference it makes, compared to the stock 6" rubber duck antenna.
I know that I would rather not rely on the receiving capabilities with the stock antenna on the UV5R. The increased range is key in the winter on snowy roads because there are fewer places to pull over and the work trucks are moving fast to maintain speed on hills, but can't slow down as quick because of the snow.
About a month ago, I was coming down a snowy FSR (8km mark) and a dump truck asked me to pull over on the left side of the road near a specific bridge at 7k (He was coming up at 2km mark). He had 2 dump trucks right behind him and they were going to be cooking it up the hill, and he knew how they would take the corner going onto the bridge,and that we would be out of the way on the wrong side of the road. That was a situation where a bit of extra range and the ability to transmit back was key. It would have been hairy to meet those 3 trucks on a steep, narrow section of snowy road.
Sorry for the rambling response. Hope it helps.
Time to start playing and programming...
