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Operation on Alaska Emergency Frequency: 5167.5 khz (U.S. Version Only)
Section 97.401(d) of the regulations governing amateur radio in the United States permit
emergency amateur communications on the spot frequency of 5167.5 kHz by stations in (or
within 92.6 km of) the state of Alaska. This frequency is
only
to be used when the
immedi-
ate safety of human life and/or property
are threatened, and is
never
to be used for routine
communications.
The
FT-818
includes the capability for transmission and reception on 5167.5 kHz under
such emergency conditions via the Menu system. To activate this feature:
1. Press and hold in the key for one second to activate the Menu mode.
2. Rotate the
knob to select Menu #28 (EMERGENCY).
3. Rotate the
knob to select “ON”.
4. Press and hold in the key to exit the Menu mode.
Emergency communication on this spot frequency is now possible:
Press the
key, as necessary, to enter the Memory mode, then rotate the
knob to select the emergency channel (M-EMG), which is found between channels
M-PU and M-001.
Note that the receive-mode Clarifier functions normally while using this frequency, but
variation of the transmit frequency is not possible. Activation of Menu #28 does not enable
any other out-of-amateur-band capability on the transceiver. The full specifications of the
FT-818
are not necessarily guaranteed on this frequency, but power output and receiver
sensitivity should be fully satisfactory for the purpose of emergency communication.
If you wish to disable operation on the Alaska Emergency Frequency, repeat the proce-
dure detailed above, but set Menu #28 to “OFF” in step 3 of the procedure.
In an emergency, note that a half-wave dipole cut for this frequency should be approxi-
mately 45’3” on each leg (90’6” total length).
Emergency operation on 5167.5 kHz is shared with the Alaska-Fixed Service. This trans-
ceiver is not authorized for operation, under the FCC’s Part 87, for aeronautical communi-
cations.