Hi,

I'm thinking about buying a handheld to take along on my offroad
motorcycle travels. I will be between Wendover, NV and Delta, UT. It
is about 120 miles of very barren territory, sand dunes, salt flats
and rocky mountains. My wife is concerned - and probably rightfully
so - that mechanical failure or a crash will leave me in the middle of
nowhere. I plan on following a known route (GPS), so if I go missing
too long folks will know where to look for me.

I have 20 years of desert riding experience, but never in an area I
couldn't walk out of (perhaps 7 miles to nearest road). So I'm
thinking she has a good point. Attempting to walk that far with
limited water might lead to a tragic situation.

I am a electrical engineer and have ordered a book off amazon, and
either way plan on taking the FCC test. Would a 5 watt handheld have
a chance of getting out a signal in this area? It is fairly close to
an Air Force proving grounds, so perhaps? My enduro motorcycle does
have 12 VDC and I could mount a smaller unit with an external antenna
but wonder if it is worth it? On this trip I would use it only for
life-threatening conditions, so perhaps a handheld can use law
enforcement repeaters???

Any thoughts on the subject from those with experience would be
greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Eric