Phone patches...

[Zman]

Do hams even use them anymore on HF? Id think it would be easier to just use a cell phone...

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Gee, I haven't heard a phone patch on the air in years. With cell phones, satellite phones and the internet I don't really see the need for them. There was a time when GI's would line up outside the radio room awaiting their turn to call back home but that is pretty much gone now. The last deployment my cousin had to Kuwait/Iraq/Afghanistan had him keeping in touch via military email services and Skype.

 

[Mudfoot]

I used to hear some missionaries in Central/South America utilize them a few years ago. I haven't really paid much attention since then. You might hear a few on the maritime net on occasion.

I used them a lot when I was deployed. In the 80's we used Satellite Manpack radios to call the closest base or recruiters office near our hometown. They would then connect us to the base autovon network and transfer our call to home or wherever. As long as it wasn't long distance nobody really cared.

Just had to put up with an echo, but at least you had a private conversation that wasn't broadcasted over the HF airwaves.

 

[Moleculo]

Phone patches on HF AND VHF have pretty much gone the way of the

 

[KingCobra_CDX882]

Phone Patches still are a thing to use in Power Outages.
Like when all Phones were basically down in Hurricane Sandy.

Most phones and cel phones were down..
Only Satellite and some phone patches worked.

99% of the time..
Phone Patch advantages are Gone