2 way radios - need help picking one

[NJSigfan 218]

Hello everyone,

 

After the recent storm events here in NJ my family has decided to invest in a decent 2 way radio system, but i'm clueless on where to buy or what to buy. Is there a set or system where multiple radios can be added to it? Ideally we need a system that can handle 5 radios, one for each member of the immediate family. Everyone lives within 15 miles of each other, but the bigger the range capability the better. I have not set a budget for this, but I don't exactly want to break the bank either.

 

Thanks for the help

 

 

[MedicYeti 96]

The easiest thing would be CB radios. With the right antenna, mounted high, you may be able to hit 15 miles. There are items that can be added to boost power but I don't believe they are legal for CB's, so don't do it. You can get a car CB for less then $100 and mount it in the home. You can run it off an adapter that turns the house plug to a 12v car power, and you can also keep a cheap car battery on hand and just plug the CB to it.

Shortwave are more expensive, much higher power, and require a license. CB's do not require a license. They are fun too.

[AnthonyG 36]

Check to see what amazon has, they give all the specs on the ones they sell alot of the radio sets are 20 miles+, conditions in general will effect your reception range.Something like a hurricane could possibly cut that usable range in half so more is definitely better.

[mattio41 0]

I doing the same thing. I am experimenting with the midland brand. They make a home based emergency radio that can transmit on GMRS frequency which is what the 2 ways do. All the research I have seen so far, that unless you have a repeater somewhere similar to emergency personnel, your not going to get much past a few miles, unless you are in a direct line of sight such as open ocean!

 

What I am doing is buying a prepaid phone for the opposite cell carrier then my main phone. So I at least have both services available, and the two ways. To reach out for emergency services also.

 

The radio and two ways should be here next week, I will post a review after I had time to play around with them.

[NJSigfan 218]

Thanks guys, what about systems that function similar to "walkie-talkie" ones.

 

I see a few on Amazon and cheaperthandirt that have range of 20+ miles. Only thing I'm not sure about is adding another walkie on the same frequency.

 

Tas for the help!

[Teky0101 6]

Do not believe the hype. I got the GSRM radio last year and it get about 2 blocks (urban) and it was a descent radio. They said in the advertising it would get 50 miles not going to happen!

[Scrap 4]

We have a nice set of several pairs, won't bore you with the details but we have some good ones and we use them occasionally-- the storm gave us a lot of use.

 

Wat I have always wanted and ahve kept telliing mysef I 'needed' was a throat mic / "headset"...never got one. I have lusted and often thought the most useful, practical, tacticool, and most likely to be actually used by me was in the movie "Tears of the Sun" .. The 8 Member SEAL Team have radios which LOOKS simple to me, I googled it, the tacticool commandos online say its called the "DevGru Throat Mic" or "DevGru Operator Throat Mic" (actually named DevGru Throat Mic for sale, not just a dbag saying "Oh Its a DevGru !).

 

The thing is , it's $150. The next best one is like $75 bucks... almost== everyone online seems to agree the $150 works great, the $75 does or does not work... and there are assorted cheaper things bit not sure of... I guess i just have to buck up and see what happens with what I buy and receive.

[JrzyGuy30 0]

Just picked up a pair of midland walkies. Gxt1000vp4 I think is the model. Pretty much works about a mile away as the bird flies from the house and then drops off (wife and i tested). I do live in a heavily developed area and lots of trees/small hills.

Anyways- works for us if the power goes out because the local small places likes the wawa and what not are within a mile from us.

[NJSigfan 218]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the info

[Dan 177]

A handheld 5W UHF radio can do 100+miles, the real issue is the variables that you are operating under. Folks operate amateur satellites and the ISS with handheld low power units routinely. This is exactly the same situation as with satellite global phones.

 

When speaking to a satellite hundreds of miles up, you have no obstructions, clear line of sight, and the only thing that will really potentially affect anything would be atmospheric conditions depending on the band you are using. UHF/VHF penetrate the ionosphere, unlike lower bands that bounce.

 

Things affecting handheld distance:

 

to name a few:

a) atmospheric conditions (rain, fog, clear, etc)

b) geography (buildings, trees, mountains)

c) antenna system on both sides

d) radio rcv/xmit quality/capabilites

e) power

 

B and C are the typical killers of range for handheld systems when used for terrestrial communications. Ways to deal with this are how high above the ground and the gain on the antenna system being used. This is why PD, FD, cellular phone, and other communication towers are up high. The reason is to give as much of an obstruction free line of sight to the users of radios at ground level. The higher up the better, with a satellite being the ultimate.

 

So if you want to go the handheld route, like the blister pack GMRS radios, if one of your contacts can stand up a tower tall enough with a decent antenna, run a repeater GMRS repeater system, and have the repeater as equidistant from each station as possible.. it may work for your needs. Getting it high enough is the big issue, as towers and quality cable arent cheap. If one of them is on the top floor of a tall building, that may even work.

 

More realistically, and the least expensive route would be to look into obtaining access to a public existing repeater in your area to see if that will do for your needs.

 

With GMRS, each operator will have to get a license. There is no test involved, just paying money to the FCC.

 

For the ultimate and best option for you and your family would be for each operator to obtain an Amateur Technician Class license, which will enable everyone to use amateur radio equipment in the VHF/UHF bands that most handhelds are capable of. Plus you will have access to the many free quality public repeater systems around NJ. There are many resources on the web for finding repeaters in your areas. http://www.artscipub.com/repeaters/states/New-Jersey.asp

 

Let me know if you have any questions, happy to help!

[blizzzarddemon 0]

Best option get tech class of amateur radio license i have had mine for about 12 years now and im only 23 if you have any questions just pm me

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[reloaderguy 30]

Single side band CB!

[Rifleman1 32]

Let me know if you have any questions, happy to help!

 

Just picked up a pair of midland walkies. Gxt1000vp4 I think is the model. Pretty much works about a mile away as the bird flies from the house and then drops off (wife and i tested). I do live in a heavily developed area and lots of trees/small hills.

Anyways- works for us if the power goes out because the local small places likes the wawa and what not are within a mile from us.

 

I bought a pair of Midland GXT1050 with the advertiser's claim of 35 miles. I was totally disappointed to get only 1.5 miles on the higher range GFRS channels. I have a couple of CB radio base stations with SSB that I can get 20 mile range on the CB freqs with a full size antenna 20 feet off the ground. I think I will look for a decent CB handheld to use with those base stations and I should be able to get 5 miles when plugged in to a decent vehicle antenna. Any suggestions on a handheld would be welcome.

 

Second on the list would be an amateur radio but I would not want to depend on repeaters. What frequency band should I be considering?

[KpdPipes 388]

Motorola, Uniden, and a couple of others make FRS sets with radios, chargers, and even handsfree earpieces in various sizes. That's adequate for keeping in touch over relatively short ranges if it's just within the family. the downside is that those freq's are open access. Here's an assortment from Best buy http://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.jsp;jsessionid=126B95383FBCBFA0CFEA31A783D2CB5D.bbolsp-app03-41?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_dynSessConf=1716246972604038703&id=pcat17071&type=page&ks=960&st=frs+radios&sc=Global&cp=1&sp=&qp=&list=n&usc=All+Categories&nrp=21&iht=n

 

or just google GMRS/FRS radios

[Dan 177]

I bought a pair of Midland GXT1050 with the advertiser's claim of 35 miles. I was totally disappointed to get only 1.5 miles on the higher range GFRS channels. I have a couple of CB radio base stations with SSB that I can get 20 mile range on the CB freqs with a full size antenna 20 feet off the ground. I think I will look for a decent CB handheld to use with those base stations and I should be able to get 5 miles when plugged in to a decent vehicle antenna. Any suggestions on a handheld would be welcome.

 

Second on the list would be an amateur radio but I would not want to depend on repeaters. What frequency band should I be considering?

 

A amateur UHF/VHF handheld unit will still have the same limitations of the blister pack FRS radios. The thing that you will get a huge boost in with a amateur handheld is more power, as in typically 5 watts, versus the FRS/GMRS of .5 watts on FRS, and maybe a little more on GMRS mode , like 1watt. A amateur handheld will also typically have a detachable antenna, where you can hook it up to a base station antenna or a mobile antenna mounted on your car for much better performance. A good antenna will work wonders with only 5 watts.

 

Get started working with repeaters in your area. They are very dependable , and many run on backup systems as they frequently piggy back off of municipal emergency response centers. If you really want to work simplex (point to point) with another person , depending on range, you may need an external antenna high up with some decent gain.

 

Info on getting your tech license. All you need to do is read the book and go take the exam. The technicians license is very easy.

http://www.arrl.org/...hnician-license

Study materials : http://www.arrl.org/...ed-2nd-Edition/

 

The Wouxun KG-UV3D VHF/UHF is an inexpensive and easy way to get started once you get your callsign.

http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-010931

 

Here is a chart of the bands you can work once you have your tech license. Anything with a T label is covered. This includes all of VHF and UHF (2M and 70cm). http://www.arrl.org/...bands_color.pdf

 

Here is the "band plan" if you want to operate point to point voice, look for "simplex" allocated frequencies within the bands. It is a courtesy thing. http://www.arrl.org/band-plan

[hd2000fxdl 422]

Look at Ham Radios, getting License is even easier these days and the quality and options are a lot greater over the commercial 2 way radios you can get.