Need advice about frs and gmrs radios.

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I'm increasingly worried about the possibility of Trump's 'coronation'. I was never a prepper minded sort, but now I'm thinking of stockpiling some basics. On the list is a way to communicate with my sister and brother in-law if phone services are down. They live 2.1 miles via Mapquest, less as the crow flies. It's the suburbs, the only tall structure is a 10 story seniors apartment building, just off the line of sight. A cell phone tower is about 1/4 mile west off the line of sight.
I know that handheld CB's and FRS type radios don't come anywhere near their advertised claims of range, but... will it be a waste of money to get a pair? If not, which? CB or FRS?
Thanks .
Bud.

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure"---- Dan Quayle, 1990.

Re: Need advice about frs and gmrs radios.

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I have handheld Motorola FRS that are supposed to reach many many miles. Truth is it won't. It's line of sight. If there are hills and trees the reception is cut down. They're good for car trips in close formation. Old fashion CB radio type with huge antenna might still be best. Get a generator.
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"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

Re: Need advice about frs and gmrs radios.

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sikacz wrote:I have handheld Motorola FRS that are supposed to reach many many miles. Truth is it won't. It's line of sight. If there are hills and trees the reception is cut down. They're good for car trips in close formation. Old fashion CB radio type with huge antenna might still be best. Get a generator.
I have a 5k generator. I' just got a water purification pump (handheld), a couple of propane lanterns and cook stove. I also got a 144 serving box of Wise brand powdered eggs. Have yet to see what their idea of a serving is. Looking into water storage.

I did nothing for Y2K or any of the other doomsday predicted events, but I think Trump may generate fallout we can't even predict yet.
Bud.

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure"---- Dan Quayle, 1990.

Re: Need advice about frs and gmrs radios.

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drigeba wrote:I'm not very knowledgeable about this, but i have heard that HAM type transceivers with appropriate antenna set ups are good for somewhat long ranges.

They may be a lot more complex to use, though.

fwiw
Too much money, I'd have to set the BIL up too. Used to live near a CB'er. Sometimes I could hear him on my TV. I suppose today's TV's are different though. Guess it's gonna be smoke signals.
Bud.

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure"---- Dan Quayle, 1990.

Re: Need advice about frs and gmrs radios.

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For the price, get a pair and try 'em. At 5-07 off the ground, the horizon is just a wee bit under three miles at sea level, so if you have a second floor, they might make it. Comsec (communication security) sucks with them, though, and encryption is verboten.
"There never was a union of church and state which did not bring serious evils to religion."
The Right Reverend John England, first Roman Catholic Bishop of Charleston SC, 1825.

Re: Need advice about frs and gmrs radios.

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I have a pair of the Motorola FRS/GMRS handhelds and they work great around the farm and on convoys on the road. I have never tested their range but, as others have said, at UHF frequency, the propagation is pretty much line of sight so terrain matters.

I used to have a ham license and am not sure what the licensing process is anymore but the tests were not trivial.
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Re: Need advice about frs and gmrs radios.

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Bucolic wrote:I have a pair of the Motorola FRS/GMRS handhelds and they work great around the farm and on convoys on the road. I have never tested their range but, as others have said, at UHF frequency, the propagation is pretty much line of sight so terrain matters.

I used to have a ham license and am not sure what the licensing process is anymore but the tests were not trivial.
That sounds like the same radio set I have. I've picked up talk from contractors passing by or at their work site, but no idea how far away. Most people I've used it with in our car club could not set to as many channels so we usually used channel 7 or under. It's a reasonable tool, but there's no guarantee it will reliably pick up at 2 miles. Still it's not expensive and worth having if you can keep them charged. I have an old Eton emergency radio that works with batteries or with a crank. The new ones look a bit funky, but for around $70 it'll work regardless of power.
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"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

Re: Need advice about frs and gmrs radios.

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A little off topic but you should also get one of these: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_ ... Caps%2C164

I like the ones that have a USB out to charge a device. Mine was very inexpensive and works very well.

I do have a 17 kW generator (Generac) in the garage that feeds a transfer switch under the main feed outside the house. Hurricane Sandy was a close call for us. The basement was leaking like crazy and the sump pump was keeping up but, had the power gone out, the basement would have flooded big time. I now keep a spare sump pump. I can switch in the generator and power judiciously-chosen appliances until the power comes back on. After dodging theSandy bullet, we installed this system. I keep about 20 gallons of gas that I use for mowers, etc. I keep it fresh by rotating my stock and putting excess into my truck.

I have an acre pond so I have plenty of water and a handheld filter with backup elements.

No food stores but we are considering it.
Last edited by Bucolic on Fri Jun 03, 2016 8:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Need advice about frs and gmrs radios.

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Tcejop wrote:You can get used gmrs radios cheap and the license is only $90 for 3 years I believe. I can talk to a cheap Walmart frs radio for about 6 miles through the woods with an old Motorola mobile I paid $50 for. I can also talk 150 miles using a repeater.
How much does a repeater cost and what does it look like? Spec, link? I wonder if it can be used with my Motorola...
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"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

Re: Need advice about frs and gmrs radios.

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A couple of points.

1) The only real difference between FRS and GMRS is power output. FRS is limited to 1/2 a watt, while GMRS starts at 1 watt and goes up from there.
2) FRS cannot legally be modified to use better antennas or boost it's range, nor can the power be changed legally. They both operate in the 400-500 Mhz range.

To put it in everyday terms- cell phones (which are also just radios) operate between 700 Mhz and 2100 Mhz (generalization, and there are additional frequencies in play, but most US operators are in that range)

In a lab test, with perfect radio conditions (no obstructions blocking the radio waves, no weather events, no competing signals, etc) you could theoretically get 13 or more miles away from a cell tower and still get (some) signal)

The reality is, everything messes with radio waves. Your body for example is mostly water. Doesn't transmit radio very well. Metal (in cars/buildings) is also good for interfering. Add some concrete/rebar/drywall and you're really doing some good blocking!

The line of sight comment is spot on. In perfect conditions, the advertised ranges on the radios would apply. More power means you can go further for sure- if you're using a high antenna and a base station to transmit, even more. HAM frequencies with their power and lower frequency range can get around the world, as they can bounce off the atmosphere.

Range is tied to many things. Frequency (lower=longer range. 700Mhz cellular will go 1.5 times further than 850 in general), power, antenna height/line of sight, atmospheric conditions, and some other stuff I've probably forgotten.

If you were wondering why a cell phone may work in one spot but not another, it directly applies to that as well.

So yeah. Want better range? Highest power GMRS mobile radio you can get with the best antenna you can swing. :)
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
- Maya Angelou

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Re: Need advice about frs and gmrs radios.

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Also. If you want to see the real life impact of various things that mess with radio signals, download an app like LTE discovery on your smartphone. It will show you in real time some of the various changes in RF conditions as you walk around the house/work/etc. Nerdy? Yep. But it's my kind of thing.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
- Maya Angelou

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Re: Need advice about frs and gmrs radios.

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I would look into the Amateur Radio license. There are groups within the community called ARES Amateur Radio Emergency Service. These people provide communications help in times of disasters and other public emergencies. Many Preppers I know are involved. The license is very inexpensive. The test is rather easy. You only need the Technician license to use the VHF and UHF portions of the bands. There is a lot of used equipment available. 2.1 miles is no trouble if you have the capability of 50 watts from a mobile unit.


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