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Radio recommendations
- Thread starter Apothus
- Start date
I could any radio I want, but use GMRS. 40 watt in my vehicle and 5 watts on the talkies.
But that is not the point. It's the access. Especially in an emergency. Here in FL where we have hurricanes all the time, it's a must to have comms that are not dependent on cell phones. Been there learned my lesson the hard way.
About the access, it is superb - that is what makes GMRS so powerful. As of today we have 119 repeaters in FL, most of them open, so just tune in and talk. Those no only allow you to extend your range dramatically, especially with talkies, but you can easily connect with people outside of Florida, like say Nebraska. The Repeaters are linked via internet to other repeaters all over the country so you can always find someone talk to.
I'm never going back. GMRS is it for me.
I agree. I like gmrs. But there are zero in north central Idaho.
Florida has well over 100.
That’s really cool you got so many linked! I’m jealous.
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The credit isn’t mine. While I was the president of the club for the first couple years, it was a teamwork with a group of others that got it started and going, and it was the desire and plan of smarter people than I. But it was a fun venture.
We started with zero knowledge and now even have a guy that has made contacts to Australia, Russia, pretty much all over.
You are familiar with the area here, one thing, I haven’t found anything that reaches out from up in the selway canyon past the end of the road. Not even the police repeaters. GPS works. But down by the river it’s dead. Got to hike up out of the canyon a ways to reach a repeater. Pm me if you know a secret.
You know I was just messing with you.
I have no secret sauce with this. Sat phones don't even work reliably when you're down in the bottom of the gaps. But the sat phone is the real answer for the best communications in remote areas and they work almost everywhere in the world. But you gotta get clear of the canopy, be that trees or tall buildings or steep river banks that make Chukars feint. I wish Starlink would get involved in sat phones. They are prolific!!!
I keep waiting for a sad ham to pop up and tell us how bad the Biff-wang radios are.
The standard Biff-wang UV-5R can be a little intimidating to the novice because its a little more than just plug and play since it doesn't have channelized only freqs. Yes, yes., they do make a variant that is GMRS only and waterproof-ish.
Yup those blister pack FRS and GMRS from Walmart/bigbox stores might be a little simpler to use but the Biff-wang is usually way cheaper ($30) and you gat more FARs with it.
Plus you can change out that stock antenna and put something decent on it like a Nogoya antenna and definitely get more FARs
Cant do that with those blister pack radios.
Its all about the DBs
Can I get a Watt-Watt.
The standard Biff-wang UV-5R can be a little intimidating to the novice because its a little more than just plug and play since it doesn't have channelized only freqs. Yes, yes., they do make a variant that is GMRS only and waterproof-ish.
Yup those blister pack FRS and GMRS from Walmart/bigbox stores might be a little simpler to use but the Biff-wang is usually way cheaper ($30) and you gat more FARs with it.
Plus you can change out that stock antenna and put something decent on it like a Nogoya antenna and definitely get more FARs
Cant do that with those blister pack radios.
Its all about the DBs
Can I get a Watt-Watt.
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Cause if you're searching to find this thread you've also likely searched the other radio threads as well. It has been discussed.
The big three are sometimes harder to get to play with frs and gmrs I think. I'm not into this scene as much.
There is a reason why Icom, Kenwood, and Yaesu get recommended. Same reason why AI, Tikka, and aftermarket 700's get recommended over Savages and for much of the same reasons. Usability and consistency.
All are Chinesium now afaik, the old American Cos. are gone Midland, Kenwwood, Motorola, Cobra, ad nauseum. So it's mostly features/capabilities/cost as the only factor now........
Anybody who was in LEO/EMS/FIRE remember Motorola was the king. Then it all went to competition but just not for the USA. Think 800mghz era, I remember it well!!
Anybody who was in LEO/EMS/FIRE remember Motorola was the king. Then it all went to competition but just not for the USA. Think 800mghz era, I remember it well!!
Nagoya NA-771G
Authentic Genuine Nagoya NA-771G 15.3-Inch Whip GMRS (462MHz) Antenna SMA-Female for BTECH and BaoFeng Radios https://a.co/d/gHn0u2Y
Not a clue...
Nagoya was a good brand name from my research. Apparently lots of cheap antennas aren't very good about being tuned to the correct frequencies (lots of $4-10 options out there).
So you just need to get one that matches your frequency needs and connector type.
The 771G is a FRS/GMRS frequency 1/2 wave. The 771 is a ham band 1/2 wave.
Ham is a hobby.
FRS, MURS, GMRS is not a hobby.
The folks looking for FRS, MURS, GMRS are just looking to talk to their buddy on the next ridge and usually dont want to spend $$$ when $ will give them the same solution.
Grab a buddy and go play with them. Then tell us.
That looks similar to the baofeng 888. It might reach several miles line of sight, or over a ridge and might hardly get a couple hundred yards. It’s all terrain dependent.
You could probably reprogram those to have gmrs if they are not matching with other models of uhf type radios. Some of those come with the PMR446 frequencies, some already have gmrs.
Those are decent cheap radios, the weak link is sometimes the antenna comes apart, or the rubber part comes off rather, and the belt clip is easy to break.
Already some good antenna recommendations previously.
But here is one more. These send and receive signals really good. Hand made and tested in USA.
Nearly indestructible, can literally twist it around your finger, tie it in a knot, etc.
They have different colors and models.
https://signalstuff.com/product/super-elastic-signal-stick-sma-female/
But here is one more. These send and receive signals really good. Hand made and tested in USA.
Nearly indestructible, can literally twist it around your finger, tie it in a knot, etc.
They have different colors and models.
https://signalstuff.com/product/super-elastic-signal-stick-sma-female/
Pair of 25w handhelds, $200
And for your chest rig/carrier, get a CAATtail antenna woven in.
What about the issue, mentioned previously on this thread, about the dangers of having a 25w transmitter/antenna close to your face/head?
Overall I think I'll stick to the Marine VHF models, such as the Standard/Horizon/Yaesu HX370S that I've already gotten.
Yeah, It would have to be sporadic use. Distance is all that matters with that setup.
Not entirely sure on the answer (I'm the one that brought it up).
Guidelines are in here.
Attachment 1 looks like it has the answer in it.
I want to upgrade, but am still dicking around with Meshtastic. Semi encrypted shit is fun too.
Did you see the thread? It’s interesting.
Android Mesh/ATAK & Blackberry-esque; Off-grid encrypted messaging devices
I just stumbled across this thread. I've played with FRS radios with the kids and around suburbia and use the ICOMs as any day use as they are tanks. With the natural disasters and subsequent sh*t shows, I decided to go GMRS and just received my KG-UV9Gs. I need to set them up and find some repeaters. Seriously considering a couple Kenwoods and maybe a Unication G5, but with everything up here encrypted, a pager / scanner may not have value.
Attachments
With amateur radio there are radios that can be set up as repeaters. Some are even cross band repeaters.
Edit. Turns out the kenwoods look like they are discontinued. My dad has one. Icom and Yaesu still make some.
Mobile Transceivers - Cross-Band Repeat | DXE HAM Radio Equipment
Find Mobile Transceivers Cross-Band Repeat and get Free Shipping on Most Orders Over $99 at DX Engineering!
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Had to edit my above. Kenwoods look like they were discontinued.
The still available Icom and Yaesu both do 50w on 2m and 70cm amateur bands.
I is. General. Tech isn't hard to get.
Took out a second mortgage for MREs, filled out eleven 4473s last month, and has a rainwater recovery system that can be seen from space, but; “I don’t want the govt to know I have a radio. They’ll think I’m fringe…”
Hmm I thought the other cables included with the HX350S were for programming, but I don't find that kind of connector on the radio. Nor can I find any instructions for programming an HX350S. So I guess the cables must be for something else.
Any suggestions on where to look/how to identify the cables I received? There is a DB9 "computer" connector at one end, and a 4-pin connector at the other end that looks like it was meant for the headset/external mic connector of a radio.
Any suggestions on where to look/how to identify the cables I received? There is a DB9 "computer" connector at one end, and a 4-pin connector at the other end that looks like it was meant for the headset/external mic connector of a radio.
Attachments
Also joined a precision shooting forum. Only posted in a thread about radios.
If you're not already on a government list, what have you been doing with your life?
Currently 2 years into my 1st renewal on Ham license, currently waiting on 1st Sbr and 3rd can, chl/ ltc/ whatever you want to call it in Texas (since 2008) and Utah (more recent), active going to church, voting, drivers license, motorcycle license, and paying taxes.
All of those are real government lists except church.
Edit: Church is on a government list. It shows up on my taxes. 10% Tithing +other donations.
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That “utility van” sitting outside the church on Sunday isn’t there to repair the satellite dish…
