35 mile- Two Way GMRS Radios

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LibertyTC

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With the demise of CB radios, many have turned to GMRS portables.
Yes I do have a 40 Ch portable and SSB in +10meter in the boat and home.
SO I thought I would look at the new Motorola walkie talkie GMRS and went Wow1.gif when the specs stated 35 miles! (line of sight)
http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US-EN/Consumer-Product-and-Services/Two-way-Radios-and-Accessories/MR350R+Talkabout+Two-Way+Radio_US_EN
I currently have some 8 mile range FRS and am considering getting new ones.
The voice quality is awesome, and run on 3 AA or rechargeable pack.Perfect for camping or in between 2 vehicles.
My old FRS can be seen here:
http://s779.photobucket.com/albums/yy75/LibertyTC/Jeep%20Liberty%202004/?action=view&current=PortableRadios.jpg
Anyone else have the new GMRS ones with comments?
 
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SurfGuitar141

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With the demise of CB radios, many have turned to GMRS portables.
Yes I do have a 40 Ch portable and SSB in +10meter in the boat and home.
SO I thought I would look at the new Motorola walkie talkie GMRS and went Wow1.gif when the specs stated 35 miles! (line of sight)
http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US-EN/Consumer-Product-and-Services/Two-way-Radios-and-Accessories/MR350R+Talkabout+Two-Way+Radio_US_EN
I currently have some 8 mile range FRS and am considering getting new ones.
The voice quality is awesome, and run on 3 AA or rechargeable pack.Perfect for camping or in between 2 vehicles.
My old FRS can be seen here:
http://s779.photobucket.com/albums/yy75/LibertyTC/Jeep%20Liberty%202004/?action=view&current=PortableRadios.jpg
Anyone else have the new GMRS ones with comments?

LibertyTC....

I believe the 35 mile range on the GMRS system is assuming you are in line of sight range of a repeater, and you have access to that repeater. No line of sight radio in the 400 Mhz band will talk beyond 4 or 5 miles simplex, especially one at hand held power ranges...(3 to 5 watts)

FRS is simplex only and does not require a licenses here in the states, however GMRS does require an FCC license...(don't know about Canada, but they usually follow IRC guide lines like the U.S. does)
Using GMRS without the proper license could possibly get you in hot water, and with no license I doubt you'll gain access to the GMRS repeaters, and that's assuming there are any in your area.

IMHO....take the plunge and get your Amateur Technician ticket, it's an easy multiple choice written test, no more morse code requirements. If you've been messing around with CB, especially SSB and doing the pirate radio thing on 10 meters, then you have enough radio savvy to pass the Tech test with ease. With it you'll have access to all the Amateur bands from 10 meters and above, tons of repeaters you can access even from some pretty remote areas, and most modern dual band 2 meter/70cm radios have expanded receive so you can pick up most emergency responder bands, and the VHF Marine band plus all the NOAA weather stations.....
 

desync0

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Canada doe not require a license for frs or gmrs.

And the basic license in Canada is pretty easy without morse. I'm going to study for it one of these days.
 

ThunderbirdJunkie

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IMHO....take the plunge and get your Amateur Technician ticket, it's an easy multiple choice written test, no more morse code requirements.

ThunderbirdJunkie studied morse code briefly. He also considered hanging himself during.

Getting rid of the morse code is a great move by the FCC
 

KJJosh

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Anyone else have the new GMRS ones with comments?

I used the same radios yesterday at Centralia, Pennsylvania. They worked great and was able to get about 10 miles out of them ( Centralia has alot of trees and mountians). These radios also do weather as well..
 

SurfGuitar141

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ThunderbirdJunkie studied morse code briefly. He also considered hanging himself during.

Getting rid of the morse code is a great move by the FCC

When I first got my ticket back in 1988, I had to pass a 5 word per minute code test....and I too thought about a hang noose and a tall tree.....some guys really get into that dits & dahs thing, I just can't grasp the attraction.
I waited until they finally dropped the whole morse code thing before upgrading to a General Class license......
 

jnaut

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Depends what your use is. Those handheld radios are fantastic for offroading. Give everyone in your convoy one, and you're done. All communications handled.

I've been using those handheld motorola's for years (back when the first 2 mile FRS units came out) and I still use them to this day. They've been through hell and they still work.
 

JeepinJarhead03

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i had a set of the 20's or 25's i dont remember which, they were no better than the 5's i had but work wondrously within the general 2 miles for offroading etc especially at the beach for calling in for beer support from the camp site ;) lol
 

nzoliver

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Hi from New Zealand (well actually from Hawaii at the moment!):D

We have the old AM CB as well but it has pretty much gone except for truckers and a few 4x4 clubs. We in conjunction with Australia have a 477Mhz radio system too and we are allowed 5w officially. :cool: There are any number of radios and no licence is required. There are 40 channels and the first 8 are available for repeater use with chls 31-38 used as inputs to repeaters. Plenty of guys here use commercial radios for the service and it generally works very well. 25km is not uncommon in open air:) and a couple of km is all in a dense area. :(

I use a 2.5dB gain antenna on my Jeep and a 5w GME radio. http://www.gme.net.au/products/radio-communications/uhf-477mhz-cb-radios/TX3100

AM CB works better in the mountains but portables are just about impossible to buy now so people don't want them and the antennas are 'too long' for SWMBO!!:eek:

Your FRS/GMRS works well too i might add but y'all need better truck radios!!;)
 

LibertyTC

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Nzoliver, now that is interesting, that is what we need here with truck mounted radios and the ability for blue tooth would be nice. With the implementation of recent laws here truckers and all motorists are being banned from using their handheld phones and now using CB type radios because of the mic cord. Thanks, looks like AU with 5 watt is ahead of what is available here at the moment. When I get some time I will drop by the local radio shop, there must be some truck mounted Icom units & antennas, you have 40 channel-awesome!
 

nzoliver

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Hi,

No problem to get Icoms or Vertex or Motorolas or Taits to do the job. Limit the power to 5w or what ever and you are set.(attn) We have 'no cellphone' laws in NZ but radio gear is exempt otherwise all the police would have to stop using them on single crew units!!:D

Blutooth radios......not sure that would be a good option.:rolleyes:

Oliver
 

BjBnet

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cellphones and ALL electronic devices are not allowed while driving EXCEPT for the police and emergency vehicles. YOu should see these clowns driving with their laptops and cell phones....the law should apply to them too IMHO
 

LibertyTC

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How about those darn taxi's that keep playing with their zone and fare electronics.
They are the worst.
If you cant drive get the **** off the road!
I wish I had an airhorn every time I pass one of those idiots that park anywhere, stop quickly at green lights, have no care for anyone else, anytime, as they work their electronics and disembark passengers on traffic side!
One day I am just going to use the push bar and give em a good solid nudge to get the ****moving!
And.... have their VHF frequency dialed in and tell him what I think....!!! LOL
 
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nzoliver

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cellphones and ALL electronic devices are not allowed while driving EXCEPT for the police and emergency vehicles.

Hi,
That is why we have 1 law. Ya just can't have 1 rule for one and another for someone else in NZ. 'What's good for the goose is good for the gander.':rolleyes: Allows me to use my HAM radio wherever and whenever I like:D It's fun seeing a traffic plod I don't like and then picking up the mic as if I am going to tell others where he is:) They don't like that;). Poor fella:D
 

SurfGuitar141

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Here in the States the laws vary from state to state. I live in New Jersey, and we have laws that ban the use of hand held cell phones, but you can use hands free like BlueTooth, and the systems that are integrated into the car's stereo.
Fortunately having an amateur radio license, I'am exempt from any laws prohibiting the use of communication devices while driving, and the reason I have NJ State Amateur Radio tags on my Liberty. If a cop see's me driving by with a cell phone to my ear, and pulls out to ticket me, once he gets a glimpse of my tags I'll watch him back off and turn away.
However as a professional fire fighter / EMT I've been trained to drive while multi tasking, we go through much of the same training as the police do with the distinct difference that we are trained to do it in big red trucks and ambulances not 4 door sedans.

Now New Jersey has a "catch all" law that they can use to ticket you for just about anything, it's called the....."driving while distracted law"....and they can ticket you for eating, lighting a smoke, using your GPS, and even changing the dial on your car stereo. It has more to do with income generating than it does about hiway safety, the more tickets they write, the more money the state makes, and this state is in deep financial trouble, so if you ever find yourself driving through New Jersey....watch your every move....
 

Corwyyn

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Here in the States the laws vary from state to state. I live in New Jersey, and we have laws that ban the use of hand held cell phones, but you can use hands free like BlueTooth, and the systems that are integrated into the car's stereo.
Fortunately having an amateur radio license, I'am exempt from any laws prohibiting the use of communication devices while driving, and the reason I have NJ State Amateur Radio tags on my Liberty. If a cop see's me driving by with a cell phone to my ear, and pulls out to ticket me, once he gets a glimpse of my tags I'll watch him back off and turn away.
You're lucky the local LEOs know what the tag represents - I got pulled over for having my license plate light burned out one night and one of the things the officer asked me was what my 'Amateur Radio Operator' tag meant. Of course he was probably twenty years younger than me and had lived with cell phones all of his life :)
 

jnaut

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the officer asked me was what my 'Amateur Radio Operator' tag meant.

I'd have told him that I just learned how to tune in "KISS FM" on my stereo. When I become a professional, I'll know how to tune it out.
 

nzoliver

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Hi,
I dunno about a complete demise. 11m CB still has its' place and will rll on for a while I think. But, in New Zealand and Australia UHF radios have become the norm due to things like repeater access and small inexpensive and simple portables. Me, I like our 11m CB but not many others do!!!
 
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