On 4/15/2019 7:48 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 15 Apr 2019 16:18:08 -0400, John H.
wrote:

On Mon, 15 Apr 2019 13:03:40 -0400, wrote:

Anyone know anything about these? I picked up a pair for about $20 and
we are playing with them. This set says they are good for 5 miles but
I have seen some that say 30 miles. I assume that is on 3 mountains
across a valley but who knows?
It does sound like something campers might like tho and if you really
can get out some number of miles in the woods hikers and hunters might
like them.
I know everyone just uses their phone these days but there is some
facility in having simple PTT. My wife says it is like her old NexTel.

So far around here it sounds like I may be the only one using it. I
put the radio on scan last night and I never heard a thing all night.
This is like CB in the 60s I think.

We've used those at Disney World and on cruises, several years ago - before we all had cell phones.
They worked OK, but often other folks with the same radios or on the same freq stepped all over us.
I like cell phones better.

We are just playing with them now but the PTT thing is pretty cool. I
imagine cell phones have made them pretty unpopular because I still
have not heard another soul. It sort of makes me wonder how much you
could get away with if there is nobody around to complain. With a
decent high gain antenna on the roof, I bet these things would get out
to virtually everywhere I ever go. They are allowed to pump out 5
watts now without a license and if you get the $70 GMRS license I
think you can go up to 50 watts with an outside antenna.



You may be confusing FRS "walkie-talkies" with GMRS radios.
FRS stands for "Family Radio Service" and output power is
2 watts as of 2017. Before that they were 500 milliwatts.
They now have 22 channels however channels 8 – 14 must still
be limited to half a watt output.

GMRS is "General Mobile Radio Service". GMRS still requires
a FCC license and, as a base station, can use a power amp
to output 50 watts.



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On Tue, 16 Apr 2019 05:16:41 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 4/15/2019 7:48 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 15 Apr 2019 16:18:08 -0400, John H.
wrote:

On Mon, 15 Apr 2019 13:03:40 -0400, wrote:

Anyone know anything about these? I picked up a pair for about $20 and
we are playing with them. This set says they are good for 5 miles but
I have seen some that say 30 miles. I assume that is on 3 mountains
across a valley but who knows?
It does sound like something campers might like tho and if you really
can get out some number of miles in the woods hikers and hunters might
like them.
I know everyone just uses their phone these days but there is some
facility in having simple PTT. My wife says it is like her old NexTel.

So far around here it sounds like I may be the only one using it. I
put the radio on scan last night and I never heard a thing all night.
This is like CB in the 60s I think.

We've used those at Disney World and on cruises, several years ago - before we all had cell phones.
They worked OK, but often other folks with the same radios or on the same freq stepped all over us.
I like cell phones better.

We are just playing with them now but the PTT thing is pretty cool. I
imagine cell phones have made them pretty unpopular because I still
have not heard another soul. It sort of makes me wonder how much you
could get away with if there is nobody around to complain. With a
decent high gain antenna on the roof, I bet these things would get out
to virtually everywhere I ever go. They are allowed to pump out 5
watts now without a license and if you get the $70 GMRS license I
think you can go up to 50 watts with an outside antenna.



You may be confusing FRS "walkie-talkies" with GMRS radios.
FRS stands for "Family Radio Service" and output power is
2 watts as of 2017. Before that they were 500 milliwatts.
They now have 22 channels however channels 8 – 14 must still
be limited to half a watt output.

GMRS is "General Mobile Radio Service". GMRS still requires
a FCC license and, as a base station, can use a power amp
to output 50 watts.



I understand the difference but $7 a year is not much of a big deal to
get the GMRS. It does look like it is just money. I don't have to tune
up my 55 year old Morse skill.

On Mon, 15 Apr 2019 13:03:40 -0400, wrote:

Anyone know anything about these? I picked up a pair for about $20 and
we are playing with them. This set says they are good for 5 miles but
I have seen some that say 30 miles. I assume that is on 3 mountains
across a valley but who knows?
It does sound like something campers might like tho and if you really
can get out some number of miles in the woods hikers and hunters might
like them.
I know everyone just uses their phone these days but there is some
facility in having simple PTT. My wife says it is like her old NexTel.

So far around here it sounds like I may be the only one using it. I
put the radio on scan last night and I never heard a thing all night.
This is like CB in the 60s I think.


===

We've used them on and off for 20 years or so. They can be handy as
an intercom device on the boat if one of us is on the flybridge and
the other below. We've also used them a few times as a way of keeping
in touch with another car that we were traveling with. We'd usually
get a mile or two of range on typical roads but hills can reduce that.
Talk of 30 miles is just nonsesnse for every-day, reliable usage, even
over open water. Our 1 watt marine VHF handhelds are good for no more
than 2 or 3 miles over water in most conditions, and they are far more
capable than the cheapo FRS units.

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On Mon, 15 Apr 2019 18:00:39 -0400,
wrote:

On Mon, 15 Apr 2019 13:03:40 -0400, wrote:

Anyone know anything about these? I picked up a pair for about $20 and
we are playing with them. This set says they are good for 5 miles but
I have seen some that say 30 miles. I assume that is on 3 mountains
across a valley but who knows?
It does sound like something campers might like tho and if you really
can get out some number of miles in the woods hikers and hunters might
like them.
I know everyone just uses their phone these days but there is some
facility in having simple PTT. My wife says it is like her old NexTel.

So far around here it sounds like I may be the only one using it. I
put the radio on scan last night and I never heard a thing all night.
This is like CB in the 60s I think.


===

We've used them on and off for 20 years or so. They can be handy as
an intercom device on the boat if one of us is on the flybridge and
the other below. We've also used them a few times as a way of keeping
in touch with another car that we were traveling with. We'd usually
get a mile or two of range on typical roads but hills can reduce that.
Talk of 30 miles is just nonsesnse for every-day, reliable usage, even
over open water. Our 1 watt marine VHF handhelds are good for no more
than 2 or 3 miles over water in most conditions, and they are far more
capable than the cheapo FRS units.


These were $20 for 2 so I am sure they are not much (probably 500mw)
but you can get a 5 watt for around $70 a pair.
I wasn't sure If I really wanted them at all but I put a $40 set in my
Amazon Cart and a few days later they offered them to me for $20. I
would pay $20 to watch a monkey **** so I pulled the trigger.
So far we are using them for the same thing. My wife is a little under
the weather and she can talk to me if I am at the other end of the
house in the shop or working outside. Next time I get out taking Deuce
for a cart ride I will see what they really do. I can't find any specs
on these things about radiated power.
Realistically if they get to the other end of the neighborhood it
should do all I need.
I just want to see how much we really use them.
This is the 3d set I have had and the first time we used them at all.
I gave the other 2 pairs to the kids.

On Mon, 15 Apr 2019 20:09:47 -0400, wrote:

On Mon, 15 Apr 2019 18:00:39 -0400,
wrote:

On Mon, 15 Apr 2019 13:03:40 -0400, wrote:

Anyone know anything about these? I picked up a pair for about $20 and
we are playing with them. This set says they are good for 5 miles but
I have seen some that say 30 miles. I assume that is on 3 mountains
across a valley but who knows?
It does sound like something campers might like tho and if you really
can get out some number of miles in the woods hikers and hunters might
like them.
I know everyone just uses their phone these days but there is some
facility in having simple PTT. My wife says it is like her old NexTel.

So far around here it sounds like I may be the only one using it. I
put the radio on scan last night and I never heard a thing all night.
This is like CB in the 60s I think.


===

We've used them on and off for 20 years or so. They can be handy as
an intercom device on the boat if one of us is on the flybridge and
the other below. We've also used them a few times as a way of keeping
in touch with another car that we were traveling with. We'd usually
get a mile or two of range on typical roads but hills can reduce that.
Talk of 30 miles is just nonsesnse for every-day, reliable usage, even
over open water. Our 1 watt marine VHF handhelds are good for no more
than 2 or 3 miles over water in most conditions, and they are far more
capable than the cheapo FRS units.


These were $20 for 2 so I am sure they are not much (probably 500mw)
but you can get a 5 watt for around $70 a pair.
I wasn't sure If I really wanted them at all but I put a $40 set in my
Amazon Cart and a few days later they offered them to me for $20. I
would pay $20 to watch a monkey **** so I pulled the trigger.
So far we are using them for the same thing. My wife is a little under
the weather and she can talk to me if I am at the other end of the
house in the shop or working outside. Next time I get out taking Deuce
for a cart ride I will see what they really do. I can't find any specs
on these things about radiated power.
Realistically if they get to the other end of the neighborhood it
should do all I need.
I just want to see how much we really use them.
This is the 3d set I have had and the first time we used them at all.
I gave the other 2 pairs to the kids.


Greg. Something about this does not sound right:

" I would pay $20 to watch a monkey **** so I pulled the trigger.
So far we are using them for the same thing."

On Tue, 16 Apr 2019 05:58:58 -0400, John H.
wrote:

On Mon, 15 Apr 2019 20:09:47 -0400, wrote:

On Mon, 15 Apr 2019 18:00:39 -0400,
wrote:

On Mon, 15 Apr 2019 13:03:40 -0400, wrote:

Anyone know anything about these? I picked up a pair for about $20 and
we are playing with them. This set says they are good for 5 miles but
I have seen some that say 30 miles. I assume that is on 3 mountains
across a valley but who knows?
It does sound like something campers might like tho and if you really
can get out some number of miles in the woods hikers and hunters might
like them.
I know everyone just uses their phone these days but there is some
facility in having simple PTT. My wife says it is like her old NexTel.

So far around here it sounds like I may be the only one using it. I
put the radio on scan last night and I never heard a thing all night.
This is like CB in the 60s I think.


===

We've used them on and off for 20 years or so. They can be handy as
an intercom device on the boat if one of us is on the flybridge and
the other below. We've also used them a few times as a way of keeping
in touch with another car that we were traveling with. We'd usually
get a mile or two of range on typical roads but hills can reduce that.
Talk of 30 miles is just nonsesnse for every-day, reliable usage, even
over open water. Our 1 watt marine VHF handhelds are good for no more
than 2 or 3 miles over water in most conditions, and they are far more
capable than the cheapo FRS units.


These were $20 for 2 so I am sure they are not much (probably 500mw)
but you can get a 5 watt for around $70 a pair.
I wasn't sure If I really wanted them at all but I put a $40 set in my
Amazon Cart and a few days later they offered them to me for $20. I
would pay $20 to watch a monkey **** so I pulled the trigger.
So far we are using them for the same thing. My wife is a little under
the weather and she can talk to me if I am at the other end of the
house in the shop or working outside. Next time I get out taking Deuce
for a cart ride I will see what they really do. I can't find any specs
on these things about radiated power.
Realistically if they get to the other end of the neighborhood it
should do all I need.
I just want to see how much we really use them.
This is the 3d set I have had and the first time we used them at all.
I gave the other 2 pairs to the kids.


Greg. Something about this does not sound right:

" I would pay $20 to watch a monkey **** so I pulled the trigger.
So far we are using them for the same thing."

I guess I should have separated those thoughts ;-)

Back in my CB days, I do still have the radio, I once skip talked to a guy in St. Louis Mo. I was at the time in Trenton Mi. about 25 miles south of Detroit. We talked for about a half hour clear as day. We were about 511 miles or so apart from each other.

I did have my CB radio tweaked after I bought it. Mine does put out 29 watts of power. Miss those days.

On Thu, 18 Apr 2019 01:43:40 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Back in my CB days, I do still have the radio, I once skip talked to a guy in St. Louis Mo. I was at the time in Trenton Mi. about 25 miles south of Detroit. We talked for about a half hour clear as day. We were about 511 miles or so apart from each other.

I did have my CB radio tweaked after I bought it. Mine does put out 29 watts of power. Miss those days.


===

It's much easier to get a ham radio icense than it used to be. The
Morse code requirements stopped a lot of people in the past but that
has just about gone away. The technical and regulatory requirements
are relatively easy and many local radio clubs offer free classes. I
got my first license when I was 12 years old.

With a ham license you can communicate just about anywhere in the
world when conditions are right, and the equipment options are
virtually endless. I have a fairly basic 150 watt single side band
transceiver on our trawler and have talked with stations as far away
as Japan and eastern Europe.

http://www.arrl.org/getting-licensed

https://www.eham.net/newham/




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