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FRS radio
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. |
FRS radio
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FRS radio
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. |
FRS radio
I was thinking of getting a set off and on for the last 15 or more years. They started off with modest range claims but seemed to get more powerful maybe up to or so kilometers. Even wondered if they would help communicating with the wife while backing the boat into the driveway. She likes to hide in my blind spot while directing me.
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FRS radio
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. |
FRS radio
On Mon, 15 Apr 2019 16:58:47 -0700 (PDT), True North
wrote: I was thinking of getting a set off and on for the last 15 or more years. They started off with modest range claims but seemed to get more powerful maybe up to or so kilometers. Even wondered if they would help communicating with the wife while backing the boat into the driveway. She likes to hide in my blind spot while directing me. The range claims jumped when the upped the allowable power to 5 watts. Five watts and a decent antenna should get you to the horizon in open country. |
FRS radio
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. We have a set. Have not used them for some years. Nice, with kids or grandkids. Select a channel and sub channel that do not seem to be busy. Better while hiking, and little cellphone coverage and cheaper if lost and do not break as easy. |
FRS radio
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. --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. https://www.avg.com |
FRS radio
On 4/15/2019 9:04 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 15 Apr 2019 16:58:47 -0700 (PDT), True North wrote: I was thinking of getting a set off and on for the last 15 or more years. They started off with modest range claims but seemed to get more powerful maybe up to or so kilometers. Even wondered if they would help communicating with the wife while backing the boat into the driveway. She likes to hide in my blind spot while directing me. The range claims jumped when the upped the allowable power to 5 watts. Five watts and a decent antenna should get you to the horizon in open country. FRS radio output power was "upped" from half a watt to two (2) watts (not 5 watts) in 2017. Some channels are still limited to half a watt though. --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. https://www.avg.com |
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