Anyone use 2 way radios?

[catman529]

TSC in Triune had these on clearance for 24.99, original 49.99. Figured I would post it here in case anyone needs any

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[jlanecr500]

We use radios on our lease because of poor cell service. They are handy.

 

[TNGRIZZLY_]

We use radios on our lease because of poor cell service. They are handy.

So what would be the best ones to get?

 

[cbhunter]

2 way radios have made for some of the most fun hunts I have ever been a part of. Helped a buddy kill a deer in overgrown field using them. Been years since I have used them though once we lost our biggest farm.

 

[Mudbone]

Wow!22 miles is a long way!
I jus got some from Santa that are up to 16.
They are blackfins and have great reception.
That seems like a great deal.

 

[jlanecr500]

We use radios on our lease because of poor cell service. They are handy.

So what would be the best ones to get?

Mine are Midland. The only time we had issues was when we were on opposite sides of a tall ridge.
This set has charger base, ac and dc charging cables. We carry them with the volume turned down. If you want to talk, page the other radio and it will vibrate. Then turn volume up and talk.
https://m.northerntool.com/products/sho ... ?adv=false

 

[Zulu]

Wow!22 miles is a long way!
I jus got some from Santa that are up to 16.
They are blackfins and have great reception.
That seems like a great deal.

Those ranges are so theoretical they should be illegal to advertise. They are limited by line-of-site and the earth's curvature. Two six-foot-tall men standing on open, level ground are going to have a best case range of about six miles. Get down in a ravine, or get a hill between you, and it'll shrink even more. Trees, leaves, etc also attenuate the signals killing your range even more.

Those 22 and 16 mile ranges you see are assuming that both radios up on a mountain, with a clear line of sight between the transmitter and receiver. How often do you see that?

What I recommend for folks who want a truly useful handheld radio, is to get you Amateur Technician radio license. The test is ridiculously easy and the FCC publishes all of the questions and answers. I think getting mine cost a total of $15. Get a Tech license and you can buy one of these for around $25 and have a full function VHF/UHF radio.

These radios are about the size of a pack of cigarettes, and using a repeater I've literally talked from one end of Shelby county to the other. It's definitely a good thing to have on hand when cell reception isn't reliable. I keep one packed in my hunting pack whenever I'm up at our lease.

 

[Matador]

My son and I carry them when we are in an area with poor cell service. They are still handy to have.

 

[Bucky]

We use radios on our lease because of poor cell service. They are handy.

So what would be the best ones to get?

Stick with your pigeons and smoke fires :rotf:

 

[TreyB]

We use them when we are riding in the mountains when a few of us take our FJs out.

 

[FTG-05]

[snip]

What I recommend for folks who want a truly useful handheld radio, is to get you Amateur Technician radio license. The test is ridiculously easy and the FCC publishes all of the questions and answers. I think getting mine cost a total of $15. Get a Tech license and you can buy one of these for around $25 and have a full function VHF/UHF radio.

These radios are about the size of a pack of cigarettes, and using a repeater I've literally talked from one end of Shelby county to the other. It's definitely a good thing to have on hand when cell reception isn't reliable. I keep one packed in my hunting pack whenever I'm up at our lease.

I came to post this. Why waste time with toys when you could have a real radio with real performance?

FCC Amateur Radio test sites:

http://aa9pw.com/radio/
https://www.qrz.com/hamtest/
https://hamexam.org/
http://www.eham.net/exams/

Pick a test site you like then take a few practice tests. When you can consistently get into the +80% or so range, go take the test. Usually about $15 or so. Then you can buy and use a real radio.

Good luck!

 

[Smo]

I’ve got the same set jlane posted..... what a waste of money.

They won’t pick up from my house to the end of the road....1 1/2 miles away.

What a joke. I have a cheaper pair that will reach out close to 5 miles on level ground.

 

[Mudbone]

My wife took ours to the newest gas station and we lost connection several times but it worked when she got there.
About 5 miles. Plenty good enough

 

[TNGRIZZLY_]

We use radios on our lease because of poor cell service. They are handy.

So what would be the best ones to get?

Stick with your pigeons and smoke fires :rotf:

problem is, when you get hungry you cook the pigeons over the fire. :tu:

 

[Good time Charlie]

If you are going to use them while hunting ..you need the plug in headset .It is quiet and you can hear

 

[Bone Collector]

[snip]

What I recommend for folks who want a truly useful handheld radio, is to get you Amateur Technician radio license. The test is ridiculously easy and the FCC publishes all of the questions and answers. I think getting mine cost a total of $15. Get a Tech license and you can buy one of these for around $25 and have a full function VHF/UHF radio.

These radios are about the size of a pack of cigarettes, and using a repeater I've literally talked from one end of Shelby county to the other. It's definitely a good thing to have on hand when cell reception isn't reliable. I keep one packed in my hunting pack whenever I'm up at our lease.

I came to post this. Why waste time with toys when you could have a real radio with real performance?

FCC Amateur Radio test sites:

http://aa9pw.com/radio/
https://www.qrz.com/hamtest/
https://hamexam.org/
http://www.eham.net/exams/

Pick a test site you like then take a few practice tests. When you can consistently get into the +80% or so range, go take the test. Usually about $15 or so. Then you can buy and use a real radio.

Good luck!

So you are saying you can't buy the radio off Amazon if you don't have a license??? It doesn't say that on there at least not that I saw. So what happens if you buy it with no license, it won't work or something or you get fined?

 

[edtcase]

I was wondering the same thing.


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[Andy S.]

I read this in some of the FAQs from the first Amazon link that zulu posted:

"You also need an FCC license to legally operate on most of the frequencies this radio transmits, though it does cover the 15 FRS & GMRS frequencies that are allotted to the public. "

 

[BMan]

I read this in some of the FAQs from the first Amazon link that zulu posted:

"You also need an FCC license to legally operate on most of the frequencies this radio transmits, though it does cover the 15 FRS & GMRS frequencies that are allotted to the public. "

You also can't legally use them on the FRS and GMRS frequencies either. FRS is limited to 500mW power and these radios have a minimum transmitting power of 1W (or 1,000mW); GMRS usage carries some other rules as well.

 

[Zulu]

So you are saying you can't buy the radio off Amazon if you don't have a license??? It doesn't say that on there at least not that I saw. So what happens if you buy it with no license, it won't work or something or you get fined?

There is no restriction on buying one of these radios. Pay you money and Amazon will send one to you. You can play with it and use it to listen all day long with no restrictions, but if you transmit on it without a proper license then you're breaking the law.

I read this in some of the FAQs from the first Amazon link that zulu posted:

"You also need an FCC license to legally operate on most of the frequencies this radio transmits, though it does cover the 15 FRS & GMRS frequencies that are allotted to the public. "

That FAQ had a bad (at least misleading) answer. These radios are only legal to transmit on the amateur (ie ham) radio bands, but they are capable of operating on many other bands (including the 15 FRS and GMRS frequencies, along with some business bands, non-digital police and fire, etc), but transmitting on these other bands is illegal. I have the FRS, GMRS, and marine band frequencies programmed into mine for emergencies only (for real).

As far as using these radios without a proper license, it's not like the FCC is out there monitoring every frequency and waiting to pounce on you. Generally they only investigate if a legal user of the frequency complains of interference. In that case, the feds can investigate and pretty easily track you down; fines that I've seen are usually in the $10,000 range. The problem is, you may very easily be interfering with a legal user and have no idea you're doing it.

Like FTG and I posted above, the Technician license is just so cheap and easy to get, that there's really no excuse not to go ahead and get it and avoid to wrath of the FCC.