Posted: 2/1/2011 7:45:20 AM EDT
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*if this isn't the right place, sorry mods I am in the need for some very high quality two way radios, and a base station. I've seen the midland ones on amazon, and I'm looking for something with better range and higher quality (voice quality, and manufacture quality) I know about zero about radios, and I'm hoping you ham guys might have overlap into the two-way space. |
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From my research, the main company is Dakota, and they have horrible customer reviews. Are there any proven companies that produce MURS units? Also, I see a lot of "Marine Radios" like this one http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Horizon-STD-HX471SB-Handheld-Marine/dp/B000GE0CKI/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1296582896&sr=8-14 What is that? Can I use it for my purposes? |
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From my research, the main company is Dakota, and they have horrible customer reviews. Are there any proven companies that produce MURS units? Also, I see a lot of "Marine Radios" like this one http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Horizon-STD-HX471SB-Handheld-Marine/dp/B000GE0CKI/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1296582896&sr=8-14 What is that? Can I use it for my purposes? Ham Radio 101 has a section about these radios that you should read. And this link, too, re the Standard Horizon radios. |
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Quoted: Quoted: From my research, the main company is Dakota, and they have horrible customer reviews. Are there any proven companies that produce MURS units? Also, I see a lot of "Marine Radios" like this one http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Horizon-STD-HX471SB-Handheld-Marine/dp/B000GE0CKI/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1296582896&sr=8-14 What is that? Can I use it for my purposes? Ham Radio 101 has a section about these radios that you should read. And this link, too, re the Standard Horizon radios. So, if I'm not totally crazy, I'm reading that these "handhelds" like the one in the link above, would work also (but not in addition to, the MURS units), and don't require me to get an amateur license? |
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Have you read the wiki page? Not always accurate, but it gives me a summary that I can wrap my brain around.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Use_Radio_Service I use it at work. It's limited to 2 watts, so you won't have super range on it, but to me it's head and shoulders above those FRS retail gimmick packs. Works pretty good at our deer lease, but then again, it's maybe 500 yards between deer stands. I run a PL tone and I never hear anyone else outside my group. Back to the Ar Jedi link on the HX370S, how common is it to be able to use a repeater 30 miles away with a 5 watt handheld? Seems like a longshot. |
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Quoted: Have you read the wiki page? Not always accurate, but it gives me a summary that I can wrap my brain around. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Use_Radio_Service I use it at work. It's limited to 2 watts, so you won't have super range on it, but to me it's head and shoulders above those FRS retail gimmick packs. Works pretty good at our deer lease, but then again, it's maybe 500 yards between deer stands. I run a PL tone and I never hear anyone else outside my group. Back to the Ar Jedi link on the HX370S, how common is it to be able to use a repeater 30 miles away with a 5 watt handheld? Seems like a longshot. Yep, I've burned the vast majority of my day researching this. My property is 16 acres, I think MURS is sufficient for what I want. |
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From my research, the main company is Dakota, and they have horrible customer reviews. Are there any proven companies that produce MURS units? Also, I see a lot of "Marine Radios" like this one http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Horizon-STD-HX471SB-Handheld-Marine/dp/B000GE0CKI/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1296582896&sr=8-14 What is that? Can I use it for my purposes? The purpose is shipboard, ship to ship, ship to dock communications. On land, the people who would use such radios would be dock workers loading ships. If you don't have a boat, or are talking to boats, ships, you have no use for this. People who buy marine radios for hunting, camping, whatever are breaking the law, plain and simple. |
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Quoted: This was not clear to me. Thank you.Quoted: From my research, the main company is Dakota, and they have horrible customer reviews. Are there any proven companies that produce MURS units? Also, I see a lot of "Marine Radios" like this one http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Horizon-STD-HX471SB-Handheld-Marine/dp/B000GE0CKI/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1296582896&sr=8-14 What is that? Can I use it for my purposes? The purpose is shipboard, ship to ship, ship to dock communications. On land, the people who would use such radios would be dock workers loading ships. If you don't have a boat, or are talking to boats, ships, you have no use for this. People who buy marine radios for hunting, camping, whatever are breaking the law, plain and simple. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: From my research, the main company is Dakota, and they have horrible customer reviews. Are there any proven companies that produce MURS units? Also, I see a lot of "Marine Radios" like this one http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Horizon-STD-HX471SB-Handheld-Marine/dp/B000GE0CKI/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1296582896&sr=8-14 What is that? Can I use it for my purposes? Ham Radio 101 has a section about these radios that you should read. And this link, too, re the Standard Horizon radios. So, if I'm not totally crazy, I'm reading that these "handhelds" like the one in the link above, would work also (but not in addition to, the MURS units), and don't require me to get an amateur license? Don't be skeered.....we won't hurt you.....I dare you.....no....double dog dare you.....come on.....you won't get hooked.....just try it.  |
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This was not clear to me. Thank you.
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From my research, the main company is Dakota, and they have horrible customer reviews. Are there any proven companies that produce MURS units? Also, I see a lot of "Marine Radios" like this one http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Horizon-STD-HX471SB-Handheld-Marine/dp/B000GE0CKI/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1296582896&sr=8-14 What is that? Can I use it for my purposes? The purpose is shipboard, ship to ship, ship to dock communications. On land, the people who would use such radios would be dock workers loading ships. If you don't have a boat, or are talking to boats, ships, you have no use for this. People who buy marine radios for hunting, camping, whatever are breaking the law, plain and simple. Also used for calling ahead to drawbridges or locks, as well as those shorebase operations talking back to boats, though they will use a base station, not handheld. The thing is, any non-marine use is interfering with a very important communications band. You'd never think about buying aviation band radios for camping, would you? It amazes me to see how people market these radios. I've personally heard commercial fishermen using 2 meter ham gear for "private" ship to ship comms. Only they were working simplex, and we were hearing both sides on our repeater. Twice, several years apart, it got bad enough that the FCC confiscated their illegal (for marine use) 2m radios. |
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Quoted: Sorry, didn't mean to sound like I was getting on your case about the marine radios. It's good that you came here for advice. There's lots of good options for you that most non-hams (or other radio-techy people) wouldn't know about. No problem brother! You might have just saved me from getting fined by the FCC.  I'm leaning toward MURS right now, I just wish they had a vehicle mounted version. |
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Sorry, didn't mean to sound like I was getting on your case about the marine radios. It's good that you came here for advice. There's lots of good options for you that most non-hams (or other radio-techy people) wouldn't know about. No problem brother! You might have just saved me from getting fined by the FCC.
I'm leaning toward MURS right now, I just wish they had a vehicle mounted version. MURS isn't a brand, it's a radio service. What I'm getting at is you can buy just about whatever commercial VHF radios you want and have them programmed for MURS. My local 2-way dealer sells used Motorola radios and does programming. I bet yours does too. Running MURS mobile seems like a waste though, you're stuck at 2 watts. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Sorry, didn't mean to sound like I was getting on your case about the marine radios. It's good that you came here for advice. There's lots of good options for you that most non-hams (or other radio-techy people) wouldn't know about. No problem brother! You might have just saved me from getting fined by the FCC. I'm leaning toward MURS right now, I just wish they had a vehicle mounted version. MURS isn't a brand, it's a radio service. What I'm getting at is you can buy just about whatever commercial VHF radios you want and have them programmed for MURS. My local 2-way dealer sells used Motorola radios and does programming. I bet yours does too. Running MURS mobile seems like a waste though, you're stuck at 2 watts. I'll be working on a 16 acre farm. I was just going to throw a dash mounted one in the farm truck. I see your point though. I should have been more clear, I'm leaning toward using the MURS radio service, as opposed to business or family bands. Does anyone have a recommendation on a brand that is good with MURS? I'm happy to come off the cash if it's good quality. |
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Sorry, didn't mean to sound like I was getting on your case about the marine radios. It's good that you came here for advice. There's lots of good options for you that most non-hams (or other radio-techy people) wouldn't know about. No problem brother! You might have just saved me from getting fined by the FCC.
I'm leaning toward MURS right now, I just wish they had a vehicle mounted version. MURS isn't a brand, it's a radio service. What I'm getting at is you can buy just about whatever commercial VHF radios you want and have them programmed for MURS. My local 2-way dealer sells used Motorola radios and does programming. I bet yours does too. Running MURS mobile seems like a waste though, you're stuck at 2 watts. I'll be working on a 16 acre farm. I was just going to throw a dash mounted one in the farm truck. I see your point though. I should have been more clear, I'm leaning toward using the MURS radio service, as opposed to business or family bands. Does anyone have a recommendation on a brand that is good with MURS? I'm happy to come off the cash if it's good quality. You'd be hard pressed to find commercial VHF radios that won't do MURS. The only thing you might run into is that older used radios can't do narrowband. There are 5 MURS channels, and only 2 of them are allowed to go wide if I remember right. I'd check with the local 2-way dealer first and see what they have that's used and good quality. My local dealer sells old Motorola Maxtrac mobiles for $75 programmed with the local ham repeaters and NOAA weather. They're workhorses and would last forever if not abused. But anyway as far as brand, pick any one of these: Motorola Icom Vertex Ritron Blackbox There's a lot out there. You just won't see them advertised like consumer equipment as MURS radios. That's why you may be having a hard time finding info. |
| Not to be a smartass, but I would think a Batman wrist walkie-talkie from WalMart would cover a 16 acre farm. Am I wrong? I have a 14 acre field across the street from my house and I could walk across it diagonally in 3 minutes. Wouldn't a Motorola FRS or GMRS pair cover this? |
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Not to be a smartass, but I would think a Batman wrist walkie-talkie from WalMart would cover a 16 acre farm. Am I wrong? I have a 14 acre field across the street from my house and I could walk across it diagonally in 3 minutes. You could probably cover it with FRS radios if it were flat and not wooded. But that doesn't mean they'll last. |
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Not to be a smartass, but I would think a Batman wrist walkie-talkie from WalMart would cover a 16 acre farm. Am I wrong? I have a 14 acre field across the street from my house and I could walk across it diagonally in 3 minutes. Wouldn't a Motorola FRS or GMRS pair cover this? You may be right, but I'm not interested in cheap stuff. The terrain is rough with heavy woods. Only a few acres is field. And the field is probably 500 feet lower than the highest point. I'd rather buy more than I need and buy good shit so I don't have bother with cheap crap, voice quality, etc ect when I need my stuff to work. Call it overkill. :) Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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What you might want is GMRS. Its a test-free $60/5year license that give you and your immediate family the ability to use some really nice handhelds and mobiles.
http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=service_home&id=general_mobile |
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you have my number. give me a call and i will bring my ham gear down for you to look over. the license is dirt cheap and EASY to get. hamfest is next month and you can test there. Perfect!! I'm out of town until next Friday, so ill call you shortly after I get back. Thanks! Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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What you might want is GMRS. Its a test-free $60/5year license that give you and your immediate family the ability to use some really nice handhelds and mobiles. http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=service_home&id=general_mobile According to page 8 (actual page 9 of 10) of this FCC document, the fee is $85. |
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What you might want is GMRS. Its a test-free $60/5year license that give you and your immediate family the ability to use some really nice handhelds and mobiles. http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=service_home&id=general_mobile According to page 8 (actual page 9 of 10) of this FCC document, the fee is $85. Ah, its been a while since I've looked at them... |