Im looking into getting a base station for the house. I've googled and have not run into much. I'm looking for one with a 50 watt output. I'm also looking for a good anntena. I'm betting that will get me more range than the 50 watts. I'm open to building or buying the antenna.

I'm also looking fo a HTs with more than the 1/2 watt and fixed antennas of the bubble pack radios we have. I cant really complain about their performance. They are Uniden GMR635 rebranded by Radio Shack. Weve had them 2 1/2 miles or a little farther in town here. I think they put out a little more than 1/2 watton 1-7 and 15-22 when you use the boost button. The bosost doesnt work on the FRS only channels.

What band?

Duh, said GMRS in the thread title.  

Icom makes this one:  http://www.gmrsoutlet.com/product.php?productid=9

I'm one of those rare guys that actually does use GMRS frequencies for communications.  I do have a GMRS license as well.

The other day, running offroad with another Jeep, CB communications were terrible, all kinds of interference, static, you could hardly hear the Jeep 20 yards in front of you!
Maybe this is what they meant when they said the solar cycle would be degrading comms.
I gave him a F60 UHF HT, and used my other ICOM HT with my external Larsen.
Crystal clear communication was the result on 462.550 both on the trail and on the ride home down the interstate.
He was shocked when I explained he didn't need a HAM license to use this.  As a matter of fact it is illegal with a HAM license.


The ICOM 4 watt GMRS/UHF HTs work very well.
I chose the F-60 because it is small, tough, fully programmable, simple to operate, and waterproof.  
All important if you'll be handing it out to the other shooter in your "tactical exercise", or your girlfriend at the outlet mall, or your buddy in his 4WD on the trail, or the other vehicle in your "convoy" to the concert/game/whatever.
Add in the external antenna mounted on the vehicle, and performance is enhanced considerably.

And 45 watts is available from the mobile/base station radios.

To make the FT60 operate, both transmit and recieve, on the GMRS frequency you have to modify the radio which is still Illegal.
All of my amateur(HAM) radios came with the GMRS frequency blocked, even my FT857D.

Not to mention it is NOT illegal with a ham license. Ham license has no bearing whatsoever. What you need is a GMRS license.

Edwin907 makes it sound as though he as both a HAM lic. as well as a GMRS in his post, but it he must be using modified radios, which is still illegal.

If this is truly the case, you are having big problems with either you installation (proper grounding, and correct swr), your equipment, or both. CB is the perfect comms for jeeping the back country.

That being said...I personnally use an ICOM 621 for a base station at out ski mtn home, and regularly use it to talk to members of our ski party when they are out on the mtn, and to talk to friends down in town, out to 12-15 miles. We have a mixture of the FRS/GMRS handhelds (Cobra, Midland, Uniden, and Garmin RINO's) that we keep on hand .

The ICOM IC-F60s I have require no modification for use on GMRS frequencies.
They have a 400-470 transmit and receive frequency range.
Output is 4 watts maximum and are not field programmable.
I was told they are type certified for GMRS use by ICOM USA.
Perhaps you are mistaking the ICOM UHF IC-F60 HT for a Yaesu FT-60R dual-band 2 meter/440 MHz HT.
I guess that would explain the "illegal equipment" comments here.

Radio cops on AR15 shooting from the hip?? F60 VS FT60? Surely not. Yeah, I also use GMRS radios with a repeater. I get the same comment about using illegal radios because my Icom F40GT's have a keypad.

Thick skin required if you are using something that is not mainstream.

RS

Now I feel really Dumb!
No, I never heard of a F60 by Icom
thought you were talking FT60

Forgive me if you can Sorry

My mistake, no excuse.......... Sorry

No reason to feel bad, Capt.
Just communication breakdown.
It's really a neat little radio, waterproof with waterproof speaker/mike, really small, simple to use, excellent receive/transmit, works really well with the external dual band Larsen mounted on the Jeep.

How about a set of UHF Motorola HT750's programmed to GMRS? Good solid radios that will definitely take a beating and keep working. You could also get some matching Motorola mobiles and have them programmed to match.

If you're looking for type certification on a particular radio (you know the FCC ID).
Go to https://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/GenericSearch.cfm

Here are the results for my ICOM IC-F60

"B2: General Mobile Radio And Broadcast Services equipment in the following 47 CFR Parts 22 (non-cellular) 73, 74, 90, 95 & 97"