Higher end frs or business walkie talkies

[rough road]

A search didn't help out much can anyone give us links for better quality, Icom/Kenwood etc portable two way radios and has anyone done business with 123 Radio , or can anyone recommend a good on line dealer ?

[wa8yxm]

I assume by "Higher end" you mean "longer range" FRS radios are all range limited, There are only three ways to increase range.

One: The Tim Allen method.. MORE POWER,, This is illegal however (See note below on GMRS)

Two: Better antenna: Again there are limites but many can indeed use better antennas.

Three: Better signal to noise ratio on the receiver.. Though the high end units do tend to do better there... NOT ALWAYS.

Low end units tend to be 14 channel, and you have the following controls, ON/Off, Volume Channel, Squelch and optionally "Call" (Sends a tone)

Higher end add sub channel to the list. (This is a CTSS (Continous tone squelch system) and a MONITOR button (required with CTSS)

Also rechargable batteries.

But range wise, perhaps 20 yards.

Now if you go with GMRS (License required, 80 bucks last time I got one, you apply on line so it's easy to do)

Now you get more power, thus more range (At least 1.5 times) and you get MORE CHANNELS as well.

GMRS-2: You can also apply for a special GMRS license that gives you more or less exclusive use of a frequency and even higher power, HOWEVER this type of license is "Geo-tagged" so you can only use it, for example, within 20 miles of home (Not much good for RVers)

Finally: Since Morese code is no longer required you can take the Technician class Amateur Radio license exam.. Many ham clubs across the nation will assist you.. you now get a license that lets you run not a fraction of a watt, but up to 1,000 watts DC in to the final, You have not 14 frequencies but many frequency bands.. I have one radio here who's model number is WE-800, the WE is the manufacturer's initials (Wilson Electronics) and the 800 is the number of different frequencies (or channels) it can be tuned to. And that is JUST ONE BAND. Oh, it pushes 10 watts and on a good day I was chatting with folks in Toledo Ohio, from downtown Detroit, via a repeater in Adrian, Mi. Using that radio in "Hand held" (1 watt stubby rubber duck type antenna) mode.

I have other radios that work in the same band I've gotten for as little as FREE (well I did have to buy the frequency determining elements, about 80 bucks worth)

You might consider ham Radio American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources

[Campingman]

I don't know where you come up with 20 yards range. Most of these little radios will go a couple of miles with unobstructed line of site range. We use them here in the mountains and get up to a mile range. I'm talking the cheap cobras or motorolas. The more expensive ones don't do much better. If you just want to talk around the MH or campground buy the cheap ones.

[Campingman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rough road A search didn't help out much can anyone give us links for better quality, Icom/Kenwood etc portable two way radios and has anyone done business with 123 Radio , or can anyone recommend a good on line dealer ?

Don't buy Icom. Kenwood or Motorola is a good bet. There are sites all over the net selling radios. Go to Motorola's web site. Like I said in my last post what do you want to do with the radios? I am a member of a Volunteer Fire dept. We use Motorolas and a repeater and I use the cheap Cobras for the campground employees.

[TXiceman]

The mileage claims from the manufacturers are pretty much fiction. These radios are pretty much line of sight and nothing more, so a $30.00 one will have the same range as a $100.00 one....just more bells and whistles.

Also, be aware that they also have the GMRS service on the radios and that requires a license fro those channels.

Ken

[Gary - K7GLD]

We have a pair of Motorola "Talkabout T5000" units, about $50 for the pair as I recall. Ours have 22 channels, tone squelch and a bunch of decent features. My brother and sister in laws are not Ham Radio operators like me, so when we RV together as we usually do, decent communication between RVs is very helpful.

http://www.csonline.net/crawford/old...bout_t5000.htm

Ours will give reliable communication between RVs for a mile or more out on the road unless there is a mountain or other large obstruction between us, and will cover about 2 miles out on the lakes we fish on.

I've seen a best distance of about 3 miles, checking the units out when my wife was on the other side of town, but high and in the clear. Motorola units are typically rugged and reliable - but there are many other brands to choose from as well.

I've been VERY happy with ours.

[bullheaded]

We used Motorola years back in our business.....got them at Grainger. These were very tough radios, but a little pricey.

[Ray,IN]

I have an old set of Radio Shack FRS walkie talkies that have been well-used for perhaps 15 years so far. They have a normal range of about 2 miles out side. We have used then when convoying several vehicles, the range inside vehicles is about 1 mile max. Using those we don't have to tolerate radio chatter.
When we need more range we use CB walkie talkies, Motorola 40 channel. Outside they are work great, inside a vehicle, practically useless. When I'm backing into a site DW uses a handheld CB (ch13) and I listen on the truck CB.
I bought a set of Cobra GRMS radios and they do not have the range of the Radio Shack set, and eat up batteries very fast.

[Midniteoyl]

Ya.. I've got a 15 y/o set of motorolas that still work great. Range is usually about a mile around town.. 2 on the road.

[rough road]

Tnks all, the wattage on the more expensive radios, usually the models that require a license,not a big deal, are in the 4-5 watt output with the number of channels being in the 6 plus range, usually programmable. The downside for me is not price, which for these start at about $160 each, but rather in the frequency used and the long antenna required for the models at the lower end of the price scale. The more convienient stubby antenna radios seem to be in the $400 and up radio's and that is alot more than I want to spend.

I mentioned Icom because they are all made in Japan while SOME of the Kenwood models are from Thailand, ALL others are from China...

To see what I am considering go to this site;

http://www.123radios.com/

[hamguy]

[QUOTE=wa8yxm;805784]I assume by "Higher end" you mean "longer range" FRS radios are all range limited, There are only three ways to increase range.

One: The Tim Allen method.. MORE POWER,, This is illegal however (See note below on GMRS)

Two: Better antenna: Again there are limites but many can indeed use better antennas.

Three: Better signal to noise ratio on the receiver.. Though the high end units do tend to do better there... NOT ALWAYS.

Low end units tend to be 14 channel, and you have the following controls, ON/Off, Volume Channel, Squelch and optionally "Call" (Sends a tone)

Higher end add sub channel to the list. (This is a CTSS (Continous tone squelch system) and a MONITOR button (required with CTSS)

Also rechargable batteries.

But range wise, perhaps 20 yards.

QUOTE]


John, I have communicated over a mile with FRS radios. I can speak rather softly and be heard at 20 yards.

Dean

[Jack R]

You might try looking at the following web site. I don't use them. Picked this up on another forum i belong to.

RV Headset Testimonials


jack

[SCVJeff]

And when you get your picks down absolutely do not rule out ICOM. They, along with Kenwood, Yaseu, Motorola, Standard, etc. are all excellent commercial grade radios with Icom up at the top next to Motorola.

If this is just personal use, I'm with John: get your amateur license, make it legal, and gain use of thousands of repeaters across the county.

[W9WLS]

"Rough Road" , you still have not stated your intended use or what you need these radios for or what you expect to be able to do with them at what range (this all makes a difference).
If your intent is to just communicate with the DW while docking / parking or with another friend while on the road (within line of site range) then the FRS radios of most any brand will fill the bill, but as others have stated don't expect more than a mile or two range out of FRS .
If your intent is more reliable communication over a greater distance (again just between you and the DW) , The "Technician Class Ham License" (and equipment) opens a whole new world, the Tech exam requires a minimum of study (and you have to be really dense not to pass the test) .
As to equipment, any of the product's from the BIG THREE , Icom, Yaesu/Vertex, and Kenwood will make you good gear , guess I'd better throw Motorola in too even though now Vertex owns a big piece of them.
Power is a funny thing, it is all pretty relative to how much time you spend talking / transmitting on a hand held , the more you talk , the sooner you will have to recharge the battery.
The bottom line here is we need to know more about "What YOU think you need to be able to do with a radio" , we all will be glad to help but we need more information to help you make the correct choice for your application !
73, John