I am looking for a 2 way radio for hiking and hunting. I would like one with
a 5 mile range. Is this the correct newsgroup for this type of information.
I would appreciate some recommendations and what to look for.

Thanks

Bill Smith

Bill Smith ...

^ I am looking for a 2 way radio for hiking and hunting. I
^ would like one with a 5 mile range.

The problem you have is that handhelds have to transmit with low power (5
watts or less) so that they don't pump an unsafe level of radiation into your
face and so that they don't kill the battery the first time you transmit. For
most 5 watt handhelds, 5 miles is at the extreme edge of their range.

Your best option in my opinion is to get a handheld that can legally use an
external antenna, such as a CB radio or a MURS radio. You might be able to
use the stock antenna most of the time and switch to the external antenna
only when needed. If you're transmitting with a good external antenna five
miles away from someone else they should be able to hear you with their stock
antenna, then they can switch to the external antenna only if they can't get
back to you.

The CB will require a much longer antenna then the MURS, but this and its
higher power (5W as compared to 2W) will give you much more range. A CB
handheld is probably also much easier to obtain. Most people complain about
the noise on CB but most of that noise is on only the first 23 channels.
There are 40 channels.

Frank

"Bill Smith" wrote in message ...

Is this the correct newsgroup for this type of information.

No, although the answers you get here at rec.radio.scanner would be
the same as the answers you get at the group dedicated to this topic,
alt.radio.family.

See you there.

In article 01c3b342$c6be7590$0125250a@jbwsigbmppfzxdwd, "Frank"
writes:

^ You forgot about skip.

No, "skip" is the noise I refer to above. Do you hear much skip above channel
23?

Frank


When skip conditions are in, all 40 channels will be full of noise and distant
signals. Plus several Khz below channel 1 & above channel 40.

SouthDakotaRadio ...

^ When skip conditions are in, all 40 channels will be full of
^ noise and distant signals.

OK. I don't listen to my CB often, only during emergencies, but when I do I
usually scan all 40 channels and I only notice the noise on the old 23. I
assumed that this is because the old 23 channel radios were more easily
modified than the newer radios.

Frank

"Frank" wrote:

OK. I don't listen to my CB often, only during
emergencies, but when I do I usually scan all
40 channels and I only notice the noise on the
old 23. I assumed that this is because the old
23 channel radios were more easily modified
than the newer radios.


You're a little out of date, Frank. Almost nobody uses modified CB radios
anymore. Instead, most CB'ers running illegal equipment today use so-called
"imported radios" - radios very easily modified for out of band use.


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

http://www.qsl.net/w5net/

Subject: 2 wa;y radios
From: "Bill Smith"
Date: 11/24/2003 3:47 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

I am looking for a 2 way radio for hiking and hunting. I would like one with
a 5 mile range. Is this the correct newsgroup for this type of information.
I would appreciate some recommendations and what to look for.

Thanks

Bill Smith


A GMRS radio may fit the bill.

Do a search under "GMRS" to learn about this service, it is a licensed
service..only about $60.00 for the whole family.

If you do go GMRS, avoid the K-Mart type radios in bubble packs, go
professional grade...costs about $100+ each handheld but the money is well
spent.