What kind of radios does everyone use?

I was thinking of buying FRS radios to talk with the rest of the group during cruises. I have a pair of Cobra MicroTalk 1 FRS radios but they only have 2 channels with no CTCSS support.

I was thinking of going with a 14 channel model with at least 38 CTCSS codes or getting 22 channel GMRS radios that require an FCC license and call sign but can talk to FRS radios.

Does anyone here use a GMRS radio? They seem to have many benefits when compared to FRS. It is only $75 for a 5 year license compare that to a cell phone contract.

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1992 3000GT VR-4
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3SI Member 0660, 1753, 2038
W3SI Member 15

I'm going to get an FRS since that's what most of the people in the group use. They're cheep and serve their function well.

My parents have a GMRS radio set and a 100ft tower mounted on a friends farm land on the east side of Madison. The range exdends through out Dane county. It's nice but in order to get a decent range, you need an antena on your car.

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06 Blue EVO 9

A repeater in a high location can extend GMRS for miles and miles. The higher the location the more range you have.

I was considering drilling and adding a NMO mount on the car for a portable or a mobile. I want to drill through my roof to put in a WiFi antenna for Wardriving.

A repeater can cost several thousand dollars and requires a license to operate. Someone in the area might have one I could use for a fee though. There are severall prime locations in Milw county to put a repeater for a fee.

GMRS radios can operate at a higher wattage.

I guess I will buy a FRS but the GMRS is so tempting for a gadget freak.

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1992 3000GT VR-4
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3SI Member 0660, 1753, 2038
W3SI Member 15

Ah yes, forgot we have a repeater too. ...and a scanner for listening to police and fire.

The nice thing is it seems like there's hardly anyone in the area that use this system so there is little -> no traffic.

Hey Joe. I know nothing about the other thing you mentioned, but most of us are pretty happy with our FRS units. They're cheap, and they work "fairly" well. anything over a mile and you can forget it though, even though they SAY its good for 2-5 miles, yea right... no matter what brand FRS it never quite meets that expectation.

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The range is limited by antenna placement power (500 mW) and UHF itself. To get long range with FRS you need line of sight. Antenna height is the most impoertant factor in distance.

GMRS still needs line of sight but it can be with a repeater. In simplex mode the radios get a longer range due to a higher wattage allowance for licensed users.

I went to Sam's Saturday and all they had was FRS/GMRS Cobra's which should still be FCC classified as GMRS and require a license. $40 for a pair. No where on the package did it decribe a need for a license, talk about deceptive packaging.

RadioShack is a self appointed FRS leader so I'll try and check them out.

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1992 3000GT VR-4
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3SI Member 0660, 1753, 2038
W3SI Member 15

I have Cobra FRS/GMRS. They work great. I have used them, but Still have yet to get a license.

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~Joe - aka spider gear destroyer
'94 Stealth R/T
-Lightly Modded ;)

Pirate!!

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1992 3000GT VR-4
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3SI Member 0660, 1753, 2038
W3SI Member 15

LOL!!

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~Joe - aka spider gear destroyer
'94 Stealth R/T
-Lightly Modded ;)