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HAM Radio…

FleshEater said:
So roughly how far could something like this reach?

www.rightchannelradios.com

GMRS Radio Kit with Magnet Antenna Mount

This magnet mount CB antenna GMRS radio kit comes with an 18" stainless steel antenna and your choice of 3 radio options. Order yours today!
www.rightchannelradios.com www.rightchannelradios.com
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It’s hard to say, GMRS is mainly line of sight. If you’re in a valley you’re only going to get a limited distance compared to you being at the top of a mountain when using it on simplex, radio to radio without a repeater. I think for rig to rig comms that should be fine though. I have used my 8 watt handheld and hit the GMRS repeater on Sandia Crest from about 65 miles away. I don’t have a Midland so I’m not sure if you can use CHIRP to program them.

CHIRP is free software that allows you to program your radios to name channels, set wattage outputs, use repeaters etc. It’s super easy to use compared to manually entering all that shit on the keypad of the radio. If you want to use repeaters, and I recommend that for longer reach, then you need to program the radio for the repeater tone and frequency offsets. You can get that info from mygmrs.com


Im a fan of the Baofang /BTech mobile units because they are both GMRS and ham radios. That way if you ever get your ham license you don’t need to buy another radio. Plus they give you the ability to use ham freqs in an emergency, which is allowed. As long as you’re not a Dbag on the air you can mostly get away with using ham without a license. Only the no life basement dweller hams fox hunt anyway:flipoff2:

Midland, Yaesu etc don’t make radios that can do both since it’s technically not allowed. I’ve been running BTech for a couple of years with no issues.
 
Snip


Oooh look squirrel



One

Who's in for a beer

Diode

After work

Done
:flipoff2:
 
I was doing more reading on everything in this thread and found this: Homeland Security - Search and Rescue

Actually gives useful information as to why a GMRS would be useful for where we’ll be.

Most places like Silverton area Colorado, and I imagine Moab, are chockfull of people off road. In Colorado there was no worry about needing help. It was just around the corner.

I’m not so sure there will be as much traffic in Wyoming. There sure wasn’t in South Dakota.

So, current plan is fawk the CB (majority of truckers anymore probably don’t speak English anyways :flipoff2:). Going to set up a GMRS in the 4Runner, and buy a HAM for last ditch emergency needs. For “we’re going to fawkin die” I’ll get a satellite beacon.

Also, I looked into the “insurance” Garmin offers as an add on. Yearly premiums and you need a premium for each family member to be covered. Also discovered rescues by the National Park Service or military are free.
 
FleshEater said:
I was doing more reading on everything in this thread and found this: Homeland Security - Search and Rescue

Actually gives useful information as to why a GMRS would be useful for where we’ll be.

Most places like Silverton area Colorado, and I imagine Moab, are chockfull of people off road. In Colorado there was no worry about needing help. It was just around the corner.

I’m not so sure there will be as much traffic in Wyoming. There sure wasn’t in South Dakota.

So, current plan is fawk the CB (majority of truckers anymore probably don’t speak English anyways :flipoff2:). Going to set up a GMRS in the 4Runner, and buy a HAM for last ditch emergency needs. For “we’re going to fawkin die” I’ll get a satellite beacon.

Also, I looked into the “insurance” Garmin offers as an add on. Yearly premiums and you need a premium for each family member to be covered. Also discovered rescues by the National Park Service or military are free.
Click to expand...

I can‘t say this with 100% certainty, but from what I’ve seen rescues that are actually life threatening in the US are generally free. If they aren’t NPS/USCG, they are LEO or volunteer SAR teams. I think the majority of the people that get billed are fat tourists that hit the button in the middle of a day hike and claim they “got hot and tired.”
 
Gatorgrizz27 said:
I can‘t say this with 100% certainty, but from what I’ve seen rescues that are actually life threatening in the US are generally free. If they aren’t NPS/USCG, they are LEO or volunteer SAR teams. I think the majority of the people that get billed are fat tourists that hit the button in the middle of a day hike and claim they “got hot and tired.”
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nah there have been quiet a few billed that broke a leg and didn't bring enough whatever with them, etc.
 
I got my GMRS license.

The call sign issued for it…can I use that when I go for a HAM, or do you have two different call signs?
 
FleshEater said:
I got my GMRS license.

The call sign issued for it…can I use that when I go for a HAM, or do you have two different call signs?
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You will get a new call sign in you get a ham license. They are different. I don’t remember what my GMRS call sign is. I never use it on the trail between friends. I’ve never tried to use a GMRS repeater or talk to anyone I don’t know. HAM is a different story.
 
I just ordered a Yaesu-FT60R.

I learn better when I can see things and mess with them. Hoping this HAM stuff makes more sense once I get to play around with a radio.
 
Good radio
+1 on ham call being different
And stupid gmrs # almost NEVER gets used.
The wast of bandwidth when a ht can carry the same freq's seems redundant.
Enjoy
 
Okay; I got to play around with this Yaesu as it arrived today.

Running a scan I got nothing but the weather channel.

I did confirm I kind of knew what I was doing by transmitting from my GMRS radio to the HAM radio.

But it’s illegal for me to transmit on the HAM to the GMRS, right? Even though I’m on a GMRS frequency…
 
FleshEater said:
Okay; I got to play around with this Yaesu as it arrived today.

Running a scan I got nothing but the weather channel.

I did confirm I kind of knew what I was doing by transmitting from my GMRS radio to the HAM radio.

But it’s illegal for me to transmit on the HAM to the GMRS, right? Even though I’m on a GMRS frequency…
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You will have to check the specs on the FT60, it may only receive on the GMRS frequency range and not transmit. However, a lot of radio can have a MARS mod done and open up more frequencies that they will transmit on. I think this may be technically illegal unless you are part of MARS and have permission, but most radio shops will do it and there are lots of youtube videos for lots of radios. Hell, I think ham radio outlet will let you add that as an option to a new radio purchase and they will do it before they send you the radio. I don't know how popular it is for HT's though.
 
FleshEater said:
But it’s illegal for me to transmit on the HAM to the GMRS, right? Even though I’m on a GMRS frequency…
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Correct. Ham requires a separate license (Technician for UHF/VHF at a minimum). I recommend it! 2m transmission is so much better than 70cm. More distance and less foliage obstruction. PLUS, repeaters!
 
D_JEEPER said:
Correct. Ham requires a separate license (Technician for UHF/VHF at a minimum). I recommend it! 2m transmission is so much better than 70cm. More distance and less foliage obstruction. PLUS, repeaters!
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um what? As long as he is meeting the GRMS specs (and has the GRMS license) he should be legal. Why to they care what kind of radio you use?
 
Weasel said:
um what? As long as he is meeting the GRMS specs (and has the GRMS license) he should be legal. Why to they care what kind of radio you use?
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Ah sorry, I misread. I thought he was saying the opposite... use GMRS license to transmit on HAM frequencies. It has been a long day :homer:
 
Weasel said:
um what? As long as he is meeting the GRMS specs (and has the GRMS license) he should be legal. Why to they care what kind of radio you use?
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Radios are imported/FCC registered under their intended use. Ham radios are under one part, GMRS under another, Business under another.

Manufacturers are supposed to pick which one their radios are and stick with it. This is where the legal issue on the baofengs comes in, they are not locked to any purpose. Now it is legal for radios to be modified or built by the end user. Hence why most of these have a stupid simple method to open up the frequency range. Since you did the change, its on you to ensure you are staying legal.

The same hams that will raise hell about this also buy motorola crap by the truckload and modify it to be on ham frequencies. I'd bet half the repeaters in the US are modified from commercial radios.

The only one to watch for (technically) - if you have a GMRS license you can use your radio if it meets the specs of the GMRS channels for power, channel width, etc. You could say - but FRS is some of the same freqs with lower power, I can use it without a license - but FRS has a hard requirement that the antenna cannot be removable to qualify. So if you did that and if you got caught by the FCC (big if) and if they cared (even bigger if) then it could get you in trouble.

I need to get around to paying for my GMRS. With a commercial FCC license I can't play stupid if something came up.
 
There goes the neighborhood :flipoff2:
Anyhow it seems the fcc may need to merge and or restructure the ham frequencies to include the gmrs/frs stuff that was cleaved off ???

Outlaw coms are rampant so perhaps they absorb some loss and free up the system!
 
665.0coupe said:
A uv-5r is even cheaper. Find a local/semi-local radio shop and see if they will do the MARS mod for you.
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If your going to do it do this one
  • BAOFENG BF-F8HP
baofengtech.com

BF-F8HP - BaoFeng

Discover the BaoFeng BF-F8HP, High-Power, dual band (VHF/UHF), two-way radio. Visit the BaoFeng site to learn, buy, and get support.
baofengtech.com baofengtech.com

8 watts, and we just spent a week in the sequoias and they worked great, get a bigger battery, and an upgrade antenna.

I did get my GMRS Lic. And we used them at lower watts, but when you get a couple miles away, it was nice to be able to communicate.

These are fully compatible with Midlands or garmin. walkie talkies
 
FleshEater said:
Well the Yaesu can’t transmit on GMRS. Just reads error.
Click to expand...

Stingray said:
If your going to do it do this one
  • BAOFENG BF-F8HP
baofengtech.com

BF-F8HP - BaoFeng

Discover the BaoFeng BF-F8HP, High-Power, dual band (VHF/UHF), two-way radio. Visit the BaoFeng site to learn, buy, and get support.
baofengtech.com baofengtech.com

8 watts, and we just spent a week in the sequoias and they worked great, get a bigger battery, and an upgrade antenna.

I did get my GMRS Lic. And we used them at lower watts, but when you get a couple miles away, it was nice to be able to communicate.

These are fully compatible with Midlands or garmin. walkie talkies
Click to expand...
I have one of these and a few spare batteries/antennas. Great "disposable" radios.
 
Stingray said:
That's how I looked at them, if I dropped or broke one it wouldn't hurt my feelings,
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I clip mine on to the rack of my 4 wheeler when putting around the farm. If it dies....it dies.... :laughing:
 
the BF-F8HP is a better deal atleast you can reprogram it and it has an usable menu. The rugged I have dealt with are very limited what you can change on them.
 
FleshEater said:
Well as :homer: as I am, less is more for me.
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If you want to get into the HF part of HAM, check out the XIEGU G90. It is cheap enough but has SDR technology. Only 20W, vs 100W for many others, but also a fraction of the price.
I just picked one up from marketplace for $300 with a bunch of accessories.:beer:
 
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