Off-Road Ranger I
I don't know what their reason is or if they're being deceitful, I'm just helping Chris find a starter radio. I was the second person to reply here and I never said to buy an expensive mounted radio.
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Handhelds or vehicle mounted
- Thread starter Chris Starling
- Start date
Expedition Master III
What do groups in your area use? It’s pointless to buy a GMRS radio if they primarily use ham.
Handhelds are great but for distance nothing beats a mobile unit. I ended up getting my ham and GMRS license and ended up with a mobile ham that I use for ham and GMRS there are power limitations to some GMRS channels so do your homework if you’re going this route.
You’ll also be able to use it for emergency communication if needed.
Handhelds are great but for distance nothing beats a mobile unit. I ended up getting my ham and GMRS license and ended up with a mobile ham that I use for ham and GMRS there are power limitations to some GMRS channels so do your homework if you’re going this route.
You’ll also be able to use it for emergency communication if needed.
And I never said that you did tell him to buy an expensive radio. Only that the people that always say inexpensive radios are garbage usually sell expensive radios
Shawn
Off-Road Ranger I
I was way too late to the GMRS party as I can be stubborn at times and cherished my vintage Cobra CB. That thing was 30 years old and still pumping strong. Or so I thought. Family travels with us a lot now so I gave GMRS hand helds a try, which ended up being an exercise in frustration. We usually run far apart on trails 1/4 mile or more, and even further apart on the highways and the handheld just wasn’t doing the job. I reverted back to CB for the next couple of trips, which really sucked because no one that Overland’s uses CBs any longer. Finally, a couple years ago I bought an entry level mounted MXT 115 GMRS. Wow! Should have done it years ago. Easily talking 10 miles apart and sometimes further. I remember once, in the open deserts of NM we talked a little more than 20 miles out. CB, never again- hand held GMRS? Gave em away. Hand held for spotting? Nope- we all use hand signals- no talking, yelling or depending on a handheld’s battery to last all day, which they do not. I’d suggest forgoing any frustration, spend the $150 and get the entry level 115.
AfricanSubaru
Rank 0
Contributor I
Been using Midlands and Baofengs for a while now.... If the UV5R is setup correctly it works fine with any GMRS radio.... Keeping in mind you need to "Program" the frequencies In per chanel.... Which is avaliable on the web... I use a PC app, Chirp, which works a treat.... If you buy the Baofeng GMRS specific radios they work with any other GMRS radio. In the past the Baofeng radios, specifically the UV5R variants were "Iffy" now they are as good as any other out there... The fact that you can fit another antenna makes them exceptionally appealing... even if illegal.... which you can't do on the Midland handhelds... Cause they are legal... But in the open they work well, line of sight on the better units, 10km is no issue..... What I have found on any of the radios.... Antenna instillation is key.... Do it properly and tunne it with a SWR meter, you will be surprised at the range.... Correct cable, well fitted connectors, and tuned length of antenna after the instilation Is connected and you will get maximum range.... But you won't speak through and around mountains... No radio will......
youtube.com
The above link will take you to what I believe is the best YouTube channel concerning GMRS, he is not an expert, so gives the best and most practical and humerus advice backed with facts.
NotaRubicon Productions
Unemployed Hand-Model, Adventurer, Youtuber, Pot-Stirrer and GMRS & H.A.M. Radio Hobo To The Stars aka Randolpho (Randy) Cafe. This is an "Edutainment" & Satire channel - Be warned that leaving whiny comments complaining about anything I say or do will probably be used against you to...
The above link will take you to what I believe is the best YouTube channel concerning GMRS, he is not an expert, so gives the best and most practical and humerus advice backed with facts.
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mep1811
Rank IV
Pathfinder I
A mobile radio for the vehicle. A handheld radio for the hand. Using a handheld radio in a vehicle will not work very well with limited range and the metal of the cabin blocking the signal. Just an exercise in frustration . Radios are cheap enough to get a mobile for a decent price.
I use a Baofeng handheld GMRS radio. They are waterproof and compatible with the Midland radios that most of the people in my group use. At the time, most of the Midland radios required their own charging station. The Baofeng uses USB C charging cable which is a very useful feature for me.
The downside of the handheld radios is that their transmit and receive range is much lower than a radio with an external antenna. Most of the time it is not a big deal since my group normally rides in a tight formation. On our last trip, we got spaced out a couple of times and I had trouble receiving some of the radio calls. Because of this, I am looking at some vehicle mounted radios with an external antenna and will keep the handheld for when I have to dismount and spot.
The downside of the handheld radios is that their transmit and receive range is much lower than a radio with an external antenna. Most of the time it is not a big deal since my group normally rides in a tight formation. On our last trip, we got spaced out a couple of times and I had trouble receiving some of the radio calls. Because of this, I am looking at some vehicle mounted radios with an external antenna and will keep the handheld for when I have to dismount and spot.
Influencer II
I've been getting out just fine with a Boafeng handheld coupled with a 12v plug adapter, handheld mic and Diamond SG7500NMO on magnetic mount. The antenna makes a huge difference.
I am considering doing something similar as an option instead of a mounted radio. I need to see if I can add a handheld mic and external antenna to my model of Boafeng radio.
HighVoltOverland
Rank IX
Builder III
One “gotcha” some models of the baofeng are notorious for getting a really bad transmission pop when using an external mic
Traveler III
Why not both?
I assume you're in the US, in which case my unreserved recommendation is to go with GMRS. Get a mobile installed in your vehicle and then get maybe one or two handhelds to take with you.
US GMRS is a fantastic radio service with amazing capability that will be more than adequate for 98% of people's needs.
Traveler III
I still use CB radio, as do my buddies. We are in the People's Republik of Canukistan, though. If we had an outstanding radio service like US GMRS, I would use that.
We do have GMRS:
RSS-210 — Licence-Exempt Radio Apparatus: Category I Equipment
This Radio Standards Specification (RSS) sets out the certification requirements for several types of licence-exempt radio apparatus.Radio apparatus covered by this standard are primarily low-power and are mainly used for consumer or commercial purposes.
Annex E explains it, or do you mean something else?
Shawn
Traveler III
Canada's version of GMRS is extremely shitty. Although the band plan is the same, we are limited to 2 watts and fixed antennas only, meaning the antenna must be integral to the unit. The US, on the other hand, allows up to 50 watts with a separate antenna, and they even have 6 repeater channels. It's a night and day difference.We do have GMRS:
RSS-210 — Licence-Exempt Radio Apparatus: Category I Equipment
This Radio Standards Specification (RSS) sets out the certification requirements for several types of licence-exempt radio apparatus.Radio apparatus covered by this standard are primarily low-power and are mainly used for consumer or commercial purposes.ised-isde.canada.ca
Annex E explains it, or do you mean something else?
Shawn
Traveler III
My wording could have been clearer, for sure, my bad.
I actually wrote to Industry Canada to urge them to harmonize our GMRS rules with the USA, which makes perfect sense since the channels and frequencies are already exactly the same apart from the repeaters. Sadly they just gave me some BS canned answer about interference, which is complete nonsense since the bands are already identical.
If we have another election and the cons get in, I think I will find out what minister is in charge of their portfolio and try putting forward a case to him or her with a CC to my MP. Better chance of success.
The group I normally travel with prefers GRMS because of its ease of use and low cost of entry for the average person. My first radio was a Baofeng GM-15 Pro handheld. It works well, is easy to use, inexpensive and is compatible with the Midland radios that the other people in my group use. I upgraded to the BTECH GRMS Pro handheld because it supports bluetooth so I can pair it with the headset in my motorcycle helmet.
We run tight spacing on our convoys, so the handhelds work well between vehicles. On some trips when we had 10-12 trucks, the spacing would get far enough apart on technical sections that you could have trouble making radios calls from the first truck to the last truck. I recently added a ghost antenna and handheld mic to my BTECH radio and this improved the range and reception immensely. And now I am considering a mobile radio such as the BTECH GRMS-20V2 20W radio or GRMS-50V2 50W and still carry a handheld for outside the vehicle.
So, GRMS vs. HAM, that will depend on the group that you are traveling with. GRMS appears to be the most popular and it is the easiest to get into. Handheld vs. Mobile, I would recommend starting with an inexpensive handheld and see how things progress from there. The handheld might meet your needs for camping or you could find yourself buying every new radio that comes out and writing scathing reviews because the 50W radio only produces 45.7W.
We run tight spacing on our convoys, so the handhelds work well between vehicles. On some trips when we had 10-12 trucks, the spacing would get far enough apart on technical sections that you could have trouble making radios calls from the first truck to the last truck. I recently added a ghost antenna and handheld mic to my BTECH radio and this improved the range and reception immensely. And now I am considering a mobile radio such as the BTECH GRMS-20V2 20W radio or GRMS-50V2 50W and still carry a handheld for outside the vehicle.
So, GRMS vs. HAM, that will depend on the group that you are traveling with. GRMS appears to be the most popular and it is the easiest to get into. Handheld vs. Mobile, I would recommend starting with an inexpensive handheld and see how things progress from there. The handheld might meet your needs for camping or you could find yourself buying every new radio that comes out and writing scathing reviews because the 50W radio only produces 45.7W.
Member II
Member III
this is true...as an ex submarine radioman, you can never have enough antennas...or enough watts of power!
oddly enough, i dont have a HAM set or anything like that now. when in the boonies...all i take is a handheld GRMS with a remote speaker mic and a 12v battery adapter to save battery when in the vehicle. cheap, easy and very portable
