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Decent (low price) Mobile Digital Radio Suggestions

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Steveradio

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Alright, we are looking at getting rid of the cell phones we have for a private community up here in the poconos since plowing snow this winter and last were difficult getting a hold of the road crews via phone. figure if pitch the mobile in the truck idea may go better.

Other communities we work in have private repeaters and or lease from local radio providers.

We dont need to spend all that money we have about 10 miles of roadway, high to low elevations. Thinking if we put out the money for decent mobiles it will pay for its self on the price of three basic cell phones which they all use personal phones anyways.

We already played around with VHF vs UHF and both from portable to mobile did not cover the community well, VHF better than UHF. looking at mobile to mobile on the new digital series end thinking since it has better coverage indoors it would outside as well. local ski resort is using portables and love it.

Understand would still need to acquire FCC License for operation but only need at least 4 mobiles and maybe base station.
Suggestions welcome..
Thanks
 

RayAir

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Dec 31, 2005
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1,925
Alright, we are looking at getting rid of the cell phones we have for a private community up here in the poconos since plowing snow this winter and last were difficult getting a hold of the road crews via phone. figure if pitch the mobile in the truck idea may go better.

Other communities we work in have private repeaters and or lease from local radio providers.

We dont need to spend all that money we have about 10 miles of roadway, high to low elevations. Thinking if we put out the money for decent mobiles it will pay for its self on the price of three basic cell phones which they all use personal phones anyways.

We already played around with VHF vs UHF and both from portable to mobile did not cover the community well, VHF better than UHF. looking at mobile to mobile on the new digital series end thinking since it has better coverage indoors it would outside as well. local ski resort is using portables and love it.

Understand would still need to acquire FCC License for operation but only need at least 4 mobiles and maybe base station.
Suggestions welcome..
Thanks

Digital isn't going to increase your range although you won't have the static like you would with analog once the signal starts to drop.

Im familiar with DMR. MotoTRBO or Hytera mobiles might work for you. Don't skimp on the antenna installations. For outdoors if you're not in an urban area VHF with 5/8 wave mobile antennas will work good. 40-50W tx power should do it.

None of this is cheap either. Figure on paying $500+ per radio. I would check with a dealer by you and see what they suggest. I wouldn't buy any Chinese radios. Maybe Vertex eVerge is an option. They might be lower cost.

If you leased time on a TRS you would pay about $20/mth per radio. Some dealers offer financing options for the radios also. I don't know if this is even an option for you.

There's a large Connect Plus DMR network near me and several landscaping and snow removal services subscribe to it.
 

buddrousa

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Retired 40 Year Firefighter NW Tenn
I would tell you to go through a PRO RADIO SHOP as you will have to do topo maps for elevation and then look at radio transmit patterns. Even with mobiles 10 miles is not going to be reachable under normal conditions with out the use of a repeater.
 

mmckenna

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Yeah, I agree with the others. Buying a couple of radios and "winging" it is going to lead to disappointment. If you want reliable coverage you are going to need a repeater. Even with a 50 watt VHF radio, you are only going to see a few miles of reliable coverage. Adding a repeater into the mix can easily extend that a whole lot.

I'd strongly recommend talking to a few local radio shops. Tell them what you are looking for and leave it at that. Don't walk in the door with any preconceived ideas about the technology, frequencies, radio manufacturer, etc. Find a company that covers the area that you need. If you are lucky there'll be more than one. Then compare prices. Consider that mobile radios only work as well as their antenna system, so figure on getting the radios professionally installed and setup.
 

Steveradio

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Joined
May 31, 2005
Messages
936
Location
LehighValley/Poconos Pa
Will contact my local shop. have good ties with them and hope to get a demo radios see what happens.

Was curious how VHF digital worked since only really played with UHF digital portables Kenwood NX300 series which were impressive.

Thanks
 

SCPD

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Feb 24, 2001
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0
Location
Virginia
Another option

If it was me, and I've done this before with a church running busses with a few handhelds, reach out to the companies you know have repeaters, and ask them to put a few mobiles on their system under their license..
Buy some used Motorola radios, reach out to a ham club to program them for you, and look into piggy backing on an existing license near you.

Since you're saying VHF, I'll venture there are a few VHF licenses in your area still valid, but not used because they uses cellphones now. Get on one of those, renew it for them when it comes due. That's being done right now on an old towing company license. The towing company went push to talk cellphone years ago, and another organization uses the frequency and renews the license when it comes due, still in the towing company's name.

I'll fully admit everything above may not be quite above the board, and the above suggestions are analog But you were asking how to do it on the cheap, and the above has been done numerous times by myself and others. The example I first give was done for years by a church using a company's UHF repeater with permission to talk to vans picking up kids on Wednesday nights. And as long as you're under a real valid license, the FCC isn't going to come get you. You're just a few more units on the same license. Legal as daybreak.
 
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