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Hunting Radios

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adterra

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37
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North Texas
Hello everybody,

What are the best type of radios to use with my buds when hunting in heavy brush / hills and valleys?
I am looking to cover about a mile at best.

The more I read here the more I am getting confused over the choice, not that there is one single great choice for my application.

CB?
FRS / GMRS?
MURS?
UHF?
VHF?

Budget, ...around $75.00 per radio.

???
 

methusaleh

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Feb 18, 2009
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New England
Unless it is part of a business, like a stocked, fenced, private ranch, I believe it is illegal in most parts of the US to use a radio to assist with hunting. At least it has been in all of the jurisdictions that I have worked in.
 

adterra

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North Texas
Unless it is part of a business, like a stocked, fenced, private ranch, I believe it is illegal in most parts of the US to use a radio to assist with hunting. At least it has been in all of the jurisdictions that I have worked in.

I would be very interested in learning more about this, ...source?
 

hoser147

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Grand Lake St. Marys Ohio
Used to be illegal here, not anymore. Still restrictions on what type of hunting you can use them for and how you can use them. Motorola talkabouts work pretty good.
 

adterra

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We use the radios to notify other hunters on the lease when we are leaving our designated areas or to verify shots heard as to if they are from one of our guys or somebody on an adjacent lease.

I posted a reply to Methuselah, ...wonder why it is not showing up.
 

adterra

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North Texas
I did, ... but didn't remember until the pop-up appeared after my third post.
Thanks for the reply.

Thoughts on my radio choice in thick / hilly terrain?
 

kb2vxa

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"Thoughts on my radio choice in thick / hilly terrain?"

First narrow it down to legally unlicensed services and applications, otherwise there are issues. Brush shouldn't be much of a problem and there are several choices when it comes to covering a mile or less BUT regardless of the band you're using portable to portable the guy on the far side of the hill always loses out.

OK guys, take it from there. Dammit Jim, I'm a ham, not a hunter! (;->)
 

UPMan

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If the terrain is hilly, you'll need to use a service that incorporates radio towers, like cell phone. Handheld radios are all going to be limited to line-of-sight (i.e. if there is a hill in the way, you won't be communicating with any reliability on CB, GMRS, FRS, MURS, HAM, etc).
 

adterra

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Nov 24, 2009
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Location
North Texas
"Thoughts on my radio choice in thick / hilly terrain?"

First narrow it down to legally unlicensed services and applications, otherwise there are issues. Brush shouldn't be much of a problem and there are several choices when it comes to covering a mile or less BUT regardless of the band you're using portable to portable the guy on the far side of the hill always loses out.

OK guys, take it from there. Dammit Jim, I'm a ham, not a hunter! (;->)
We would be willing to license for the right equipment if it were mobile / handheld friendly and would fit the bill.
 

adterra

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Nov 24, 2009
Messages
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Location
North Texas
If the terrain is hilly, you'll need to use a service that incorporates radio towers, like cell phone. Handheld radios are all going to be limited to line-of-sight (i.e. if there is a hill in the way, you won't be communicating with any reliability on CB, GMRS, FRS, MURS, HAM, etc).
Of those you listed, ...which is really the best choice.

Although, ...
We could antenna a high point on the property with a solar / gell cell power supply to fuel the equipment.

Sounds expensive!
Any leads on a used / reliable / affordable solution?
Oh yeah, btw, we don't have cellular service in the area and no plans on any coming in any time soon.
 

baybum

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Howard County
Good God! 14 posts and nobody answered this mans' simple question.
If you only need a mile, outdoors, the latest FRS radios should work fine.

This is not a guess, or a theory...I've done it.
 

adterra

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Nov 24, 2009
Messages
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Location
North Texas
Good God! 14 posts and nobody answered this mans' simple question.
If you only need a mile, outdoors, the latest FRS radios should work fine.

This is not a guess, or a theory...I've done it.
Thanks for weighin in baybum!

I must have read over 100 pages of discussion about this topic and it seems that there is not one hard and fast rule on choice. As a house painter, my budget is really limited so I can't afford to get it wrong if I venture out past the readily available bubblepacks.

IF there were a REAL solution and it were SEMI-AFFORDABLE we would seriously consider it.

Thanks for goin out on the limb with your opinion!
(*_^)
 

KB0VWG

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Lyford, Texas
Frs maybe

Frs will get about 2 miles if its an open terrain but sometines it depends, Cb would work too if you use mobiles that would carry a few miles up to like 10 miles possibly. you could do gmrs radios and pay for a license that runs 75 to 80 I think for 5 years. But are your hunting friends relatives or just friends. If they are relatives then 1 license will cover everyone in the family but if they are not related then each person will need to get a license. I would try frs first to see how it works that would be the least expensive route and if not try something else. Or get your ham license. Hope this helps.
73s
Michael
kb0vwg
 

2beers4me

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Mar 8, 2009
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Illinois
I would stay away from CB. There can be DX stations, and a general noise floor when the band is open that will make communications a struggle.
 

JayMojave

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Dec 13, 2007
Messages
722
Location
Mojave Ca
Hello Adterra:

Been Quail and Deer Hunting several times and we first used CB Hand Held Radios, but they didn't have a low power setting restricting the output power to save the batteries.

So then we tried the FRS cheapy hand held radios, they didn't have the range or options we wanted.

Then we tried modified, 2 meter ham hand held radios on the MURs channels, 151.820 MHz, 151.880 MHz, 151.940 MHz, 154.570 MHz, and 154.600 MHz. These channels worked great as we were able to use low power and carried an extra battery. We also used the small light weight head set and had a VOX capability that allowed us to just talk and the others could hear us.

Then realized we were all Hams and then moved to 146.52 MHz for simplex use. We even talked to a guy down in a valley several miles away on low power. Kind of neat while hunting.

Next trip we came up with a base station antenna, and a low power radio. And it all worked really good.

We brought 12 volt Cigarette Lighter Batter Chargers, so we could start the day off with fresh batteries.

The 75 dollar a radio budget, well good luck to yeah.

Jay in the Mojave


Hello everybody,

What are the best type of radios to use with my buds when hunting in heavy brush / hills and valleys?
I am looking to cover about a mile at best.

The more I read here the more I am getting confused over the choice, not that there is one single great choice for my application.

CB?
FRS / GMRS?
MURS?
UHF?
VHF?

Budget, ...around $75.00 per radio.

???
 

kb2vxa

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"Then we tried modified, 2 meter ham hand held radios on the MURs channels..."
You should know about FCC certification, shame on you!

"Then realized we were all Hams and then moved to 146.52 MHz for simplex use."
I'm glad you came to your senses with the possible exception of crapping up the calling channel (;->) which brings me back to licensing issues. All well and good for hams, each being licensed but consider what you'd have to go through otherwise.

It becomes difficult if you're just a bunch of guys tromping through the woods, each must have a license appropriate to the service. On the other hand a hunt club could apply and members covered under a single license such as in the business and industrial pool or other as appropriate. That's why I suggested a license free service, to avoid all the hassles. In any case a little more homework is in order, we can only suggest various radios for the conditions, licensing issues just may be a bit beyond the scope of this discussion.

One thing though, I must disagree with the FRS suggestion as my tests indicated they get spotty and fairly useless beyond 1000 feet or so and a mile is 5280.

"Next trip we came up with a base station antenna, and a low power radio. And it all worked really good."
Oh now don't tell me, you set up a cross band repeater on a hilltop? Wadio siwence fewas, I'm hunting wabbit. (;->)
 
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