what would be a good frequency that me and my friends can use to talk that covers a good range of area even with a short antenna
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talk to people
- Thread starter Firemandakota87
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Need more specifics... Base to base? Mobile to mobile? Handheld? Distance needed? Environment (urban/suburban/rural)? Budget? Casual vs Professional?
Do you hold any FCC licenses? That makes a big difference as to what frequencies you can legally use.
We are using the anytone mobile radios and have a short antenna that covers the range of 136-174 and 400 to 470 mhz
What is a fcc license
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
What they are very nicely trying to tell you is that there are no LEGAL frequencies you can use those radios on without an FCC issued license.
The technician class amateur radio license is fairly easy to get, and it'll give you legal access to 144-148MHz as well as 420-450MHz frequences. There are usually repeaters you can access in those bands that will greatly extend your coverage.
Hams are a picky lot, so don't try and use those frequencies without a license.
How do you get the test
Working taking care of my family trying sell pagers for my boss doing everything a man should be doing for his family and his boss
For Amateur radio (Ham), check out the Amateur Radio Relay League website or specifically arrl.org/find-a-club to learn more and find a club near you. They have a tremendous amount of information.
Read more before you buy so you do not get something you can't legally use.
Read more before you buy so you do not get something you can't legally use.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Good answer.
ARRL, as DS said above, can be a good resource. Clubs can sometimes be useful.
There are several online courses that will teach you the basics.
The technician test is pretty simple and with some studying, you can easily ace it. There are sample online tests you can take that draw from the same question pool, so you get the right experience from it.
Do keep in mind that an amateur radio license is for an individual. Any friends/family that want to use the radio need to also get their amateur radio license.
UHF FRS first 7 channels, under 2 watt does not require a license. Don't expect a lot of range, maybe a mile line of sight.
FRS is shared with GMRS above channel 7 to 22 and still no license "IF" the radio does not have repeater input frequencies, AND 2 watts or less EIRP, AND a fixed antenna.
Here on RR is a channel list, note in 2021, the FCC revised the FRS under part 95.
Beyond these limits, you must have a GMRS license. That is covered here also.
Me, I have a pair of Kenwood TK-3103s my brother and I use most tooling around Walmart, Rarely above channel 3.
VHF is MURS, and that requires a license.
As mentioned, the technician class amateur license is easy to get with a simple test. That can give you legal operation to a good span of frequecies 144-148 Mhz without the antenna restrictions, 6 other bands and power from 5 to typically 200 watts.
FRS is shared with GMRS above channel 7 to 22 and still no license "IF" the radio does not have repeater input frequencies, AND 2 watts or less EIRP, AND a fixed antenna.
Here on RR is a channel list, note in 2021, the FCC revised the FRS under part 95.
Beyond these limits, you must have a GMRS license. That is covered here also.
Me, I have a pair of Kenwood TK-3103s my brother and I use most tooling around Walmart, Rarely above channel 3.
VHF is MURS, and that requires a license.
As mentioned, the technician class amateur license is easy to get with a simple test. That can give you legal operation to a good span of frequecies 144-148 Mhz without the antenna restrictions, 6 other bands and power from 5 to typically 200 watts.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
The OP has a mobile radio, so FRS is out. Also, without knowing which model it is, it may or may not have the appropriate type acceptance.
MURS doesn't require a license, but has tighter requirements for type acceptance, bandwidth, power limitations, etc.
DVINTHEHOUSEMAN
Up North
MURS would probably be your best bet for unlicensed operation if your radios do narrowband and stay at or under 2 watts. You can also pay the FCC $70 (or $35? IDK if the drop happened yet) and get a GMRS license to LEGALLY operate on GMRS frequencies.
Or, you can get your HAM radio license by taking a test at a HAM club somewhere by you. If you're like me and your nearest test site within the next six months is 150 miles away, there's not much you can do HAM-wise unless you want to spend the time it takes to drive there and back, plus the time it takes to do the test, plus the gas money and VE fees required for it, if any.
You can also do an online test, but that's a bunch of red tape as everything has to be *exactly* perfect and is prone to technical difficulties. Oh, and if you have less than perfect internet, you can throw that idea out the window.
Honestly, if I were you, I'd just do GMRS.
Or, you can get your HAM radio license by taking a test at a HAM club somewhere by you. If you're like me and your nearest test site within the next six months is 150 miles away, there's not much you can do HAM-wise unless you want to spend the time it takes to drive there and back, plus the time it takes to do the test, plus the gas money and VE fees required for it, if any.
You can also do an online test, but that's a bunch of red tape as everything has to be *exactly* perfect and is prone to technical difficulties. Oh, and if you have less than perfect internet, you can throw that idea out the window.
Honestly, if I were you, I'd just do GMRS.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
The radio wouldn't qualify under Part 95 for MURS.
And unless it has the correct type certification for GMRS, that would technically be out also, if one wanted to follow FCC rules, that is.
And we know not everyone does.
GMRS license is $35.00 as is Ham Radio License now.
KD8DVR
Member
GMRS requires a license from the FCC.
As does Amateur Radio.
If you can't find any ham radio clubs in your area using the link provided by DS506 you can check out the link below to get you started with ham radio
ARRL | Licensing, Education & Training | Getting on the Air
Find the information you need to get your ham radio license, get on the air, and get more involved in amateur radio operating, all from ARRL.
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