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Where to get walkie-talkie advice? If here, then what to get for long-distance use?

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MrNooby

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Hi people,

I'm so new, not only to this board but also the radio world as such, so please bear with me if I'm doing things wrong. I've got a couple of questions:

1) What is the best place to get advice regarding walkie-talkies? I'm thinking here (seeing as walkies are radios) but don't see any specific categories for walkies though.

2) IF this is the right place, what would then be the best way to reach across 31 miles (50 km) and can it be done? We're talking busy city to outdoor country-side. I've realized it's a question of external antennas, so what about a Midland G18 combined with a portable antenna in the city end and a stationary antenna in the country-side end?

With kind regards, Sean
 

empire550

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Talking portable to portable will have issues talking that far. The city to countryside also makes the question on frequency harder. Lower frequencies will travel farther but doesn't penetrated buildings well. Most people covering that much space uses repeaters. If you don't have a licence i would recommend MURS radios or handheld CBs.
 

JasonTracy

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Sean,

You mention the Midland G18, which is a PMR radio from what I can see. I would assume you're in the UK/EU?

Knowing where you're talking about operating is going to be needed as a first step.

However, I can tell you that without a repeater, 31 miles where one end is in a city is going to be tough to do unless you're on top of a tall building, outdoors.
 

jaspence

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HT for distance

Even the so called high power (over 5 watt) units are not capable of reliable coms over the distance you want under normal conditions. Putting up a repeater is very expensive, but there are services that provide repeater access for a fee that would be your least expensive option.
 

MrNooby

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Talking portable to portable will have issues talking that far. The city to countryside also makes the question on frequency harder. Lower frequencies will travel farther but doesn't penetrated buildings well. Most people covering that much space uses repeaters. If you don't have a licence i would recommend MURS radios or handheld CBs.

Hmm... Could you perhaps come with an example of a given CB product which could solve the need?
 

MrNooby

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Sean,

You mention the Midland G18, which is a PMR radio from what I can see. I would assume you're in the UK/EU?

Knowing where you're talking about operating is going to be needed as a first step.

However, I can tell you that without a repeater, 31 miles where one end is in a city is going to be tough to do unless you're on top of a tall building, outdoors.

But possible with a receiver?
 

MrNooby

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Sean,

You mention the Midland G18, which is a PMR radio from what I can see. I would assume you're in the UK/EU?

Knowing where you're talking about operating is going to be needed as a first step.

However, I can tell you that without a repeater, 31 miles where one end is in a city is going to be tough to do unless you're on top of a tall building, outdoors.

And yes! Eu :)
 

K7MH

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Handhelds are very minimal for communications. Usually low power, 5 watts or less, and very minimal antennas.
The better the antennas and the higher up from the ground they are the better reception will be.

You're just not going to get 30 miles distance with handheld to handheld on any band under more common circumstances. It is going to be line of sight at best for distance.
Best shot is a 5 watt CB single sideband handheld with a full length telescoping antenna of about 60 inches if anyone even makes one.
Handhelds work for police and fire dept. because they have very extensive systems designed to support them over a large area. Basically they use different types of repeater systems.

In ham radio we have repeater systems that we can use that hams have set up. They can cover a very large area but I may not hear a repeater that is 30 miles away with a handheld, it just depends on the location of the repeater. Some are on mountaintops or other extraordinary high locations. If a repeater is between you and the other guy it would probably work okay for the 30 miles. It all depends on several variables.

On the 2 meter ham band, while mobile in Montana where it was very flat for many miles, I kept in contact with another ham for just about 20 miles distance between us with mobile radios at about 25 watts and using decent mobile antennas.
Guaranteed communications (more or less) is what phone services are for.
 
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zz0468

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2)...what would then be the best way to reach across 31 miles (50 km) and can it be done? We're talking busy city to outdoor country-side.

That distance, city to countryside, and the use of low power portable radios are mutually exclusive without the use of a repeater.
 

MrNooby

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Potentially wrong board, but what device would be optimal for 30 miles city-country?

Hi people, I just recently joined this site and after making my first post (https://forums.radioreference.com/b...-if-here-then-what-get-long-distance-use.html) I just now realized, that my specific need perhaps should be articulated differently:

So, what would you guys suggest for me if I want to do say text or voice communication from country side to busy city (30 miles). Would radio (CB, walkie or HAM) be feasible at all or should I consider other devices altogether? (say satellite thingy).

Thanks again, you people are very knowledgeable.
 

zz0468

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So, what would you guys suggest for me if I want to do say text or voice communication from country side to busy city (30 miles). Would radio (CB, walkie or HAM) be feasible at all or should I consider other devices altogether? (say satellite thingy).

Not enough information.

What's driving this need? Is it business, commercial, personal, or hobby?

We know the distance, but what about the terrain? One end is in a city. Where in the city? Will one end be in the middle, or buried behind a bunch of high rise buildings, or is it on the edge of town just incite the city limit?

What of the other end? Buried in trees? Behind a mountain? On top of a mountain?

Text? Can you just use a smart phone for this? Just giving us a distance isn't enough. Different radio services will require different approaches, and that will be dictated by the type of use you intend.
 

K9DAK

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Zello

Smartphone at each end running the Zello app. Text via the smartphone carrier; PTT voice via Zello.

As others have said, not gonna happen with handhelds at 30 miles, especially with the text requirement.


Hi people, I just recently joined this site and after making my first post (https://forums.radioreference.com/b...-if-here-then-what-get-long-distance-use.html) I just now realized, that my specific need perhaps should be articulated differently:

So, what would you guys suggest for me if I want to do say text or voice communication from country side to busy city (30 miles). Would radio (CB, walkie or HAM) be feasible at all or should I consider other devices altogether? (say satellite thingy).

Thanks again, you people are very knowledgeable.
 

jim202

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Long distance communications and portable radios do not go together.

Your looking for a dream if you even can come close to more than a couple of miles between portables out on flat land with no vegetation or trees. Been in this radio field for many years and have people asking the same question. It just isn't going to happen.

Your working against the laws of physics expecting to get any great distance trying to talk between 2 portable radios any great distances. I have used 100 watt mobile radios with roof top gain antennas on the vehicles and still can't get any where close to that kind of distance. Even using a 6 meter radio (53 MHz) on both ends your lucky if you can do more than maybe 10 miles with trees and rolling hills.

Now if your using a repeater to re-broadcast your signal, then you will be able to get extended ranges. The total distances will vary greatly based on a number of reasons. How high the repeater antenna is located above the average terrain. The frequency your using, the transmit power of the radios using the repeater and the location and gain of the antennas of the users that are communication through the repeater. If the repeater is located on top of a high mountain, then your going to be able to get an extended range of communications.

Too many variables to give a precise answer on what to expect from a repeater.
 
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