Best channels for walkie talkies?
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CrabbyMilton
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What sort of radio's are you talking about?
FRS radios seem to be the most common type and all of the frequencies have equal range which is up to a mile give or take.
FRS radios seem to be the most common type and all of the frequencies have equal range which is up to a mile give or take.
ecps92
Member
CB?
FRS?
GMRS?
Amateur ?
Marine ?
MURS ?
Commerical [Part 90?]
A Location helps, major events will contains congestion of frequencies, give a little more detail for a better educated response
FRS?
GMRS?
Amateur ?
Marine ?
MURS ?
Commerical [Part 90?]
A Location helps, major events will contains congestion of frequencies, give a little more detail for a better educated response
Whats the difference between FRS and GMRS? I have a cobra cx112 and its says it's both.
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The biggest difference between FRS and GMRS is the power and licensing. GMRS requires a license to use. That will be channels 1-7 and 15-22 in your radio (this is in the manual that comes with them). GMRS can operate on a higher power level and can also have repeaters. For just general license free chatting Murs is a better choice than FRS as it allows more power. Have I ever heard of someone with bubble pack radios getting charged for transmitting without a license on GMRS.... No I haven't, but I suppose it could be a thing. Then there's always CB if you're wanting to go that route.
Note as of September 28, 2017 you no longer need a GMRS license to use "bubble pack" combo FRS/GMRS hand helds on the 15 GMRS frequencies in these radios as long as the transmit power is under 2 Watts. The 7 FRS channels are still limited to 1/2 Watt.
https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/FRS/GMRS_combined_channel_chart
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Completely forgot about that. Need to brush up on my rules before I go spouting off to people hahaha
Also note that the Cobra CX112 (as well as the CXT145, CX116A, CX131A, CXT145C and CXT195) transmit at under 1/3 Watt on all 22 channels (FRS and GMRS). It is really only good for very short range (maybe 1/4 mile) communications.
Some additional information about communications distance vs radio service type under different conditions. In particular the last chart shows approximate range for two hand held radios. Antenna height and terrain play a huge part in range, much more than Transmit power. YMMV
https://radiofreeq.wordpress.com/20...munications-ham-vs-cb-vs-frs-vs-gmrs-vs-murs/
https://radiofreeq.wordpress.com/20...munications-ham-vs-cb-vs-frs-vs-gmrs-vs-murs/
How do I know what channels are better for my usage. FRS vs GMRS?
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For your Cobra CX112 radios, it doesn't matter which channel you use (FRS or GMRS). They all transmit at the same power (1/3 Watt) on that model For higher end bubble pack FRS/GMRS hand held radios with more transmit power (1-1/2 to 2 Watts), use the GMRS channels(1-7 and 15-22) as they use the higher power. FRS channels (8-14) are always limited to under 1/2 Watt.
As I mentioned above, antenna height (elevation) and what obstructions are between the two radios have a much bigger impact on how far you can communicate than transmit power. The range charts in the above link are only approximations of how far you can talk. Here is more information on why "range" is a complex question.
https://www.intercomsonline.com/2-Way-Radio-Range-How-Far-Can-Two-Way-Radios-Communicate-s/136.htm
mmckenna
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With that radio, there wouldn't be any difference since all channels run at the same power, about 0.3 watts. Pick a channel that is clear and use it.
The 5MHz difference between the 462.xxxMHz channels and the 467.xxxMHz channels will not have any impact on performance.
Some FRS/GMRS radios do run more power on the GMRS channels. You'd have to look at individual models to determine if they do or not.
Maybe if you give us an idea of what you are looking for, we could steer you in the right direction. If your current radios are not working in your application, there may be alternatives. Simply throwing more RF power will not necessarily solve all coverage issues.
Typically there is no 'better channel'. I guess if you wanted to split hairs, the antenna might be tuned better near one of the middle channels within the range.
What makes a channel/frequency better, would be the one with little or now radio traffic on it.
What's the deal with channel 7? My cobra cx112 uses the mini headphones and I need a Male mini to a female 3.5 jack.7
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If you want more "range" get yourself a VHF radio, not a UHF radio.
I am specifically talking about MURS (Multi-Use Radio Service). Get yourself a pair of 5 watt MURS radios and program in one of the MURS frequencies on both units.
I am specifically talking about MURS (Multi-Use Radio Service). Get yourself a pair of 5 watt MURS radios and program in one of the MURS frequencies on both units.
prcguy
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scanmanmi
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CB SSB 100W now that's interesting!
Why does it list MURS 2 watts further that GMRS 5 watts?
nd5y
Member
I some cases 2 W on VHF can perform better than 5 W on UHF but it depends on several things. The range chart and almost everything else on that web site is BS.
More examples of range for 2W MURS and 5W GMRS handhelds. These are very general ranges under several different conditions. There are a lot of variables that ultimately determine range. YMMV
MURS Distance - Miklor
GMRS Distance - Miklor
MURS Distance - Miklor
GMRS Distance - Miklor
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