35 miles

[W2NJS]

Mencken's full quote:

"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."

To which I would add the one from P. T. Barnum:

"There's a sucker born every minute."

 

[KB7MIB]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; U; en-US) Gecko/20081217 Vision-Browser/8.1 301x200 LG VN530)

I see in the latest fingerhut.com catalog, a pair of Midland 2-way radios with the following features:
36 mile range
42 channels
142 privacy codes
NOAA weather alert
Now what I want to know is, how do they get 42 channels? FRS + GMRS = 22.

 

[KB7MIB]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; U; en-US) Gecko/20081217 Vision-Browser/8.1 301x200 LG VN530)

Even if they counted the 7 NOAA channels, that's still only 29 channels. The "privacy codes" are seperately listed, so they're not counting those. What did they add to the 22 FRS/GMRS channels to get 42?

 

[nd5y]

Midland has some on their web site that claim 50 channels.
Midland Radio - Midland Radio | Communication Solutions For Your World
The owners manual says:
You must be licensed prior to operating on channels 1 - 7 or 15 - 42, which comprise the GMRS channels of the GXT1000/1050 Series.

It has a table of operating frequencies that doesn't even show the frequencies for channels 23 - 50 or 23 - 42 for the 42 channel one.

The extra channels are probably just the regular ones with non-programmable tones. On another page it says:
The Privacy Code can only be set in channels 1~22.

 

[KB7MIB]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; U; en-US) Gecko/20081217 Vision-Browser/8.1 301x200 LG VN530)

Ah, ok. Pre-assigned channels and privacy codes to give their ads more punch over the competition. *Sigh*...

 

[estefan2020]

We're saved, now the frs/gmrs claim is 35 miles. Maybe the pro models but this? Yeah right, I'm lucky to get 2 miles out of them.
Midland 36 Mile Camo Hunters GMRS Two Way Radio with Maximum Power - Dick's Sporting Goods
Today's ad.

the murs radios operate around 151 mhz VHF, these radios will go further than the frs/gmrs radios at 467mhz. though the gmrs will work in buildings better than the murs radios.

 

[rescue161]

Probably DCS codes, so they can really be private...

 

[estefan2020]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; U; en-US) Gecko/20081217 Vision-Browser/8.1 301x200 LG VN530)

I see in the latest fingerhut.com catalog, a pair of Midland 2-way radios with the following features:
36 mile range
42 channels
142 privacy codes
NOAA weather alert
Now what I want to know is, how do they get 42 channels? FRS + GMRS = 22.

THE extra socalled channels are the regular 22 + a pl that is already assigned.

 

[W2NJS]

Probably DCS codes, so they can really be private...

Sorry, but your assumption is wrong. DCS or CTCSS (a/k/a PL) don't give you any privacy whatsoever. All they do is keep you from hearing others on the same channel. DCS and CTCSS represent two methods of doing the same thing.

 

[gewecke]

Sorry, but your assumption is wrong. DCS or CTCSS (a/k/a PL) don't give you any privacy whatsoever. All they do is keep you from hearing others on the same channel. DCS and CTCSS represent two methods of doing the same thing.

I think he (rescue 161) was being sarcastic there, not serious! :lol:

73,
n9zas

 

[rescue161]

Sorry, but your assumption is wrong. DCS or CTCSS (a/k/a PL) don't give you any privacy whatsoever. All they do is keep you from hearing others on the same channel. DCS and CTCSS represent two methods of doing the same thing.

Gewecke is correct! Your assumption that I was being serious was wrong. I know exactly what DCS and CTCSS is. My point was to poke fun at the people who do not know that these so-called "privacy" tones are anything but private.

 

[W2NJS]

I misread the 'tone" of your comment, obviously. Sorry about that. Someone who believes all that crap about "privacy" codes might be misled, however, and not get the subtlety of your post.

 

[bwhite]

What!
So nobody is getting 50 miles, let alone 30 some?
My world will just never be the same. I'm going to have to double my meds. Smile.
Actually, I don't think I've ever heard of anyone getting 5 miles out of these. I did get 3 miles once. On another test, 4th floor balcony to another person on the beach I inexplicably only got 0.8 miles; this shoulda been more like 2 miles. Sup with that?

 

[gewecke]

What!
So nobody is getting 50 miles, let alone 30 some?
My world will just never be the same. I'm going to have to double my meds. Smile.
Actually, I don't think I've ever heard of anyone getting 5 miles out of these. I did get 3 miles once. On another test, 4th floor balcony to another person on the beach I inexplicably only got 0.8 miles; this shoulda been more like 2 miles. Sup with that?

IF someone was to RE- engineer these toys a bit, say a tuned half wave helical antenna instead of a little black booger-picker for the antenna and a different final allowing a full 5 watt output...but then we'd have to figure out how to shoe horn a higher capacity battery in it? Oh, but wait! It's already been done!
Hence; the milspec commercial quality moto or kenwood! :wink:

73,
n9zas