Disaster Preparedness - GMRS

[ReelFaster]

Noob here and first time posting so please go easy on me. Very limited knowledge and experience with radios, however I own a cheap Midland GXT GMRS radio to communicate with family in the area should there be some type of emergency.

We do regular check ins every few months to make sure everything is working order. We are only 1.8 miles away from each other and my question is would upgrading the radio to something that a has a bit more wattage improve the clarity? I get conflicting information but appears this radio model is 2.8 watts on high power.

We are in typical suburbia with trees and one story business buildings in the line of sight. Just looking to improve the quality of the transmission.

Thanks in advance for your time and help!

 

[pb_lonny]

Higher aerial / higher gain would help more than more power.

 

[prcguy]

Higher aerial / higher gain would help more than more power.

Yes, upgrading your antenna usually gives the best improvement for the lowest $$. A modest base antenna or a mag mount for the car will increase range more than doubling your power.

 

[mmckenna]

Thanks in advance for your time and help!

Remember, it's TWO way radio. Increasing transmitter power output only improves in one direction. You need to improve your reception also.

As suggested above:
Get your GMRS license.
Get a proper GMRS radio that allows the connection of an external antenna. Put a decent GMRS antenna on your home.
Get a proper GMRS radio and install it in your vehicle with a good external antenna.

The improvement in performance will likely blow your socks off. It's all about the antenna. This ain't CB….

 

[ecps92]

Noob here and first time posting so please go easy on me. Very limited knowledge and experience with radios, however I own a cheap Midland GXT GMRS radio to communicate with family in the area should there be some type of emergency.

We do regular check ins every few months to make sure everything is working order. We are only 1.8 miles away from each other and my question is would upgrading the radio to something that a has a bit more wattage improve the clarity? I get conflicting information but appears this radio model is 2.8 watts on high power.

We are in typical suburbia with trees and one story business buildings in the line of sight. Just looking to improve the quality of the transmission.

Thanks in advance for your time and help!

If really planning for the Big One, I would not plan on a Base Station (You would need Power)
Portables provide a movable asset vs the fixed base (Disassemble, reassemble if you bug out)

You might want to look into (if the radio has a removable antenna) putting up an outside Antenna and connecting it to the portable
for the extended range, that would be simple/cheap/reliable for 1-5 mi on the GMRS channels - if licensed

 

[ReelFaster]

Outstanding information everyone cannot thank you enough for time and advice!

This little radio is a fixed antenna unfortunately but being radios are fairly affordable might be time to upgrade so I can add a better antenna. I like the mobile route.....just in case! Thanks again!

 

[mmckenna]

Outstanding information everyone cannot thank you enough for time and advice!

This little radio is a fixed antenna unfortunately but being radios are fairly affordable might be time to upgrade so I can add a better antenna. I like the mobile route.....just in case! Thanks again!

If your existing radio does not have a removable antenna, it's possibly an FRS radio. FRS and GMRS share the same frequencies, but there's some technical differences. A purpose built GMRS radio with a good external antenna will really be worth the effort.

Don't forget, GMRS requires an FCC issued license. the nice thing about that is that it's $35 for 10 years, and covers your entire family. You can apply online.

 

[ReelFaster]

If your existing radio does not have a removable antenna, it's possibly an FRS radio. FRS and GMRS share the same frequencies, but there's some technical differences. A purpose built GMRS radio with a good external antenna will really be worth the effort.

Don't forget, GMRS requires an FCC issued license. the nice thing about that is that it's $35 for 10 years, and covers your entire family. You can apply online.

Thank you! It advertises "Works with all FRS & GMRS Two-Way Radios".

https://a.co/d/2JVpht7

Again I don't know much about the radio community but I understand some Baofeng GMRS radios are pretty solid for the money.

I realize GMRS requires an FCC issues license and I don't mean to offend or be controversial but in a SHTF situation I am not going to worried about having a license to push a button. I do not use or talk on the radio, only for a very brief comms check, I respect the community.

Please nobody take any offense to that and again I say that with all due respect to the radio community. FCC controlling the airways of a so called free country just irritates me regardless of how inexpensive it is. Again I say that with all due respect and hope I did not alienate myself.

 

[mmckenna]

Thank you! It advertises "Works with all FRS & GMRS Two-Way Radios".

https://a.co/d/2JVpht7

OK, those are GMRS radios, but the lack of removable antenna is going to prevent connecting them to an external antenna.

Again I don't know much about the radio community but I understand some Baofeng GMRS radios are pretty solid for the money.

No, they aren't. Baofeng is the stuff you find under the scum left on the bottom of the barrel after it has been emptied. They are what we refer to as "CCR's", Cheap Chinese Radios. Many of them are not legal to use in this country other than on the amateur radio bands.

Since you have Midland portables, Midland makes some GMRS mobiles that will do the trick and have a much easier learning curve since you already own their portables. Learning curve is important.

I realize GMRS requires an FCC issues license and I don't mean to offend or be controversial but in a SHTF situation I am not going to worried about having a license to push a button. I do not use or talk on the radio, only for a very brief comms check, I respect the community.

SHTF or not, the rules are there. The real folks in the GMRS community won't take kindly, especially if you want to use their repeaters. $35 for 10 years works out to less than 1¢ per day.
And once you have decent radios, you'll find all kinds of good uses for them beyond the imaginary SHTF scenarios.

Please nobody take any offense to that and again I say that with all due respect to the radio community. FCC controlling the airways of a so called free country just irritates me regardless of how inexpensive it is. Again I say that with all due respect and hope I did not alienate myself.

Sounds like you belong over on CB. That's the place for this sort of attitude. The GMRS community in most places protect the resource pretty well.

 

[hill]

realize GMRS requires an FCC issues license and I don't mean to offend or be controversial but in a SHTF situation I am not going to worried about having a license to push a button. I do not use or talk on the radio, only for a very brief comms check, I respect the community.

I have to agree with Mckenna.

I have been a ham, since 2008 and only got a GMRS license in the last days of December 2023.

The users of my local GMRS repeater are very professional on the radio and all users transmit their callsigns and they would quick to call out someone without license/callsign.

This repeater covers an very large geographic area and most likely works better than 99% of the ham repeaters. Whoever owns and set it up did a great job.

Many of users are also hams and many have a lot of communication experience.

 

[MTS2000des]

Those who paid dearly to put up and maintain infrastructure don't take kindly to scofflaws and pirates. Any bum can buy garbage pail radios. What makes them work well over wide areas are multi-thousand dollar repeater systems implemented by those who actually know what they are doing, have access to costly test gear, the skill set to use it, and unless they live on a mountain, they are renting site on a tower or rooftop and paying dearly for it.

The same way AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile don't give away service, repeater owners are under zero obligation to share their systems with anyone, especially unlicensed pirates with attitudes. Better to go buy some Rapid Radios...because according to them they work when cell system don't....