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Emergency communication

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KK4SYW

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I was wondering what would be a good radio for my family to use to keep in touch during and after an emergency. I have 2 CB radios, but I don't think that would be good enough for emergency communcication. Would FRS be the answer? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

KK4SYW

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emergency communciation

What would be a good radio for my family to use to keep in touch during and after an emergency. I have 2 Cbs, but I don't think they would be as reliable as I would like. I know Ham radio would probably be the best answer, but I am the only one interested in getting a liscense. Would FRS be the answer. Any help would be great help. Also, I know to opperate GMRS you have to have a liscense. Would each person in my family have to get a liscense? Thanks for any help.
 

N1XDS

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What would be a good radio for my family to use to keep in touch during and after an emergency. I have 2 Cbs, but I don't think they would be as reliable as I would like. I know Ham radio would probably be the best answer, but I am the only one interested in getting a liscense. Would FRS be the answer. Any help would be great help. Also, I know to opperate GMRS you have to have a liscense. Would each person in my family have to get a liscense? Thanks for any help.

Yes, to operate on Amateur Radio or GMRS you have to be licensed by the FCC. For emergencies use or regular talking everyday use I would say go with the Amateur Radio you'll get to talk to people you never spoke to before. Check out the ham radio hobby once you get your ham license check out the following repeaters in Nashville...146.67 which is own and maintained by AF4TZ the repeater site is located over on Sullivan Ridge.
 

KK4SYW

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Yes, to operate on Amateur Radio or GMRS you have to be licensed by the FCC. For emergencies use or regular talking everyday use I would say go with the Amateur Radio you'll get to talk to people you never spoke to before. Check out the ham radio hobby once you get your ham license check out the following repeaters in Nashville...146.67 which is own and maintained by AF4TZ the repeater site is located over on Sullivan Ridge.

Well I was hoping to be able to be able to communciate with my family over a short distance and they are not willing to get a ham license.
 

gewecke

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Well I was hoping to be able to be able to communciate with my family over a short distance and they are not willing to get a ham license.

For your purposes MURS or FRS should work fine.

73,
n9zas
 

gewecke

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I was wondering what would be a good radio for my family to use to keep in touch during and after an emergency. I have 2 CB radios, but I don't think that would be good enough for emergency communcication. Would FRS be the answer? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Deleted.
 
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nautlynch

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Same question but I already bought a couple transceivers from Goodwill that are GMRS 210+3 the brand is Maxon. Is that the same as MURS? I notice the frequencies are in the 462.xxx range.

Do I need a license? Is it legal for Goodwill to sell these?

They won't stay on long as they need new batteries.
 

N1XDS

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Same question but I already bought a couple transceivers from Goodwill that are GMRS 210+3 the brand is Maxon. Is that the same as MURS? I notice the frequencies are in the 462.xxx range.

Do I need a license? Is it legal for Goodwill to sell these?

They won't stay on long as they need new batteries.

Yes you will need a license to operate on GMRS. Yes Goodwill is allowed to sell anything since they are a place of business that sells electronics.
 

mmckenna

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For clarification, and as it was never answered,
A GMRS license IS required, and one license will cover you and your FAMILY.

Retailers don't need any special permission to sell radio equipment, be it GMRS, CB, HAM or Commercial.

Good job finding those at Goodwill. Always nice to find something like that there.

GMRS and MURS are different. GMRS is UHF, MURS is VHF.

As for emergencies, you didn't really give us a lot of info. Are you looking to talk to just your family, or are you looking to talk to others?
If you just want to communicate between family members, then FRS, GMRS or CB would be fine. FRS won't get you very far, though, anywhere for less than a 1/4 of a mile to more, all depending on conditions. A good GMRS radio will get you a bit farther, but don't ever trust the milage claims on the packaging.
MURS would be an option, but it can be difficult to find MURS radios. It's not widely used in most areas, so while it would be difficult to find someone else to talk to, chances are it would be pretty quiet for you and your family to use.

CB might be a good bet to reach others as it tends to be a bit more universally used in SOME areas. Also, since you already have an investment there, why not stick with it?

Amateur radio is great, it gives you a lot of possibilities, however the issue with getting those not interested in radio to get there license is a common issue.
 

N1XDS

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ok thanks for the help. I think I will just stick with the 2 CB radios that I already have.

I say try and have another family member try for the GMRS license or look in to Amateur Radio for emergency use during the bad weather around your area and surrounding counties like Davidson and so on.
 

n5ims

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Generally the "best" solution for communication by radio in an emergency is a radio that you and your family use and are comfortable with using for general, non-emergency use. There are several reasons for this.

First off, if they use it regularly, they know how it works and what "channels" you generally use, how to change them (to avoid interference, etc.), and how to indicate to the other family members what "channel" they're moving to. Having one family member on channel "A" and another on channel "B" is just as useless as neither having working radios at all.

Second, if you have great radios packed away for an emergency, but never use them, they probably won't work when that emergency does finally arrive. Batteries only last so long (even if they aren't used). If you happen to have power to charge them up, that'll take several hours generally and a battery that has been dead for a while will probably not hold a charge for very long, if at all.
 

KK4SYW

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thanks

Thanks for all the help you all have given. I think for now I will just stick with the CBs and let my family members learn how to use them. The good thing with the CB is that I know several other people in my area that use them so I can also communciate with them in emergencies. Thanks for all the help. You all on RadioReference never lead me wrong.
 

dhughes20

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Cost for license

How much does it cost for a GMRS License or Amateur radio license in the Findlay ohio Carey area
 

WB4CS

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How much does it cost for a GMRS License or Amateur radio license in the Findlay ohio Carey area

GMRS license is I think around $80 for a license, no test required. Here's info on that: General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) | FCC.gov

Amateur Radio requires taking a test. The license is free but most test examiners will require a minimal fee around $15 to help with the cost of materials, renting the testing area, etc. For info on getting your ham license, check here: New to Ham Radio

Also, just a heads up.. I'm not a moderator on this forum but it's generally frowned upon to resurrect a year old thread to ask a new question that's totally off topic from the original post. I'd recommend starting a new thread in this situation. Just a friendly reminder :)
 

Darth_vader

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I just tell everybody to stick with CB and MURS, myself.

Assuming you're actually using a so-called "legal" rig, FRS is notoriously unreliable where the need to communicate over any distance is concerned, due to its pathetically low transmit power and antenna limitations. This can (read: does) make it especially problematic if operating in a rugged foothill area like I'm in, since 462/467 is line of sight and sometimes not even that. (Successful FRS usage at Gifford-Pinchot or just about anywhere in the Gorge is a terrible gamble at best, due to just that.)

Please, just stick with CB and MURS.
 

fdscan

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I could see GMRS as useful for short-range communications throughout neighborhoods/towns. Repeaters could help. Same goes for MURS, without the repeaters.

FRS is pointless for this sort of application in my opinion, unless you're communicating with... Pretty much just people on your street (that's the only luck I've had).
 
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