Frs/gmrs Radio Purchase

Status
Not open for further replies.

mlevin312

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 28, 2007
Messages
54
CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF THEY HAVE THIS PRODUCT

Midland - 30-Mile, 42-Channel FRS/GMRS 2-Way Radios (Pair) - Black/Silver

THEY ARE ON BESTBUY.COM AND I WANTED TO KNOW IF THEY REALLY HAD THIS KIND OF RANGE?
 

commstar

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 22, 2001
Messages
353
Location
No, this type of range would not be typical. It is marketing. Don't believe the hype.

Plan on reliable line of sight use- but a 1/2 mile in an urban enviroment, 1 mile in a interference-free suburban enviroment would be more typical. Moving vehicles or being inside or below grade will shorten these figures even more.

You might get 30 miles from 500mw if you were on a 2300' mountain talking to the other radio on another 2300' mountain 30 miles away (close to line of sight) - I have done that but it was not what I would call reliable.
 

af5rn

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Messages
1,060
Location
N. Tex / S. Fla
Didn't we have this very same discussion like last week?

Anyone remember what that thread was called?

The ONLY possible way they get that kind of range is through a GMRS repeater. You can talk thirty miles on half a watt using a repeater. But that is, as already said, hype. The radio itself will not talk thirty miles directly to any other radio. They do, however, want you to think that's what they mean though.
 
Last edited:

CCHLLM

Member
Joined
May 10, 2003
Messages
1,020
It's the typical misleading spin wrapped up in the usual lack of ethics in marketing. When you read the fine print in the literature, it alludes to GMRS repeater capability which is where the 30 mile range comes from, so they're taking advantage of the public ignorance of radios and rules and reality. And you wonder why the youth of today show no regard of right or wrong. When they get caught, they're not sorry for what they did, they're only sorry they got caught.
 

ryangassxx

Completely Banned for the Greater Good
Banned
Joined
Dec 26, 2006
Messages
310
Location
Inside of your head
So i don't understand,.. These radios seem to progressively boast larger and larger ranges as years go by, yet the output remains at 500mw.. Are the ones who claim 30 miles exactly the same as the ones that claim 5 miles? Are they just flat out lying?
 

CCHLLM

Member
Joined
May 10, 2003
Messages
1,020
They're not giving you the details about the theoretical possibility of 30 miles or the 5 miles or whatever at the same point they're hyping the range, so it might as well be flat out lying.
 
Last edited:

SAR923

Active Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,514
Is this the radio you are asking about?
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8805037&type=product&id=1209165020469

First, the people at Best Buy can't add. According to the ad, it has 7 FRS channels, 7 FRS/GMRS channels, 8 FGMRS channels, and 14 "extra" channels, whatever they mght be. That adds up to 36 channels where I come from. Second, this is no different than all the bubble pack radios out there except for those "extra" channels. I can't find any information about what they might be but it doesn't sound like you should be able to use them without a license. Whatever the case, you'll get a mile out of this radio under typical conditions, maybe two miles under ideal conditions. The only way you'll be able to talk 30 miles is from one mountain top to another and you can do that with the cheapest FRS radio on the market. In theory, these radios put out five watts but that's only on GMRS, where you should be licensed to use it. The five watts is theoretical because that's what the transmitter can put out. By the time it gets though the inefficent antenna, it's probably more like a watt of ERP.
 
Last edited:

RodStrong

Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2007
Messages
1,170
Location
West

jon_k

Member
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
271
Location
Fort Worth, Republic of Texas
By the time it gets though the inefficent antenna, it's probably more like a watt of ERP.

I actually gutted a FRS radio and put an SWR meter in-line. It was outputting 0.5 watts and the ERP was 0.2 watts. SWR was about 2.5:1 The antennas are /HORRIBLE/. This was on a Cobra brand radio.

I wonder how those receivers avoid frying with so much reflected power.
 

blackacid

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
Messages
61
Location
Bruceton Mills, WV
If anyone finds out what the extra 14 freqs. are, please PM me.

The extra channels appear to be standard channels but has preset tones. So no new real new channels but just channels with preset "privacy codes". A new marketing ploy.


Now as far as output power and the like.....
According to fcc website.... the gxt775 has 1.202 watts erp on gmrs and 0.150 watts erp on frs.
fcc id mma GXT775.

Now midland is releasing a new model this month I believe that has 5.33 watts erp on gmrs and 0.42 watts erp on frs. Model is gtx950.
fcc id mma gxt950.
 

ryangassxx

Completely Banned for the Greater Good
Banned
Joined
Dec 26, 2006
Messages
310
Location
Inside of your head
so,.... if all of these radios are outputting 500mw, and basically are all capable of the same range.. Why do some cost substantially more than others?.. Is it just a complete rip off to buy the more expensive ones?
 

conve36

Member
Joined
May 5, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Menifee/Lake Elsinore, Ca
Can someone explain how to use a GMRS repeater? Do you pay monthy to use it? Special radios?

I have a couple Motorola GMRS/FRS radios that claim 28-miles. Yeah right. More like 1/2 mile at best.

But, I keep hearing something about these repeaters. Your responce is appreciated!
 

n8emr

Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Messages
498
Can someone explain how to use a GMRS repeater? Do you pay monthy to use it? Special radios?
I have a couple Motorola GMRS/FRS radios that claim 28-miles. Yeah right. More like 1/2 mile at best.
But, I keep hearing something about these repeaters. Your response is appreciated!

You need a radio that is repeater capable, MOST if not all GMRS/FRS radio are not repeater capable.
As for using them, some require a monthly fee, some are free, some allow anyone, some only friends.
 

conve36

Member
Joined
May 5, 2008
Messages
161
Location
Menifee/Lake Elsinore, Ca
I have an older Motorola CT150, is that the type of radios your talking about? As in mostly used with repeaters?

How close to a repeater do you have to be in order to use it?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top