FRS or MURS?

[rapidcharger]

Observation:

Most "CB" radios in 18 wheel trucks are sold as something else.
Most MURS handhelds are sold as something else.
Most Marine band handhelds never get used in a boat.
Most GMRS radios are operated fresh out of the box.
Most radio priests never get tired of the chanting the same lines regardless of what good or harm it may do.

Bob

Encouraging people to do the right thing is being a good ham, a good part 95'er and good steward of the radio spectrum. If you want to call that preaching or if that makes me a radio priest, then fine. I'll wear that insult like an honor badge. At least I can sleep at night knowing I'm ethically somewhere above the Pilot truck stop modified super CB shop.

 

[poltergeisty]

What you don't know could fill a thousand libraries.

The Coast Guard or "Coats Guard" as you call it patrols numerous inland lakes and rivers. Perhaps you've heard of the Mississippi River?

I live in a town with a lot of lakes and don't see the Coast Guard. LMAO!

What I know could fill the Internet!

 

[bill4long]

If you want to be legal, Motorola RMM2050 is a good choice.

If you don't care about being legal, you could get Wouxuns and program them to MURS. They work very well. (IMO, the chances that the FCC will care about you is 0% unless you interfere will some other important radio service.)

Whatever you do, I would not recommend Baofengs. Their receivers are broadbanded crap and you'll be picking up stuff you don't want to pick up even if you use DCS or CTCSS.

 

[cgwheeler]

So TennFord, what did you decide to do? It sounded like you were not happy with the durability of the FRS gear but the service (low power UHF) was working for you. Did you try some $100 MURS rigs hoping they'd last longer?

It appears the "suggestions" have been coming in for six weeks. I won't offer anything Just curious.

 

[RayAir]

Old VHF low band radios would be your best option. Virtually nobody uses low band anymore. Motorola 60 watt Radius mobiles and 6W portables can be found on eBay, used.

Low band works good in areas with rolling terrain.

I have some 45MHz Vertex VX-520's that work good for me.

 

[sjgostovich]

Midland makes a mil spec GMRS/FRS unit. I would think this would hold up better to outdoor use : google

Midland GXT PRO GXT5000 Two Way Radio

 

[cgwheeler]

I have to say that I don't know what "mil spec" means as I see it thrown around on products all the time. If the Army buys acertain brand of paper clips, does that make them mil spec? The Midland radios say they are IP67 rated which means they are sealed against dust and are good for limited submersion (1m or less for limited time). The Motorola MS350Rs I use most of the time meet that spec and they run about $70 a pair.

 

[poltergeisty]

Midland makes a mil spec GMRS/FRS unit. I would think this would hold up better to outdoor use : google

Midland GXT PRO GXT5000 Two Way Radio

At that price and no voice inversion???? Forgetabouit.

 

[sjgostovich]

I see your point. I have a pair of Moto FR50's that I've had for years and they have taken more abuse (dropped, kicked, gotten wet, dog chew toy, etc..) than the other brands i've had and they still work great. I think a military paper clip is only "mil spec" if you can fashion it into a weapon and use it to take out an insurgent?!

 

[TennFordTN]

Well we decided to buy two pairs of Midland LXT600VP3s since there's always kids running around, and I bought some shoulder mics also. The range on them barely covers our property, sometimes comes in and out if the conditions are right, and not quite as loud as you'd think. Not bad for an FRS/GMRS radio though.
Shortly after, a family friend of ours that works as a plant manager told us they just purged their radios, so he gave us 4 Motorola SP50s with chargers and shoulder mics. They work great. Range is phenomenal, sound is loud and clear, and the frame is very durable (except for one radio, it didn't have a spring loaded clip). The only downside is that they are in a very, very used condition (to be expected) and I don't know how long they will last. I don't know how much they cost or what freq mine are operating in, but I'd definitely be open to getting some more if the price is right! I'd love to even couple these with some mobiles and maybe fashion my own base station. Love em.
With the FRS/GMRS radios we have, I've thought about buying a Cobra MR HH450 Camo for my own use, since it is a Marine/GMRS radio that would be compatible with our Midlands. Since I do a lot of hunting (via land and boat) and sometimes out of state too, I thought this would be a good radio to have, even if we use the VHF/UHF radios on the farm.
But thanks for the opinions and ideas everyone!


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[WB4CS]

I don't know ... what freq mine are operating in

I'd suggest finding out. Blindly operating on some random frequency you're not licensed for is much worse than using a non-certified radio on FRS. That's the easiest way to find yourself with a hefty fine from the FCC. They'd probably never catch you using a Baofang on FRS, but start using a Motorola on a Part 90 commercial/public safety frequency you're not licensed for will get some attention.

If they came from a business, they are probably on the frequency that business is licensed for. If you're far enough away from that business you may not be interfering with them, but what about other businesses that use the same frequency? Is it on a license free channel or one that requires a license? How much power is it putting out? How far beyond your property is the signal going?

 

[TennFordTN]

WB4CS,
I was definitely cautious when we first got these and tried them out. While we were up at our property for a few days, I monitored all the channels that the radios offered (some radios had 2 channels and others 8-10, which were pre-programmed and fixed). I heard no noise and no responses. Our place is roughly 30 miles away as the crow flies from the plant they were once in. Also, we're roughly 10 miles, at a minimum, from any sort of factory or anywhere else that would use business radios/frequencies. From our property, which is situated on the side of a hollow and surrounded by hills, we can get a clear signal from a little over a mile away off the property, and a static-filled weak signal from 3 miles away.
Thank you!


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[jaspence]

Do these radios have PL or DCS? If so, you can monitor all day and not hear a station a block away. That doesn't mean they are on an open channel or will not cause interference. In my area, there are several businesses that use the same frequencies in the 460 range. Some use tones and other are using carrier squelch.

 

[TennFordTN]

Do these radios have PL or DCS?....

jaspence,
I couldn't tell you right now. I don't have the radios in front of me. We got the Moto SP50s just a week or two ago and I haven't had time to even look up a manual for them. All I know is that the SPs were offered in VHF and UHF, and that ours have not be reprogrammed since their use at that plant. The guy that gave them to us did not know anything either.


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[rapidcharger]

Just because you don't hear anything doesn't mean other can't hear you. Base and repeater antennas can pick up units many many miles away. That's why licensing and coordination is required in this country. You don't just pick up a radio and start using it any old place.

 

[rapidcharger]

Old VHF low band radios would be your best option. Virtually nobody uses low band anymore. Motorola 60 watt Radius mobiles and 6W portables can be found on eBay, used.

Low band works good in areas with rolling terrain.

I have some 45MHz Vertex VX-520's that work good for me.

There's used low band radios on ebay but they are extremely expensive. Anything that does 6m is going to be in heavy demand. And this will also require a part 90 business band license that the OP may or may not be eligible for as there are no personal radio services down there except for the ham band, CB and maybe a set of GI Joe 49mhz walkie talkies.

 

[KampingAnthony1AolCo]

I'm new to these forums and recently new to the radio waves but I have a question.
MURS or FRS?
I own a little more than 100 acres of half-flat, half-hill property with extensive amount of trees and hills. My family and I, and sometimes friends, use this property (or as we call it, the "farm") for all sorts of activities from bush-hogging and grading to tree cutting, hiking, hunting, and four-wheeler riding. We currently used various sorts of "off the shelf" Motorola FRS radios both older and new. Over time these radios didn't hold up, due to clips breaking, extreme use, water situations, etc. Also I noticed on these consumer radios, the range was never as it said on the box, and the speakers were never loud enough.
I've done research and I've looked into two things. One is Buying a radio such as a Baofeng UV-5RA, powering down, and lining up the channels with other FRS radios, and going. The second was using the MURS channels and also buying a Baofeng ( because of the price) and etc. The reason I ask this question is due to the legality. I've heard both sides, and I think using the Baofeng radio on the MURS is legal compared to FRS but I just don't know.
What would you do?

I would go with the MURS because there are no kids on it. VHF is better outside than UHF. You can find an old XTS3000 VHF and use it on the MURS.

 

[poltergeisty]

The XTS3000 is part 95 accepted?

 

[poltergeisty]

Here's a cheap MURS radio. Not sure if it supports the 2 watt maximum though. Dakota Alert M538 HT Murs 2 Way Handheld Radio M538HT 89117900 | eBay

 

[SCPD]

Well we decided to buy two pairs of Midland LXT600VP3s since there's always kids running around, and I bought some shoulder mics also. The range on them barely covers our property, sometimes comes in and out if the conditions are right, and not quite as loud as you'd think. Not bad for an FRS/GMRS radio though.
Shortly after, a family friend of ours that works as a plant manager told us they just purged their radios, so he gave us 4 Motorola SP50s with chargers and shoulder mics. They work great. Range is phenomenal, sound is loud and clear, and the frame is very durable (except for one radio, it didn't have a spring loaded clip). The only downside is that they are in a very, very used condition (to be expected) and I don't know how long they will last. I don't know how much they cost or what freq mine are operating in, but I'd definitely be open to getting some more if the price is right! I'd love to even couple these with some mobiles and maybe fashion my own base station. Love em.
With the FRS/GMRS radios we have, I've thought about buying a Cobra MR HH450 Camo for my own use, since it is a Marine/GMRS radio that would be compatible with our Midlands. Since I do a lot of hunting (via land and boat) and sometimes out of state too, I thought this would be a good radio to have, even if we use the VHF/UHF radios on the farm.
But thanks for the opinions and ideas everyone!


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I would say the best thing to do is get legal,you can't find if a radio has pl tones programmed in it by looking at a manual.Regardless of what you may think there is a right and wrong way to do things and I myself would get legal and maybe get your own frequency licensed by the FCC instead of having someone complain and them pay you a visit.