Garmin Tread Rugged Powersport GPS Navigator With MURS Radio

[JASII]

The Tread product uses MURS (Multi-Use-Radio-Service) for radio technology, which means that you do not have to file a license with the FCC in order to use this product.

It has the five MURS channels and allows PL/DPL or carrier squelch.

Garmin Tread™ | Powersport GPS with Ride Radio

Tread is a Powersport GPS for group rides on your off-road vehicle. Features include pre-loaded off-road trails & a group ride radio to track & stay connected.

buy.garmin.com

 

[mmckenna]

Nice looking product. Too damn expensive. Would be handy off road.
Looks like it'll take an external antenna, which would be good.

Would like to know if it has an external speaker, or does it rely on a speaker mic. Also, if a helmet mic/speaker.

I guess I should watch the video…..

 

[JASII]

Well, it IS Garmin, so it will be too damn expensive.

I am sure that some will be critical that it is MURS and not GMRS, too.

I still sort of wonder if, at some point, Garmin would simply do an Android-based GPS tablet, for consumers, that would allow FULL Android apps so that Zello, Droid Star, etc. could be used.

 

[mmckenna]

Yeah, Garmin stuff gets stupid expensive.

Still, nice looking, well thought out product. If I won the lottery….

I think MURS is the right place for this. I agree some will want GMRS simply based off the increased RF power capability, but 2 watts VHF is pretty nice, especially with an external antenna. Also, GMRS won't allow the data transmissions to the point that this probably requires. Garmin does have their Rino products that do it on FRS channels, but MURS makes more sense.

I'm running VHF mobiles on all our buggies. Most are 25 or 50 watt VHF commercial radios on 2 meter simplex frequencies. With a good antenna, it really works well. No, it doesn't have the GPS interface, but we're pretty familiar with the places we ride, so passing locations via voice works well enough.

Still, cool product. Kind of glad to see they are using MURS.

Looks like it does Bluetooth, so a bluetooth helmet interface would be good. Hand mics with closed face helmets doesn't work well, especially when running at high speed. The blue tooth helmet interface would absolutely be the way to go.

 

[JASII]

I still haven't found what the transmit power level is.

Will they do a VHF MURS Garmin RINO? If I recall correctly, they applied for, and received some sort of dispensation from the Pope, er, I mean the FCC to be allowed to do simplex GMRS texting. It is limited to 13 characters, if I recall correctly, per text! Although, there were some recent changes, so who knows what the limit is now.

Garmin Rino® 755t | Handheld Two-Way Radio

Find out more about Garmin's full line of two-way radios and other handheld devices by visiting www.garmin.com.

buy.garmin.com

 

[mmckenna]

1.49 watts according to their filing with the FCC. And some funky narrower than normal bandwidth.

https://fccid.io/IPH-04041

Garmin had to get a waiver from the FCC to do text/location data over FRS way back in the early 2000's.

No idea about a MURS Rino, but likely it would confuse the hell out of users that didn't understand the difference between GMRS and MURS.
MURS would make more sense for this stuff, but I doubt they'd risk screwing up their Rino sales.

They did/do have some dog tracking systems that utilize MURS.

 

[KE5MC]

Agreed it is a pricy device, but reading thru the promotional material it seems like a 'glass panel cockpit' as seen for airplanes but for ATV. Minus some of the airplanes indicators. It does have a version of an artificial horizon.

 

[K4NNW]

They did/do have some dog tracking systems that utilize MURS.

That would be the Garmin Astro. I never used that system, as I left fox hunting in 2004, before it was introduced.