Gmrs/Frs antenna

[sandiegosand]

Me and my buddy use radios to communicate frequently, but our houses are just barely out of range of each other (we just get a little static). I am a technichly inclined do-it-yourselfer, and i'm thinking about running a wire up a tall tree in my yard, and wrapping the other end around the antenna of my radio. Do you know if this would help, and what wire would be the best type to use?

 

[gewecke]

Me and my buddy use radios to communicate frequently, but our houses are just barely out of range of each other (we just get a little static). I am a technichly inclined do-it-yourselfer, and i'm thinking about running a wire up a tall tree in my yard, and wrapping the other end around the antenna of my radio. Do you know if this would help, and what wire would be the best type to use?

Google " Passive uhf on glass antennas"

That's your easy solution.

73,
n9zas

 

[sandiegosand]

Google " Passive uhf on glass antennas"

does this just mean tv antenna?

 

[gewecke]

No. Passive on glass antennas have no cable or direct connection attached but radiate the rf from your talkie when it's nearfield to the antenna.

73,
n9zas

 

[fourwd1]

The signal loss thru all that wire would be more than anything you'd gain by having an external antenna.

 

[DaveNF2G]

That would be a great invitation to lightning and other static discharges to come right to your radio.

 

[gewecke]

For the op, here's some reading for a solution to what you want to do. As others have said, wrapping wire around your antenna won't work.
But this might,

Patent US6690330 - Glass-mounted coupler and passive glass-mounted antenna for satellite radio ... - Google Patents

It looks like this (but the coiled antenna will be only 5" long).

http://www.google.com/patents/EP0458592A2?cl=en

I would suggest modifying a cellular on glass passive antenna by unscrewing the antenna that comes with it and cutting it to about 5" then screw it back on to the mount and attach it to the highest single pane window you have access to. Keep your talkie within three feet of the inside of the mount where the 2 horizontal antennas stick out.

If both of you have one of these, it should be some improvement.
73,
n9zas

 

[sandiegosand]

thanks, very helpful

 

[dksac2]

Get on the roof of your house. Height is your best friend when using GMRS bubble pack radios. Better yet, buy a pair of GMRS radios with removable antennas and more power, then you can put an antenna as high as 20' taller than your house as long as it's connected to your house.

When you get tired of trying to reach friends with GMRS, go get your Technician Ham License, then you can really talk, especially if there is a repeater or two in the area.

John

 

[gewecke]

Get on the roof of your house. Height is your best friend when using GMRS bubble pack radios. Better yet, buy a pair of GMRS radios with removable antennas and more power, then you can put an antenna as high as 20' taller than your house as long as it's connected to your house.

When you get tired of trying to reach friends with GMRS, go get your Technician Ham License, then you can really talk, especially if there is a repeater or two in the area.

John

Amateur radio might be overkill if he simply wants to talk to his neighbor.

73,
n9zas

 

[dksac2]

Agreed, but it seems that he can't copy him.

John

 

[bill4long]

MURS could be a good solution. No license. 2 watts. External antennas allowed. (Up to 60 feet high!) You could put up a small antenna outside and be full copy or close to it. You could get two Wouxun radios for MURS, about $100 each. (Don't use the ones for Amateur radio since they are not type accepted for MURS.) Comes with Lithium Ion battery and quick charger. Of course, the radios are a bit more expensive than FRS bubble pack crapola. But they will be good radios. You probably won't even need an external antenna if you can already "almost hear each other" with the FRS junk, which at best put our 500 milliwatts and on 462 Mhz, which is more sketchy than 151/154 Mhz where MURS resides.

 

[SCPD]

MURS could be a good solution. No license. 2 watts. External antennas allowed. (Up to 60 feet high!) You could put up a small antenna outside and be full copy or close to it. You could get two Wouxun radios for MURS, about $100 each. (Don't use the ones for Amateur radio since they are not type accepted for MURS.) Comes with Lithium Ion battery and quick charger. Of course, the radios are a bit more expensive than FRS bubble pack crapola. But they will be good radios. You probably won't even need an external antenna if you can already "almost hear each other" with the FRS junk, which at best put our 500 milliwatts and on 462 Mhz, which is more sketchy than 151/154 Mhz where MURS resides.

Wouxun are not type accepted for MURS either........

 

[rapidcharger]

It sounds like someone needs to get their ham license.

 

[bill4long]

Wouxun are not type accepted for MURS either........

The ones made for ham radio are not. The ones that are made specifically for Land Mobile are type accepted.

 

[nd5y]

The ones that are made specifically for Land Mobile are type accepted.

They are only certificated for Part 90.
NO radio can be certificated for MURS Part 95 if it is capable of operation on ANY frequency other than the five MURS frequencies.

 

[SCPD]

They are only certificated for Part 90.
NO radio can be certificated for MURS Part 95 if it is capable of operation on ANY frequency other than the five MURS frequencies.

Thank you!!!

 

[SCPD]

The ones made for ham radio are not. The ones that are made specifically for Land Mobile are type accepted.

The ones for Ham and part 90 are one in the same,the only part 95 Wouxun makes is branded Powerworx or a different spelling there of but only for the UHF GMRS band,

 

[bill4long]

He is correct. They make MURS only radios.

 

[KB7MIB]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; U; en-US) Gecko/20081217 Vision-Browser/8.1 301x200 LG VN530)

What Wouxun model number(s) are certified under Part 95 for MURS?
I've seen MURS radios by Dakota Alert and Intercomsonline. I have a Dakota Alert HT, I haven't taken more than a cursory glance at Intercomsonline.