n00be With ???

[Hiskid1973]

I had to retire much earlier than I wanted due to a work fall. I started to do some metal detecting and enjoy tent camping although my wife has to do the majority of the work. I want to get some form of comm units better than cheap walkie talkies. I just learned about MURS/GMRS and wondered which one would be the best for woods and beach(daughter lives in Rehoboth Beach). It would mostly be used by family and occasional friend who takes me metal detecting. I had considered going the Ham Tech route since I have a background in electronics. Had to build a 6 meter transmitter in lab and get a second class radio/telephone license to graduate. Surprisingly I ended up in candy mfg.($$). Now at 63 and a head trauma behind me the memory coordination is lacking. I did do well on the electrical/electronic circuit questions but all the rest doesn't want to stick..Any Ideas ? BTW, I see a GRMS repeater that anyone can use in a town that is about
10 miles from me.

Thanks and God bless.. K

 

[SCPD]

You could buy a Wouxun KG-UVD1P hand held and use both services providing you are licensed for GMRS and use the repeaters with permission of course,it wouldn't hurt to get you Amateur license and use all 3 services,just a thought.I enjoy all 3 and have no regrets.

 

[Hiskid1973]

Thanks for the reply. I try going with the mechanics class test but all the ? other than electronic circuits just don't seem to stick now at my age. The stuff that's in there still surfaces. I have no problem getting the $85 license that is needed. The Wouxun is legal for what bands?

 

[N2MRG]

Hiskid, ONLY a Part 95 radio complies with GMRS. Technically, a Part 90 radio will meet the technical specifications of a Part 95 radio IF programmed properly, but they have different type acceptance.

for example, The PowerWerx GU-16 is a Part 95 type accepted radio that has been pre-programmed to GMRS freqs. It is the same thing as a Wouxun KG-833 which is a Part 90 radio, but the Wouxun KG-833 is not pre-programmed to GMRS frequencies. They may have ALSO modified the PowerWerx GU-16 software a bit also, so you can't program it out of specification.

The reason why I see that we have different type acceptance between Part 95 and Part 90 is to disallow Part 95 users from interfering with Part 90 users.

So a Part 90 could technically but not legally function as a GMRS radio when programmed correctly. The same thing goes with MURS. MURS is a little more tricky because these Part 90 radios will transmit on EITHER 1 watt or 5 watts, not 2 watts. The legal limit of MURS is 2 watts.

The Wouxun are not Part 95 radios, SOME Wouxun are Part 90 radios.

I got my amateur license, but find myself going back to GMRS because of who may use it under my license--my family. Also, choice of MURS radios is much smaller.

There has been some discussion on RadioReference about MURS versus GMRS and from what I have gathered, Handheld to handheld with STOCK antennas, GMRS wins over MURS because of the combination of increased power for GMRS plus MURS antennas are very short compared to their wavelength... It's something like a 1/13th wavelength antenna, where as a GMRS handheld radio is maybe 1/4 wavelength. I don't have a lot of experience in the field with this.



I'm not 100% certain on all of the above, but basically what I've read to be true from research.

 

[rapidcharger]

I had to retire much earlier than I wanted due to a work fall. I started to do some metal detecting and enjoy tent camping although my wife has to do the majority of the work. I want to get some form of comm units better than cheap walkie talkies. I just learned about MURS/GMRS and wondered which one would be the best for woods and beach(daughter lives in Rehoboth Beach). It would mostly be used by family and occasional friend who takes me metal detecting. )))

What kind of range and performance are you wanting and what's your budget?

(((I had considered going the Ham Tech route since I have a background in electronics. )))

With a ham license, you will be granted the most flexible privileges but you will only be able to communicate with other licensed hams. That's usually an issue when it comes to family communications.

((( I see a GRMS repeater that anyone can use in a town that is about
10 miles from me.)))

Without a high power mobile or base station with a good antenna setup, don't expect to be able to hit that repeater with a portable. And the majority of the GMRS repeaters listed on the internet are "backyard" repeaters and don't have real good coverage.
If you're wanting to talk to other people, that's where the ham license comes in. For private family to family comms, MURS (numerous restrictions) and GMRS (requires expensive license and still has numerous restrictions) are options to consider.

 

[Hiskid1973]

Thanks for your responses: Ham would be something to work into for me. GMRS has the most appeal to me as I could get started and learn as I go.. Learning about antennas, using a repeater with either a mobile unit or close by HT. Family or occasional friend I would metal detect with.. Would I get a license first ? Do you just download a form and mail a check ? What are some good legal 5 watt HT's. I think I could handle programming if the had the info as I am doing it. I saw a few units on ebay that said GMRS programmable but does that mean there legal ? Are there ones switchable to .5 watt so you can put FRS.. From what I understand it's either MURS or GMRS ..Sorry for all the questions. Thanks for any help.God bless....K