Sticking with FRS for now.

[mirayge]

I've been testing for a couple of months, both legally and illegally, and now want to stay on low power FRS. I got back into radio when I found a pair of Audiovox gmrs7001 radios for 3 bucks at an animal shelter rumage sale. They were able to be heard from my work if I went to the third floor roof to my aluminum sided house 1.4 miles away. Very clear on the high setting (1.8watts erp.) I have since found that 500mw also works with some static. During my tests I also bought the Midland gxt1000 with 5.33 watts output power. It also worked for about 1.5 miles, but at ground level in urban conditions. I haven't tried from my parent's home to work 1.5 miles the other direction with my Audiovox units, but with whatever Dad has all we heard was clicks. I never tried open squelch. This is getting long, but the point is 500 mW does a mile and a half just like any other HT. Besides doing little tests to see which service I want there is no reason to talk on other services.

Just remembered, I did give my dad an Audiovox at 1.8 watts on channel 7 and it didn't reach to work station. Only clicks or roger tones.

 

[rapidcharger]

* Results not typical.
** GMRS license required for the >500mW setting.
*** Always wear your safety goggles.

 

[mirayge]

* Results not typical.
** GMRS license required for the >500mW setting.
*** Always wear your safety goggles.

The propagation and interference must just be realy good from my neighborhood to where I work. It doesn't matter if my wife is indoors or out, we get the same results. However, the same distance in the other direction will yield poor results even under max HT power (I never tried open squelch.)
With a licence, the elevator shaft roof at work would be a great place for a 25w or greater repeater. But, most of the family still wouldn't have repeater capable radios. I was originally excited about the idea of a simplex talk back to allow coms with cheap radios in about a three mile diameter. However, simplex devices require an operator even if they are tone controlled.
Until the FCC gets of the pot there is no use in building a system just to talk across town only to have the rules change.

 

[rapidcharger]

It sounds like you have an interest in radio and it also sounds like you've exhausted the possibilities of the FRS and have possibly become a wee bit frustrated by it's rules and limitations. That's perfectly understandable. That's why the FCC offers another radio service called the Amateur Radio Service for people like you and I to get that 3mi+ coverage out of a handheld device. The reason the rules and restrictions are there is precisely to limit the range. That is not a defect of the rules, that is the intended result. The FRS is for very short range communications and it is designed so that a lot of users can use relatively few channels so that everyone who wants to use it for its intended purpose, can.

 

[mirayge]

Yes, I understand all that. I'm not someone that wonders why you can't talk 30 miles on a simplex ht. The higher the frequency, the less erp you want next to your body.
GMRS would work for me with a big initial cost for a repeater, some mobiles, and real handie talkies. The only other person in my immediate family who might get an amateur licence would be my Dad. Other than him, I am surrounded by people who are challenged by math and anything technical. Seriously, they can't switch inputs on the television most of the time and have no patience when I try to explain. I had to put a switcher box with big buttons on my Aunt's new lcd because she can't navigate the menu or use anything besides the cable remote. The wife is the same way. God forgive me if I leave the house with the dvd player on.
Its just too much trouble for something that would only be used if cell service went out.

 

[techguru]

Don't forget about MURS, license free 2 watt VHF.