What power level to use? Was: radio transmit

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RBMTS

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You’re posting this in a scanner sub forum. I’m assuming by the thread name that your question is about transmitting on a radio. Is this about an amateur radio or GMRS (or something else)?

This is a question you need to answer yourself. If you can reach another radio (or a ham repeater) reliably on low power - then that’s your answer. If you can’t, then you go to high power.

I always keep my radios on low power and revert to mid or high power if necessary.

It’s pretty simple to figure out.
 

mmckenna

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Is it better on low power or high?

§97.313 Transmitter power standards.
(a) An amateur station must use the minimum transmitter power necessary to carry out the desired communications.

Same generally applies to all radio services. You use only the amount of power to establish communications. Once the far receiver is at full quieting, adding more power just wastes energy.
 

KK4JUG

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If he's able to adjust the power, there's a pretty good chance he's talking about ham radio.
 

air-scan

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Use the least amount of power necessary to achieve optimal signal to other hams has been one of the 'golden rules' of ham radio for many years. If your signal report is "scratchy into the repeater" on low power then try high power. If high power clears it up then you achieved optimal lowest amount of power to establish reliable communications.
 

KA4PQA

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You’re posting this in a scanner sub forum. I’m assuming by the thread name that your question is about transmitting on a radio. Is this about an amateur radio or GMRS (or something else)?

This is a question you need to answer yourself. If you can reach another radio (or a ham repeater) reliably on low power - then that’s your answer. If you can’t, then you go to high power.

I always keep my radios on low power and revert to mid or high power if necessary.

It’s pretty simple to figure out.
all of the questions i have been asking are about ham radio receive and transmit,please accept my apologies for not being specific.
 

pb_lonny

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Are you using HF, VHF or UHF? Generally, the lower power the better provided it can be received at the other end clearly.
 

jwt873

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Saying you're transmitting on a 'ham radio' is of little help. So are you using a 5W Chinese hand held radio, or a 200 Watt HF radio? What antenna are you using?

If you state what your setup is and what you're doing with it, you'll get a much better answer.
 

MTS2000des

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§97.313 Transmitter power standards.
(a) An amateur station must use the minimum transmitter power necessary to carry out the desired communications.
I think this is self explanatory. As a ham, one should only use the minimum power needed to get the job done.
Using high power all the time not only puts more wear on the transmitter, it can in some cases be considered lid behavior.
 

K9DWB

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Generally speaking, it is best practice to use the lowest power setting capable of getting the job done. What that setting or watt rating is, depends on what you're trying to do and what you're using to do it. For example, if you are trying to reach a repeater 17 miles away like I am on a handheld that has 5 watts on high, then using an external antenna and high power just does get it done. However if you're using a mobile or base radio with 50-200 watts on high, a medium setting of 10, 20, 30 watts may be more than acceptable. If you're right next to the repeater or your friend is on the other side of the McDonalds parking lot opposite where you are eating the fries and apple pie, 1 watt may more than enough.
 

KK4JUG

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Whether base, mobile or portable, you use only the amount of "power necessary to carry out the desired communications."
 
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