What's The Longest FRS/GMRS Range Claim These Days?

[mirayge]

Think again. You can easily have a direct line of sight path of over 100 miles when one or both stations are on mountains.

Just because it can doesn't justify the manufacturers distance claims. I have never seen a CB labled as having world wide distance. Imagine if their add copy were like other consumer radios. "Pick up the microphone and speak to your friends in Australia!"

 

[Jimru]

I wonder what the FTC would say about these claims!

 

[KF5YDR]

Bring suit and find out.

 

[03msc]

I wonder what the FTC would say about these claims!

Nothing because the manufacturers have documentation to back up those claims. Mountain to mountain, no obstructions, "best case scenario" tests.

 

[Jimru]

Bring suit and find out.

Hah! I'm not THAT curious!

 

[ron36]

GmRS /FRS

I never understood the theory in combined Frs with Gmrs. hams are complaining theres a reason for the unknown. But as a professional and commerical radio user. i think Gmrs 9thru22 were to be licenced orignally ..i think FCC should seperate the bands personally.toward bubble packs. ban manufactures for putting 9 thru 22. in FRS radios..and rules say 1thru 7 FRS are for recreation and family activities not for constrution or business and in Va beach i hear business tactical on my 1 thru 7 ..i definatley agree FRS and Gmrs should be two different radios entirely... if FCC requires a 85 dollar licence to use 462.550 thru .725 mhz those should be stopped being put in radios manufactured by.. FRS could be limited to 10 channels. licenced free. giving the rest of the gmrs band back to Gmrs licenced service...or release the 30 freq. as uhf citizensband for its legal usage and call it the day allowing it a seperate..legal service and manufacture radios for its service... so the business ones can have their spectrum the confusion definately needs resolving

 

[ron36]

Range answer

generally 2mile radius if in open tarran than can be in open line of sight 5miles generally..

 

[RandyKnowles]

The 2 longest communications I ever had on Class A (GMRS) were:

From a Cessna 210 aircraft @2,000+ feet leaving Oshkosh, Wi on a 1 watt HT220 portable to the north side of Chicago - on direct, about 176 miles

With the same portable inside my car through my repeater to a friend in Ann Arbor, Michigan, who was accessing my repeater in Illinois, a distance of nearly 200 miles (during a massive inversion).

 

[mirayge]

None of these replies answer the OP's original question. The answer is as many miles as they want to say. I believe the range claims are a combination of radiated power on GMRS and receiver sensitivity.

 

[tj20]

Lol when I was a kid I would of loved half a mile on my 49 MHz radio. I was lucky if I could reach from back yard to front yard, and we had a small house. Now people want 50 miles

 

[KF5YDR]

Yeah, those AM walkie talkies were probably running about 50 mW.

 

[KampingAnthony1AolCo]

Midland 35 Mile Walkie Talkies

I got 1.25 miles was the furthest I got in simplex. I got 16 miles only thru a repeater I was listening to.

 

[EmilyWolf]

I guess I lost track of the bubble pack bragging at 25-30 miles. Now I see Uniden has got a 50 mile model: Incredible. Is there any others that can top that out there? Just a matter of time until they claim 75 miles, and then a hundred miles.

Two Submersible/Floating 50 Mile Range FRS/GMRS Radios With 2 VOX Headsets And 2 Carabiners

Lol these have the same junky power output as the 35 mile radios. Though you can easily get further than the range on the package in good conditions. People in europe regularly use pmr446 500mw fixed antenna little handhelds and talked out to a hundred miles. Theres even the supposed record of someone talking 330 miles on pmr with atmospheric reflection.

That would be funny seeing 500miles on a package. I don't care to use bubble packs anymore tho.

 

[KampingAnthony1AolCo]

Lol these have the same junky power output as the 35 mile radios. Though you can easily get further than the range on the package in good conditions. People in europe regularly use pmr446 500mw fixed antenna little handhelds and talked out to a hundred miles. Theres even the supposed record of someone talking 330 miles on pmr with atmospheric reflection.

That would be funny seeing 500miles on a package. I don't care to use bubble packs anymore tho.

I only use the Midlands for backup to my main freq. I mainly use the MURS.

 

[EmilyWolf]

I only use the Midlands for backup to my main freq. I mainly use the MURS.

Pretty cool I have a couple midland pmr446 that i used to use as backup cheap ham radios. Lucky coincedence they chose the 70cm simplex freqency for ITU2

 

[mikepdx]

Think again. You can easily have a direct line of sight path of over 100 miles when one or both stations are on mountains.

Hikers and climbers far above 10,000+ ft elevation.
The population is in the valley at 100-350 ft elevation.

You ARE line of sight, valley to mountain, without obstruction.
The mountain is easily visible from most of the valley floor.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

I only use the Midlands for backup to my main freq. I mainly use the MURS.

I have repeaters and Motorola and Icom LMR HTs…

 

[KampingAnthony1AolCo]

I have repeaters and Motorola and Icom LMR HTs…

I dont have repeaters because it costs too high. And I cant put up a repeater where I live.

 

[KF5YDR]

Look into getting your ham ticket. $15 bucks and the Technician test is dead simple to study for.

 

[KampingAnthony1AolCo]

Look into getting your ham ticket. $15 bucks and the Technician test is dead simple to study for.

I thought about that. We know a couple of ham operators that would help me out.