Two way radios

[Dustie]

Are the classic "CB" radios dead? I'm seeing these "family band" radios that have a 25 mile range now:

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-T9500XLR-...B000P6J67C

Is there any reason to have the old "Citizens Band" radios anymore?

[Moristans]

To form a convoy?

[Dustie]

To form a convoy?

hah. I should say "if everyone threw out all their CB radios today, is there any reason they shouldn't replace them with the new long range family band (which appears to have the longer range and more channels).

Edit: through = threw (I laughed)

[Snowreap]

there might still be a reason for CB radios, but for most people FRS radios are a better choice.

FRS (Family Radio Service) is restricted to a half-watt of output power, which gives them a fairly short range.

GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) allows a higher power output than FRS (and hence offer a longer range), but they also require an FCC license and are subject to more restrictions on how they may be used (for example, GMRS is specifically targeted at individuals using radios to communicate with their immediate family, and is not currently licensed for other uses such as communicating with your friends, unlike FRS which *does* allow non-family communication despite what you'd guess from the names).

lax enforcement of GMRS rules does not mean that you can legally transmit on GMRS-only channels without a GMRS license, or transmit on FRS channels using a GMRS radio at more than 0.5W ERP (Effective Radiated Power).

here's a nice site where you can get more information: http://www.gmrsweb.com/gmrsfaqa.html.

-ken

[Jakensama]

CB? Is that how our ancestors communicated before blackberrys?

[Dustie]

there might still be a reason for CB radios, but for most people FRS radios are a better choice.

FRS (Family Radio Service) is restricted to a half-watt of output power, which gives them a fairly short range.

GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) allows a higher power output than FRS (and hence offer a longer range), but they also require an FCC license and are subject to more restrictions on how they may be used (for example, GMRS is specifically targeted at individuals using radios to communicate with their immediate family, and is not currently licensed for other uses such as communicating with your friends, unlike FRS which *does* allow non-family communication despite what you'd guess from the names).

lax enforcement of GMRS rules does not mean that you can legally transmit on GMRS-only channels without a GMRS license, or transmit on FRS channels using a GMRS radio at more than 0.5W ERP (Effective Radiated Power).

here's a nice site where you can get more information: http://www.gmrsweb.com/gmrsfaqa.html.

-ken

Wow. I hadn't even heard of GMRS. I have to read up on that and the "immediate family" part.

[Moristans]

Yeah Dustie, I guess the question is, why do you think you need one?

When we had an earthquake here during school hours awhile back, nobody could use their mobile phones for a couple of hours because the networks were jammed.

[Snowreap]

To form a convoy?

hah. I should say "if everyone through out all their CB radios today, is there any reason they shouldn't replace them with the new long range family band (which appears to have the longer range and more channels).

it's not really "the new long range family band". it's the old licensed GMRS band, which the new short range family band (FRS) has stolen some channels from (the FCC justifies allowing FRS to use GMRS channels by limiting FRS output power).

if you want to transmit at the full range and power GMRS allows, you will need a GMRS license ($75-$85 for a 5-year license). but you won't get anything close to a 25-mile range unless you're on the surface of the moon or something. expect no more than 5 miles in good conditions, and maybe 2 in urban areas.

[Snowreap]

Wow. I hadn't even heard of GMRS. I have to read up on that and the "immediate family" part.

the "immediate family" stuff means that only one person has to get a license. that person's entire immediate family is then covered under that single license.

two independent licensees who aren't related can talk to each other, but they can't share a single license.

-ken

[Dustie]

Hmm. I wonder if those channels (FRS or the licensed ones) will be jammed up in case of an emergency i.e. earthquake?

[Dustie]

Wow. I hadn't even heard of GMRS. I have to read up on that and the "immediate family" part.

the "immediate family" stuff means that only one person has to get a license. that person's entire immediate family is then covered under that single license.

two independent licensees who aren't related can talk to each other, but they can't share a single license.

-ken

ohh! hah, I was thinking that was a weird rule!

[Slamz]

I'm assuming this is for Dustie's end-of-the-world scenario.


Although it's also probably true that destruction-of-the-cell-phone-network is one good solar flare away anyway.

[Dustie]

Yeah Dustie, I guess the question is, why do you think you need one?

What section are we in? Off Topic. Umm, no reason. :D

[Moristans]

Lol, k.

[Dustie]

But seriously, I think it's really neat (and handy in almost any situation) to be able to talk to someone 25 miles away regardless of cell phone plans or outages etc. I understand that 25 miles is probably not going to happen, but even if I could get 5-10 (maybe I need to go to the highest hill in the area), that would be enough to check in with local family or friends in the event of an outage.

[Slamz]

If you're REALLY serious you could get a HAM radio license. I don't think the requirements are anything like what they used to be, although I'm sure it's still a step above going out to the store and buying a radio and antenna.

HAM radio operators usually play some part in larger disasters, as they can send and receive from very large distances. IIRC, in the evenings when signals start bouncing off the atmosphere you can talk to radio operators in other countries with nothing but an antenna on your roof and a radio plugged into a wall outlet.

[Vanraw]

25 miles is awful cool!

How many units can talk to each other?

[Moristans]

If you're REALLY serious you could get a HAM radio license. I don't think the requirements are anything like what they used to be, although I'm sure it's still a step above going out to the store and buying a radio and antenna.

We had a HAM radio operator in my neighborhod when I was a kid. He pissed everybody off because our TV rabbit ears would pick up his signal.

[Vanraw]

We had a HAM radio operator in my neighborhod when I was a kid. He pissed everybody off because our TV rabbit ears would pick up his signal.

Your showing your age grandpa!!

[Moristans]

:cry:

[Dustie]

25 miles is awful cool!

How many units can talk to each other?

I would assume unlimited numbers of people could tune into the same channel just like a bunch of CB radios tuning into channel 16 or 9. Not sure if the new FRS privacy codes change that somehow.

[Dustie]

If you're REALLY serious you could get a HAM radio license. I don't think the requirements are anything like what they used to be, although I'm sure it's still a step above going out to the store and buying a radio and antenna.

HAM radio operators usually play some part in larger disasters, as they can send and receive from very large distances. IIRC, in the evenings when signals start bouncing off the atmosphere you can talk to radio operators in other countries with nothing but an antenna on your roof and a radio plugged into a wall outlet.

The problem with HAM, is that I doubt I could get everyone in my extended family to get one. On the other hand, the FRS radios are about 40-60 bucks for a decent one.

[GreenTurnip]

Make sure that the model you get has sub-channels. Decent models have it setup that each channel has say 15 sub-channels... makes it a LOT easier to find an unused channel so you don't have to deal with crosstalk.

-turnip

[Dustie]

Make sure that the model you get has sub-channels. Decent models have it setup that each channel has say 15 sub-channels... makes it a LOT easier to find an unused channel so you don't have to deal with crosstalk.

-turnip

Roger that. I still wonder if all the channels would be flooded in any kind of real emergency. (15x40 is 600ish)

[Snowreap]

there are no sub-channels.

on any one channel, only one person (in your vicinity) can talk at once. the only thing the feature marketed as "sub-channels" does, is make it so that you can configure your radio to tune out everybody except for the people with the same configuration setting as you're using. they're still talking on the same channel, you just can't hear them because your radio is ignoring them.

but anybody who has that feature turned off can hear everybody on that channel, so it does not increase privacy in any way, and it certainly doesn't increase channel capacity -- two people using different "sub-channel" settings can't both transmit on the same channel at once and expect their transmission to be heard by the desired listeners.

-ken