2 Way Radios

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I have begun building out my GHB and haven't read much about 2 way radios (I couldnt find much via search). 90% of the time when I'm on the road for business it's within 50 miles (office is 10 miles away from home as the crow flies) of home. My thought is they would be a critical part of the GHB inventory.

What particular radios have you used (when cell phone service is shut down for any unforeseen number of reasons) with great success? I would think maximum distance, waterproof radios (with NOAH) would be preferable.
 
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A 50 or 100 watt VHF mobile radio and one at the base will get you 50 miles on simplex (no repeater involved). You might need a 3 or 4 element Yagi at the base station mounted as high as you can get it and preferably with a rotating antenna to follow the mobile's general direction.

You won't get that kind of range on any handheld portable.

As for brand, pick one and see if it matches your pocketbook, I've used most al of them at some point in time over the years and they all pretty much perform the same.

Ham radios are user programmable without the need of a computer and probably the best bang for the buck. Most can be opened up(modified) to broadband them (but there are issues with type acceptance and power limitations on certain bands but in a SHTF scenario, none of that will matter).

Commercial radios, most need a specific programming cable and software along with a computer....in other words, a pain in the ass for all practicle purposes.

Thats my two cents, I'm sure others here can add to it.
 
A 50 or 100 watt VHF mobile radio and one at the base will get you 50 miles on simplex (no repeater involved). You might need a 3 or 4 element Yagi at the base station mounted as high as you can get it and preferably with a rotating antenna to follow the mobile's general direction.

You won't get that kind of range on any handheld portable.

As for brand, pick one and see if it matches your pocketbook, I've used most al of them at some point in time over the years and they all pretty much perform the same.

Ham radios are user programmable without the need of a computer and probably the best bang for the buck. Most can be opened up(modified) to broadband them (but there are issues with type acceptance and power limitations on certain bands but in a SHTF scenario, none of that will matter).

Commercial radios, most need a specific programming cable and software along with a computer....in other words, a pain in the ass for all practicle purposes.

Thats my two cents, I'm sure others here can add to it.

Looks as if I'm willing to give up on the over 30 mile range, the players are Motorola, Midland, and BaoFeng?
 
I'm not sure what a GHB is but anything you do with 2-way radio for any distance communicating you will need to file for a FCC license. This usually happens through a frequency coordinator. They will then assign a frequency based on what information you put on the application. Most all applications are filed by the 2-way shop you work with to get your equipment. There are fees involved an they depend on what type of system you want to operate. You could do it yourself but it can get complicated. as far as waterproof portable radios, that option can get really expensive. As with anything today, you get what you pay for.
 
I'm not sure what a GHB is but anything you do with 2-way radio for any distance communicating you will need to file for a FCC license. This usually happens through a frequency coordinator. They will then assign a frequency based on what information you put on the application. Most all applications are filed by the 2-way shop you work with to get your equipment. There are fees involved an they depend on what type of system you want to operate. You could do it yourself but it can get complicated. as far as waterproof portable radios, that option can get really expensive. As with anything today, you get what you pay for.

But if I buy "off the rack" 35 mile capable Motorola 2 way radios, its just "plug and play" without fees or any other extraneous hoops to jump through, correct?
 
But if I buy "off the rack" 35 mile capable Motorola 2 way radios, its just "plug and play" without fees or any other extraneous hoops to jump through, correct?

Yes, but that range is extremely overstated. That's pretty much the best possible range. One guy on top of a mountain with someone at the bottom with direct LOS and no buildings, trees, etc in between. In real use you will not get anywhere near that.

~SW
 
Yes, but that range is extremely overstated. That's pretty much the best possible range. One guy on top of a mountain with someone at the bottom with direct LOS and no buildings, trees, etc in between. In real use you will not get anywhere near that.

~SW

yea that 35 miles is 2 guys no obstructions clear line of sight and a damn good skip and its probably good for a morse beep not speech. that and every 15 year old kid within 10 miles will hear you too, those radios are glorified toys
 
If you are looking for more than a simple 2-way - Wouxun radios are pretty good and cheap, UV6x can be used on MURS frequesncies without ham license, and if you got ham license you can use every band there. They are pretty reliable and half the price of Yaesu...
 
personaly I would suggest a hand held CB instead of a special hand held. They have enough power for local talk and its much easyer to talk to people who are not a part of your tight group. Not to mention you can still buy them in any radio shack...

BTW, for those who asked.
GHB= get home bag
BOB= bug out bag
SAB=stay away bag (a new one I have heard about that is 'pre-positioned' someplace far away)
 
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