Communication Radios
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 872
Likes: 18
From: Jasper, Mn
Communication Radios
Hello all,
I am looking for a good radio for two communications. I have been looking around and it seems like you have to have FCC licenses for alot of different radios, and some it seems you may even have to pay for a certain bandwidth.
I didn't think it was this confusing to find a radio. Dang.
I am looking for radios mainly for our tractors ( JD 4320, 4440, 4450), but I would also like to have one in my truck, and possibly my father's truck (02 F350 PSD). I would like a minimum of 5 mile range, reliably. I would also like to have mounted radios, not handhelds, hopefully with the ability to use a headset as input/output.
Are there any radios out there that you guys would recommend? Or any 2 way type systems that you have?
Thanks for the help guys,
Baatzy
I am looking for a good radio for two communications. I have been looking around and it seems like you have to have FCC licenses for alot of different radios, and some it seems you may even have to pay for a certain bandwidth.
I didn't think it was this confusing to find a radio. Dang.
I am looking for radios mainly for our tractors ( JD 4320, 4440, 4450), but I would also like to have one in my truck, and possibly my father's truck (02 F350 PSD). I would like a minimum of 5 mile range, reliably. I would also like to have mounted radios, not handhelds, hopefully with the ability to use a headset as input/output.
Are there any radios out there that you guys would recommend? Or any 2 way type systems that you have?
Thanks for the help guys,
Baatzy
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 10,750
Likes: 1,065
From: Douglassville, PA
If you want 5 miles you're talking GMRS and you are supposed to get a license for them and I don't know how they do over hills. I recently bought a Garmin RINO, which is GPS/FMRS/GMRS and has capabilities I wanted for camping, hiking, etc. One license is good for you and your family but with HAM each operator needs to be licensed and you need to take a test. GMRS no test, get license on line, pay with credit card and print license out. If you are talking about serious communications with it you might want to set yourself up a repeater and there is even more to that. If you search GMRS radio you will find a BB where you can get the data you need.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,852
Likes: 39
For the range you want, I would recommend MURS (Multi User Radio Service). It is license-free, and uses former VHF business band frequencies. Hardly anyone knows about it, so it's not congested. VHF (~150MHZ) works better than the UHF (~465 MHz) used by GMRS/FRS when it comes to range over terrain and obstacles.
The antennas will be a bit longer, more like a scanner antenna, but for vehicle mounted applications that's OK. You can run up to 2 watts, I think. You might find some old radio shack or motorola vehicle mounted business band radios that can work those frequencies.
There's a company called Dakota Alert that sells a lot of MURS products on Amazon. Reasonably priced, not sure how good the quality is, but the reviews look good. They have "base stations" (more like intercoms) and handhelds, and also things like driveway alarms that also interface to the radios.
The "base station" works on 12 volts DC, and has a BNC connector for the antenna, so you could put it in a vehicle. If it's the full 2 watts out (I think it is), with a good mobile antenna, tuned properly, I would think you'd be able to work several miles. The prices are quite reasonable on Amazon. Good luck!
The antennas will be a bit longer, more like a scanner antenna, but for vehicle mounted applications that's OK. You can run up to 2 watts, I think. You might find some old radio shack or motorola vehicle mounted business band radios that can work those frequencies.
There's a company called Dakota Alert that sells a lot of MURS products on Amazon. Reasonably priced, not sure how good the quality is, but the reviews look good. They have "base stations" (more like intercoms) and handhelds, and also things like driveway alarms that also interface to the radios.
The "base station" works on 12 volts DC, and has a BNC connector for the antenna, so you could put it in a vehicle. If it's the full 2 watts out (I think it is), with a good mobile antenna, tuned properly, I would think you'd be able to work several miles. The prices are quite reasonable on Amazon. Good luck!
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,564
Likes: 5,601
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
for what you want, use either verizon or sprint cell phones with push to talk capabilities. they run around $40 per month, and you get a cell phone out of the deal also. to do what you want, you are looking at close to 5-6 thousand for the radios, plus a yearly license cost.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 18,849
Likes: 179
From: Puget Sound
I haven't looked into this lately, but the last I heard... CBs are alive and well, and truck stops still sell the big amplifiers. I like CB, because it's Amplitude Modulated (AM), and that works well in mountainous terrain (I have that issue) and beyond the horizon (about 7 miles is the limit here). FM transmissions are line-of-sight - travel over the horizon and you're done... unless you have a really tall antenna.
Truckers still prefer CBs because of the benefits of AM transmission, but here's the rub: They're mobile, so it's difficult to enforce any FCC rules on their over-powered amplifiers. I don't know how that would play with hardware in the same place every day. With all the advanced electronics that we count on in our daily lives, interference (from an over-powered transmission) with their operation would be looked into.
One other option is Marine Band Radio and a big antenna. No license there.
Truckers still prefer CBs because of the benefits of AM transmission, but here's the rub: They're mobile, so it's difficult to enforce any FCC rules on their over-powered amplifiers. I don't know how that would play with hardware in the same place every day. With all the advanced electronics that we count on in our daily lives, interference (from an over-powered transmission) with their operation would be looked into.
One other option is Marine Band Radio and a big antenna. No license there.
New User
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
If your using them for work go with business band, get something in the 150mhz area and go FM. It will work well in most areas. Depending on line of site and other condition you can get up to 50 miles on this type of set up.
If its not for business you can go HAM and have a lot more fun and better communication. I can talk around the world from the truck with amateur radio, also via some repeaters in the local area on a handheld i can talk up to 100 miles.
If its not for business you can go HAM and have a lot more fun and better communication. I can talk around the world from the truck with amateur radio, also via some repeaters in the local area on a handheld i can talk up to 100 miles.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 872
Likes: 18
From: Jasper, Mn
After looking more, and talking to others, I do think I am going to get CBs for everything, maybe, lotsa unknowns going on right now. I dont know of many people that use CBs in our area anymore so it should be relatively open.
Does anyone here have experience with the Cobra 29 LX radio?
Does anyone here have experience with the Cobra 29 LX radio?
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,852
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The increased range of CBs is due to the lower frequency. If you can tolerate the noisier operation of AM, the interference from other users, and the necessarily longer antennas, that would probably be the cheapest solution that would give the range you want.
New User
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
I do like the Cobra 29 get them off ebay and look for the older ones made in Japan you can get 40 watts out of them with little work. We used them back on the hay ranch.
But Go for ham radio if you are not using it for work. The celerity and reliability are worlds apart from CB. Also the equipment is better there are handhelds and mobiles we use them all the time for backing trailers in, talking local around the house, truck to truck, and with in 100 miles of the local repeater. If you travel like I do it will pass the time on the road we have lots of activity on parts of the ham bands. The test for the tech level in the USA is not a hard test. Equipment ranges from $37-10,000 most in the $37-500 range, so you can find the right radio and other equipment you need.
But Go for ham radio if you are not using it for work. The celerity and reliability are worlds apart from CB. Also the equipment is better there are handhelds and mobiles we use them all the time for backing trailers in, talking local around the house, truck to truck, and with in 100 miles of the local repeater. If you travel like I do it will pass the time on the road we have lots of activity on parts of the ham bands. The test for the tech level in the USA is not a hard test. Equipment ranges from $37-10,000 most in the $37-500 range, so you can find the right radio and other equipment you need.
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