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Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 10:20 am
by Mav7200
Oh, I must be wrong then. I had assumed that the FRS and GMRS were in the same or similiar bands and were available at all the places. I suppose that the ones I am talking about were FRS then ie Walmart, Radioshack, etc...
I will have to look up GMRS and learn more about it.
Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:04 am
by N6ATF
Purely FRS radios are far and few between. They're almost all combo FRS/GMRS.
http://www.ba-marc.org/writeups/gmrs-frs-freq.htm
Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:49 pm
by Mav7200
Good link, I have been looking around the net for more info also. I have seen some GMRS radios that have a 99 channel memory and keypad and the whole bit... Going from a couple hundred all the way to a grand! Is FRS sort of thenew CB generation then?
Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 1:27 pm
by N6ATF
Those are Chinese-made and not legal for use in the U.S. (unless you use them for ham radio).
FRS is the new CB - crappy range, mostly crappy use of the spectrum.
Though at least most of the 40 CB channels are quiet now if you want to operate them in a 4 mile radius of unobstructed terrain.
Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 2:28 pm
by IronCross
N6ATF wrote:
Though at least most of the 40 CB channels are quiet now if you want to operate them in a 4 mile radius of unobstructed terrain.
Well....
With the setup thats in my truck, I can talk with people from Oceanside, Poway, etc....(with no linear amplifier)
When the skip is right, was talking to people from Kansas.
Heres some of the pics of my truck. (Sorry if they are big, Used my good camera)
Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 3:17 pm
by N6ATF
Hm, well I had a base station with a 1/4 wave whip and ground radials and couldn't get further than 4 miles (AM, my IB friend on SSB couldn't receive me at all). I even worked when 10 meters opened up, still nothing.
However Imperial Beach isn't exactly known for its hilly terrain like La Mesa. I can see you making Oceanside with some of the signal going across water. Poway would be a local skip I guess.
Some people just aren't meant to get more than the manufacturers' claims out of their radios.
Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:14 pm
by Mav7200
120 inch whip for the win! I used to be into CB when I was younger, used to be up on 37 LSB and 39 upper I think. I had the big 18 foot antenna in the back yard... I joke that radio kept me off drugs but there may be more truth to that than anyone suspects...
Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:17 pm
by N6ATF
Either that or you need drugs to tolerate the mess that is channel 19.