Samanthahhi wrote:
Bumpy > Could you pvt msg me a pic of your handheld or send me a link to the actual product(s) or something. I have seen so many things and it is getting confusing.
After all the research, I am closing in on this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Motorola-Talkabout-MS350R-2-Way-Radio/16419625
I didn't mention that we also want the kids to be able to use them between campsites as some will be in a cabin with my mom and my son with us...and then if they want to run off and do stuff. We would rather them not be using the cell phones.
Obgraham > Hahaha...you Westerners CAN kick it up a notch can't you?!
those are FRS (family radio service) radios with additional GMRS channels. GMRS requires a federal communications commission license while using the FRS channels requires no license. the 35-mi range touted by the maker is pure fantasy for FRS. FRS radios emissions are FM and, like all FM systems, are line-of-sight. the maximum power allowed for FRS is 500-miliwatts or 1/2 of 1-watt. your real world range for these radios would be .5 to 1-mile, more if you're on open water...a large lake for instance...or on absolutely flat terrain with no obstructions...like the desert. 2-miles is possible but not reliably. FRS was designed for family use...around a house, campground, farm, ranch, while hiking or they can be used for car-car comms while traveling.
click
HERE and
HERE for more information about the FRS.
GMRS (general mobile radio service) is another short distance two-way radio service that was designed for small businesses (who otherwise do not want to incur the costs of a business band radio system) or individuals. like FRS GMRS radio is FM...line-of-sight. (as of 1987 GMRS was restricted to individuals.) maximum power is 50-watts but most handheld GMRS radios use anywhere from 1 to 5 watts of power.
the major difference between FRS and GMRS in terms of range is that the FCC allows repeaters on GMRS. a repeater can extend the effective range of GMRS signals to 20-35 miles, depending on the height of the repeater antenna, the surrounding terrain, etc. but the repeaters are in fixed locations and may require an additional fee or membership in a club to use. the FCC license costs $85, covers an entire family and is good for 5-years.
click
HERE and
HERE for additional information about GMRS.
the OP wants a low-cost 2-way radio system to communicate between two vehicles while traveling. one GMRS license would cover both the OP and his mother in the other vehicle and using a 5-watt GMRS handheld would provide better range than a .5-watt FRS handheld. but the Motorola walk-about radios the OP references are .5-watt models, even on the GMRS channels.
a real GMRS handheld such as
this one have a maximum output power of 4-watts and run about $100 each. shopping around for price once a particular radio is selected might bring that price down. add in the FCC license and the OP is approaching $300. is that low-cost? depends on your definition.
the point is that ANY FRS radio that also includes GMRS channels (and they virtually all do since the FCC placed both services in the same portion of the band) will be limited to .5-watts of power and will cost somewhere between $40-$100 per pair. that might meet the low-cost threshold but range will be limited. I have not seen or heard of a 'smart' FRS/GMRS handheld that is limited to .5-watts on FRS channel and 5-watts on GMRS channels.
ANY 2-way radio that operates off a hand-held transceiver...FRS, GMRS, CB, amateur radio...will have limited range. that range can be greatly extended by placing an antenna on top of the vehicles. that is illegal for the FRS and in fact FRS radios do not have that option. installing small CB mobile radios with rooftop antennas may provide 3-5 mile range again depending on terrain and how well the antenna is matched to the radio. if the OP is not experienced in matching then professional installation would be advised.
ham radio (amateur radio) allows for the free use of repeaters (unlike GMRS) but also requires a license. a GMRS license requires an application and fee. a ham license requires an exam and a smaller fee.
pluses and minuses for each radio service. the simplest, easiest and least expensive service for the OP is the FRS coupled with realistic expectations.
