handheld comms question

[havoc1969]

my unit currently uses frs/gmrs comms, and they are okay,, but the mountains here in wyoming really limit range,, i have been reading some on 2 meter and such..............

the question is,,, we don't have much more than about 100 or so to spend per handheld to replace with better range units,,,, size is not as much of a consideration,, as many of us have blackhawk or eagle gear with large radio pouches.........

what should we go with,,, that has mike hook ups,,, etc

thanks in advance

[Amish_Bill]

You can get a 2m handheld for less than a hundred dollars (Icom t2h sport, IIRC), but I'm not certain how well it would hold up to a field environment.

My current favorite for a 2m only handheld is still the Yaesu vx-150. The price is a little higher, but it's built from an industrial radio frame, not a consumer "play" chassis. The price per unit usually floats around $120-$150 per. (plus battery packs, speakermikes, etc, currently $120 at hamradio.com) For proper field use, you'll probably want the AA battery pack for it. You might be able to offset the cost by selling the rechargeable pack.

Now, you do understand that most of the problem with your communications range is the terrain and not the radio power, right? More power might help some, but don't bet on it being the complete answer.

Radios in this frequency range operate in a Line of Sight manner. Any obstructions between radios will reduce their capabilities. Mountains and wet foliage are two of the worst things to have between radios.

ps.. 2m is licensed spectrum. I do hope your operators will be licensed. At the very least, make Darn Sure of the frequencies you want to use... Accidentally tranasmit on the wrong one and you'll have government Search & Rescue people triangulating on you Very, Very quickly!

[ 02. January 2004, 08:46: Message edited by: Amish_Bill ]

[TimW]

Originally posted by havoc1969:
my unit currently uses frs/gmrs comms, and they are okay,, but the mountains here in wyoming really limit range,, i have been reading some on 2 meter and such..............

the question is,,, we don't have much more than about 100 or so to spend per handheld to replace with better range units,,,, size is not as much of a consideration,, as many of us have blackhawk or eagle gear with large radio pouches.........

what should we go with,,, that has mike hook ups,,, etc

thanks in advance

If you're operating out of a "base camp" and are licensed to operate in the HF range, look at NVIS antenna set-ups. (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave)

http://www.qsl.net/wb5ude/nvis/

Great for working from one valley to another.

On the FM side (handheld territory), Amish B. is right on the money WRT terrain v. power.

Be aware that HAMS are VERY territorial on the allocated frequencies and WILL report unlicensed operators to the FCC. If you're going that route, you might want to look at some of the land mobile set up and commercial variants (LMRS). They will cost more, but you *might* be cut a bit more slack than on the HAM bands should you decide to work outside any formal licensing arrangements (which I don't advocate, but that's merely from a self-preservation standpoint).

[USA-1]

Yes on the Icom 2TH sport. I got mine delivered for $96. I am reading the book "Now you're Talking" so I can take the tech test.

[havoc1969]

amish you have a pm

[ROWDY]

The ICom T2H Sport passes the military bump and grind test so it should hold up. I have had one for a couple of years and have attached a throat mike to it and earbud. The big advantage you will have is adding longer antennas to increase wave propagation (range). The rubber ducky they come with is OK. You can screw on a simple 1/2 or 5/8 wave antenna to increase range or add on tuneable antenna that is back packable. I have a coil of RG 58 in the pack with a coax attachment on one end and approximately 19" of bared wire on the other. I tie a rock to the bare end, throw it over a tree, attach the coax to my rado, and voila! mucho extra mileage. But you must tune this last one with a SWR meter or risk burning up your radio.

[ArmsonOEG]

The VX-150 is by far the best little 2 Meter radio i have ever used/seen. Its fairly durable and has an excellent receiver ( good as or better than my Motorola HT1550 $900 list radio). And it is not complicated to use ( big plus ). But you should get the Amateur lic. If not MURS radio is a license free VHF band at 2 watts