Walkie talkies
Posted by King_GC@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 124 comments
Ok, so we just dropped 300 on some baofeng k5plus and they reach about 75' more than our 7 year old uv5r. Went through many review videos and they kept bragging about 5 miles out, 7 miles out, 9 miles out blah blah blah. These things are useless for beeing 4x the price of a uv5r.
Does anyone here have a reccomendation for walkies that can reach 5 miles? Or any guidance to what we have to do to make these things reach the 5- 8 miles other people are talking about?
Emergency_West_7601@reddit
You can try a PoC radio, which is worldwide.
PossibilityCivil9794@reddit
Check out walkietalkies.us. - been using them to talk across the USA with no issues.
Not_Yet_Begun2Fight@reddit
Not sure where you're located, but VHF / UHF radios (like Baofengs) are heavily dependent on terrain / obstructions / line of site. I've personally talked to a family member \~15 miles away, but I was up on the side of a mountain looking down at a valley floor at the time. On the other hand, if you've got one dense concrete / steel building between you, that might be enough to degrade comms even if you're only a hundred feet apart.
driverdan@reddit
One thing I didn't see others mentioning. You're not licensed to operate on ham bands. Make sure you're only operating on unlicensed bands during your testing and at or below the legal power limit for those frequencies.
Torch99999@reddit
They aren't type classified by the FCC for use on the FRS, GMRS, or MURS bands...not that anyone seems to care.
JustinMcSlappy@reddit
Recommendation: learn fundamentals of RF. Those radios will absolutely transmit miles with line of sight and no blockages. With a directional antenna on each end, you could probably get 20+ miles.
HillTower160@reddit
I used 2 HTs and an arrow antenna on a low-orbit satellite and could hear myself breaking the squelch with 1/2 watt with the satellite 1500 miles downrange.
The OP has an advertising/fundamental study inversion.
JustinMcSlappy@reddit
I'm coming up on my 20 year mark doing electronic warfare and SIGINT for the military. I've done synchronous data links over 400 miles with 5w and a lot of elevation.
I agree on the study aversion. This is stuff you can learn in five minutes on the internet.
MentalSewage@reddit
I'm not going to disagree, because I grew up in an electronics household where my dad repaired CBs and I learned by osmosis but all I know about RF I picked up there or from my random fits of studying for the HAM I still haven't gotten the nerve to take.
Outside of that, I haven't found (or I'll be honest REALLY searched for) a good resource to break into more advanced RF from an approachable layman level. Plenty of stuff I could follow with my background, but nothing somebody without existing knowledge could bite into. And without knowing what they don't know, it's hard to learn the specific little bits like line of sight.
Got any recommendations for I guess more passive "follow these people and you'll at least brush into these RF concepts"?
JustinMcSlappy@reddit
Get a ham license. A HAM Extra knows all this stuff and way more.
my11c3nts@reddit
...... I have a stupid/would like to know question for you
Does the military scan for all frequencies on any channels of any device?.... As say, a security precaution
So say if something happens and someone needs to make a signal beacon with a CB radio, a wire antenna, and a pre-recorded message. If in range, would it get heard?
JustinMcSlappy@reddit
Depends if the military has an interest in that location and authorization to actively use their equipment. We can't use all the good stuff in the United States by federal law because we cannot listen to US citizens. If SHTF and all the rules are out the window, yes.
Our wideband receivers and DF equipment are the best that money can buy. You'll still be limited by normal RF physics like distance and power level but a military SIGINT unit can absolutely see it on the scope, listen to it, and pinpoint a CB beacon like that within seconds of it coming on air.
my11c3nts@reddit
Thank you for that information.Unfortunately, not my location is the middle of nowhere, and I figured if I could at least set up a radio of beacon that a good chance of an SOS reaching more people would be better than nothing.... It was just a thought that I just wanted to ask.
JustinMcSlappy@reddit
Get a ham license (it's cheap) and erect an antenna.
CB radios top out around three miles. A basic ham handheld can get you 10 miles, a setup in your car or house can hit 50.
I'm not a HAM, I don't need it for my job and I do enough of it during the day that I don't mess with it when I come home. In your case, I'd absolutely have a HAM license, a map of all the repeaters in my area and a redundant radio setup so you can call for help if you have to.
my11c3nts@reddit
I know I was just thinking of something quick. That could be improvised if needed if I was somewhere where I didn't have any equipment..... If I have ever find the time to get licensed and the money to afford the equipment.... Just the reasseurance that if a signal is sent, somebody will hear It helps a bit......
Unfortunately, necessities come before excessive privileges.... 😞
JustinMcSlappy@reddit
I've learned the hard way that planning is a far better course of action than improvising. If it's important, you'll find the time, it's not that expensive to get started.
my11c3nts@reddit
I do have a quick question for you about the emergency radio frequencies, and if these are still accurate, then.....
163.4875 163.5125 168.55
Are these frequencies still being used?
JustinMcSlappy@reddit
The first is the national guard emergency frequency but I don't know the other two. I'll tell you that I've never once in twenty years of training soldiers seen an NG unit actively using that frequency. Military vehicle radios don't even work on that frequency, they are 30-88 mhz.
Your best bet is to reach out to the local sheriff's office/state patrol/game wardens/firefighters and find out what freqs are actually being monitored.
my11c3nts@reddit
Well, this is just part of a little list that I have at the moment.It's from above online so didn't know if it was still being monitored or not, but yes of course i'm going to check with local also
JustinMcSlappy@reddit
Bud none of those help you if you don't have a radio that can receive them.
my11c3nts@reddit
I know.
I live in a small town of under 4000 Around here we just use walkies and small radios if we need to talk to get a hold of someone I know what you're saying about getting the ham operator license and a decent setup but I'm not worried about hundreds of miles.I'm just worried about our small town. And if the situation does arise, if it was possible to send an emergency signal.... I was just wondering if those frequencies were still active, honestly....
Knowledge is power.... I can pass it off to someone who actually knows what they're doing as far as I know. No one in my town has a ham operator license, but there may be a few sets around....
my11c3nts@reddit
MuffinOk4609@reddit
That Arrow sat beam is great. I assume you used 2m and 440.
FctFndr@reddit
Ok.. but you used a satellite and specialized antennas...
King_GC@reddit (OP)
So what are we supposed to use in shtf scenario if cell phones go down? There will always be obstructions
IndependentTeacher24@reddit
So who you plan to talk too in a shtf situation. Anyone else who has one or a receiver can hear your conversation. Might as well and use a cb radio. Just curious. Also curious on how you plan on keeping it charged.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
My brother and cousin when we out checking on things. We live on the 3rd highest point in the area and our panels get daylight since the sun starts to peak out til it settles so that should be plenty, not like we will ise them all day every day either. And yeah but thats why its important to be multilingual, they may know one or 2 of the languages, but we live in a part of town where 99% of folks speak English, maybe 20% learned a bit of Spanish here and there, guaranteed that less than 50% of the 9 Mexican families that live around here speak slang Mexican Spanish. People listening in isn't a concern, main reason why we trained our dogs in Nahuatl is so that Noone else can command them
Background_Angle1717@reddit
Pay attention to the people who posted before this. Radios have limitations. Ation, electrical and geographical interference, and others.
There’s not much you can do if you plan on using these radios everywhere you go, but you can make your area of operation more robust.
Elevation isn’t just for your base: but for your antenna as previously stated.
Repeaters: either pre-existing ones, or better yet your own. Make your area of operation meet your needs.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
Honestly I learned more in the last 15 minutes than we have in a year of watching yt videos. We have a lot of homework to do
Outspoken_Idiot@reddit
Everyday is a learning day and it's great to see that you are going to try to learn more about this.
Amateur radio aka HAM radio would be a great starting point depending on where you live the entry level license will give access to a very large spectrum of the band that you are then legally allowed to chat over, rather than the 8/16channels from cheap walkie talkie.
TacTurtle@reddit
Get a HAM license (which you legally need to transmit on the Baofengs in the US), the test study docs covers RF fundamentals, signal propagation, and bands.
JustinMcSlappy@reddit
You ever seen radio towers with antennas 400' up? This is why.
The answer is get your antenna higher or use a lower frequency but that comes at the cost of more power required.
In SHTF, I'd setup a P25 base station with an antenna as high as I could manage and use it as a relay station for handheld UHF radios. Essentially the same setup cops and firefighters use.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
I will look into this precise the explanation
RetiredIceBear11@reddit
That's the reality of radios.
New-Temperature-4067@reddit
I just bought a couple of baofeng uv21 pro v2 walkies for the bobs/good packs. But when setting them up i found out the hard way that in fact, you do need to actually know a few things about radios to effectively use them.
My knowlegde stopped with "use 446pmr band and select a channel on that range".
Im now looking into getting my ham novice license and what home setup would be usful for me.
Im incling to x-200N diamond antenna with an icom IC-2730E transciever. Drawing power from my home PV/battery setup. Should give me 20-100km range.
This shit is a rabbit hole. Its not that expensive either actually compared to buying guns and ammo.
Tldr: Read up on radios to use walkies more effectively and avoid law troubles.
bikumz@reddit
Distance depends on a lot more than just the radio. Most radios can reach out 5 miles, just 5 miles of open sight flat ground or one high radio talking to a lower radio. Without knowing your surroundings any recommendations will be eh at best.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
So what are we supposed to use if cell towers go down? Houses, buildings, shops will always be there, we dont have clear line of sight anywhere around here cause we live up in the hills, everything is bunched up the only roads that gets you in and out of here for miles and winds.
bikumz@reddit
A stronger radio.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
Im guessing stationary as handheld dont get past 10w i assume?
bikumz@reddit
You can have mobile radios that are extremly powerful and capable. If your terrain is that bad you may need to look into it. Look up “manpacks” and do a deep dive.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
We will look into that and hopefully get something set up. Thanks for the advice
Nyasaki_de@reddit
get your ham license, would get a better idea about stuff like that
bikumz@reddit
No problem. Don’t forget you can mount radios in vehicles as well, or even install antenna at home that will help a bit.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
Yeah.... you did read i cant get more than 10 blocc range out of these radios right? Lol I am not remotely ready to start getting into vehicle radio set ups
bikumz@reddit
Try using them in different areas. Travel around, you’ll be surprised what you can hit. Also if you don’t wanna get too involved look into public repeaters. Great option.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
Whats a public repeater?
Yeah, we are going out into the country tomorrow and will try them out there, this was more of a let down frustrated post because we literally reached 2 houses past where the uv5rs cut off. So yeah not the outcome we expected at all. But yes definitely goin to try them out in the country and then he'd out towards the hill country and try them there. Also the lake has a clear sight to the houses across and a client there just got his radio too so we gone try them out there too
bikumz@reddit
The simplest way I will explain a repeater is imagine your radio talks to a much stronger radio and it repeats your message with more power and better range. These are operated by clubs and private individuals alike for either the public to use or private groups. Many are public and require nothing more than the correct inputs to start using. Some of these even run off of back up power and such. Ham has a lot of people mixed in that are preparedness oriented. I’m not going to say they are preppers, but they understand the value of alternative communications and how they can be used in emergencies.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
Did a bit of research last night, thanks. Going to keep looking at things over the weekend. I appreciate your help
Outspoken_Idiot@reddit
Or different frequency some frequencies will penetrate buildings or woodland but less distance, others will have the distance with their wavelength and reflection of ionosphere but not too great on penetrate of buildings.
It's not all about power if using the wrong frequency for the situation.
androgenoide@reddit
Hills are actually your friend when you need coverage. A hilltop repeater can "see" for miles.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
Yeah, I learned a whole bunch last night that I had no idea about.
menthapiperita@reddit
Your real options are:
1) More power, height, and higher gain antennas. A 50w base station with a high gain directional antenna on a 50’ tower may punch through where a handheld can’t 2) Repeaters. Your area may have GMRS or ham repeaters that cover you and the people you want to talk to. Many repeaters have solar, battery, or generator power. You’ll need to be licensed for either service, but you should be for the radios you’re using anyway. 3) HF radio. NVIS HF radio can get you solid coverage in a 50-100 mile circle. It’s powerful but also expensive and can be complicated. If you’re balking at the cost of some HTs it may not be for you.
RetiredIceBear11@reddit
That's the reality of radio wave propagation. Stronger radios are the only practical answer.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
You mean stationary?
RetiredIceBear11@reddit
Radio propagation - Wikipedia https://share.google/akzg0cXAMdlgOdrZ8 Mobile or stationary.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
I appreciate it. Will be reading all of these links and looking into all the advice over the weekend.
Paranormal_Lemon@reddit
I can hit repeaters 20 miles away with my Baofeng and stock antenna from inside my house, on the low power setting.
PatienceCurrent8479@reddit
Yeah as soon as you factor in timber density, topography, buildings, etc range can become very, very limited even in high end mobile and hand held equipment.
My KNG 200 and BKR-5000 can’t hit anything in the Salmon River or Clearwater canyons. Repeater or line of sight when we’re talking elevation changes of 1500-2000 ft. Nature of the topography. Even our mobiles have problems in these deep dark holes.
MuffinOk4609@reddit
With my old 5W Kenwood on FD I worked a 100 miles out from mid-Vancouver Island, once to Mt. Baker, and also Mt. Olympus in WA. But I was using a 3-elem beam and was on a little hill myself. Height makes a big difference. Study for the license!
Many-Health-1673@reddit
You have to get your antenna higher than the obstacles. I use a throw antenna and raise it up to the eve of the house and that really extends the range to several miles. A tree can work as well. 6-8 miles in my area with GMRS is pretty common with rolling hills and a lot of deciduous trees.
Dismal-Bobcat-7757@reddit
You'd be best served getting your your technician amateur radio license. It's easy and you'll learn a lot. That will open doors that will help you improve your operating skills and build a better system. All I did was read the book and then take the exam. I passed on the first try. I joined a ham radio club and learned tons of stuff.
certifiedintelligent@reddit
Radio signals used by walkie-talkies are only going to go miles without anything in between to block the signals. They simply don’t have enough power to push the signal through buildings, forests, or anything else in the way.
Even strong stationary ham radio setups aren’t going to be transmitting through buildings, though they can reflect off the atmosphere to reach across the globe when conditions permit.
But handheld radios will never be good for long distances unless you have absolutely nothing between them.
xaidin@reddit
Yep, look into building out a repeater somewhere higher. Make a new friend... Or something.
5 is trivial with a repeater in between.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the explanation. That makes sense now
Informal_Plant777@reddit
Here's a clear, direct, and helpful Reddit response you can use:
I get your frustration! The advertised range on these radios (like the Baofeng K5 Plus) is typically the "best-case scenario" under ideal conditions—clear line-of-sight, minimal obstructions, optimal weather, etc. Real-world use often drastically reduces that range.
A few things you might consider:
1. Antenna Upgrade:
Replacing the stock antenna with something like a Nagoya NA-771 or similar higher-quality antenna can noticeably increase your range.
2. Elevation and Line-of-Sight:
The most significant factor for improving range is line-of-sight communication. Using the radios from elevated positions (hills, rooftops) can significantly extend coverage.
3. Higher-powered Radios:
Baofeng UV-5R and similar handhelds typically max out around 4-5 watts. For a genuine, reliable 5–8 miles (especially with obstacles), you might want to look at something like a GMRS mobile unit (Midland MXT400 or MXT575, for example), running 15-40 watts. Remember that this does require an FCC GMRS license (though it's straightforward to get).
4. Repeaters:
Utilizing local ham or GMRS repeaters, if available, can dramatically increase effective range.
In short, the handheld Baofengs can indeed be limited, no matter what the specs say. For reliable comms over multiple miles in typical conditions, upgrading antennas, going to higher-powered units, or using repeater networks is usually necessary.
Hope that helps!
Eredani@reddit
If you want something that ignores the physics of line of sight then get satellite phones.
androgenoide@reddit
Satellite phones need to see the sky. They won't work in your bunker without an external antenna.
Eredani@reddit
Who said anything about a bunker?
Plus, a radio inside a bunker without an external antenna might have the same issue.
Longjumping-Army-172@reddit
Will...not might.
Longjumping-Army-172@reddit
My apologies. My earlier reply may have come off a bit snarky. That wasn't my intention.
You do have to have an amateur radio license to transmit on those radios legally. They also need to be properly programmed (yes, those are test frequencies already loaded).
Yes, those radios CAN get 5-8 miles (possibly more) under the perfect circumstances.
Any handheld radio operating in the UHF/VHF frequencies are going to be limited by your surroundings (hills, trees, houses, etc). They're all mostly line-of-site. When it comes to radio-to-radio (simplex) communication, you're not much better off with the Baofeng radios than you are with bubble-pack FRS radios. More wattage won't be much gain.
The stock antennas are generally considered to be crap. You might be able to squeeze a little more out of the radios by changing the antennas. I've heard good things about the Signal Stick. You can also add a counterpoise wire (aka a Tiger Tail... sometimes a rattail). There's tutorials online on how to make them and make them work.
I just ordered a Signal Stick antenna, the Signal Strand adapter and the Signal Strand counterpoise wire from Signal Stuff's website on Thursday (to go on the Baofeng UV-28 Plus that I also have en-route). It was under $40 shipped.
To really get range out of those radios, you need to use repeaters. To do that legally, you need a license. It will cost you about $50...$15 exam fee and $35 to the FCC...(per person), and is good for 10 years. There is a test. It can be taken online or in person. It is t hard (passed mine this afternoon). There are free study materials online.
GMRS radios can also use repeaters, but they're going to be just as limited in simplex. They, too require a license and programming. There's no test. The license is $35 and covers family members.
If you're dead-set against having (and paying for) a license, consider Citizen's Band...CB. They're NOT UHF/VHF. They're, I believe, on the 11-meter band. That means they can "skip" off the atmosphere, and may possibly give you better range. Or not...
Remember, despite all the talk of "privacy codes", there is no privacy with these radios. Those codes only keep you from hearing what people without the code are saying. Anybody with the right equipment and on the right frequency can hear what you're saying.
Likewise, anybody with the right equipment, on the right frequency...and with the right amount of patience...can find you. So, if "OPSEC" is a concern for you and what you're prepping for, you might want to really think about how...or if...you're going to be using radios, period.
Outspoken_Idiot@reddit
Big difference between legal off the shelf walkie talkies for general public and Amateur radio kit for the more serious prepper,
Off the shelf baofeng have limited power aka range, the frequency range doesn't cover repeaters so it's down to line of sight more or less, within the same woodland you should get eachother, otherwise if physically eyes on from hilltop to hilltop.
Depending on the terrain the amateur radio operator has multiple options, higher output handhelds, or different frequencies to choose from. For example a 4m band (70mhz) will curve and bounce and is just magic that will defy all electronic calculations and each it's target within a 50km radius more or less, if I want to cover an area that's between 300-500kms away I choose the frequency range according to the solar conditions.
Buying a 25€£¥$ radio that takes 4aaa batteries isn't prepping that's a toy for the kids to get comfortable with.
Prepping isn't about what kit you have access to it's about the knowledge base that allows you to maximize the equipment you have access to and to identify the areas where more subject matter knowledge is required.
Amateur radio isn't about prepping but would go very well with the prepper mindset, there are active groups that chat about their kit and who they managed to make contact with.
Paranormal_Lemon@reddit
Handheld UHF and VHF ham are pretty much only used with repeaters. Baofengs cover the entire 2m and 70cm bands and can be set up to use repeaters easily. They also work with GMRS repeaters.
VisualEyez33@reddit
5 to 8 miles is a stretch no matter the brand or price for any handheld radio.
You need antennas that are much higher off the ground, with an unobstructed line of sight between them. The higher up the better. Like 30 to 60 feet up sounds like a good starting point. This would obviously be for a base station sort of setup.
For mobile use, if you have a group that all wants to be able to reach each other within one fixed 5 mile diameter area, you could set up a repeater on a very tall antenna tower of some kind.
Source: am a ham radio operator.
androgenoide@reddit
You can get some startling distances with a handheld as long as you have a clear shot at a mountaintop repeater.
Source: retired two way radio tech
androgenoide@reddit
Example: Mt. St. Helena (elevation 4300'+) is about 90 miles from the San Francisco Bay but a five watt handheld will reliably open the repeater from the center of the Bay Bridge. There is nothing in the way. On a clear day you can see down the center of the bay from the north peak. In fact, there was a plaque there with some Russian graffiti indicating the spot where some of the Fort Ross crew are said to have watched for Spanish traffic in the bay.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
Thanks for that explanation that actually makes sense, we are testing them around the house, in the hills with buildings and houses and all, but will look into seeing up a repeater for when we go hunting as the blinds are quite spread out and service is spotty out there.
SoCalSurvivalist@reddit
Look up repeater kits, they might require a lic to use but since you mentioned gmrs odds are you won't have any problems unless you pick a popular frequency.
SoCalSurvivalist@reddit
If you are running a stock antenna you could try getting a better antenna. The higher the dB (decibel) rating og the antenna the more gain it will have so you'll be able to extend the reach a bit further.
If you really want to extend range then you'll want to get on top of a hill without obstructions. If you are in a forested area then pretty much out of luck no matter what you do, unless you get the antenna above the trees line.
Directional antennas could help you too. The Guerilla Guide to the Baofeng has some instructions for some basic antennas you can make a directional antenna with little more than a coat hanger, tape, and a stick.
androgenoide@reddit
Bear in mind that the gain of an antenna comes from directing more power in the desired direction. A high gain vertical antenna, for example, maximizes horizontal radiation. If it's up on a tower and you are directly below it your signal strength will be much lower than you expect.
Loaded-Potato@reddit
The problem is that it's likely a line of sight thing. You might just want to invest in a ham radio license.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
Im not paying for a license to use a walkie talkie. I agree with that license as much as I agree with jumping through hoops to purchase a suppressor with is just a really cool muzzle device.
onlyifigaveash1t@reddit
You won't need a license to use a ham radio when shtf. You'll need to learn some things beforehand for a ham to be useful to you though.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
Yeah, after this purchase im realizing this shit aint like nextel lol damn I miss those things.
ForestDweller2989@reddit
Nextel phones used cellular data to perform that function they were not the same as walkie talkies.
androgenoide@reddit
The iDEN tech used by Nextel was originally designed as a super flexible two way radio system but the investors had the technology "tweaked" to make it a cellular alternative. It had some pretty cool features such as the ability to revert to simplex when a repeater became unavailable. It turned out to be a bad marketing decision.
Arafel_Electronics@reddit
chirp
King_GC@reddit (OP)
Yes!!!
Loaded-Potato@reddit
Tell me you know nothing about radio signals without telling me you know nothing about radio signals...
King_GC@reddit (OP)
No shit. If I knew about it why would I be here asking for advice.
General_Raisin2118@reddit
If you went through the process of getting a license you'd understand ya ding dong. You're out here hoping Professor Harold Hill's think system is going to get the band ready for the big show. you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.
Wasitchalked@reddit
If you get your license you will learn how they work and how to use them while studying for the test. That way, when shtf you don't end up jamming up frequencies that others are using to pass emergency traffic because you don't know how to use your "walkie talkie". And you'll end up being the asshole that fucks up an emergency net because you don't know how an emergency net is ran, how a roundtable works, how to program offsets, pl tones, even how to key up to a repeater and not cut off your transmission. This is why there is a license process, ham radios are temperamental and takes practice to be able to use effectively.
Loaded-Potato@reddit
I gave you advice and you balked at it. What you want is to be agreed with. Not advice.
leyline@reddit
Op prolly been holding those radios up to his ear while yip tapping to his primo too long.
leyline@reddit
Spends $300 on a radio they can’t use properly, won’t spend $0 on a free license.
randynumbergenerator@reddit
What do you mean, money and skill are always fungible (/s)
TacTurtle@reddit
OK, you clearly know best, enjoy your felony charges because you are obstinate and refuse to listen.
Paranormal_Lemon@reddit
Something to keep in mind is that doubling output power only increases range like 10%. So if the difference in the radios is higher wattage or a slightly better antenna, real world differences are negligible.
dittybopper_05H@reddit
No handhelds can do it under typical conditions. To get anything more than 2 or 3 mikes you need to be elevated.
joelnicity@reddit
They work out to 75 feet?
King_GC@reddit (OP)
No, our uv5r reach 10 blocks away from the house, the k5plus reach 2 houses past where the uv5rs cut off. Roughly 75' more
joelnicity@reddit
You must be in a big city. I live in a smaller town and my friend and I have talked from our houses, a few miles apart
GigabitISDN@reddit
You’re getting a lot of good advice, but as usual, we’re all being a little snarky. I’m going to try a different approach because my wife made some amazing coffee this morning and I’m in a really good mood.
Everyone is correct when they say handheld radios aren’t going to be as effective as having a directional antenna or an antenna several hundred feet in the air. This is all entirely 100% correct. Problem is, it may not be realistic for your scenario.
HAM radio is far and away the most flexible, resilient, and capable means of getting information from point A to point B using radio. Full stop, no exceptions. I know you aren’t interested in that fee and learning curve, but think of it like this: anyone can hunt (or fish, or play baseball, or fix a truck, or whatever your preference). Hunting itself is easy. But learning to track game, hunt effectively, and preserve the meat takes years of learning and practice. It’s the same with radio. A $25 pair of walkie talkies from Amazon will technically let you “talk to your friend over radio” — but only if they’re nearby.
If ham is completely out of the question for you, there are alternatives. GMRS is a pretty good balance of out-of-the-box capability and simplicity. You do need a license, but it’s like $75 for 10 years or something ridiculously affordable. GMRS has its flaws and won’t go more than a mile or two without a repeater network, but even a quality handheld will do well. In my suburban environment, I get about a half mile through buildings on the high-power channels using my Midland handhelds. Those are by no means high end.
If that doesn’t work either, sat phones can be an option, but they come with their own set of problems. If you’re concerned about the cell / landline phone networks going down, then you’re still not going to be able to call those people with a sat phone. You’re only going to be able to call other sat phones. And although some people swear otherwise, it’s debatable what will happen once the terrestrial stations start going down. Maybe you can route through an alternate station, maybe you can’t. Maybe the sat network will cache authentication and keep functioning indefinitely, but probably not. Sat phones absolutely have their place in emergency communication, but they are not the magic bullet some people swear they are.
In my home we have GMRS and phones on multiple carriers. My work phone is on Verizon, my personal phone is on T-Mobile, and my wife’s phone is on AT&T. If one or two carriers go down, we probably still have service one way or another. MVNOs can help with this. We use US Mobile, which lets us switch between carriers without changing our plan.
So if you really want emergency comms, then you (and the people you’re communicating with) need to bite the bullet and go full ham. If that’s just not an option, then you need to accept compromises with something like GMRS.
silverbk65105@reddit
prepper and ham here. The nest cheap radio besides the Baofeng is the Tidradio H-3. I think they are selling for $20 now for a kit. Experiment with the different antennas.
Consider getting a ham license. It will allow use of your local repeaters. This will greatly extend your range and versatility.
EffinBob@reddit
Two handhelds can communicate hundreds of miles, BUT you need a clear line of sight between the two. This is the small print that is always missing from the advertisement. No obstructions like trees, houses, hills, mountains, or curvature of the earth. This is rather an uncommon condition for the average user. Having a ham license comes in handy because you'll learn why this is so and be able to legally test your setup after you do what you can to solve your problem.
Or you can keep believing the advertising and buy a lot of expensive radios which won't do you any good. Your choice.
silasmoeckel@reddit
Walkie talkies aka HT's are primarily limited by curvature of the earth. None of them go far without getting them up high.
That would all be covered in the testing material to get the licence required to use them.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Small handheld radios are pretty much all going to be line of sight type comms unless you hit repeaters.
"Line of sight" doesn't just mean you can see to the trees 20 yards away, but it does mean it's not going to jump over big hills or carry very long distances.
Getting your antenna up higher and pushing more power is going to help with bands like 2 meter/440 VHF.
shikkonin@reddit
And that, children, is the reason why betting on using ham radios without bothering with a license is a problem.
Radios aren't magic.
Longjumping-Army-172@reddit
First of all, those aren't "walkie-talkies" like you had when you were kids. They're Ham radios. Study up, take your test and get your license. You'd already have the answers to your questions.
Even the little low-watt "bubble pack" FRS radios can communicate for miles under the right circumstances. The Ham radios can do that...and more under the right circumstances. But you need a fairly clear line of sight to do so.
If you had your license, you could use repeaters...
Even the best handheld radio can only talk so far under the WRONG circumstances.
Space__Whiskey@reddit
Meshtastic radios can do dozens of miles, and hundreds in mesh mode. Low power (23dbm) which means they can run on solar and small battery alone. Encrypted, where you can manage the keys. They are less than $100, sometimes only $40-50 so you can scale them out to a whole fleet. They bounce off each other so you can build meshes of any size. We talk between towns with no effort, and little cost.
Swmp1024@reddit
The main issue with line of sight is not obstructions it's the curvature of the earth. If you are holding a walkie talkie to your ear it is 5' off the ground and your signal will go max 3 miles Till you hit dirt. Even if you are in salt flats or at sea. Now put a 50' tower on your roof and that is 13 miles. I have a 50' repeater (cross band) at my house that gives me a 10 mile range around my house.
And that is why a license also is worth it....I have access to multiple repeaters in my area run a cross band repeater at my house and an APRS digipeater. If you can hit a repeater that is 300' tall you have a 27 mile range or more. APRS does multiple hops which is a massive range.
menthapiperita@reddit
Agreed. Repeaters are amazing. There’s a ham repeater in my area on a TV / radio tower with a voter scope for receive. It covers a massive chunk of the state.
harbourhunter@reddit
line of sight, or learn to connect to a repeater
SquirrelMurky4258@reddit
Line of sight is the key. I put up a 100’ tower on my property, maybe $2500 all in. It has made it so we can talk as far as 10 miles away. For handhelds that is huge. We have since switched to GMRS, fewer people and issues.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
Yeah, learned a lot in the last 10 minutes than we have in a year watching yt videos about this. I mean I didnt think this shit would be so complicated, its radios, nextel could chirp even with no signal for phone calls but yeah theres definitely a lot that we need to learn
SquirrelMurky4258@reddit
Check out Lora/Meshtastic, good solid encryption.
King_GC@reddit (OP)
Thanks. Will do
Lancifer1979@reddit
Try r/lowsodiumhamradio
smeeg123@reddit
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t7WUoosCEgE&pp=ygURSGFtIHJhZGlvIGhvdyBmYXI%3D
King_GC@reddit (OP)
Thank you, have zero idea of what all that is but im sure ill know after watching the video. Preciate the help
smeeg123@reddit
https://amrron.com/2015/05/17/comms-101-2m-vhf/
smeeg123@reddit
Two of these antennas BNC male with 16’ of cable option
https://n9taxlabs.com/shop/ols/products/dual-band-slim-jim-antenna-with-10-or-16-foot-cable/v/DUAL-2M70CM-LONG-BNCM
smeeg123@reddit
Two of these dual band model
https://signalstuff.com/products/st-bnc/?band=2m70cm-dual-band
smeeg123@reddit
These adapter
https://www.amazon.com/DHT-LLC-AD075-Convert-Adapter/dp/B00CVQK466/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=3B203QTDUDAGG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.jqOH37C94FIp721sUoDePtfavjUUi4vvEW1hyWM3bXPC67BZGRqdP7Vhp4spQsxtx3ShVcHbIQTngXJrzdQXVJK-ZJZruCAsfp6JsPRIazgKBdcF68H_MYFupbzCX1L0kw0Myq736Rbrrqk4H0CQqVp_wVtqdZR5uf8baCleDeGzWNoaO5JomoDMQtljqzKjV8deFU_bjUY_rv_MfgG2ww.0nFNzKucjs43Ft_uTQqdLW7zwnjyHop18xpHPZQJaLg&dib_tag=se&keywords=baofeng+bnc+adapter&qid=1752290644&sprefix=baofeng+bnc+adpater%2Caps%2C105&sr=8-3
incruente@reddit
Here's a recommendation, u/King_GC; learn about radio technology. LEARN about antennas/antennae, radiated power, gain, etc. Learn the difference between a walkie-talkie and an HT.