Jim:
I recently went for a drive with both my Uniden GMR 1058 handheld radio (GMRS/FRS [band, and according the manufacturer’s literature] boasting a 10 mile range) and my newly-acquired ICOM IC-V85 FM [2 Meter band] Transceiver. I had my wife (with one of each as well) on our porch and here are my results. As I drove though the hilly and wooded terrain, immediately the GMR radio was picking up other kids and families and taxi drivers also talking. At 1/4 a mile the sound quality became unintelligible and communication was impossible. If no one else was on the line, morse code might have worked. I called her on my cell and told her to turn off the Uniden and to switch on the ICOM. I was able to speak and hear clearly for about 3.5 miles. Remember, none of this was line of sight. At about 3.5 miles communications became sketchy and I had her put on a collapsible antenna and stretch it out. It was a 2 Meter 5/8ths wave Super Stick II manufactured by Smiley Antenna Company. She stretched it out and communication was clear again for a few more miles. When communication became weak again, I put the longer antenna on mine and stretched it out inside my car and went out to about 10 miles. At that point it got weak again and I got out of my car and put the antenna vertical and was able to hear her with better quality than my cell phone. I went a mile further and parked in an industrial complex with metal buildings surrounding me and heard her with perfect clarity. So IMHO the FRS/GMRS radios are toys only good for short range direct line of sight. For serious communications, get a FM transceiver and you must have a detachable antenna so you an mount a longer antenna to it. You might also consider the ICOM IC-V8000 with 75 watts of power (or something similar) and a decent antenna for base operations. Being designed for a car it would operate off a car battery. The greater power would allow you to transmit signals to a greater distance (although I wouldn’t want to be more than a day’s walk from my base anyway) and the bigger antenna (A Diamond antenna X200 is 8.3 feet and an X510 is 17 feet) should also allow you for reception from a greater distance as well. – SF in Hawaii
JWR Replies: Thanks for taking the time to do those test.they confirm my previous finding on FRS and GMRS radios. The term “toys” is a good description! In between the power if FRS and 2 Meter radios are most MURS band radios. Unlike 2 Meter ham hand-talkies, these do not require a license in the US. That is what we uses here at the Rawles Ranch. The band is also much less crowded than the CB radio band. In fact, the MURS band is virtually unused in many parts of the country. These transceivers typically transmit 2 watts. (Four time the power of FRS radios.) With a good antenna, MURS hand-helds can achieve commendable range–far better than FRS radios.