Get a nice Icom radio. I would recommendgetting your ham license to understand RF and the radio etiquette a bit. I have lots of v82s but I dont think they make em anymore. There's also a neat thing called a uniden sr30c which is a scanner (listens, doesn't transmit) but has a cool feature called "close call". It'll automatically tune to anything transmitting nearby so you can find the frequency in use by folks nearby.
Youtube; Supposedly in an emergency situation you do not need a license to work on restricted frequencies
Keep in mind these are not secure, would be for short distances line of sight, couple miles. There are even some videos on how you can use them to send text messages, however it relies on a dedicated app, and someone else keeping their translation services up and running
A lot of people recommend cheapie baofangs UV-5R on Amazon
They are radios marketed to licensed amateur radio folks - they cover parts of the VHF and UHF bands VHF: 136-174 MHz(Rx/Tx). UHF: 400-520 MHz(Rx/Tx). They can also listen to commercial radio bands: : 65-108 MHz. Amateur radio folks operate repeaters that greatly extend the range of the handheld, to use them you need to be licensed, and outside emergencies, they would not allow use for the purposes you are talking about here. The repeaters often host weekly nets where they practice providing comms/messaging in an emergency. I have the 8 watt version of that radio.
They can also transmit and receive on unlicensed bands (think the FRS/GMRS UHF Motorola and Midland radios you can buy in walmart) but operate at higher power than is allowed on those bands, as well as MURS, which is another VHF service (the employees at Walmart use MURS radios in store). You can also listen to NOAA radio channels on them.
If I was in a more suburban/rural setting and cared about 'legal' operation buying a cheap MURS radio would be my first choice.
Other things to keep in mind:
FCC says that any FRS/GMRS or MURS radio must only transmit on those services, so a Baofeng operating there would be 'illegal' even if you could be restricted to 2W.
None of these radios/services are encrypted. Anyone with a radio can hear you.
With the same power/antenna, in general VHF will have more range and do better in foliage than the higher frequency UHF. If you live in urban canyons, UHF will probably do better. You can also buy a better (bigger) antenna than what ships with the Baofeng - I have a Nagoya NA-771 on mine.
You also have to think about a handset/headset/mic and how you will key the radio.
I believe the popular wisdom is to go with a handheld HAM radio set. The Baofeng brand radios are the cheap, gets-the-job-done intro models many people opt for. (They're Chinese. I know.)
These HAM sets are much more versatile and have more power than typical bubblepack walkie-talkies. It's pretty neat what they're capable of. Though you do need to get a basic HAM license to broadcast with them. It's not hard or expensive, you just have to do it.
YouTube has tons of decent tutorial videos if you search.
I can tell you, having had Hams in the family going back to the 1940s, that all these handhelds, regardless of band, are only good for a few miles at best. They all max out under 5w.
Unless the set has more battery or environmental endurance to justify the purchase, the GMRS sets the hunters and hikers use is going to have as much range as anything else. And it’s all about range with a handheld.
Save your big dollar comms for the basestations and a good antenna array. Or for a good repeater setup if you can pull that off.
Thanks! I'm an utter noob with HAMs. Antennas and licenses aside, could you tell me your take on those 8W handheld transmitters? Is there any kind of significant performance advantage in a real world (urban/suburban) setting?
8w is obviously better than 5 or 2. But with transmitters, as with receivers, the antenna ultimately tells the tale of range.
And the antennae setups on handhelds are subpar, to say the least. Five or even 8 watts on a cheap 1/4 wave fixed or even a fancy 1/2 wave telescoping dipole isn’t going to go all that far. Running to other bands isn’t going to overcome that fundamental transmission shortcoming.
If you want meaningful distance on a handheld, you need a nearby repeater set with a solid, well-matched antenna array. And your handheld is still leashed to its range to that repeater.
That’s why talk about handheld ham transceivers is just silly. Totally unnecessary for near-field two-way handheld comms. In the field, it will have no real advantage over a GMRS setup. You’re paying for a lot of added electronics you won’t need or take advantage of. If you want to just DX monitor those bands, have at it. But your key won’t likely be picked up by them.
A full-size 5w GMRS handheld will provide optimum range, which is to say in the real world about 2-3 miles maximum. And the better ones are designed to be dropped in streams and operated in bad weather. The lower powered micro models are also good for up to a couple miles, are much easier to carry, and will run much longer on a battery pack.
If all you are looking to do is maintain comms with your immediate group in the field, this usual GMRS gear is enough. Years ago we did it in the AM bands with CB handhelds.
A backpack radio with a decent antenna is a different story, but now you are getting into military-grade gear on an assigned operator’s back.
Again, spend your big comm money on a decent basestation setup.
Seriously, we all have guns, most of us have training, we’re weakest on armor & coms. Anybody got a good tutorial?
Yeah, hard cover and not being there is better than relying on armor, but at some point you’re going to be exposed.
Armor:
Purchasing Guide for Beginners
https://reddit.com/r/QualityTacticalGear/comments/fux8t2/purchasing_guide_for_beginners/
Thanks! How about Coms?
Get a nice Icom radio. I would recommendgetting your ham license to understand RF and the radio etiquette a bit. I have lots of v82s but I dont think they make em anymore. There's also a neat thing called a uniden sr30c which is a scanner (listens, doesn't transmit) but has a cool feature called "close call". It'll automatically tune to anything transmitting nearby so you can find the frequency in use by folks nearby.
No problem Fren! Nothing on comms offhand, though that sub has posts about them from time to time.
Youtube; Supposedly in an emergency situation you do not need a license to work on restricted frequencies
Keep in mind these are not secure, would be for short distances line of sight, couple miles. There are even some videos on how you can use them to send text messages, however it relies on a dedicated app, and someone else keeping their translation services up and running
A lot of people recommend cheapie baofangs UV-5R on Amazon
They are radios marketed to licensed amateur radio folks - they cover parts of the VHF and UHF bands VHF: 136-174 MHz(Rx/Tx). UHF: 400-520 MHz(Rx/Tx). They can also listen to commercial radio bands: : 65-108 MHz. Amateur radio folks operate repeaters that greatly extend the range of the handheld, to use them you need to be licensed, and outside emergencies, they would not allow use for the purposes you are talking about here. The repeaters often host weekly nets where they practice providing comms/messaging in an emergency. I have the 8 watt version of that radio.
They can also transmit and receive on unlicensed bands (think the FRS/GMRS UHF Motorola and Midland radios you can buy in walmart) but operate at higher power than is allowed on those bands, as well as MURS, which is another VHF service (the employees at Walmart use MURS radios in store). You can also listen to NOAA radio channels on them.
If I was in a more suburban/rural setting and cared about 'legal' operation buying a cheap MURS radio would be my first choice.
Other things to keep in mind:
You just want to avoid frequencies used by Police/Fire/EMS yes?
And the Gearamid
Ahh yes, I forgot that! Thanks Pede!
It's a lot easier to try and set up a working comms setup than it is to shell out ten large for a NGV setup; that's definitely last on my list.
I believe the popular wisdom is to go with a handheld HAM radio set. The Baofeng brand radios are the cheap, gets-the-job-done intro models many people opt for. (They're Chinese. I know.)
These HAM sets are much more versatile and have more power than typical bubblepack walkie-talkies. It's pretty neat what they're capable of. Though you do need to get a basic HAM license to broadcast with them. It's not hard or expensive, you just have to do it.
YouTube has tons of decent tutorial videos if you search.
Cool! Thanks.
I can tell you, having had Hams in the family going back to the 1940s, that all these handhelds, regardless of band, are only good for a few miles at best. They all max out under 5w.
Unless the set has more battery or environmental endurance to justify the purchase, the GMRS sets the hunters and hikers use is going to have as much range as anything else. And it’s all about range with a handheld.
Save your big dollar comms for the basestations and a good antenna array. Or for a good repeater setup if you can pull that off.
Thanks! I'm an utter noob with HAMs. Antennas and licenses aside, could you tell me your take on those 8W handheld transmitters? Is there any kind of significant performance advantage in a real world (urban/suburban) setting?
8w is obviously better than 5 or 2. But with transmitters, as with receivers, the antenna ultimately tells the tale of range.
And the antennae setups on handhelds are subpar, to say the least. Five or even 8 watts on a cheap 1/4 wave fixed or even a fancy 1/2 wave telescoping dipole isn’t going to go all that far. Running to other bands isn’t going to overcome that fundamental transmission shortcoming.
If you want meaningful distance on a handheld, you need a nearby repeater set with a solid, well-matched antenna array. And your handheld is still leashed to its range to that repeater.
That’s why talk about handheld ham transceivers is just silly. Totally unnecessary for near-field two-way handheld comms. In the field, it will have no real advantage over a GMRS setup. You’re paying for a lot of added electronics you won’t need or take advantage of. If you want to just DX monitor those bands, have at it. But your key won’t likely be picked up by them.
A full-size 5w GMRS handheld will provide optimum range, which is to say in the real world about 2-3 miles maximum. And the better ones are designed to be dropped in streams and operated in bad weather. The lower powered micro models are also good for up to a couple miles, are much easier to carry, and will run much longer on a battery pack.
If all you are looking to do is maintain comms with your immediate group in the field, this usual GMRS gear is enough. Years ago we did it in the AM bands with CB handhelds.
A backpack radio with a decent antenna is a different story, but now you are getting into military-grade gear on an assigned operator’s back.
Again, spend your big comm money on a decent basestation setup.
Also, one training book to consider if you light on tactical know-how:
Light Infantry Tactics For Small Teams, by Chris Larsen.