| Author |
Message |
    
Metro446 (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 8:35 pm: | 
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Hello everyone,
I used to frequent this forum a few years back so I knew it was the place to come a ask this question. I am in construction and my boss has finally agreed to shell out the money for some good jobsite radios, last week a hand signal miscommunication while we were a hundred yards apart could have cost him thousands and set the job back several days. The question is, what would be the best radio for 200.00 a peice or so with a couple of channels and a range of 5 or 6 miles? VHF or UHF? Brand? Other options?
Thanks in advance to all.
Metro |
ELCO Guy (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 9:42 pm: |
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Easy reply....
GMRS Radios. BUT GMRS requires an FCC License. See FCC web site (www.fcc.gov) and search for GMRS there for the complete information as to licensing application and the cost there-of.
Signed
That Elco Guy
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Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 1097
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 10:01 pm: |
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NO HANDHELD WILL GO 6 MILES how ever these will go at least 1 ......
These are VERY low cost and for the money a good buy you might try a pair. HOWEVER the tone on them is hookie but you dont need it on murs anyway.
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Metro446 (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 12:06 am: |
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I already mentioned these and he wants a more professional and tougher radio like the Motorolas, ICOM or Kenwood etc... I have several talk abouts, FMRS, GMRS etc... and these little units would'nt last a week with what we put them through. Interesting side note though on my talk about I made contact with a hunting buddy at a distance of about 12 miles once, we were half way up a mountain and were basically line of sight with him, when he told us his location we were astonished! If he was'nt lying it was approx 12 miles as the crow flies.
Metro... |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 1098
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 7:31 am: |
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REAL WORLD no handheld will go 6 miles ....
MURS radios work best and the best over open spaces much less people on murs than gmrs and NO LICENSES needed. |
Metro446 (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 9:13 am: |
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Bruce, thanks for the heads up on MURS I checked a few out and look to be built to take the punishment a construction site has to offer and I like the fact that it is a new set of freqs. Also looks like I can hook up one of my KL amps and kick up the wattage to have a little fun with it.
Metro |
Tech8541
Moderator
Username: Tech8541
Post Number: 146
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 9:21 am: |
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look at this radio; http://www.icomamerica.com/brochures/ic-f11_ic-f21.pdf we have sold these to construction companies who have covered them in plaster and concrete dust with no problems. you can get them for under $300.
if you are going to be constructing large buildings with large amounts of concrete and steel, you will need a repeater. the walkies will not cover an entire work site of this type. for the repeater try this link; http://www.icomamerica.com/brochures/IC-FR3000_FR4000.pdf he can use this as both the repeater and the base radio in the main office. a small antenna outside the office will be enough to give entire coverage around any type of construction/job site. we had this type of set up for several companies constructing prisons, and they all worked fine.
tell us more about how most of your job sites are set up so we can help you more with what you may need. i can already tell you that if you want to cover 6mi with walkies, then you will need a repeater. |
Ozzie
Intermediate Member
Username: Ozzie
Post Number: 157
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 9:23 am: |
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I agree with Bruce, in that under normal conditions no handheld will go 6miles. Your buddy (if truthful) had the advantage of height and that always helps.
I have worked the old MIR space station on a handheld BUT that was with the advantage of over 35 miles of height at the other end.
Go with MURs and it wil be the best you can do on ahandheld.
If you need the 6 miles than go to cellphones. |
Metro446 (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 12:06 pm: |
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I really don't need 6 miles, our jobsites are almost always foundation to about halfway up. What I do is build artificial rockwork and riverbank retaining walls in animal exhibits at the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal park, the new lion exhibit is about 1/3 of a mile across in each direction maybe a little less. I have just always been one of those "Tim Taylor more power!" guys and I love DXing so I'll want to hook up one of these MURS to my Wilson 5000 on my truck going through my KL200 to play around.
Metro |
Highlander
Intermediate Member
Username: Highlander
Post Number: 475
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 2:31 pm: |
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"I'll want to hook up one of these MURS to my Wilson 5000 on my truck going through my KL200 to play around."
EEEK! Don't do that! MURS is VHF 154 MHZ, your Kl200 and Wilson 5000 are for 26-30 MHZ. You'll smoke your stuff! If you want an external antenna for MURS, take a HAM 2 meter antenna and trim it a little for MURS, works well. If you want more power, I think Copper has some KLV units that are specifically for 150-155 MHZ.
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Barracuda
Intermediate Member
Username: Barracuda
Post Number: 222
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 3:28 pm: |
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2m 5/8 wave antennas,trimmed, work well on MURS. Be sure to either pick an antenna that's broadbanded enough to accomodate the MURS freg spread. MURS has 3 freq's in the 151 MHZ range and 2 in the 154 Mhz range. Or pick a freq and tune the antenna for that. Also, even though these frequencies are newly allocated for personal use, they were removed from the business bands and as such still have some business band users running higher power (more than the 2watt MURS max) on them. So you may also consider the use of a PL code for your talk group.
My 2 cents,
Good Luck
Barracuda |
Metro446 (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 6:10 pm: |
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Thanks guys, I wondered about hurting something by doing that, while searching MURS I found a site that sold antenas specificly for that freq range they also said something about pushing the MURS freq through their antenas kinda gives the effect of cranking the wattage up from 2 to 7 or 8. Similar to pushing water from a two inch supply line through smaller plumbing and a specialized shower head is the analogy they used. Thanks again to everyone, I knew this would happen, less than 24 hours after posting a question I am fully informed on my task of researching and suggesting a set of radios to my boss. Gotta love this forum!
Metro
Metro... |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 1099
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 7:31 pm: |
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yes gain is leagal on murs a ringo ranger makes a 2 watt radio look like a 6 watt .....fed into a 1/4 wave groundplane.
http://www.cushcraft.com |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 1100
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 10:10 pm: |
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http://www.cushcraft.com/support/pdf/951289.pdf |
Tech8541
Moderator
Username: Tech8541
Post Number: 147
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 11:19 pm: |
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the problem rises with the walkie's antennas. if they were pushing the helical coils for walkies in this manner, then they are not telling the truth. a helical coil (rubber ducky) also has an aka of 'radiating dummy load'. there is no such thing as a gain r.ducky antenna. don't know the site or the antenna they are pushing...but if it is a r.ducky type then.... |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 1101
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 7:26 am: |
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Here's a good sorce of reviews on ham antennas and even some murs/gmrs stuff.
http://www.eham.net/reviews/products/37 |
Ozzie
Intermediate Member
Username: Ozzie
Post Number: 160
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 9:07 am: |
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To make a better antenna for a handheld take an old broekn steel tape measure and a matching coax plug.
Cut a length of tape to the correct size (about 477mm) and braze a short length of brass rod to it so that the rod extends out about 1 inche past the end of the tape. This rod is then soldered to the center pin of the coax connector- or filed down and used instead of the center pin.
Next take a piecs of heatshrink tubing and cover the top of teh coax plug and the first 1/3 third of the tape. Fllow with a sedcond piece that extends 2/3 up the tape and finally a third piece that covers the whole tape. The idea of this is not only does the heatshrink protect the tape, look nicer but gives some support at the base while still allowing the whole thing to fold over if you fall on it.
Antenna is finished. Enjoy the use and better range it will give. By the way I built some of thse back in 92 to use on 2m during a sporting event. Several were in use by hams on motorbike, one of whom came off at around 50mph. The antenna was unhurt other than replacing the top piece of heatshrink. OH yes the rider was also unhurt.
If this iosnt clear email me clowes@bmi.net and I'll try to re-write with a couple of diagrams and email back to you. |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 1102
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 9:58 am: |
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ozzz during my stay in the army at ft knox (during vietnam) we used the prc-6 radios in armor they used a tape measure antenna worked like a champ. |
Taz
Senior Member
Username: Taz
Post Number: 2649
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 5:40 pm: |
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I would look for some VHF business band radios, or look for a company in your area that has repeaters. Or even better look at Nextel. Their 2 way service is superb. |
Metro446 (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 7:46 pm: |
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Now my boss is leaning towards getting radios with the capability of switching to the channel that the General contractor is using so we can communicate with the superintendent on the job if we need to. I had him check and their main channel is 457.100 a quick check on my Bearcat scanner shows that as UHF, I'll take the scanner to work tomorrow and make sure. Just when I had my heart set on the MURS!
Metro |
Highlander
Intermediate Member
Username: Highlander
Post Number: 483
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 8:00 pm: |
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Nextel is pretty nice, but they are REALLY expensive. And whenever we travel, the "nationwide" no roaming, no long distance charges is a joke---their coverage is ROTTEN, dead spots all over the place. Doesn't do you much good not to get charged for something that isn't available. |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 1107
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 01, 2004 - 7:26 am: |
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metro .....
On bussness systems you have to be licensed so if your contractor OWNS 457.100 it would be iffy that you could program and use one of your radios on HIS frequency. Now if he has licensed for ENOUGH radios that he could LOAN your boss one and that should be ok..... part 90 / bussnes radios are abit out of what i work in ..... im in public saefty and in my field anything on our frequencys WE OWN. |
Tech8541
Moderator
Username: Tech8541
Post Number: 152
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 01, 2004 - 8:06 pm: |
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the rules may be iffy, but using it isn't. you find someone to program his freq in your radios and then you use it. its done everyday all across the u.s. |
Keithinatlanta
Intermediate Member
Username: Keithinatlanta
Post Number: 201
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 01, 2004 - 11:07 pm: |
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That is what I love about this forum. I can learn stuff every day about radios and their different applications across America. What would we do without them? Thanks for this informative post.
Keith in Atlanta |
Metro446 (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 8:34 am: |
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Thats what I thought Tech, he's is now back on the MURS option though, a set of four will be 200-300 dollars less depending on how many channels and for how much we have to contact the superintendent a cell phone has worked fine so far.
Metro446 |
