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smokedwhitefish
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08/26/2016 07:59PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I've been considering getting a set of radios for some time now. I figure they would be great for deciding how many fish to keep for dinner, scouting camp sites, or in case of emergency. I've seen some models on the market with 30-50 mile ranges. If I were to pay the extra coin for a 50 mile set I would expect it to work at least 2 miles in canoe country... Most of their use would be more like a half mile over open water, but they'd be great for hunting in the woods and home too.

I'm also in the market for a hand held gps. Does anyone use a gps/radio combo? What kind of range could I expect? Is it worth the money or should I go with a $50, 30 mile midland set?
 
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Savage Voyageur
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08/26/2016 10:04PM  
Get a GPS and a handheld radio separate units. I find when they try to do two things they do neither the best. The Garmin one says 20 miles at best. I doubt it would work over a hill to the next lake even though it only 3 miles away. Not sure about the 30-50 mile ones you talk about. You will have to get a license for that long range radio I think.
 
08/27/2016 07:21AM  
Our 2-way radios work OK over open water. Throw an island or a hill in there, forget about it. That's the nature of the radio frequency used. Longer range units can spill enough signal over or around that you might get coverage. They also take more battery power. When the battery of either unit goes dead, you get no coverage.
 
08/27/2016 07:53AM  
You are limited to line of sight at antenna height. Truth About Radio Range. At a 6 ft. antenna height about 2+ miles across open terrain.

butthead
 
Mickeal
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08/27/2016 08:14AM  
We use them all the time. Despite there limitations they are still a good tool to have.
 
smokedwhitefish
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08/27/2016 02:38PM  
quote butthead: "You are limited to line of sight at antenna height. Truth About Radio Range. At a 6 ft. antenna height about 2+ miles across open terrain.


butthead"


Good link, thanks butthead. Is there any way to lengthen the antenna? I wrap a copper wire around my eton crank radio antenna and it helps significantly.
 
08/27/2016 05:29PM  
Not 100% sure if you can mod the antena. AM and FM reception is one thing but I think 2 way handhelds are tuned for the antenna used/offered as accessories. Used Motorola RDX 5100 VHF series, good straight line of sight operation (rail switching, about a mile down track, shorter if buildings terrain interfered), very good building penetration from overhead for VHF (bulk storage silos storage transfer buildings 13+ flights of stairs, 120 to 150 ft high).

I have never used 2 ways in field/outdoor hobby use (reminded me of work, I tend to travel solo). If I bought with intention to use in BWCA, I'd opt for the least expensive of a good reliable brand, range is too much a crapshoot to spend on.

butthead
 
mutz
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08/27/2016 06:44PM  
We always take them and get a lot of use from them, but don't count on more than a mile or two over open water or maybe over or around a small island. None of them will come close to 30-50 miles.
 
andym
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08/27/2016 08:26PM  
Marine radios over open water with big transmitters will go a long way. I was teaching sailing today and at one point we heard someone discussing being ready for the start of the second race. No one was racing anywhere near us. That was the only transmission we heard from that group and the nearest harbor is 50 miles south of us. Put some trees and hills in the way and everything changes.
 
08/28/2016 09:56AM  
This is what I use Midland GXT
I tried 2 other, smaller and cheaper models first but was not happy with the range. These work well up to about 2 miles in typical BWCA terrain... further over all water. Plus the voice quality is pretty good. This does have a NOAA weather radio built in too.
I don't suggest using the 'call' button though... it sounds way too much like a telephone with the default ring. Although I think it can be re-programmed to make wildlife sounds instead.
 
krick
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08/30/2016 08:22AM  
2 way radios are more about transmitter wattage than antenna length.
I use midland 2-way radios with the largest transmit distance. (most power)
These radios may say they work for many miles but in all reality you'll be lucky to get 1 mile depending on the terrain.
Be sure to get the kind that have a NOAA weather frequency. You can receive weather info from just about anywhere in the park.

As for a GPS unit, if you have a current smartphone, just download terra maps and it works just as good as an expensive handheld GPS. (and no, you do NOT need cell service for this function to work)
 
HowardSprague
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08/30/2016 09:10AM  
I think they're great for a situation where you arrive at a lake and the campsites are spread apart, especially if later in the day...one boat in the group goes one way to check out a site, the other goes the other way. "Hey, this site looks pretty rough". "This site is fantastic! Come on over". Time saved.
 
krick
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09/01/2016 10:28AM  
Radios are a great way for a couple boats to stay in contact. Some people do not like to use radios. (personal preference) Just got to make sure both sides actually have their radios on! :)
They're great for coordinating lunch or dinner with your partner boat, or hot fishing spots, as well as that initial camp site search.
You will need to change batteries once, maybe twice so bring extra. Also, the radios will work fine inside a ziplock bag. Ziplocks are a great way to keep them dry.
 
riverrunner
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09/02/2016 08:07AM  
might want to look at marine band midland portables they work very well
 
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