# Practical Range of Two-way radios **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 28, 2005, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-range-of-two-way-radios/310210 "2005-06-28T15:42:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-range-of-two-way-radios/310210/21 "2005-07-01T01:21:32Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > #1) That GMRS base station just has 2 watts output. That may be inadequate. It also has just 15 channels, not the full 22. I’m posting to correct an error in my above post. Of the 22 channels, 7 are FRS only and limited to .5 watts. Thus, that this base station has only 15 channels is not an issue. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-range-of-two-way-radios/310210/22 "2005-07-01T15:09:09Z")
Consider sucking up the costs and going Nextel. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-range-of-two-way-radios/310210/23 "2005-07-01T15:51:25Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Consider sucking up the costs and going Nextel. Because Nextel phones have the walkie talkie feature… I just checked out some of their products, and even their low end phones seem to have a GPS feature. > [@](#): > > GPS location-based safety services like Mobile Locator, allows you to locate a friend or family member’s phone location at anytime, right from your computer. If you need to make a 911 emergency call, the GPS feature can also help emergency personnel locate you. That sounds like a great feature. Of course, even with their least expensive phones, this option is going to cost thousands because of the monthly service fees. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-range-of-two-way-radios/310210/24 "2005-07-02T04:21:27Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > Of course, even with their least expensive phones, this option is going to cost thousands because of the monthly service fees. Almost surely for the short range communications needs you have some sort of two way radio solution is what you want. The only reason for thinking cell phones is if you wanted to be able to contact the kids at times at a much further distance. BTW, if you were to consider cell phones, I can think of some options besides Nextel that would be a **lot** cheaper than thousands of dollars. They would depend a lot on whether you live in an area covered well by certain cell phone providers. T-Mobile prepaid comes immediately to mind. Assuming very limited use, TMO prepaid could cost about $400 up front for 3 cheapie phones for the first year, and $30 a year after that. Biggest problem with that idea is that the kids would need to be trusted NOT to be calling their friends with the cell phones. All calls would just be between you the parent, and your 2 kids. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-range-of-two-way-radios/310210/25 "2005-07-02T16:03:17Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > The [FCC website](http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/personal/generalmobile/) said that FRS radios have a maximum power of 0.5 watts. But how can a radio be 5 watts and offer both FRS and GRMS? Power is only above 0.5 watts on GMRS only and GMRS/FRS frequencies. I don’t mind paying the price for a product, I just want to make sure I get what think I’m getting. The advertised range on these FRS radios is very deceptive. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-range-of-two-way-radios/310210/26 "2005-07-02T16:04:30Z")
Flerk! The range isn’t so much deceptive as optimistic. Line of sight is the only meaninful figure you can compare but is unfortunately meaningless in the real world most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-range-of-two-way-radios/310210/27 "2005-07-03T17:21:11Z")
> [@Padeye](#): > > Flerk! The range isn’t so much deceptive as optimistic. Line of sight is the only meaninful figure you can compare but is unfortunately meaningless in the real world most of the time. [http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=50625&item=5785698626&rd=1](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=50625&item=5785698626&rd=1) Actually, it is more deceptive. They put on the box really big “12 Mile Range”, but in much smaller print “Up To”. Only after someone buys these do they realize that the only way that they will get 12 mile range is: #1) Over open water; or #2) If one user is on the top of a hill, and the other user is in the valley with totally unobstructed line of sight. Realistically, if both users are on the ground in an area with trees, buildings, etc. the best they can hope for is about a mile. The manufacturers realize most people no little about UHF radio, and practical distances over which it can work. Assuming these cheapie GMRS radios have sensitive receivers, under ideal conditions the advertised ranges are easily possible. I have no trouble at all accessing a UHF ham radio repeater over 10 miles away with my HT set to 100 milliwatts, the lowest possible power setting. The reason why is that that repeater happens to co-located at the tower of a major radio broadcaster. The ham who runs the repeater probably works for this broadcast station, and convinced the bosses to let him put up a repeater on their tower. Odds are very high that the chief radio engineer with a FCC commercial license also is a ham radio operator. Little surprise that a professional radio folks also tend to have ham radio licenses. In the commercial radio biz, keeping the transmitter running 24/7 is a **must**. If the station is off the air, you can’t bill the paying advertisers. The big bosses don’t give a rat’s ass if the guy running the transmitter wants to wants to install a ham radio repeater at the tower. They just expect of their radio guy that he keep the station on the air come hell or high water. So long as he fulfills that duty, they are quite content to stay out of his way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-range-of-two-way-radios/310210.md?page=1)