"Mid-Range" 2-way Radio

[aclark]

So I thought it'd be cool to get my son and niece some "50 mile" walkie talkies to talk with while they are both at home. After reading it seems like the max urban range of most GMRS/FRS radios is about 2 miles on a good day.

What are my options to let these kids have some supervised fun? Do my brother in law and I need to go get HAM licenses and HAM radios, or is there another way to communicate this distance?

We are about 15 miles apart driving, maybe a little less as the crow flies, but its very urbanized.

 

[Papa]

I don't think you'll have much luck. Even with a handheld 5W ham radio you'll need a repeater, and unless you have good line of site that's a decent span on a good day if the repeater isn't between your two target locations. If you decide to go ham and you want to go cheap you may look into two dmr radios, and install a openspot at each property(internet required). This will allow you to use walkies and traverse the distance you may otherwise have issues with. I can't say I've ever used an openspot, but there will be some assemly required, ham license, radio programing, openspot programing...

Also you'll still be limited with range with an openspot. Within a building or line of site maybe a few acres.

https://www.amazon.com/Radioddity-G...UTF8&qid=1510107630&sr=1-5&keywords=dmr+radio

https://www.sharkrf.com/products/openspot/learn-more/

 

[Ericpwp]

Why couldn't you use simplex on the handhelds? The Tech exam is pretty easy.

 

[Ericpwp]

How about 2 CB base stations?

 

[aclark]

I don't think you'll have much luck. Even with a handheld 5W ham radio you'll need a repeater, and unless you have good line of site that's a decent span on a good day if the repeater isn't between your two target locations. If you decide to go ham and you want to go cheap you may look into two dmr radios, and install a openspot at each property(internet required). This will allow you to use walkies and traverse the distance you may otherwise have issues with. I can't say I've ever used an openspot, but there will be some assemly required, ham license, radio programing, openspot programing...

Also you'll still be limited with range with an openspot. Within a building or line of site maybe a few acres.

https://www.amazon.com/Radioddity-G...UTF8&qid=1510107630&sr=1-5&keywords=dmr+radio

https://www.sharkrf.com/products/openspot/learn-more/

theres a repeater in Merrillville around “green acres” on the posted image.

Why couldn't you use simplex on the handhelds? The Tech exam is pretty easy.

i don’t know, can I? Not really sure what that means but that’s what I’m asking. Lol

How about 2 CB base stations?

from what I’ve read CB is about 10 mile reach with a good antenna, no?

 

[melensdad]

from what I’ve read CB is about 10 mile reach with a good antenna, no?

On a good day with nothing in between each antenna.

I've never done the HAM thing, wife is thinking about it.

But we've done CB, GMRS/FRS and can't get reliable reception more than a couple miles away. Our house is on top of a ridgeline. 60' elevation over the land to the west. State Line road is also elevated, nothing in-between us and State Line road but a barn, basically its a steep drop off to the lower elevation at my side, and a long steady slow incline up to S.L. Road. Less than 2 miles line of sight. Spotty reception at best using good quality GMRS/FRS equipment. We eventually gave the radios to Goodwill.

 

[Papa]

I'd say it may be a crapshoot if you can hit it or not. There are a lot of buildings in your area but nothing incredibly high. I can hit my local repeater that's 7 miles away (as the crow flies) on 2 meter frequency range with my 5W handheld fairly well while driving down the highway with open corn fields. As soon as I pull into my driveway that is surrounded by trees and is in a depression I lose all ability to hit the repeater with any clarity or reliability. A lot will also depend on how high the repeater is as well as line of site.

 

[Ericpwp]

They say good cb antennas are 15' tall. Citizens Band means no license required, just a limit on the wattage.

 

[snapping turtle]

Cell phones? At one time they made the push to talk on sprint. I think that is gone.