Greetings,
There was a brief mention at Sunday's meeting about the radios that the club purchased (Motorola MS350). I have an older pair of Motorola radios that I no longer maintain a license for. I took a look to refresh myself with the "rules". Below are some excerpts concerning range and licensing that I thought might be helpful.
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Radio range
____from Motorola....How far can I expect my radios to communicate?
The communication range quoted is calculated based on an unobstructed line of sight test under optimum conditions. Actual range will vary depending on terrain and conditions, and is often less than the maximum possible. Your actual range will be limited by several factors including, but not limited to: terrain, weather conditions, electromagnetic interference, and obstructions.
____video from Motorola explaining radio range
https://www.motorolasolutions.com/en...radios_general
* In a deep winding river valley radio range could be in the range of .5 to 2 miles. Every river will be different. I noted in the video the presenter said that increasing the transmitting wattage will not increase your range but might help the clarity of the message.
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Radio license
___Per the manual for the Motorola MS350.....
Channels 1-7 broadcast at 1.5 watts____(GRMS channels) * Legal use of channels over 0.5 watts requires a license.
Channels 8-14 broadcast at 0.5 watts____(Family Radio Service, FRS) * no license required
___from wikipedia.....
Hybrid FRS/GMRS consumer radios have been introduced with 22 channels, instead of the 14 channels associated with FRS. On this type of radio, transmitting on shared FRS/GMRS channels 1?7 requires a license if using more than 0.5 watt. Channels 8?14 are strictly license-free FRS channels. Transmitting on GMRS-only channels 15?22 requires a license. It is the responsibility of the radio user to read and understand all applicable rules and regulations regarding GMRS. These hybrid radios are often referred to as "bubble pack" radios, since they are often packed in a plastic shell, for hanging on a display shelf. The massive sales of these radios have led to the term "bubble-pack pirates", persons who use GMRS without a license.
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