Best Widely Available FRS on the Market?

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Jan 15, 2003
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A search for FRS on the forums revealed some pretty old stuff, and as times and gear change, I was wondering what the current best bang for the buck FRS radio is. This will be primarily a trail radio, so heavily forrested, without too much use for LOS maximum distances (though it will probably go with me in the car from time to time for those convoy trips).

Any advice will be appreciated, I'm looking at a Cobra FRS307 right now for $70 CDN.


Regards,

Shaun.
 
Audiovox has a radio out that has a built in GPS for about $100.00 US. I saw it in a store last weekend. If you have 2 you can track one another. The salesman said you can shut off this feature. I prefer my radio to be just that, a radio. I do not like to waste power on bells and whistles like FM radio recievers, Clocks, alarms, or weather radios. I do not want anything draining precious battery power. I also like to have rechargable batteries and a solar charger. I have a seperate GPS and Weather radio. But, the Audiovox is a nice unit. Just wanted to chime in and mention that. Also I prefer the Audiovox, Cobra, and Motorola. In that order.
 
I did the same searches a couple of weeks ago. I ended up getting the Motorolla. The main reason for me was that other folks I know have the same brand. Probably better compatibility between radios. I got the ones with the privacy codes thing (I don't think the codes work between brands). I also hate NiCads so I didn't get the one with the charger. I figure getting rechargeable NiMh AA batteries are better as you can just "top off" a partially discarged battery. The Nicads you supposedly have to completely discharge the thing.

Also with AAs you can swap em with your mini maglite or vice versa.

Haven't used em' yet but it was my reasoning for getting the Motorollas. Plus where I live accessories such as hands free units and other compatible radios seem to be more prevalent.

Mine cost 80 bux. About 10 less if you if you get it without the privacy code thingy.

dunno. :confused:
 
Anything in the Motorola Talkabout line. Just choose your features . . . they are not any more than the other brands but work the best out of those I have tried.
 
I had a lower end motorola walkabout that worked great for hiking, traveling in the car and mall and such. I just got a two pack of 5820's and it has GMRS channels which apparently require a licence. Maybe I shouldn't ask this question but what the heck, why should I get a licence to use a walkie talkie??? Whos gonna find out? There isn't even a test required, it's just a government bribe for criminy sakes. I know quite a few people that have CB's with no license. It's 75 bucks for a 5 year license to use my walkie talkie a few times a year? I called the fcc line and I can use my non gmrs channels w/o a license. It doesn't require a "license" to drive a "boom" car and they annoy plenty of people so what's the big deal!

Just wonderin' how many people know or care about a license.

I tried two other brands, one a remmington which had lots of snazzy features like the earphone and mic and rechargable battery, plus the weather channels, and some other brand. The clarity was nowhere near the quality of the motorola.
 
Thanks for the advice guys,

I looked around locally, and ended up with the Cobra FRS307, it seemed to be the best price/quality available around here on this short notice. The privacy features work with my father's GE radios (he has a pair). I had heard Cobra had a great reputation for CBs and figured they would also excel in FRS technology. So far so good. (Good to see Cobra comes recommended as a brand here, too).

The first field test will start tommorrow...

I'm leaving today after work to go up to TO, then out to Algonquin Friday morning. Me and 2 cohorts are doing a 55km hike, with a leisurely time frame of 4 days. FWIW, knife-wise, I will be accompanied by a Swamp Rat Howling Rat, Al Mar SERE 2000, and a Leatherman WAVE. Weight is going to be a bit of an issue, so the role of the BK9 will be played by it's understudy, a Buck Takedown Saw (much, much, much lighter ;)) The area we're going to is fairly remote, so I figured FRS radios would be a good way to keep in touch at camp, and on the trail.

Thanks again guys.

Shaun.
 
The best I've seen...

Cobra Pr1000... GMRS/FRS radio puts out 2 watts on GMRS, and supposedly is limited to half watt on FRS, but if you keep it on high power setting, will put out 2 watts on FRS.

Icom F21GS also a GMRS/FRS will put out 4 watts.

A plethora of Motorola, Icom, and Kenwood radios can be programmed to FRS frequencies and although technically illegal, no one will bother you about it.

FRS is a UHF band, running about 460mhz which gives you excellent brick, mortar and steel penetration, but not much distance. My best distance on 2 watts is 1.4 miles in NYC. 4 watts gave me only a few feet more range. A better antenna also contributes to your range as every Ham operator knows. You can reach farther on one watt with a good antenna, than 100 watts on a bad antenna. Most FRS radios will not let you switch antennas, but many GMRS/FRS units will.

If you live out in the country, near flat land, or in areas without tall buildings, look into MURS which is a newly deregulated set of frequencies that not many people know about yet (well, I just ruined the secret). It's a VHF band just above the frequencies that carries commercial radio broadcasts(like your car radio or walkman). You get much better range, but less obstacle penetration.

Now, back to choosing a radio...
Forget about the normal FRS radios you find in the stores... the only FRS-only radio I found that I liked was from radio shack... I forget the model, but it's the only one that takes 4 AA batteries. The rest take AAA's, or some nicad battery pack that is the equivalent of three or four AAA's taped together... these batteries only put out about 600 to 800 mah's. AA's have twice the power storage so that's the only way to go. These radios only put out .5 watts and thus your range is limited to about 100 to 150 yards.

The GMRS radios are a better choice as you get more power... from .5 watt all the way to 4 watts. I only have experience with the Cobra pr1000 and Icom f21gs so I don't speak about other radios when I state that you can choose to transmit up to your maximum power for your particular radio on FRS frequencies. It is almost impossible to tell, unless you're connected to the transmitting device with a power meter, how much power your radio is putting out, so chances are, no one is gonna come by and give you an FCC violation. However, you might be violating some "good neighbor thing" cause you will be hogging whatever frequency within your expanded transmitting range.

Also, keep in mind that whomever you want to talk to must have a radio of comparable power, or that you must be within his/her transmitting range. Otherwise, there's no point in putting out that much power...

Edited to add...
Ah, I just noticed you're in Canada... I don't know about your regulations or equipment availabilities so some of the above statements may not apply to you.
 
Hey guys,

Thanks again for the advice, appreciated as always, for closure's sake I thought I'd share the results of my hiking trip.

Friday morning, we headed out to Algonquin Park [ Park Information ] My Serratus Ibex 55 (long pack) was filled to the gills. In the parking lot, before hitting the trail, I unloaded a few extra articles of clothes, and some other light gear that was deemed "non-essential", while maintaining a healthy variety of lashing materials (leather shoelace, nylon fasteners, zip ties, etc) and a large assortment of zip-lock and other plastic bags for waterproofing my gear :rolleyes: (should have got the Ibex 70 pack instead...) I picked up a Therma Rest pad at the last minute, and even though it was a little pricey ($100 CDN) it was worth several times its weight in gold. We loaded our water bags/bottles with gatorade and kool-aid, topped up the fuel bottles (for a MSR Whisperlite Int'l) tightened the boots and hit the trail. Temperature seemed about 85 degrees Fahrenheit, still air, and fairly humid, we had a decent sweat building within 15 minutes, and the trail was level ground at this point.

Although we did not weigh our packs, I would estimate my pack was hovering around the 65->70 lbs mark. A little on the heavy side, in hindsight, but I was carrying most of the cookware, the stove, fuel, and similiar accessories.

Our first day was about 13km over some fairly even ground with some mild elevation changes. This took us to the Maggie Lake campsite. All water procurement had to come from natural sources. We had a few varieties of purification available. I used mostly iodine tables to sterilize my water, my buddies used a chlorine solution and we boiled for cooking and cleaning. I found the iodine to be the easiest method to purify, and as I learned rather quickly, weight is VERY important when covering 55 km in 4 days... I carried 3 L of water, with Kool-Aid to help cover the iodine taste (which I didn't find too offensive, but...) We had just enough time to setup our camp and enjoy a nice sunset on the lake, then cook our steaks (some nice t-bones we knew would be gone the first night :D ) We hit the hay and got up the next morning.

Day two consisted of another 13km distance, over much more unfriendly terrain. The forecast for our trip was partly cloudy, then sunny, sunny, sunny. Well, on our first sunny forcast it rained, and rained and rained halfway through our hike. We walked about 4 hours in a steady rain across increasingly difficult terrain (a large portion of this trail was over wet rock :grumpy: which gets mighty slippery). I learned good boots are VERY IMPORTANT. The Doc Martens, although they held up and I didn't twist or sprain my ankles, are pisspoor at water resistant, even when treated. After 4 hours of trekking with sopping wet feet, I resolved myself to acquire good boots before my next trip. On the bright side, it stopped raining just as we approched our next campsite. A nearby fallen birch tree and some camp gas helped us get a good fire going, and we progressively dried enough wood to have a great fire. It was a Mac and Cheese dinner with some trail mix and crackers. It went down very well.

Day three started out with a very nice sunrise, but most of our gear was still wet, and the blisters on the feet were...ummmm..noticeable. Luckily the moleskin helped save the day, and a considerable portion was used up. Morning coffee helped perk us up and we packed up and began our hike. We had decided to overshoot our campsite and get as far as possible (I had a train to catch on the 4th day, and wasn't prepared to miss it). During this time my pack was loaded up with additional equipment, as one of our party had partially twisted an ankle, and could no longer keep pace with the weight. At this time (because my pack consisted almost entirely of unperishables, and damp clothes) I believe my pack weighed in at about 75lbs. It was very heavy. Well, wet feet and clothes strapped every which way to the open air in an attempt to dry them, we trekked on. Heavy exertion caused a mighty nosebleed. Some of the terrain seemed damnright vertical, and in fact required scrambling uphill more than walking for great distances. At this point I had a spectacular wipeout. I skidded a few feet down a muddy hill tripped up over my own feet and sailed into the air :eek: I twisted my right knee and just sort of lay there bleeding while I tried to get my bearings. It was a good rest...

At about the 15km mark, we assessed our situation and decided to overshoot even farther. Well, luck was not with us, the first campsite we reached was occupied. The next was intolerable. And on our way to next one (at about 16km now) it began to rain. And rain. And rain. We setup camp in the rain, there was no shelter for a fire (and cooking in your tent or vestibule in bear country ain't wise...). We had snackfood, and hit the hay early. It rained all night, and was still raining in the morning when got up to break down our campsite. The stoves came out and we had a cup of coffee, and then hit the trail (after applying more moleskins and popping a few tylenol...)

Day 4 consisted of only a 10km jaunt (roughly). Concerned I wouldn't catch my train, I vowed to buy lunch if we could get there in time.... We covered 10km in 3 hours and 6 minutes! :D McD's for everyone! (I normally hate McD's, but that 1/4 pounder tasted like heaven, and sent me into a mild euphoric food coma).

All in all, it was an interesting trip. I believe we bit off a bit more than we could comfortably chew, and there are some things I would definately change for a future trip, but I know this for sure : Algonquin is a beautiful place, Weathermen don't know jacksh!t, and 75lbs is a bit too heavy for vertical terrain :D

But I'm alive, and my knee feels almost better, and I'm sure the bruises will heal. Take care all.

Regards,

Shaun.
 
Barely :(

They were used when one of us was straggling behind the other two, and then only rarely. Algonquin is a pretty sparce place. In 4 days we say only a handful of people. Better to have and not need...etc, etc.


Shaun.
 
Nice summary DarkReazon. I'm wondering what you would change in order to lighten the load? Specifically, what equipment would better suit an extended hike like that? My wife and son want to go with me on next spring's 16 day 100 mile Appalaichain trail hike and most of my equipment is 10 or more years old. Plus, I've never hiked that far before. I do know less is better for me. I'm not carrying more than 50 pounds, the same for my son, and my wife probably 25 tops. Thanks.
 
hey stitch,

Well, there were number of things I didn't end up using such as a pack of large zipties, my Leatherman WAVE, a large towel, a fleece vest, the FRS radios (which essentially weren't used :rolleyes: ) and an extra sleeveless t-shirt. Each of these things had a definate purpose, but they weren't called upon on my trip. However, since we were caught in the rain, I learned a valuable lesson... you do NOT want to be carrying wet clothes.. They get damn heavy, and cotton takes FOREVER to dry out. I would invest in gortex and other synthetics that dry out very quickly.

Also, one of my friends had a propane stove that seemed to use less fuel than my MSR Whisperlite. Since fuel weighs quite a bit, I might suggest a propane stove over a camp gas/alcohol stove.

One other poignant thing : if it rains for 10 hours, there isn't anything dry, anywhere (where we were at least). I gathered up a fire pit full of birch and it still wouldn't take. I would advise taking food that can be eaten cooken or uncooked (such as Pop-Tarts!). Also, we found it very beneficial to start with something very high in starch for breakfast (oatmeal, pancakes) and then supplement that throughout the day with high sugar (beer nuts, honey roasted peanuts, and Kool-Aid infused water!). Gave us the energy to carry on.

Found that after 30 minutes our hearts would kick in to cardio mode and things would suddenly get easier, and we could quicken the pace and feel better about it.

Invest in good boots, break them in ahead of time. I wish I would have bought a pair... my feet are healed up now though.

Mosquitos like sweet smelling things like deodorant and perfumes/cologne. You could do without if you don't mind feeling pretty gross (we were all VERY gross at the end of our trip, FWIW... there were leeches in the lakes, so we could only pat down with a wet face cloth.)

Get a "camp towel" basically it is like a chammy (sp?) they wring out almost completely dry and take up little space/weight.

Hope that helps, if you'd like I can wrack my brain a bit more and present some other alternatives (if this is what you were looking for)

Regards,

Shaun.
 
I just got back yesterday from a climbing Olancha Peak, here in So. Cal.

I stood on top of Olancha Pass with my Motorola T4300, with 6 feet of scrap copper wire roughly attached to the antenna, and thrown up into a tree. I was able to hear and talk to passing drivers on highway 395 (5 or 6 miles away) loud and clear. I was also able to talk to people on Hiewee(sp?) Reservoir, another 1 or 2 miles further than the highway.

Without an extra field-expedient antenna, I can talk just about 1 mile, LOS.

Hoping this helps some,

Cheers
 
"rubber duckie" antennas are notoriously bad for using in communications equipment. Their primary function is to make it easy for people to tote the radios around. The FRS radio antenna's have a secondary function... to limit the range of the radios so as to minimize frequency clutter. The unwritten rule of radio transmission is the longer the antenna, the better. Of course, there is an optimum length for an antenna to be, for the specific frequency you're using. The closer to that length (or full wave), and the higher you can mount said antenna, the better your transmission and reception.

Before you take a transciever into the woods, you have to identify what your needs are. Do you need to communicate with each other? Do you need to communicate with other parties? Do you need to call for help. Most camping and hiking situations don't require any commo equipment at all. You mostly stay together and keep an eye on whomever strays off for a few minutes. Hunting parties may encounter occasions where hunters need to split up and stalk game. For the most part, a self sufficient group venturing into the woods will not need low powered commo equipment. Now, if you need to communicate with the outside world, designating one guy to carry a relatively high powered mobile or man-portable low band radio or even a CB radio is the best. A 5 watt unit and a good antenna, manufactured or field expedient, will give you quite a few miles of reach. Also, whereas you won't find many people using FRS, GMRS or other high tech radios, you will find that if you're close to a road, you're close to someone on a CB. On any amateur band, you will find an abundance of people, and even entire networks of radio operators who are dedicated to help in emergencies.

Of course, if your goal is to have some fun and goof off in the woods, get whatever you want and have some fun...

Identify your needs, identify the frequency characteristics that suit your needs, and then the radios that fit the bill and the choices become very easy.
 
Thanks Shaun, that's precisely what I'm looking for. I have a friend in Savannah who was an outfitter, and she had several sayings she used to help people select gear. The one I favor is "cotten kills". It is my material of choice in daily life, but not out yonder. I'm trying to work out the "best bang" gear with some "best period" as necessary. I'm also trying to get my head around the least redundant yet self-sufficient problem for each of us. I was strongly considering the Whisperlite, but will keep checking. Knives and guns are the easy part. Part of the challenge and fun is getting good gear and making the plan. It's really is fun because of our diversity; petite wife, young strong buck, and old fart. We will be hiking out at least twice for grub and a mattress, per the wife's order. No arm twisting there. Thanks again.
 
Stitch,

Get a Therma-Rest for a portable mattress, I picked up a GuideLite, and was very impressed with it. Very light, very comfortable, and decently compact (plus they are "self-inflating"). I'm assuming hiking out for a mattress means leaving the trail for a bit, but still, a Therma-Rest will make all the difference in the interim. ;)

Also, FWIW, (since you are looking for gear) I purchased a Brunton Helios, that broke down on this trip. Very disapointed for a very expensive lighter. This was only its third trip (and, yes, it has fuel ;))

One last thing, get a sleeping bag and tent for the season/temp you'll be hiking in. I have a MEC Winterhawk sleeping bag that I brought on this particular trip. This bag is rated to -7C I believe, and weighs accordingly. I would consider picking up a Spring sleeping bag for future events (weighs half as much, and compresses smaller).

Hope that helps,

Shaun.
 
Thanks again, Shaun. I'm taking notes and will post more questions as I narrow down the lists and form more informed questions. We're gonna do a 3 day canoe trip in the Okeefenokee Swamp next month, and a 3 night hike on the trail in early Oct. to confirm their desire. We have luxury camped extensively, but have only had a few overnight hikes from base camps. Yeah, we are sleeping in a motel two nights for hot showers and mattresses.:p I actually like the idea and had thought of it, but I'll never admit it! Cheers
 
FYI, NiMH batteries still suffer from memory as NiCads do-just not as severely. it still probably couldn't hurt to deep discharge them once in awhile.
 
The battery issue opens up a whole new can of worms...

If you've got the spare money, pick up a book called the "handbook of batteries" or something like that. It costs about a buck and a quarter ($125) and will tell you everything you want to know about almost every type of battery out there.

The Ni-Cd qualities are that they have a very high cycle life. A cycle is defined as one charge, and one discharge. If you half charge, and then use the battery, it counts as one cycle. If you do a full charge, then use it only half way, it still counts as one cycle.

The drawback is that if you don't discharge, or recharge the battery all the way, the crystals that form (storing energy) begin to lose its ability to form, thus causing a "memory". Also, the energy stored is relatively low, and the voltage lower than other sources. Once removed from the charging source, it is estimated that the battery loses about 1% of it's stored energy per day. Thus, a Ni-CD battery is not a good choice for long term energy storage, but an excellent choice if you are relatively close to a charging source and distant from re-supply. Batteries need to be removed once a full charge is reached.


Ni-MH batteries carry about twice the amount of energy, and have a negligible problem with "memory", so one does not need to "condition" the battery as one needs to do with Ni-CD batteries. There exists a slight "memory" phenomenon, but it is negligible so most do not even acknowledge it. This battery stores a lot of energy, can be "topped off" and requires very little care.

What does happen is that Ni-MH batteries have a very low cycle life. At times, depending on the manufacturer or chemistry, the life could be as low as a third or a quarter as the cycle expectancy as a Ni-CD. Also, once removed from charging source, this type of battery loses approximately 5% of its charge per day, thus, in a very short time, you may have an expended battery even though it is unused. This type of battery is best used in high drain equipment that is very close to a charging source and in equipment used with very little prep time. You should also be close to resupply. This battery also needs to be removed from the charger once a full charge is achieved.

Li-ion is a very sensitive type of battery which requires a computer chip in the charging machinery to measure and regulate the amount of energy used to charge a battery. This battery has almost no "memory", and an extraordinary high cycle life (but a limited one nonetheless). It stores a massive amount of energy and has almost no idle discharge, but is very expensive. Also, if one attempts to charge this battery in a charger lacking such a computer, there is a very real and common hazard of fire, meltdown or explosion. I speculate that these batteries are not produced in a rechargeable standard battery such as the AA or the D because some Numbnuts is sure to stick them in their Radio-Shack charger and burn the house down. This is the battery to use if you travel far from your charger, and/or need to use your equipment often.

Alkaline... use once, can't recharge at all, and can be purchased anywhere. The charge keeps a very long time and puts out a lot of energy. Thing is, you should keep two changes of batteries with you so that you're never caught with dead batteries. If you gotta go away from "home", you should bring lots of these batteries and make sure that all your equipment takes the same ones. This one is an excellent choice if you need to be far from the charger, and far from resupply,
as long as you have a lot more sitting in your pocket.

Got any more questions?
 
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