Homestead Communications

[Moxie 15]

Ok, I have some questions concerning this, trying to learn what I can do.
Here cell phones are just short of useless, CB radios are useless and we do not have the funds to spend on fancy radios, or the intent to use them.
A large percent of our car travel we are together, so what we need is the ability to communicate on our 10 acres.

not looking for expensive top of the line nor a toy. Must be Easy to carry, dependable, and affordable. When I am working the farm I cannot hear my wife call most times and at our age and the distance to help I want to keep in better contact.

Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[TheMan419]

For 10 acres someGMRS hand helds should work. A pair good ones would run $100 or so. They also have weather radio channels on them so you can keep up with alerts if you need to. We used to use them at horse shows and they were great on a show ground of 50 acres.

EDIT you might want to check FRS radios as those do not require a license.

 

[Cougsfan]

Look on Amazon, There are lots of two way radios at different price ranges that should fit your needs.

 

[k0ua]

Unlicensed FRS UHF radios may or may not work for your 10 acres, depending on terrain. Advantages, they are cheap, available anywhere, and require no license to use by anyone.

GMRS radios are move expensive, can and usually do run more power and have longer ranges expectations and will likely work well for you application. These are also on UHF frequencies. Downsides are more expensive up front, and require a license that covers you and your immediate family's usage. No testing of course, but you do have to pay for the license.

Also there are in many community's a community repeater which can increase the range of these units many fold, but you will have to pay the owner/operator of these repeaters a fee to use them, usually monthly.

Another option is MURS Which are on VHF frequency's and cannot have repeaters, and only a few frequencies. The range expectations of these units is also enough to cover your 10 acres and more. These units will also be more expensive than FRS "blister packed at Wal Mart" radios.

MURS is licensed by rule. This means an individual license is not required for an entity to operate a MURS transmitter if it is not a representative of a foreign government and if it uses the transmitter in accordance with the MURS rules outlined in 47 C.F.R. Part 95 Subpart J. There is no age restriction regarding who may operate an MURS transmitter.

 

[k0ua]

Look on Amazon, There are lots of two way radios at different price ranges that should fit your needs.

Yes, BUT. There are many pitfalls for a new user going to Amazon and selecting a radio. For one thing licensing and rules are not discussed on Amazon. Just buying a radio and using it willy nilly on any old frequency you choose will get you in trouble quickly. Buying a Chinese radio that will operate on just about any frequency in the VHF/UHF spectrum can break many laws in a hurry. You need to know what you are doing, you need to know what service and what frequency's you will be operating on and if the radio equipment is type accepted for that service. Almost all Chinese handhelds sold on Amazon are illegal to use on either GMRS MURS and FRS frequencies. Because of spectral purity or the lack thereof they will not and have not met type 95 type acceptance, and therefore are illegal to use. The Chinese don't care, they just want your money and they for sure are not going to educate you to rules violations.

Advice: DO NOT willy nilly go to Amazon and buy a radio if you do not actually know what the licensing requirements are and the type of radio that is suitable to the service you are going put it into. If a radio says it is type accepted to part 95 service, then that is fine. But many radios are sold that are not type accepted for anything.

 

[Jchonline]

GMRS with license is what we use. Works great in mountain terrain. We also use amateur radio if we are farther away.

You only have 10 acres so hopefully you can get by with something cheaper.

 

[Jchonline]

Yes, BUT. There are many pitfalls for a new user going to Amazon and selecting a radio. For one thing licensing and rules are not discussed on Amazon. Just buying a radio and using it willy nilly on any old frequency you choose will get you in trouble quickly. Buying a Chinese radio that will operate on just about any frequency in the VHF/UHF spectrum can break many laws in a hurry. You need to know what you are doing, you need to know what service and what frequency's you will be operating on and if the radio equipment is type accepted for that service. Almost all Chinese handhelds sold on Amazon are illegal to use on either GMRS MURS and FRS frequencies. Because of spectral purity or the lack thereof they will not and have not met type 95 type acceptance, and therefore are illegal to use. The Chinese don't care, they just want your money and they for sure are not going to educate you to rules violations.

Advice: DO NOT willy nilly go to Amazon and buy a radio if you do not actually know what the licensing requirements are and the type of radio that is suitable to the service you are going put it into. If a radio says it is type accepted to part 95 service, then that is fine. But many radios are sold that are not type accepted for anything.

Good points. Remember OP there are radio amateurs that help the FCC search for this type of interference, so as James mentions just not a good idea to do it illegally. Fines are pretty nasty.

 

[Xfaxman]

Moxie 15 check this thread: Alternative Communications??

 

[k0ua]

Check this thread: Alternative Communications??

Aw, now, can't we have 3 or 4 threads all going at the same time about the exact same thing?

 

[Xfaxman]

Aw, now, can't we have 3 or 4 threads all going at the same time about the exact same thing?

Yes we can, but they usually have different info.