Looking at 2 way radios with my neighbors

[RoyKing]

Used ham radios, no license.

 

[aczlan]

Rechargeable batteries are fine but they must be in good shape. One failed battery and you reduce your power output tremendously. Along that line, battery charge indicators are near worthless as they usually measure voltage but not an ability to produce power. If your concerns are having a radio during a disaster, you could use rechargeable but I would have a good set of alkaline batteries at the ready. Below is a test I did to convince firefighters (actually chiefs) that they should head the advice of our radio tech guy and just replace rechargeable batteries on a regular schedule even when testers and meters show they are good.

Excellent advice. We have Motorola radios at work (a mix of CP200, CP200d, CM200, and whatever preceded the CP200, something 150 IIRC, etc).
It is amazing how many gremlins go away when I throw a new battery on a radio and replace a 1-3 year old one.

Used ham radios, no license.

Don't do that unless you like paying FCC fines...

Aaron Z

 

[ChuckT]

Buy quality GMRS hand sets and you will get excellent service...have been using units purchased for less than $50 for over 8 years in the exact same scenario as described by the OP without any reception issues...why some are making it more complicated is beyond me...!

BTW...mostly used indoors with a avg range of 1.5- 2 miles with no external antenna etc...

Used indoors 1-2 miles? That's pure fantasy.

 

[oosik]

I have a pair of Kenwood VHF transceivers. They are multi-use radio service (MURS ). Operating frequency - 136 - 174MHz. Model TK-2202L. They have a rechargeable Li-on battery pack. In our relatively flat country here - they will DEFINITELY operate over a five mile radius. Maybe even more - I don't know.

They were purchased in 2007 and have been used extensively since that time. They ARE NOT a cheap product. The pair cost - $550.

If you are looking for something that will operate every time/all the time - - this might be an answer.View attachment 682688

They are five channel plus one channel for emergency weather broadcast. These are definitely NOT a cheap knock-off or a toy.

 

[coobie]

I was looking at this hand held ham radio Baofeng UV82-HP and getting my license.

 

[k0ua]

I was looking at this hand held ham radio Baofeng UV82-HP and getting my license.

If you need any help, or info, let me know.

 

[plowhog]

I was looking at this hand held ham radio Baofeng UV82-HP and getting my license.

There is a very, very wide range of equipment to look at and consider once you are licensed.

If you like to learn new things, I think you will enjoy getting your license. My wife and I took classes together, and obtained our Technician and General licenses ratings at nearly the same time. Two separate tests were required to do that, but we found them so close in required knowledge to do both. After only the initial training for the Technician license, we took that test. About a week or two later we took the General test. Easily passed both. And my wife is not "technical" at all-- at the start of the training she did not know how many volts were in a typical car battery.

Cost? I think we each made a suggested donation of $15 each to the instructor, and I don't remember any fee for the test or license. If so it was minimal.

The license requires some learning, but is not difficult. The requirement to learn morse code was dropped some time back. Once that was eliminated achieving a license became a lot less difficult.

 

[k0ua]

Be Advised that in December congress passed a revision to allow the FCC to charge Amateurs a fee for the license of $35. The license is good for a 10 year period. I am not certain when the license fee will go into effect as they need to get the website collection portion up and running. But in any case be aware of it, as there hasn't been a license fee since 1977.

I remember paying $9 for a license upgrade about 1972 or so and that was for a 5 year period, and of course $9 back then was probably around the same as the $35 is now and it is for twice the period. So not all that bad of a deal, but something you need to be aware of.

The VEC's charge usually around $15 to sit for the testing. The FCC no longer gives test's, like "back in the day" when I had to sit on front of the steely eyed FCC examiners in some far off city. Now you sit for the exam with a group of 3 Volunteer examiners who are Amateurs working under the auspices of one of the two VEC (Volunteer Examiner Coordinators) organizations. The $15 does not go to the FCC but to the VEC, for testing materials, and often for rental of the room to hold the examination in. From what I understand the $35 will not go to the FCC either, but straight into the Federal general revenue to be spent as our politicians see fit.

The world is always changing.

 

[coobie]

If you need any help, or info, let me know.

Thanks James I will do that.Being retired now have extra time on my hands always wanted to get into Ham radio.No time better than the present as it has always been on my bucket list of things to do.

 

[coobie]

There is a very, very wide range of equipment to look at and consider once you are licensed.

If you like to learn new things, I think you will enjoy getting your license. My wife and I took classes together, and obtained our Technician and General licenses ratings at nearly the same time. Two separate tests were required to do that, but we found them so close in required knowledge to do both. After only the initial training for the Technician license, we took that test. About a week or two later we took the General test. Easily passed both. And my wife is not "technical" at all-- at the start of the training she did not know how many volts were in a typical car battery.

Cost? I think we each made a suggested donation of $15 each to the instructor, and I don't remember any fee for the test or license. If so it was minimal.

The license requires some learning, but is not difficult. The requirement to learn morse code was dropped some time back. Once that was eliminated achieving a license became a lot less difficult.

Thanks..