Trying to decide which frs radio to get

[snapper]

I have norrowed it down to these two models.. I want to stay away from gmrs right now, could proably get away with out a liscenes, but don't want to chance it.. Please look at these two models and give me your opinion on which to go with.. motorola cobra

I like the cobra because of the charger and batteries.. But I have never had any motorola's so I don't know which to get..

Thanks!!

 

[Will_C]

I have a pair of Motorolas. They are the 250 model, I think they have been replaced with an upgraded model by now. The radios have worked fine for three years now. My cousins, who are dairy farmers, have used the Motorolas for years, and have really used them hard. They have had no complaints.

 

[GaryM]

Motorolas are in general good radios, but if you are going to use the radios on a daily basis I'd go with the Cobras because of the charger setup.

I have a pair of the original Motorolas from when FRS was first established. Back then a pair of radios with no accessories at all was $300!

 

[Anonymous Poster]

FRS and GMRS are essentially the same radio service, both operating at 462mhz & up, with the main difference being allowed power.
GMRS is and has for years been overcrouded, to the extent repeater licenses for business aren't being renewed.
FRS is even more crouded, but due to the limited power of the units, is still usable unless you're in an urban situation.
FRS is extremely limited in terms of distance because of the minimal allowed power of the units.
If you're more than 50 miles from either the Canadian or Mexican border, you can run some serious power on GMRS, and gain distance.

 

[snapper]

Question on Gmrs.. They had one I was looking at at wal-mart that was gmrs.. But it was only rated at two miles also.. So if the power out is under 500mW you wouldn't necceserialy need a liscense, right??\

Thanks!!

 

[Harv]

I use a pair of Motorola Talkabout 250's, just like Will's. Very impressive performance around my 42 acres, as long as there aren't too many hills in the way. Even when I have the tractor rev'd up, I'm sometimes startled to hear someone speaking right next to me before I realize it's just the radio on my hip. Crystal clear speech, even at the limits of their range.

Not familiar with the model you pointed to, but this is one of them technologies that keeps pumping out newer models several times a year.

 

[snapper]

what kind of battery life do you get with the motorola's??


Thanks..

 

[nitronut1]

I've had 2 Motorola TA 280 SLKs for 3 years (FRS). They have the rechargeable option and last for about 8-10 hours. The range is outstanding; well over a mile through hilly terrain. They've been wet, frozen, left in the sun and dropped a million times without any problems.

 

[Will_C]

I get about a deer season's use out of my batteries! I guess that would translate into around 40-50 hours of the radios actually being turned on. I just put fresh batteries in at the start of hunting season, and then again in the spring, and have never ran dry.
Will

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Essentially, GMRS and FRS are the same radio service, operating on the same hunk of frequency, 462.5mxz up to about 465mhz. GMRS operates on the .25mhz chanels and FRS operates on the 12.5 mhz chanels between the 25 chanels.
Back in 1960 it was called Class A Citizens Band.
GMRS users can operate repeaters, FRS can't.
Any emission below .5 watt doesn't require a license.
Rule of Thumb ~ to double the distance a radio will cover, you need to quadruple the output power.
Second Rule ~ 540 mhz radios cover half the distance 150mhz radios cover with the same output power.
FRS ain't a bad service, but you get what you pay for. A 450mhz commercial portable costs $500, so a $40- radio isn't comparable. $40- radios are a convienient tool for short distance, and when you drop one in a creek you just go to the local Wallyworld and buy another one.
Don't even think about taking them to Disneyland to communicate with the kids, there are 1000 people there on any day with the same idea.