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Walkie-Talkie Suggestions

Started by doctorb, January 06, 2011, 03:39:47 PM

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doctorb

I have a cabin in Canada on a lake about 1.5 miles wide and 5 miles long.  When I go out fishing, often by myself, or my kids go on the water, I use a pair of walkie-talkies to have an easy contact with "home base".  My cabin is elevated about 100 feet straight up a rock cliff, and is right on the shore.  There are a few trees around the cabin, but for the most part we are at tree top level or above.

My question is.....why can't I find a reliable pair of walkie-talkies that will cover this entire area?  The ones I have purchased claim up to an 18 mile range, but they really do not perform any where near that (Sorry, they are in Canada for the winter so I can't provide the make and model.  I purposely looked for long-range walkie-talkies when I made this purchase.).  Our cabin is in the middle of the long axis of the lake, so the longest call is probably 3. - 3.5 miles.  Often, the reception is so bad you can't identify anything that's spoken.  Cell phones would suffice but then I would have to have international plans on a bunch of cell phones, which is expensive.  Does anyone have any knowledge of devices that will serve my purposes?  It's a little frustrating when I can see my boathouse in the distance and not be able to talk to someone at the cabin.  Appreciate any insight or suggestions.  Doctorb
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

Radar67

Have you tried hand held CB radios? I have an old pair of Realistic from Radio Shack with three channels that do pretty good in the woods. We used to use them while hunting to keep in touch with each other. I've talked 2 to 2.5 miles with them.
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Jeff

I got some for Christmas I could charge up and test for you.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

doctorb

I have not tried the CB's yet and would welcome any first hand experience with them.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

Ianab

Thought about buying a couple of cheap pre-pay cell phones locally. I know you can get them here for about $50, and that has $20 of calls / txts included.

Just leave one in the cabin, and take one on the boat. No monthly plan, no international roaming etc

Another thing we do here if we go to Australia is to buy an Aussie "Sim card" for your Vodafone handset. Then you have a different Aussie local number when you put that card in.
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

beenthere

Doc
Maybe some code using the existing radios.  Something like Morse code for:

Come home
Stay away
Dinner time
Send food
Send money
I still love you
Help (SOS)

If out on the lake prolly don't want long conversations anyway. :)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

SwampDonkey

Walkie talkies pretty much have to have line of site. Although the weather tower up here I can get 30 miles away. We use them, and if a guy is down behind a hill he probably can't here. Probably good for 500 meters in the woods. CB's like Cobra probably 1-3 miles in woods roads. In open fields several miles. I can pick up truckers a long way off from home. I'm on a ridge with big fields. Cell phones are useless away from the main arteries, most lakes are off the beaten path around here. If you're in a settlement around a lake, you might have a tower. Not always. Out where we work no cell phone coverage, CB's are mandatory for truckers, they must call every KM on their route.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Jeff

We've had some "18 mile"  radios up to the cabin. Midland and Motorolas. I'm not sure how they come up with that rating unless its straight up.  We can get about 1/2 mile with them in the woods and around 1.5 miles across the water.  The kids got me a new and supposedly better set of rechargeables for Christmas. They are still in the packaging.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

SwampDonkey

Yeah, these are 45 mile Motorola ones I have, but you can't get that range talking, just listening to the Wx channel. Of course the packaging don't say Wx versus speech. And the fact that the tower has a lot stronger output than a hand held radio. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Mooseherder

We have a couple at our Camp also.
I don't remember the brand but they don't work well either. ::)

Kevin

Doc, do you have ac power at the camp?

pineywoods

Doctorb without getting into technical details and legal problems, your best bet would be handheld cb radios. Battery size is important. Bigger is better. Even then, the limiting factor is antenna size. Get one for the cabin that has a jack for an external antenna and hook it to a  full sized cb antenna on the roof. By full sized, we mean about 17 ft wide by 8 ft high. I am assuming it's legal for a US citizen to operate a cb radio in canada. I know at one time it wasn't.

Anything other than low powered walkie-talkies, cb radios, and aircraft radios will most likely involve getting in bed with the canadian equivalent of the fcc.
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

SwampDonkey

Shouldn't be any issues with you bringing a CB radio and using it. I had one last summer and went from Canada to Michigan and back, no troubles.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

doctorb

Yes, Kevin, we have full electric.  This cabin is not really roughing it!  Indoor plumbing, kitchen, separate beer frig, all the necessities :D

I think the "two-way radios" (Midland Motorola Cobra) are different than CB (Also made by the same manufacturers) radios.  There are several different frequencies used, including newer ones that use 900kHz, the same frequency as cordless phones.  I am not much of a conspiracy theorist, but it seems a little wierd that they talk about maximum range of "X" miles when the average coverage is so much shorter than that.

I have been on the internet today and found some claiming to go 38 miles!  Interesting remark by SwampDonkey.  He may be right that they measure distance of reception from a tower transmission and not distance from a hand held unit of the same type.  Jeff, your post makes it sound like you've been to my cabin and used my radios!  When did you sneak up there?  Your description is exactly my same experience.

I think that the wattage power of the unit matters and I need to find the largest watt transmitter I can to increase the liklihood of this improving my reception.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

doctorb

Pineywoods - I think your suggestion would solve the problem, but the antenna is not much smaller than my cabin!
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

SwampDonkey

CB have a longer range for sure. We used marine radios and we could use BCtel repeater towers to call like a phone. You needed an account. You held the call button down for 2 or 3 seconds and release to reach the operator. You then gave the account number. You only had privacy one way.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

scsmith42

The range of any wireless radio is usually dependant upon five things.

First, the frequency that it operates on.  All things considered, the lower the frequency, the longer the range for a given power output.

Second, the power output of the device.  Most modern cell phones are .5 watt output on frequencies in the 1.8 Ghz range.  Older CB's were 4 watt down in 400 Mhz as I recall.  I've seen some handheld ham radio's that could talk to South America from North America. 

Third, the gain of the antenna.  Longer whip antennas have more gain, and thus amplify the signal.

Four - the terrain.  Signals travel farther where there is clear, line of sight.

Fifth, the amount of other local devices operating on similar frequencies.  The more RF around, the more interference, and as the "noise floor" goes up, the signal quality goes down.

When you're comparing options, keep these things in mind.

Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

WildDog

Doc I am no "Tech head" but its quite simple, the problem is Canada is metric like us down here, you need a set that transmitts in kilometres :)
If you start feeling "Blue" ...breath    JD 5510 86hp 4WD loader Lucas 827, Pair of Husky's 372xp, 261 & Stihl 029

doctorb

WildDog- Oh, it's more than just the miles to kilometers conversion.  You've got to consider the Canadian$ to US$ difference as well! ;D

scsmith- thanks for your post.  I don't think I have a problem with #'s 4 or 5 on your list.  While there are islands throughout the lake, they are mostly small and don't have massive stands of trees.  Our cabin is up, direcly straight up, and right on the shoreline so there is a minimal terrain blockage in my cabin locaion.  There are relatively few cabins on this lake with no urban area nearby, so I think the amount of interference from other sources is minimal.

I have to think, as others have stated and have experienced, that I simply don't have the optimal device with adequate power to do the job that I am asking it to do.  I have noted some handhelds with longer antennae.  These may need to be further investigated.  I would like confirmation that the CB units go farther, as this may solve my problem.  Looking online, you would think that the CB units are being "phased out", as there are fewer of them from which to choose, as compared to the newer devices.

As necessity seems to drive creativity, I can't understand, with others experiencing the same lack of satisfaction with these products, that better devices aren't out there.  When you go to the store and see that a unit has a range of 12 or 18 miles, and it barely receives at a range just over a mile, I feel like we are all being duped a bit!  People would buy a unit, and be willing to pay more for it,  that reproducibly transmits, say 5 miles, through most terrain.  Maybe cell phones are preventing the development of such a device.

Appreciate all who chimed in.  Doctorb
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

Kevin

With AC I would go with a cb base station in the cottage with an external ground plane antenna .
Protect it from lightning.

Jeff

Wildflower and I met during the cb craze of the 70's. She was talking to someone from the base station at her grampa's junkyard and I butted in from 10 miles away. I was at a weekend church youth group float trip on the Muskegon river. I had driven my own car up there and had a C.B. in it.  Somehow talked her into having her mom bring her out into the middle of the woods to meet me. :D

That was this car, only it was just flat black primer at the time. I was 16. Bought the car with a blown engine for $75 and my brother-in-law gave me a 440 out of his wrecked Chrysler New Yorker. He had got that engine from a wrecked coleman city police car. :)  I not only had a CB I had an 8 track too! :D

Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

doctorb

Jeff-

Let me get this straight....

You met your wife over a CB channel in a car with an engine salvaged from not one but two total wrecks.  Your still together.  Do you still have the car????  How about the CB radio?  I could put it in my cabin. :D :D
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

Jeff

Nope, don't have the car. At the time I met Tammy I actually had a 383 in it out of an old station wagon. Tammy's dad helped me put the 444 in it and paint it a few months after meeting Tammy.  He and I took it for a test drive down M-66 without the hood on and when we went past Tammy's mother, we were doing 145 mile an hour.  Tammy's mom would not let her ride in it after that.  I ended up trading it in on a 76 Plymouth Volare with a slant 6 in it. I was never sure whether I was gaining or losing manhood over that deal. :-\
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

doctorb

That is one great story.  Fact is funnier than fiction, every time! :D :D :D  You don't hear much mention of the Volare anymore, wonder why!
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

Bro. Noble

Well, back about the same time Jeff is talking about,  We bought a couple of Midland hand held CBs .  We had planned to use them on the farm after Dad broke his leg in a remote location and although we found him right away, we thought we should have better communications.  The best I remember, we could communicate pretty well over a couple of miles in pretty rough terrain,  but they were just too big to carry around so we quit using them for that purpose.  I was working about 50 miles from home at the time and needed a car with good milage, so I bought a new 75 vega for $2500.  Part of the reason for the low price was that it was orange :o :o  Part of it was because it didn't have a radio ::)  Well driving home at night with no radio was real boring so I got a car CB antenna and plugged one of the waldie talkies into it.  At that time you had to buy crystals for each channel and they were expensive.  I think it came with the emergency channel and I added the truckers channel.  I was amazed at how far it would reach at times but it was easily reliable for 5 miles.  I forget the power rating,  but it was limited by FCC regulations.  I think the antenna is the key.

Jeff,  that vega was just a 4 banger,  but I bet I could have outrun your Volarie -----at least over the hills and around the curves to where I worked at night :D :D :D
milking and logging and sawing and milking

SwampDonkey

Yes, I agree, the antenna makes a difference in a CB range. I got a longer one with my handheld than the one that came with it. With a CB  you don't have to have a "air plan" with some company and you can be about anywhere and be able to call a trucker at least to get help in this part of the world.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

doctorb

I think that the CB suggestions are winning out.  I have further researched them.  As SD says, you can purchase extended antennae for the handhelds if needed.  I have found that most have more features than I need for my purposes, but they appear more reliable over the 1-4 mile range than the standard two-way FRS/GMRS radios that are more common today.  Has anyone had any experience with VHS marine radios?
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

SwampDonkey

I've used marine radios working in the bush along the coast line. We had to get the frequencies programmed we wanted. I knew one fellow that programmed his own. I'm pretty sure that the programming was regulated somehow, had to be licensed. I may be wrong, but it seems so. This was few years back. I don't think you'll get any further range unless you can use a repeater to call like a phone. That's if there is one up at your lake, which is doubtful unless your on the Great Lakes. We used them to call chopper for pickup or even to help a chopper pilot locate us on a bush heli landing pad. Sometimes we had a new pilot at days end. They could get in the area, but sometimes it's hard to see someone from the air and we would flare or radio directions.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Reddog

CB or marine band radios should fix the problem. With marine band there are quite a few waterproof options to.

log cutter

Another option is a hand held FM unit. We use Motorola P50's. They have a range of 15 to 20 miles. They are fairly cheap on ebay.
Timbco 475E

scsmith42

Quote from: log cutter on January 07, 2011, 08:45:11 PM
Another option is a hand held FM unit. We use Motorola P50's. They have a range of 15 to 20 miles. They are fairly cheap on ebay.

+1, these have more power and use a lower frequency - hence more distance.

Re the CB - as I recall the maximum wattage on them is 4 watts.  If you reserarch various units, compare their power and antenna gain, and buy the ones that have the most power and gain.
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

Reddog


Chris Burchfield

Talk to someone in a CB radio shop that caters to truckers.  They beef CB's up for pretty good transmit/receive coverage.  I had to have a CB in my car when I first started driving, it was a cool thing to have in your car.  Back then you were suppose to have a CB radio license.  I did the paperwork and received mine.  KROO815.  This was about a year before Smoky and the Bandit came out at the movies.  Shortly after getting my license, the FCC quit requiring them for CB's.  Go figure.  :-\
Woodmizer LT40SH W/Command Control; 51HP Cat, Memphis TN.

Jeff

From my understanding, its getting so many truckers do not have cb's any longer due to cellphones.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Reddog

Yea in Mi it looks like the largest user's of cb's are hound hunters, based on seeing antennas on rigs.

log cutter

Quote from: Reddog on January 08, 2011, 10:47:45 AM
Yea in Mi it looks like the largest user's of cb's are hound hunters, based on seeing antennas on rigs.

Most antennas on a hound hunters rig are for tracking their hounds. Saves a lot of hound hunting.
Timbco 475E

Reddog

Yup but there is a difference between the directional antenna for tracking and the CB one. :)

SwampDonkey

According to some reports, recreational use in Alberta is being banned, truckers still can use it. It is going hands free in Ontario because of distracted driving legislation.

Channel 1 is used in the Maritimes (East of Quebec). I notice Channel 6 has a lot of air traffic in Maine. West coast is 1 to the interior and in between is 19 to east side of Quebec. Northern Alberta and westward do use VHS radios a lot. So basically there are still radios in trucks, may not all use CB's and different channels are used in different regions. I'm just going by forum chatter on the net.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum

I hear some idiot on the CB a lot that sounds like he's advertising something, which is illegal on CB, or stoned, which speaks for itself. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Randy88

I use two way radios and have done so for years, not that my memory is any good but I have mobiles and either UHF or VHF and one requires a repeater tower and one doesn't, I use the one that doesn't require a repeater tower, the longest I've ever gotten reception was 75 miles and my pickup was on a  hill and I reached the base in my house.   

We used it for farming I even had a magnetic antenna and mounts in most tractors and vehicles and even one in my boat so when I went fishing I could let them know when I'd be home and how things were going and that was 35 miles away on the river.   The handheld didn't have a good enough antenna or enough power to do anything so we just used mobiles and moved it from vehicle to vehicle.   That was before cell phones and free mobile to mobile calling and now we just use the two ways when combining, its easier to pick up the mic and talk rather than dig the phone out of your pocket all the time.   

I believe the marine radios are basically the same thing and I liked them because they had the weather channel programed into them and I could keep updated on the weather, until the local tv dedicated a channel strictly to the weather I always had one unit plugged into the house and listened to the noaa weather on it.     

As for cb's we gave up on those years ago and only have the ones in the semi's now because we have to, some places we drive require them for doing business with, and then we shut them off after we leave their business, they are about worthless in my opinion.     

As for truckers, they are now using laptops and cell phones and the cb is a dying thing.   

I'm all up for the next big thing to come, instead of these cell towers its satalite based communications and texting via satalite and that will put an end to all the dead spots with cell coverage.

Not to be nosey but isn't a cabin for seclusion and peace and quiet and to get away from civilazation for a while and to go back to a simplier way of life for a while and enjoy the lack of technology?    I guess if it were me I'd go there to get away and want to leave those things at home and the whole idea is to have others worry about you for a change or thats what we did when we went to places like that, gave the kids something to worry about for a while, its not llike if I fell and hit my head and fell into the lake they'd get a call and come save my anyhow before I drowned or they would bring me any necessities like tp paper or boat gas or more food or money so I could stay longer anyhow.   


SwampDonkey

There's already been sat. phone for years. In the remote lumber camps with no way in except by float plane on the lake we had one set up. It was $0.75 a minute to use, the telephone company set it up.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Magicman

Since you will be talking from a boat to the home base, a marine 5 watt radio is your best choice.  You can even set up a base station with mast mounted antenna at the cabin.  The base unit will be 5/25 watt.

Using handhelds go with the Midland 1050 GMRS.  That is also a 5 watt unit.  The antenna on CB walkie talkies are too cumbersome.

Side note:  The Magicwoman and I also met on the CB's.  I heard her talking to someone that I knew.  They decided to meet, and guess what, I was there.  I was driving this.



A 1959 Light Pink Edsel Convertable.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

beenthere

And.......she still would talk to you?   ::) ::)    ;D ;D
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

logwalker

Quote from: beenthere on January 09, 2011, 02:16:57 PM
And.......she still would talk to you?   ::) ::)    ;D ;D

Good Point beenthere.
Let's all be careful out there tomorrow. Lt40hd, 22' Kenworth Flatbed rollback dump, MM45B Mitsubishi trackhoe, Clark5000lb Forklift, Kubota L2850 tractor

logwalker

Dr.B,

Make sure your radio has a 5 watt rating. That would be in GMRS only. I am really surprised that you get such lousy service.

They aren't FRS only radios, are they?

Joe
Let's all be careful out there tomorrow. Lt40hd, 22' Kenworth Flatbed rollback dump, MM45B Mitsubishi trackhoe, Clark5000lb Forklift, Kubota L2850 tractor

Magicman

Yup, two months later we eloped in it, and that was almost 48 years ago.  And she is a good cook.  There, we finally got this thread around to food.  :)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

doctorb

I must confess that I have no specifics about the units up in the Great White North.  I'll be up there in May, to open the cabin, and I'll look at them.

The abilities of these radios to communicate was poor enough that I would gladly put up with a longer and more cumbersome antenna.

Most of the radios I have looked at are both FRS and GMRS.  I don't recall them being separate units for these different frequencies.  Maybe I have had the radio on FRS when it should be tuned to GMRS?  If so, I am an idiot.  The puzzle will not be solved 'til spring.

Jeff, once you get your new CB units unpackaged and charged up, I'd like to hear your comparsion between them and your previously inadequate models.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

SwampDonkey

My Cobra hand held CB is rated for 1/2 - 4 mile range, depending on terrain, 4 watts. I can use a microphone in a side jack, it is rechargeable on AC and has a DC adapter for the car for power.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

John Mc

Dr. B -

GMRS are higher power than FRS radios. I believe the higher power GMRS radios are restricted to a subset of the FRS channels (maybe channels 1-7, but I may be remembering incorrectly). I think some radios that say FRS/GMRS can use all channels, but only transmit at the lower FRS power level. The better ones will automatically transmit at the higher power on the GMRS frequencies, or have separate transmit buttons for high and low power (high power being disabled on FRS frequencies).

So first recommendation is to use a GMRS radio on a GMRS frequency and be sure it's one that transmits at the higher power.

Second recommendation is to put a better antenna on your cabin radio. It would be best to mount an antenna up on your roof. This needs to be an antenna designed to transmit at the frequencies you are using (don't try to use a CB antenna, designed for 27 mHz, on a GMRS radio - 900 mHz?? Receiving might be OK, but you could burn out your transmitter from the mismatch.) This doesn't have to be a huge antenna. Almost anything works better than the little rubber whips on the walkie-talkies. Best to use one designed for base station use, rather than trying to use one designed to mount on a car roof (car antennas tend to use the car roof as the base plane, base station ones have a couple of "spokes" to serve as the ground plane a car antenna may help, but not as much as a base station antenna).

If the above doesn't quite do it, you could also look at upgrading the antenna on the walkie-talkie you use in the boat. I'm not sure what the options are here, but a larger rubber whip might help, or maybe try mounting a car antenna somewhere on the boat?

I was a Ham operator 30+ years ago... some bits and pieces are still floating around in my memory

If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

SwampDonkey

On my radio, channels:
1-7 are GMRS/FRS frequencies
8-14 are FRS
15-22 are GMRS

We always use channel 4.

Mine has a hands free feature for talking without any accessories. Has hands free for use with accessories as well like a headset mic.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

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