Message from @Artemis
Discord ID: 704753892830871640
Ham operators swear by them. You will eventually upgrade if the bug bites you.
Ok cool I wanted a good one for emergency use and there is no signal where I hunt and my buddy and I both wanted one. Thank you so much.
Read up on MURS, FRS, and GMRS. Those are FCC regulated frequency bands. MURS and FRS are unlicensed while GMRS is licensed but no test. It is a $70 application fee good for 10 years.
Hmmm I have some reading to do
It's quite fun and useful to get two radios and see how well they work out where you hunt. You'll probably be disappointed at the distance at first but then you buy better antennas and learn how to make it work for you
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I found that the Motorola T465's are awesome. Multiple ways to charge them, 35 mile range, around $85 for two of them. There's multi-packs up to 8 and 10 on Amazon I believe.
For the price, baofengs may be more versatile. Of course there's way better, stuff like higher end Motorola, kenwood, yaesu, and so on
Yeah, I’ve fucked with Motorola and that’s some badass shit.
Motorola's real products, not the consumer grade soccer mom road trip stuff, is built like a tank. Very robust equipment.
My dumbass coworkers still manage to break them though >.>
Me being around a FD, I can attest
The T465 are like, medium-duty consumer radios. Not total junk like most FRS radios, but they're still limited by the FRS rules (2 watts, fixed antenna) and the price indicates they're not quite as durable as a $3000 APX. But for hunters or whatever they probably work great
Legal is up on mewe
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Thoughts on this model? Keep in mind I have to buy two.
BaoFeng GT-3TP Mark-III Tri-Power 8/4/1W Two-Way Radio Transceiver with 7.4V 3800mAh Battery, Dual Band 136-174/400-520 MHz True High Power, Upgraded Chip, High Gain Antenna, Car Charger https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014J5RJ7I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_x0fQEbXHTT6PR
If it fits your needs, go for it. Personally i have a uv-82 but whatever you go with, I'd suggest getting an extended battery and a nagoya antenna
You need the cable too right to program it?
Generally best to program it to gmrs frequencies since that's what most people use but if you have a team, you can use whatevers in your radios range
Technically illegal without one of the ham licenses but fuck it, they can't find you unless you're broadcasting pirate radio.
That being said, getting your license will teach you everything you need to know for the most part
I got the uv82hp with the na771 16”.
Works great
GMRS is not a Ham license. It is a no test required application fee of $70 for a ten year license. Your license can be extended to cover family as well.
shoot wrong one, yeah you're right
still suggest picking up a book though
A lot of the basic questions people ask can be answered if you study for the technician exam. Not saying you have to get the license but if you can pass a practice test you'll know you are at a good starting point for learning
You don't NEED a cable and chirp, but it's super annoying to program Baofengs by hand
I can second the UV-82, have been using them for years. Plenty of batteries available- does the GT3-TP take standard shape batteries? Also paying extra for 8 watts is not the best use of money, get a better antenna first. My opinion
Judging by the pictures it looks like it does take standard UV-5R batteries which is good
I'm definitely not part of the radio community or anything but I've always been told "wire is cheaper than watts"
I believe you are allowed to use FRS and GMRS at low power without a license
FRS, yes, but not with Baofengs. GMRS needs a license. Technically.
There's literally no way for them to find out though. Unless you're broadcasting some radio 24/7 at high power, someone gets annoyed with it, calls up the FCC, and they have the one guy for your region drive out all over the city searching for it, you're fine
Precisely
And the FCC enforcement bureau is getting smaller every year. Avoid malicious interference and you're fine
I recall when the FCC cracked down on the import of Baofeng radios they admitted in a bulletin that the country is flooded with radios not type certified for FRS/GMRS that are using both services. The FCC basically said they didn't have the enforcement ability and would only address the worst offenders but there was no way they could address the widespread usage of "illegal" radios.
Very true. Lots of people yse them for hunting with no repercussions
Still should register if you live in a high density area or feel like being honest, you're not risking anything by licensing a radio.