Dear all,

I would like to supplement my gear with a 2 way radio. Being fairly a-technical, I got lost in all the information the net has to offer.

My basic need is for communication while hiking and kayaking and as an emergency radio, preferably in a small and light package.

During my searches I stumbled upon two brands which have “multiple band receivers”; Yeasu and Icom.

My question is: Can I use these radio’s to connect to a Motorola FRS radio, cb and ham radio, search planes, passing ships and or rescue services?

Thanks for your help.

B.

Do what Izzy says on his post as the radios on your links require amateur licensure to use (at least to transmit). Or, of course, get your amateur license as I encouraged on another post. It isn't that difficult.

I'm not a radio guy, but I was wondering about this. Do you mean you talked to a pilot in a small plane with their own FRS/GMRS handheld? Otherwise, pilots normally wouldn't be monitoring those freqs, would they?

What Izzy said, and if you want more options, see the other post about getting an Amateur Radio license. It will be more useful to you. If anyone wants more info, you can PM me.

Please also research the "Wilderness Protocol", while mostly geared towards Hams, it should be useful on any radio service.

Also, there is a "push" to make FRS Channel 1 a de facto Hailing and Distress Channel, but that has failed. The problem is that people don't educate themselves, and won't know what the Privacy Tones are. Thus, they transmit with one on, you hear it, and call back, but they will never hear you. So, in the wilderness, turn off the tones.

One thing to keep in mind... All radios require licenses... well, not quite all, but close enough...

The radios that you linked to are all under the amateur bands, as others have stated. The cost to get a license is minimal, but you have to learn some stuff and pass a test.

You can also get FRS/GMRS radios. The problem is that if you want to use GMRS frequencies and/or powers, then you need a GMRS license. It is something like $50 for a 10-year FAMILY license (not per-person). There is no test, but the license is expensive compared to a Ham ticket, especially if you will be the only person using it.

The only time that you do NOT need a license is when you are transmitting on FRS frequencies (channels 1-14), and are transmitting at under 1/2 watt. But you range at these settings will be minimal - maybe a mile if you are lucky.

Anyone know if there are any that combine FRS and CB radio in one unit?

I have certainly never heard of such a beast. My ham radio HT can receive FRS and CB at the same time. The problem is that the frequencies are so far apart it would be difficult to design an antenna that would work well on both bands.

I also believe that getting approval from the FCC for such a radio would be difficult at best. So I am almost 100% certain that none exists, and I place very small odds that any will exist in the future.

You won't see them because they will cost too much to produce (effectively 2 radios in one), and little customer demand. The only reason amateur radio transceivers usually have 2m/6m or 2m/70cm is because there is a demand for them.

CB isn't as popular as a choice for personal communications system, as say FRS is. That's not to say that CB isn't useful for the road. People have called GMRS the "new" CB, but in reality, at least where I'm at, there aren't a lot of users.

The "newer" generations aren't to much up on wireless technology, unless it's their cell phone. The closest most will get to wireless radio communication is probably Nextel's DirectConnect. Apparently they now feature a way to connect between two handsets directly off network.

edited to add: The cost of a dual-band CB/FRS radio may not be a real factor, as some CB radios do have WX channels in them (so that would be 27Mhz for the CB, and 162Mhz for the WX channels). I'm sure there is something technical I don't know. However, probably not too much of a concern to you...

A friend of mine just signed up a while back, so it's fresh in my mind... I'm pretty sure it's $80 for 5 years. $16 a year isn't bad when you consider that your entire family can use it with you, including in-laws, cousins, etc. Agreed that does seem a touch pricey for one, however.

Also, I've always wondered - maybe someone here can say - if the FCC would take any action if this frequency was used in a real emergency. I know that if was life or death, I'm going to use whatever I have available. I assume there are contingency clauses in their rules. And, really, with a 12-15 mile theoretical max that I've seen on most FRS/GMRS combos, wouldn't someone have to be using the thing in the same area for a long period of time and also be causing a nuissance? I can't imagine that the FCC is monitoring that traffic all that carefully for illegal use.

In a real emergency, you are allowed to send from virtually any radio source you have available to you. I've never heard of anyone getting in trouble for that.

But the rules exist so they can be used to prosecute people who take advantage. I've heard guys on my father's ham radios (occas) who weren't using any call letters or "ham-speak", and they were being crude and obnoxious.

My father said that people like them can be located by triangulation --- they aren't as invisible as they think. In fact, he mentioned a few cases where hams DID triangulate on severely obnoxious people, and personally administered some "attitude adjustments". Isn't that AWFUL??! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Sue