Hi All:
Totally new to the hobby, I am getting an amateur license as we speak and am looking to create a comms “network” between several friends in the area. I live in a coastal town in the US and the furthest person I am attempting to communicate with is roughly 23 miles away (potentially less). Is it feasible to communicate with the equipment we both have and if so, how could we dial it in for a more streamlined process.
My equipment is as follows:
- 8W Baofeng UV5R w/ 42.5 inch collapsible antenna
His equipment is as follows:
- Standard Baofeng UV5R w/ standard helical antenna
So far, we’ve gotten about 1.3 miles in range when both radios were using the standard helical antennas. Obviously, we are on budget but if it makes sense to upgrade equipment, etc - we would like to know what that looks like as well.
Thanks in advance for all your help!
Unfortunately, the laws of physics are against you. In the VHF and UHF amateur bands, it is strictly line of sight, so both antennas must be in sight of each other. This means that 1.3 miles is about the best you will ever get, and that is in ideal conditions. As for antennas, it is unlikely you will do much better than the stock antenna.
Your only choices for that distance are a repeater in between the two with a much higher antenna, or a fixed base radio with an antenna on a tower. Two handhelds would never do that distance unless both were on two mountain tops within sight of each other. In spite of conspiracies to the contrary, the earth is round, and even without a single obstacle in between the two radios, once you go beyond the horizon you will lose the signal. The best handheld VHF/UHF radio in the world will never get more than a few miles.
But this is also why handheld radios have been able to contact the ISS when it is overhead and a licenced ham operator is onboard and operating. There are no obstacles between the antennas when the ISS is in orbit.
1 Like
Distance capabilities are affected by several things including topography, antenna type, antenna height, availability of repeaters, and the power output of the radio. There are other factors (like how well-tuned your antenna is), but those are a few of the main factors. Your radios, given the right combination of factors, it perfectly capable of reaching those distances.
1 Like
How would we be able to find out if there was a repeater between our two locations? Also, what does a fixed base radio look like set up/budget wise?
Thanks!
Im a tad confused why you went the ham radio route? Not being funny, but some people struggle with the technical knowledge required for even the most basic licence type if they’ve not found out about the hobby and the basic science. Google, your ARRL and many other ham organisations have all the repeater and other basic info. It seems odd you’ve not done any research on ham activity in your area? If its comms for a group of friends, then even if there is a ham repeater that will extend your range, they probably wont take kindly to non-ham usage, and newcomers who arent conventional hams might be tricky? The public bands might be a better place with repeaters being allowed, but do any of you have the money to invest in this? You’ve also picked dirt cheap, basic radios that as i understand it ONLY work in ham bands now in the US. Ham radio is a hobby in itself. Very often the actual talking side of it is not the focus at all. Many people invest thousands in being able to ask what the weather is like in a foreign country, talking to a stranger for two minutes. Others like to build complex linked systems, and their fun is the technology. Talking to your group of friends is probably a daft reason to study and take a test to operate in ham bands, which might get busy and spoil your plans.