Setting up a summer camp ecosystem

General Discussion Radio 101
1

Hi,

I’m looking to get a radio ecosystem setup for a summer camp in the mountains. Our site is very remote (completely off-grid) and youth run, so while I am looking for something durable, I’m not looking at the top-of-the-line options as our current cheapo FRSs may last a season and a half.
I would need coverage of approximately 1 mile through hilly/tree-dense terrain. While we have been using FRS radios for a long time, we are not opposed to MURS/GMRS or something else.

I think I’m looking for a system with at least 65 radios, and perhaps 2 base-stations that would not leave the office or kitchen buildings. Ideally, we’d be able to listen to two channels on some of the devices at once (leadership & everyone). We have power in a bathroom high on site that we could put a repeater if necessary.

Options we’ve considered include continuing with our PXON FRS, BTECH FRS-A1, BTECH GMRS-V2, or the more expensive Motorolla DTR700 or DTR600 if we can find them cheap.

If anyone has thoughts on this I’d love to hear it.

2

I’d suggest a phpne call to the forum owners, as with 65 outstations, and 2 base stations, proper 2-way advice is needed. It could be done on the forum, but the time delay between lots of questions and answers won’t help. No doubt with that many users, and perhaps users with few technical skills, a proper integrated system is needed. Even digital radios don’t have to be hugely expensive, but the problems of using single channel vs multi-channel, users, heirachy and interference mean it’s not remotely an off the shelf project. 65 free for all users, or proper command and control with trained base station ops - so many questions text is rubbish for.

Simple things like maybe emergency buttons? Useful? terrain even creeps in - so will it be a repeater(s) give them a call, it will save you hours of grief. We’d all steam in with suggestions and cross suggestions and misunderstanding.

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