What type of radio transmission and system to use?

General Discussion
1

Hello all,

Hoping someone can help me out with this. I’ve been reading here and there about GMRS, FRS, UHF, VHF, CB, , etc (even satellite!), but cant figure out which solution would be best for what I want to do.

Basically I’m in an area with nearly no cell phone coverage (northern Wisconsin) and I’d like to be able to talk between our cabin and our pontoon.

Now, your first response is to just say, use a standard FRS radio, but, here’s the deal. When on the pontoon, there could be a good 5 miles between the pontoon and the cabin, and since its down a river, there are obviously hills, trees, and twists and turns everywhere in between. The system doesnt have to be portable (I could mount it to the pontoon). I just need it to be reliable and be able to reach the cabin.

What can I use to meet my requirements?

Thanks in advance,
Nate

2

I think GMRS is the most logical service for your needs, but the problem is range. Obviously a couple of standard hand-helds aren’t going to get you the 5 miles or so that you need. You may want to look for a GMRS base station or repeater that would allow you to attach an external antenna. You could mount this antenna to the roof of your cabin and significantly increase your range.

3

You really want to think about a license for that. It is required for that much power.