Hello folks, I’m a new guy to the group. I never gave much thought to hand-held radios until this morning. I was thumbing through F.B., and I kept seeing ads for VHF and UHF radios. Furthermore, I’m a boater. I have a 23’ center console boat. My range is approximately 30 miles (ca. 48 kilometers) offshore. My boat has a Raymarine 25-watt Ray53 VHF radio. With an 8’ antenna. With that said, I only have, at best, a 15-mile range. The way around that is, in case of an emergency, we can relay through other boaters closer inshore. I’ve heard it both ways: VHF is strictly for aviation and maritime use only. Some say that’s not true. I can’t find anything that states that it’s for aviation and maritime use only! But Manly was used for that purpose. UHF has even a shorter range than VHF. I’ve got an Uinden hand-held VHF that I sometimes use to talk to my buddy. You’re lucky to reach out two miles with it. I live in coastal NC. The weather is always an issue here. So some folks, including myself, own emergency broadcast radios. They are okay for that purpose. I’ve read advertisements that claimed that their radios have what, I feel, is an unrealistic range! Plus, they’re not cheap—over $300+ dollars.
Anyone have a good idea of what type of radio would work? Truckers swear by their CB radios.
Remember the old breaker one-nine days? Look out! There’s a smokie up a head. Lol. Save me from a ticket many times. Like all the other hand-held radios, they don’t have a lot of range.
Thanks
The horizon is a great way of looking at range. Uhf and vhf in a boat work virtually the same. Height increases the distance to the horizon. In a boat, to get further, you raise the antenna, or you use HF and bounce off the layers in the atmosphere, but when conditions prevent that, HF isnt really much better at many frequencies. UHF and VHF behave differently when you have things to get through, like people, hills, buildings.
In your boat, air band, vhf and uhf with an antenna in the same place, would have the same range as your marine radio. Even better antennas wouldnt do much for you, because your signal will graze the horizon. Somebody the other side will be in the shadow, but if they have a very high antenna, they can be further away on the other side and hear you. Range at sea is your distance to the horizon plus somebody else’s distance to their horizon the other side.
Using a portable radio, the horizon is even closer.
High power lets you punch through obstacles, it doesnt bend radio waves.
The silly ranges often quoted could be doable, from the top of a mountain. But, a low power one would probably work too. Back in the early days of sky lab, i talked to an astronaut on a hand held in my car. 2W got me a long way when the other end is in space. The old truism is that if you had a powerful telescope, anybody you can see with a radio, you can talk to, holds as accurate.
Bouncing off the layers in the atmosphere is operator skill based, coupled with time of day, temperature, humidity, sun spot activity and antenna type. A very different set of rules.
Hi Mike, welcome to the forum! To simplify the range question, here are some articles from our blog that should help answer it. The GMRS range chart applies to all types of UHF handheld radios, not just the GMRS.
GMRS Radio Range Chart
30 Miles? The Truth About Range
Getting The Most Range From Your Radio
The Two Way Radio Show TWRS-05 - Radios in Range
The Two Way Radio Show TWRS-45 - The Truth About GMRS Radio Range
Radio 101 - The truth about FRS / GMRS two way radio range
How To Optimize Range for Motorola Talkabout Two Way Radios
Myself along with my fishing buddies have VHF along with GPS & MMSI. If you have an emergency just push the red button underneath the red flap. It transmits your MMSI number (you have to apply for) and GPS Location. The Coast Guard Stations have 50’ to 100’ antenna’s in some cases even taller. The Coast Guard says it’s a great safety tool, the only problem is boaters will buy the radio but won’t apply for the number.
I know I’m getting a little off topic here. I truly appreciate your explanation. My knowledge of over the air radios can be said in a short paragraph. I do know enough on the subject not to be drawn into buying a $70 handheld radio thinking I can talk to someone in Texas. I have two hand held VHF radios there’s been times I’ve dropped my wife and grandkids off on an island, while they’re fathers and I go fishing. Never more than a couple of miles off shore. Talking about bringing a smile to your face is when you hear this little baby voice come on the air “Little Dixie Come in Little Dixie! Mimi said we’re ready to go! It cracked everyone on the boat up😂 Sad to say that same baby is grown and gone.
Thanks Again
Thanks for the info. I’m having a Proctectomy
07/03. I’ll be out of action two or three weeks short term. Long term is anyone’s guess. Getting old is not fun. I would like find a hand held that has a decent range 2-3 miles. My two hand held Midland VHF won’t even reach down the street. There great for 2 or 3 miles out in the open 3 miles is even a stretch. It appears that for my needs UHF is the answer. Living on the coast we have an emergency broadcast radio that’s a great tool to have in a disaster. With the way the world is now a lot of uncertainty has brought the false claims about long distance uhf/vhf radios out of the woodwork. I’ve got a Raymore VFH with an eight’ antenna on my boat that’s served me well. It wasn’t cheap but it didn’t break the bank. I’m going to try and find the same thing with a UHF.
Again, Thanks Rick