Looking for a Radio

[Affliction]

Heres my previous thread for reference two years ago.
http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthread.php?t=24590

Anyhow, I've been looking far and wide for a decent radio and discovered that a license is required to operate a UHF radio--Something along the lines of the high wattage output being able to cause electrical interference.

Now in my previous thread, there were many reccomendations to get a UHF radio, and I was eager to get one but now I'm not sure with this required license. Few questions below->
1. How many people here actually own a UHF radio AND/OR license?
2. What are the requirements (legal + costwise) to obtain said license
3. Which model of radio do you own (GMRS, UHF, FRS + Model)?
4. Is GMRS a good alternative? I don't actually want to cheap out on quality if possible

-FURY

[swatt13]

... soo.... imagine yourself playing a game, useing your radio, then all of a sudden some one yells "hey you!" you turn around to see a man ina black italian suit pointing at you, "your performing an illegal action, cease and decist use of taht radio, and hand it over, your getting a big fine mister!"

or after a game, you get a phone call "this is officer dumphry from the rcmp, your in big trouble for useing a uhf radio without a license or permit, your in big trouble mister"

guy the only way your going to catch shit for useing a uhf is if you give them a reason, like interferring with signals at an airport of le/mil establishment. anywho, moral of the story is get a uhf. nothing compares to them. gmrs are fine and all, but they catch alot of interference, and have all sorts of transmitting issues. wher uhf, are a more "refined" transmitter.

[Affliction]

Originally Posted by swatt13

... soo.... imagine yourself playing a game, useing your radio, then all of a sudden some one yells "hey you!" you turn around to see a man ina black italian suit pointing at you, "your performing an illegal action, cease and decist use of taht radio, and hand it over, your getting a big fine mister!"

or after a game, you get a phone call "this is officer dumphry from the rcmp, your in big trouble for useing a uhf radio without a license or permit, your in big trouble mister"

guy the only way your going to catch shit for useing a uhf is if you give them a reason, like interferring with signals at an airport of le/mil establishment.

LOL just made me burst out laughing here at my college computer commons.

Ok ok, what about owning a UHF radio. Is the license required to operate the UHF radio, or to posess a UHF radio.

Also: If you use a UHF radio, is your location traceable? and I assume car to car use within suburban / urban areas is also a bad idea?


-FURY

[McKee]

Originally Posted by Fury

Ok ok, what about owning a UHF radio. Is the license required to operate the UHF radio, or to posess a UHF radio.

Also: If you use a UHF radio, is your location traceable? and I assume car to car use within suburban / urban areas is also a bad idea?

You can possess them without a license, only operation "requires" a permit.

As for traceing them, yes they are traceable (read triangulation) however as stated earlier, unless you are causing a problem, limited use at an airsoft game is going to go completely unnoticed and nobody is going to care. It's only a problem if you are interfering with something or using it for commerical purposes. If you want an extra layer of safety, transmit on FRS frequencies as these are open frequencies for anyone to use and nobody would know that you're using a slightly more powerful transmitter, so you'd be cool for car-car comms. There is a sticky in the gear thread for what the exact frequencies of FRS channels are.

I use a UHF radio because it works better then an FRS because of it's better power, and I can communicate with other players using FRS or GMRS. The higher wattage doesnt so much give it better range (although it does) but it allows it to punch through trees and terrain better. As for license, eh..... I plead the 5th.

[Affliction]

Sounds great. What should I look for in a UHF radio in terms of compatibility with GMRS / FRS? To be more accurate, what is required in an UHF radio to operate on GMRS / FRS channels?

I was looking into an IASUS 5-watt UHF radio.

[Cushak]

Originally Posted by Fury

Sounds great. What should I look for in a UHF radio in terms of compatibility with GMRS / FRS? To be more accurate, what is required in an UHF radio to operate on GMRS / FRS channels?

I was looking into an IASUS 5-watt UHF radio.

I think just programmability, as long as it transits on the frequencies 460 MHz to 470 MHz.

[m102404]

Aplogies Fury...this has to do with our PMs the other night...I'm going to hijack your thread vs. starting another...

Note: Radios/freqs/programming/etc...are all quite confusing to me. I've been steadily working my way through the info (Wikipedia, ASCA, Ham amateur forum, etc...) but as it's all new info to me, and it's going to take a while to understand it, especially with no practical experience. So I'm hoping that someone with a good bit of experience can offer some help here.

Objective:
- clear comms during field games where the bush can be thick and dense (i.e. Boarder Wars)
- clear comms to other FRS radios (i.e. talkabouts, cobras, garmin...)
- compatibility with readily available accessories
- not cost hundreds of $$$/unit
- Optional: receive 2 FRS channels at once and selective transmit on one (I know that there is a more $$$ Kenwood model that does this, but do any others?)
- "easily" programmed by neophyte
***edit***
- My wife would like the radios strong enough to work up at the cottage so she can call me back when breakfast/lunch/dinner is ready and I'm down the lake fishing...of course I'd add that reception can be "intermittent", in case the bite is on!

See...the objectives are easy.

My teammate and I have been looking around and trying to decipher things, but we're at the point now where it's the mildly-informed leading the inexperienced.

Could you please comment on the:
Puxing PX-777 and the PX-888
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-PUXING-PX-77...QQcmdZViewItem

or any similar price range ($70-90) type of unit.

Thank you in advance!

***Edit***
Ummm...thanks Lerch...very helpful and I'm sure God appreciates your thanks.
I'm not advising or encouraging anyone to do anything illegal, etc...just gathering information...yeah, yeah, that's it.

[Lerch]

Thank God I've got my Restricted Operators license makes for no hassle and doubts...

[swatt13]

Originally Posted by Lerch

Thank God I've got my Restricted Operators license makes for no hassle and doubts...

that card i gave you last night was just to get you into the sack lerch, its not certified, i made it on the computer 3 minutes before i seen you standing on the street corner.

[ThunderCactus]

heh, customs doesn't even look at 5 watt motorola VHF radios. And no you can't use them to talk to aircraft.

The feds have better things to do than bust you for an unlicensed radio. Don't be stupid with it and you won't have a problem.

Note, on HAM frequencies you'll hear people using callsigns. You can jack any other frequency that's not evidently in use in your area and as long as you sound professional, nobody will know or care that you're on it. The only way anyone even has a clue that you're using it "illegally" is if they complain...so don't give 'em a reason to.

Example - we had three cars in a convoy on the way back from border wars and we were on comms on a random frequency around 470.XXXX. Comms were around the lines of:

"54 call 06"
"06"
"54, tail car, moving to lane 2"
"06 Rgr"
"54 out"

Suddenly we hear "Control, this is 54, did you call me?"

I broadcast "Convoy go to Tac 2" and we switched channels IMMEDIATELY.

[FOX_111]

Originally Posted by ThunderCactus

heh, customs doesn't even look at 5 watt motorola VHF radios. And no you can't use them to talk to aircraft.

Actually they do. A large group order of 4watt radios was seized last fall.

[Sergeantmajor]

so...which radio is a good buy?

[Affliction]

Originally Posted by MadMorbius

The feds have better things to do than bust you for an unlicensed radio. Don't be stupid with it and you won't have a problem.

Note, on HAM frequencies you'll hear people using callsigns. You can jack any other frequency that's not evidently in use in your area and as long as you sound professional, nobody will know or care that you're on it. The only way anyone even has a clue that you're using it "illegally" is if they complain...so don't give 'em a reason to.

Example - we had three cars in a convoy on the way back from border wars and we were on comms on a random frequency around 470.XXXX. Comms were around the lines of:

"54 call 06"
"06"
"54, tail car, moving to lane 2"
"06 Rgr"
"54 out"

Suddenly we hear "Control, this is 54, did you call me?"

I broadcast "Convoy go to Tac 2" and we switched channels IMMEDIATELY.

Wow I'd be scared shitless if that happened to me.

Where do you learn the proper terminologies for this?

[Sterling]

Motorola Talkabout 6500! I have 2 of them and they are amazing.