Two way radios

37chief · Feb 5, 2012

My wife had knee replacenent surgery 11 days ago. For a few days after she got home I had to stick fairly close to help her get around and be her servent. Now that she is improving I can manage to get to my shop which is about a block away from the house. This is possible by using walkie talkie radios I borrowed from my neighbor. Now if she needs help I can be there in a couple minutes. I keep it in my shirt pocket, and hear it real good. These things are great. I guess the cell phones would work also, but these things are right now. Anyone else use them? Stan

Mike (WA) · Feb 5, 2012

Went about 400 miles with another guy (in two rigs) to pick up two cars- we used walkie talkies- worked out real well. No minutes used, no dialing.

And unlike cell phones, I don't think its illegal to use walkie talkies while driving.

donjr · Feb 5, 2012

Couple of friends moved to Kansas a few years ago. I gave them two we had. He was in a big U-Haul truck and she followed in the pickup with a trailer. They claimed it was the best part of the trip. Able to drive and yak. He said it was nice because he could threaten to turn her off and and actually do it---

Anonymous-0 · Feb 5, 2012

We have a real old pair that we have used on several road trips. They have worked great between cars.

ShadetreeRet · Feb 5, 2012

Cell phones with a walkie talkie feature are available. The company my sister works for has them for their field supervisors. But then, I guess you would have to pay for minutes that way. I prefer the old fashioned walkie talkie.

Goose · Feb 5, 2012

My shop is about 300 yards from my house, and my wife and I have a pair of Midland GXT600 units.

They work real well, except a lot of the time I'm in the shop I'm using power tools and wear ear plugs, so it's a chancy thing for us.

But, if you don't do anything creating noise to drown out the unit, they should work fine.

(I once inspected a house that was so big, the lady of the house admitted she and her husband carried these units to keep track of each other inside the house).

fixerupper · Feb 5, 2012

My son has a couple of them. When he comes over here to work, about 1/8 of a mile, he brings it along and it does work. His wife still calls him on the cell phone. Jim

RalphWD45 · Feb 5, 2012

The wife nagged me into getting a cheap set from Radio Shack (Midland), and I carry one every day, so I can be outside , and to feed the calves.Every since I had a heart attact 2 springs ago, she worries about me repeating it, and I guess she didn't belive my cardioligest, when he said I should get another 71 yrs out of the bypass! Then I broke my heel last fall, and she thinks I should let my kids drive out here and take care of the livestock! They have done enough already, no use taking advantage of them. There are a lot of CB people cluttering up the airways here in my area.

Straw Boss · Feb 5, 2012

Back in the day, not long ago but before everyone had a cell phone, we purchased a set of walkie talkies. You could buy them from Wal-mart in a 3 or 4 pack. Each with a charger. Worked great for the family to stay in contact at the state fair, tractor shows, etc. Also if you harvested with a neighbor and wanted instant communication. Now EVERYONE including many 10-12 year olds have a cell phone and we haven't used the radios in a number of years but they did work great for the application. When the end of the world comes and cell towers are dead and many don't have a land line anymore, we can still communicate. LOL

JMS/.MN · Feb 5, 2012

I"m glad your system works for you. Late 70s I bought 5 CB radios for tractors, combine, pickup. Worked ok the first year, third year couldn"t talk a mile. Bought spendy ($800 per unit business radios) that could talk 40+ miles. Still use the system today. Better than a cell phone- just key the mike and talk.

37chief · Feb 5, 2012

Now that is interesting. I wonder if you will get a ticket using walkie talkie while driving. I was lookiing at some with a range of 30 miles. That is about my range anyway. Stan

Stephen Newell · Feb 6, 2012

I use them all the time. When working I have a helper carry one and when he's around the other side of the house doing something I can call him when I need help. I also recently took a road trip with some other people in different cars and it was handy to contact the others and keep from losing each other in traffic.

buickanddeere · Feb 6, 2012

GMRS has more power and range than the FMRS.

RayP(MI) · Feb 6, 2012

All the adults in our family are licensed ham radio operators. Have handi-talkies, mobile radios, access to repeater stations. Very good communications. Commercial or GMRS probably would be good choice. (Ham radio is not allowed to be used for commercial purposes.) When we first got started with amateur radio, cell or even mobile phones didn"t exist.

RGMartin · Feb 6, 2012

(quoted from post at 07:17:04 02/06/12) GMRS has more power and range than the FMRS.

And both have a real world range of 3/4 of a mile or less.

Paul from MI · Feb 6, 2012

Wife and I got a pair to use after her surgery. They worked good up to about 1/2 mile, and did lots better than my cell phone inside my poloe barn/shop, which is about 300' from the house.

Two way radios

37chief

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Mike (WA)

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donjr

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Anonymous-0

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ShadetreeRet

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Goose

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fixerupper

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RalphWD45

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Straw Boss

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JMS/.MN

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37chief

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Stephen Newell

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buickanddeere

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RayP(MI)

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RGMartin

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Paul from MI

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