Reddit reviews Midland - GXT1000VP4, 50 Channel GMRS Two-Way Radio - Up to 36 Mile Range Walkie Talkie, 142 Privacy Codes, Waterproof, NOAA Weather Scan + Alert (Pair Pack) (Black/Silver)

Your options depend on how much you're willing to spend, and how much you're willing to trust other people.

Sure you could pay someone, how much? No clue, but let's try some napkin math. It's roughly 1500 miles or about 42 hours (normal driving, uhauls are slow as shit so it'll likely be way longer than that) according to google. An hourly driver makes on average 20 bucks an hour, or 840 bucks, plus food, plus lodging plus flight back to texas (you don't expect them to drive through the night right?

But hourly for a job like this doesn't really work, per mile makes more sense. Truck drivers make .28-.40/mile (or there abouts) so you're looking at 420 to 600, plus lodging and meals and a flight back to texas.

Regardless of pay, you're trusting someone with all of your personal belongings and a car, over 1500 miles, and multiple days to not just take off with you stuff or some how bamboozle you. Hiring someone for something like this that isn't a close friend is something I could completely avoid

Shipping a car cost 750-1500ish (it really, really depends) and that price includes all the drivers costs. This also allows you and your SO to then drive the uhaul and towed car together while your other car makes it way too the east coast on a rig.

I haven't moved across the country in a long time, but renting a uhaul and a tow trailer for a trip like that is not cheap, which I'm sure you've already seen the quotes for, so hiring someone or shipping your car might put you out of your budget.

If you don't have a friend that will help for just airfare home, meals, and lodging (no pay for driving) then your most cost effective (and lowest risk) option to it to just suck it up and drive separately. Get a pair of two way radios These tend to have pretty good range as long as you mostly stay line of sight, plus you'll have your phones incase you get too far apart.

Set a route with checkpoints that if you're not in contact with each other, you stop until the other one arrives. Use some type of phone app to also monitor each other's location, this give redundancy incase you're out of cell service or a checkpoint gets missed. Have your nightly stops planned as well.

I might have some suggestions, but a lot of it comes down to why you don't want to drive apart, some reasons you can work around (like I did above) but others (medical issues, etc) might mean you need to plan more or up your moving budget.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

I second getting a license.

But I think your best bet would be getting a satellite or leasing some orbital bandwidth. Companies like United Launch Alliance and Golden Spike can offer you launch space. Satellites tech is good enough that building one is purely a DIY effort.

Just kidding. In fact I am only making fun of the HAM suggestion.

My setup isn't BIFL, and they are strictly consumer grade, but they are pretty sturdy. They were the suggestion of my 1SGT.

http://www.amazon.com/Midland-GXT1000VP4-36-Mile-50-Channel-Two-Way/dp/B001WMFYH4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376766043&sr=8-1&keywords=frs+radio

If on the trail with your radios you get some blisters, consider getting a medical degree. It'll open up access to all sorts of medicines that just aren't available over the counter.

The most important things to carry are things that will keep you alive. WATER is the most important. You can live without food for weeks, you can't live without water for more than a few days. Don't eat anything you aren't sure of (being sick is worse than being hungry) and don't eat if you don't have lots of water (digestion uses up water). Next is clothing- carry a spare jacket or snowpants in your car and a good set of gloves. You may be dressed comfortably for inside or in a heated car, but that will be a problem if you lose your engine in the middle of nowhere at night. From there you might consider a sleeping bag to keep you warm at night.
After that- LIGHT. If you are stuck somewhere at night, you will need as much light as you can get. Carry multiple flashlights, ideally one of which is a headlamp and one of which is indestructible, and carry spare batteries for each one. Chem-lights (Cyalume sticks) are also good to have but should be a backup to a real flashlight.

From there you might consider survival supplies- high calorie foodpacks, flares, signaling supplies, reflectors, fire starting equipment, knives, tools, etc. A simple Leatherman or Swiss Army Knife can be a big help in such a situation.

Carry some jumper cables and a pad of steel wool. Jumper cables have an obvious use (starting the car) and a few non-obvious uses (as rope or tools), but if you need to start a fire, use the jumper cables on the steel wool (few seconds at a time at most) and it will glow red hot.

Also, one of the simplest, stupidest things to carry is a cell phone charger. If you get stuck somewhere your cell phone could be out of juice even though your car battery has plenty of power. Don't get stuck by such a stupid problem.


If you're in backcountry places or go there during the winter (skiing etc) have at least one means to call for help that isn't a cell phone.

I heard about an accident that happened a few years back, a guy goes off the road during a snowstorm and his car disappears into the woods. Snowplow plows over the tracks so nobody can see where he went off the road, and he's pinned inside his car and can't move much. He sat there for almost 2 days before a passing trucker heard about the missing vehicle and happened to catch a glint of twilight off his side view mirror. If not for that, nobody'd have found him until spring, but he got lucky and was rescued.

The cell phone wasn't usable for this guy (either it was damaged in the crash or it had no service), if he'd had some other way of calling for help he'd have been rescued much sooner.

Your best bet is a 406MHz PLB, which is a satellite homing beacon (many models exist, some float and/or have a display). These cost a few hundred bucks, but have no subscription fees. (ACR offers an optional subscription service, but you don't need it). The battery is sealed in the unit and has to be serviced every few years, but you know it'll work because it has no useful function other than to call for help.

The cheap version of that is the Spot Satellite Messenger, which does much the same thing just with a less powerful radio and a commercial satellite phone network. Not quite as reliable as a real PLB, and needs a yearly subscription fee, but has other functions (you can have it check in every 15min and show your course on a map, or a newer one can be used to update your Facebook status, ugh). Spot takes AAA or AA batteries, so carry spares. Spot makes a few versions of this, and there's now a variant from DeLorme that works with Android phones.

You should also consider a good set of two way radios. Ignore the '50 mile range' type crap, its all bullshit (the ones linked above have better range than most with a full 5watt transmitter, but it's no 50 miles). Leave these in the charger, and leave the charger plugged into your car's trunk outlet. If you are doing a multi-car trip, put one in each car- that way if there's a problem you can easily signal the other car (if there's no cell service, you might run into a situation where one car has a problem and the other car doesn't see them stop for a while). They're also a lot of fun on road trips and great for skiing. The units linked above can also run on AA batteries instead of the rechargeable pack, so keep spare batteries around.

You might also look into CB Radios (many models available). A CB is usually mobile, not portable (ie it plugs into lighter socket with antenna on the roof) but CBs have the advantage that all the truckers use CB radios. Truckers will tell you about road hazards like accidents, dangerous conditions, and speed traps; and will often have different routes to suggest. Be warned that truckers have their own CB lingo so it takes some practice to figure them out.

You could build your own Raspberry Pi Mumble server over WiFi and have everyone in the group run a Mumble client on their smartphones...a couple issues though might be range (probably no more than 50-100 metres unless you get a good wifi antenna setup and having your smartphone associated to an access point that isn't internet connected might screw with your phone's data connection at the same time. You could however, build everyone a Raspberry Pi client too or have them dig up an old no-longer used smart phone just for that task....

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Edit: Have you considered simple GMRS/FRS radios with a headset and VOX (voice operated transmit)....they'd fit the bill too. For example: $60 for a pair with everything you need

Get a radio that isn’t cheap. I have 2 that have 3 power levels and a range at high of 35 miles in the open. So at the distances you play airsoft at it has no problems in urban areas let alone a forest. It only cost $30 a radio.

Edit: here is the Radio

Comms gear prep needs to start, not with radios, power levels or ranges, but with where who you want to talk to is. Where you want to send a signal to is what is going to determine antenna shape and size and frequency and, therefore, which radio - or radios - you might need. I'd suggest making a chart with such information then working from this to the radio you will want, rather than just asking about a radio and a 'decent range'. This is, I think, the best way to be sure that you get gear that will meet your needs and avoid wasting money on gear that won't meet your needs or leave you underprepared.

If, say, you want to talk to your uncle in the next town, 25 miles away, on the other side of the mountain, that's a very different beast than wanting to talk to your wife at home when you are at work across town. Plus, your budget needs to be incorporated into this decision too. I think, in order to help, we'd need more specific information about who you want to talk to and their relative location. Range is important yes; but, so is topology (and this latter is massively important if you want to only use the cheap, popular FM radios for GMRS/FRS; such might work for talking to your wife across town, but most certainly will not go to your uncle).

My preps are based around being out in the deep woods, alone, out of cell phone range, off grid, and wanting to send signals back out to civilization, especially to people I know back in my home town.

I have ham radios: 2m/70cm for short range and an HF for all ranges. Why did I go ham?

Because all the other options - cb, gmrs, etc., we're not good for any practical range; I wanted to send signals from my camp in the woods to people back home.

Indeed, once I got into ham, I got a 2m radio - and even this was out of range more often than not, even to the local repeaters that are often in very high places. Once I'd be 30 or 40km back in the bush, I could talk to no one save for those in my own party, and, given the terrain, even local comms via handheld radios was quite limited - a few km - using handhelds in the bush. Such radios could never send a signal back home.

It is a good idea to have some hand held radios for talking with your immediate partners in your group who are within, at most, a few miles, depending on terrain. There are tonnes of easily found options for this. But, easily powered, portable, off the shelf radios are quite limited vis a vis their transmit power and range. The ranges you see on the packages are, to be blunt, total BS "Up to 36-Mile range communication in open areas with little or no obstruction." Notice the 'up to'. This is the sort of radio to avoid; the range claims are BS and the antenna cannot be removed. I have something similar I bought to play with my young niece - they barely go a mile in town here. Between two people in valleys with a hill between - not good for that either.

For cheap, portable, easy to use for very short ranges, a baofeng, will suffice. I have one for sharing with others; but, I myself use a VX-8. Baofeng are pretty good value for money given what they can do; but, they are not going to work miracles; but, then again, neither will an expensive and fancy handheld; nor will a CB handheld either; none of these would meet my requirements for where I wanted to send a signal.

For my preps, given where I was and where who I wanted to talk to was, I gravitated to HF ham radio, especially what is called NVIS - near vertical incident sky wave - propagation, because this will allow for distances up to 400 to 500 km. To get a 'decent range' on a CB, using the frequencies CB uses (11 metres), would require a lot of power and a high antenna. Whereas NVIS signals on 40m and 80m will bounce way further with less power using a rather low antenna. For my preps, I think 80m NVIS is probably the most important given that this will let me speak to people within my own province on very low power levels pretty much all the time, day or night, from ranges as low as 10 km and going up to 300 to 400km, but, especially within the 100 to 200km range.

I am using an ft817; this radio is easily powered, small, robust; but, not cheap. It is not the best for walking around with; but, then again, antenna's for HF frequencies are a bit too large for carrying around in the woods and talking while walking, though not impossible. I can attach an antenna to this radio and I am able to go intercontinental - more than 10000km is not uncommon.

Of course, there is a bit more of an investment for this route; but, at least you won't be wasting money on gear that will not do what you want it to do. I think it is worth the time to at least get your ham ticket; then using 2 metres and external antennas on your radios, you could get much better range than anything CB, MURS, or gms has to offer.

Whoever you want to talk to and wherever they happen to be, if you want a decent range - don't get any radio that does not have a removable antenna. This is extremely important (and one of the advantages of using ham radio handhelds - even the cheap baofengs have removable antennas). The ability to remove the antenna and attach a cable that leads to an antenna strung up 20 or 30' in the air, is massively important! No removable antenna: don't buy. On my handheld, with the tiny antenna it came with, a few km at best; with the better and slightly longer antenna I bought afterwards, maybe 10km; with the homemade yagi antenna I made for a few dollars then strung up high in a tree, I can get more than 35. Hence here is a rule I suggest you follow in your quest to find what you need (and this is probably the most important thing I will say in my post):

No removable antenna: don't buy.

There are many camps I go to where my handheld cannot send a signal to the repeater with the antenna attached at the radio. I remove it, attach some coax; pull the antenna up the tree 20' and, voila, I can get the repeater. No matter who or where you want to talk to or send a signal, the antenna is always critical; so, never get anything that does not have a removable antenna! Antennas are critical!

Anyway, I found that handhelds, though useful, are too limited in range to be of much use (though a bit more range may be had with a second antenna strung up high); but, with an ft-817 I can talk anyway from 1-15000 km away. Perhaps the best thing I can say is that there are no magic solutions or miracle radios that are going to be cheap, long range, easily powered, usable without a license, etc..

Comms gear prep needs to start, not with radios, power levels or ranges, but with where who you want to talk to is; I think it would be best to get this clearly defined, then work out what radio (or radios) you will need to accomplish this.

My squad uses Midlands and I've never seen a problem with them.

Thanks for the help everyone, we ended up going with these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001WMFYH4/ref=twister_B06XKM77TP?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Any of the FRS or GMRS radios should be fine....no license needed.

Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Midland-GXT1000VP4-36-Mile-50-Channel-Two-Way/dp/B001WMFYH4/ref=lp_912322_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1414090695&sr=1-1

Midland radios do well. We refer to them as bubble packs because they tend to come in that really sharp plastic packaging that are rounded so they look like bubbles. Something like [these] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001WMFYH4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1451406976&sr=1-1&refinements=p_4%3AMidland%2Cp_85%3A2470955011&pi=SY200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=41XbIQv63VL&ref=plSrch)

Ive rolled with midland radios, something like a 20 mile range depending on where you are, and a pryme headset, very good combo in my opinion....

Edit for links


Midland radio


Pryme Headset

I originally thought it'd be fun to be able to talk with my friend who lives in a neighborhood about a mile away from me. After scratching the surface of two way radios, I soon found out that might not be so easy. I've looked at Midland, Uniden, Motorola, etc. And I just can't decide which would be a good option. So, my question to all you folks is, what two way radio should I be considering? I would love the option of NOAA access in the event of an emergency but it's not necessary. I'm also not looking to spend too much.

This keeps coming up as an option. Should I be reluctant or just go for it? Any better options?

Thanks in advance for at least reading.

Something like this runs anywhere from $40-$100 depending on quality. We used Push To Talk radios, so they wouldn't turn on from the bike noise. Some of the guys we ride with use these headsets

I use these.

GXT1000VP4, 50 Channel GMRS Two-Way Radio - Up to 36 Mile Range Walkie Talkie, 142 Privacy Codes, Waterproof, NOAA Weather Scan + Alert (Pair Pack) (Black/Silver) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001WMFYH4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_uQOTCb3340AS3

I have 2 sets. Lithium ion batteries are amazing.

These seem to have good reviews... https://www.amazon.com/Midland-GXT1000VP4-Channel-Two-Way-Waterproof/dp/B001WMFYH4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549491056&sr=8-3&keywords=GMRS

I was reading some of the questions on the the Baofeng Amazon page. Some were saying that although they could broadcast on FRS, it is considered illegal to because they are higher power than FRS? So, I am under the impression that the Baofeng isn't exactly a simple handheld to handheld option. Having the ability to listen in to local police/fire/EMS and other information has piqued my interest.

 

Would it be possible to have legal handheld to handheld communication like during caravans/convoys/general use for around 1 mile with the Baofeng? The more that I'm trying to look into it, the more it seems that If I want to listen in to the above and/or find other things to listen to, get the Baofeng, but I won't ever be able to use it to transmit. I'm under the impression that I would never be able to transmit because of this thread from 2 months ago on this sub. I see several posts saying that all the frequencies are in use and should never be transmitted on. How and what do you guys transmit then, if all frequencies are in use?

To meet my physical needs, I'd need to purchased something like the Midland GXT1000VP4

i was going to order this for my brother for his birthday. they seem good enough.

We've used a couple brands over the years, but these Midlands have worked best. https://smile.amazon.com/Midland-GXT1000VP4-36-Mile-50-Channel-Two-Way/dp/B001WMFYH4/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1484274173&sr=8-17&keywords=walkie+talkies

We bought ours from Dicks sporting goods with a coupon. We live in the burbs so we have to use a high channel like 32 to keep out interference.

Our daughter has rules like she has to tell me when she goes to a different friends or the park and she has to tell me when heading home so I can keep an eye out.

Doesnt seem to have too positive reviews lol

Shot answer.

Can you do what you want to do and probably won't bother anyone? Yes.

Is what you're talking about doing legal? No.

Would I risk breaking Federal law to use something just a little bit better than a similar Motorola walkie talkies set up. HELL NO!

Just get these.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001WMFYH4?pf_rd_p=731c2082-c3b6-4ec5-ba3b-337a0516607d&aaxitk=E24CSNvIV2OInYFVQ0O7sQ&hsa_cr_id=4053267310601
100% legal and will do everything you need.

This may help:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007B5ZR4G/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?qid=1462798125&sr=8-6&pi=SL75_QL70&keywords=frs+radio

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001WMFYH4/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1462798234&sr=8-4&pi=SL75_QL70&keywords=frs+radio+weather

https://www.amazon.com/Midland-GXT1000VP4-36-Mile-50-Channel-Two-Way/dp/B001WMFYH4/ref=pd_sbs_107_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VNKD4DTQMHCGWDTWC7QP

Just get any commercial radio pair that has a headset jack, get a small earbud/mic combo to use with it, or get one that comes with it if you like that style.

Kenwood FRS radios with headsets. They sell them in pairs, including headsets. Actual range is something like a mile depending on various factors.

http://www.amazon.com/Midland-GXT1000VP4-36-Mile-50-Channel-Two-Way/dp/B001WMFYH4/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_1

4 motorcycles (no passengers) is $120.

You could get a female-to-male headphone splitter and use it backward to also include an audio source inline in the headphones, so the mic would send to the radio and the headphone would play both radio and other audio source. Only thing is this is low-tech, you have to pause the music when people are talking.

I have a VZ unlimited plan as well. I just turn off the data so I can get calls. Depending on where you go it may or may not work (CDMA vs GSM). I did take several calls before, I never saw the charge on my bill. If you are in a large city or a tourist area there is wifi just about everywhere, try viber which is free and works well. I once bought a long range handheld from amazon when there was no wifi available on a ski trip, worth every penny.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001WMFYH4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fYX6BbPE8DCT8

Something like these would probably work best for you. Or other GMRS/FRS radio

I made my own USB powered adapter for my Midland two way radios. The Midland's existing rechargeable battery is also pretty good on life, so when it IS charged, I include it but I can't count on myself always being so prepared. I never have to worry about batteries this way. Any device that uses 4 AA or AAA batteries will work on USB power, which is why I selected that radio (and the good reviews). Since AA/AAA batteries are 1.5V when new and 1V when dead, that means that USB's 5V is perfect (New batteries 4 = 6V, dead batteries 4 = 4V, USB 5V is perfectly in the middle). On the Midlands, its SUPER easy. I took a spare USB cable and crimped on some of these connectors. Those crimp 'spade' connectors slipped on perfectly to the existing battery friction tabs. Just look at the battery pack to determine where the USB (-) and (+) should go.

Anyways, my simple USB cord can be removed in seconds and swapped for batteries. I give friends a unit with batteries in case they don't have a USB slot in their car, and then I use the one with a USB so I don't have to worry about batteries!

Quick question, do you think I could use an over shoulder speaker/mic with this kind of radio? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001WMFYH4/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1K8GGN0TNB5LY&coliid=IFIHTVET24H0B&psc=1

If so, what kind of over the shoulder mic would you recommend? I want to be able to hear it and have good quality, but under 30 dollars would be nice as well.

Midland.

After using a Sena setup and talking back and forth with my brother on a 1500 miler a few weeks ago - I think we've come up with the perfect solution (and we considered apps as well.)

We were thinking the solution is to get a few of these radios and assuming you can get the squelch dialed in to limit background noise along with a voice activated microphone into the helmet and it should work out pretty well!