Reddit reviews Uniden GMR1635-2 Up to 16-Mile Range, FRS Two-Way Radio Walkie Talkies, 22 Channels with Channel Scan, Battery Strength Meter, Roger Beep, (Discontinued by Manufacturer, Replaced by Uniden SX167-2C)
We found 5 Reddit comments about Uniden GMR1635-2 Up to 16-Mile Range, FRS Two-Way Radio Walkie Talkies, 22 Channels with Channel Scan, Battery Strength Meter, Roger Beep, (Discontinued by Manufacturer, Replaced by Uniden SX167-2C). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
22 channels, including 7 FRS and 15 GMRS channelsCall tone will sound when calling each otherScan helps you find others in your areaRoger beep lets others know when you finish speakingPackaging is 100% recyclable and is printed with non-toxic inks. The Uniden manufacturing standards restrict the use of hazardous chemicals.Pair of FRS/GMRS family radios with 22 channels (15 GMRS, 7 FRS) and up to 16 mile rangeAuto-squelch for reducing interference; channel scan/monitor for easily finding available channelsPower with three AAA batteries--automatic power saving feature extends battery lifeCall tone and selectable roger beep; keypad lock feature to avoid changing settingsBundle includes two radios, batteries, reference guide, and pair of belt clips
Family Radio Service (FRS) walkie-talkies are an improvement over CB's with less interference and good range. Here's a pair on Amazon for less than $25.
'inexpensive' and 'built into goggles' is not going to happen.
What is 'cheap' to you? $20/$50/$100/$200?
Hands free is the other part that jumps from cheap to expensive.
The basic answer is something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-16-Mile-Channel-Battery-Two-Way/dp/B004RG0YMM/ref=sr_1_3
but they don't meet your requirements, other than cheap.
The quality answer is something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/BCA-RL-10000-Backcountry-Access-Link/dp/B00HZLMHFS/ref=sr_1_1
US skiing? You don't happen to have an FCC license for HAM radios do you? That could be another option.
Sounds like you just want some simple GMRS radios. I'm not too sure of any "true radio" solutions for any mobile device platform (iOS or Android).
There is something that these guys, who are responsible radio amateurs, aren't telling you. I myself am marginally responsible and would rather see you get interested in radio as a hobby than play it all by the book.
So, I will tell you that although everyone is right in telling you your radio is not a CB, in my opinion it's better than a CB. It's the awesomest walkie-talkie ever! By that, I mean that it can likely be programmed (or might even already be programmed) to operate on the frequencies that typical walkie-talkies operate on. That means those little Motorola/Midland/Cobra/Uniden radios that you, our friends, and everybody has, can possibly talk to that radio. They are operating on a band called GMRS, which can be good over much greater distances than typical walkie-talkie distances with real antennas and some power. The difference between your radio and the walkie-talkies is that they put out 0.5-2 watts of power, and your radio looks like it does 10 or 25 watts.
To be clear, operating on the GMRS band technically requires a GMRS license (except for a few channels it shares with FRS, where you can transmit up to half a watt bla bla bla bla), even though virtually no one who owns those walkie-talkies ever gets the license. And there may even be some additional restrictions about power level in mobile stations etc. whatever.
To get operating, you would need:
A replacement whip for your antenna, which probably originally looked like one of these. Or just a new antenna. There are much shorter ones, too. Just note that if you get the whip only, it's very important that it is "tuned" to your frequency of operation, in this case "GMRS", or 462mhz. That means the wire is exactly some fraction of that frequency's wavelength, such as 1/4 (most common), and some other electrical engineering hand-waving.
To program your radio, with
A programming cable, and
the programming software
*the service manual will be helpful I hear.
The bummer is that it seems the programming software is extremely proprietary. So it'd have to be programmed by somebody who does that stuff - a dealer of those Motorola radios, for example.
If you can't find somebody to do that but this has been intriguing for you, consider getting an inexpensive radio that's a ton more versatile and think about getting a license to talk with us amateurs!
[This] (http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-GMR1635-2-Channel-Battery-Two-Way/dp/B004RG0YMM/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=19XIKAS79AJYG&coliid=I1ARU13LG9F5LI) would equal more road trips with more people!