FRS Radio Mounted Outside Vehicle?

Ozarker

Pontoon Admiral
Yes, but that doesn’t help the “unlicensed masses” who would like to get better performance (through use of an exterior antenna) when using FRS radios inside their vehicles.
Which is why the masses are regulated.

I'd like to fly a twin turbo jet, but I'm only rated for a single engine prop, I'd love to have the additional performance, range and ceiling, not to mention additional capacities!

Oh well, I guess if I want to fly higher and faster with the big kids I'll need to get off my lazy cheap tail end, study, become qualified and pour out more money for the right stuff.

Getting a Tech license is like 25% harder than getting a driver's license.

Maybe FRS radios are really for families to keep in touch while they are at theme parks, might be used by Edna to call Frank who is in the barn beyond the pasture, like a FAMILY RADIO SERVICE.

I'm sure manufactures of FRS equipment would advertise their rigs being used by astronauts or Navy SEALS, anything to sell a product, but what are they really good for?

If the range is limited, perhaps trying to use a FRS radio to communicate from a vehicle to another vehicle a 1/4 or 1/2 mile away isn't really the intended purpose, might be that radio really wasn't designed for the application it's being subjected to. Not understanding the limitations of radio equipment is an "operator's error".
 
Which is why the masses are regulated.

I'd like to fly a twin turbo jet, but I'm only rated for a single engine prop, I'd love to have the additional performance, range and ceiling, not to mention additional capacities!

Oh well, I guess if I want to fly higher and faster with the big kids I'll need to get off my lazy cheap tail end, study, become qualified and pour out more money for the right stuff.

Getting a Tech license is like 25% harder than getting a driver's license.

Maybe FRS radios are really for families to keep in touch while they are at theme parks, might be used by Edna to call Frank who is in the barn beyond the pasture, like a FAMILY RADIO SERVICE.

I'm sure manufactures of FRS equipment would advertise their rigs being used by astronauts or Navy SEALS, anything to sell a product, but what are they really good for?

If the range is limited, perhaps trying to use a FRS radio to communicate from a vehicle to another vehicle a 1/4 or 1/2 mile away isn't really the intended purpose, might be that radio really wasn't designed for the application it's being subjected to. Not understanding the limitations of radio equipment is an "operator's error".
Just trying to regain, with what amounts to a low power HT, a capability that Radio Shack offered to the public years ago…
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Just trying to regain, with what amounts to a low power HT, a capability that Radio Shack offered to the public years ago…
And sold to many tens of people. There's a few on eBay if you want one. It wasn't popular I think because it's got all the hassle of a mobile but none of the power. I think the nail in its coffin was that breaking a whip meant you had to throw it away.
 

JackW

Explorer
I'm real tired of my crappy FRS radios so I have decided to step up to a GMRS radio. One of my friends has the Midland MXT725 and really likes it but there are not many places to stick a magnetic mount antenna on an aluminum bodied Land Rover.
I was leaning toward getting the Midland but then read a couple of articles about the BTECH GMRS PRO handheld and decided to give that one a try. Having a good handheld seems like it might be more useful than a vehicle mounted unit for my needs.
We had some communications issues on our last trail ride and part of the group got separated in mountainous terrain where FRS radios weren't very effective so for safety issues I think I need to step up to the GMRS radio. We will just have to avoid channels 8-14 because those are limited to FRS only (something Mitch didn't know when part of the group switched to Channel 8 during the ride because they couldn't get a signal on Channel 5).

Now that its on order I'm wading through the procedures to get an FCC license for GMRS.
My grandfather was a HAM operator that played a big part in the relief effort in the 1926 Johnstown flood in Pennsylvania so I figured its in my genetic profile somewhere.
I can't find a simple, clear written procedure for getting your FCC license for the GMRS - anybody got a good link?
 

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