long range PMR 446 radios NEEDED please

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WARLOCK
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long range PMR 446 radios NEEDED please

Post by WARLOCK »

i am looking to buy a set of ( 2 ) pmr 446 handheld radio with a good long range on them any thoughts please ???
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ch25
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Re: long range PMR 446 radios NEEDED please

Post by ch25 »

Since you are power and antenna limited best range you'll have from a top of skyscraper or hill.
PMR is not intended for long range communication. Works as it should.
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Re: long range PMR 446 radios NEEDED please

Post by paulears »

You're probably looking a few hundred yards reliably on ANY proper PMR446 radio. They're all power limited. The marketing hype that suggests long range is total humbug!
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Re: long range PMR 446 radios NEEDED please

Post by MrWeetabix »

a cheap set of Baofengs from eBay are you best bet. 5w and about as good as you're gunna get till you get bored of them and look for something else. at £10 each its throw-away money.
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Re: long range PMR 446 radios NEEDED please

Post by Buick Mackane »

If its long range you want then you need the long ranger from binatone

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Bina ... SwFf1fsV6Q
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Re: long range PMR 446 radios NEEDED please

Post by MrWeetabix »

Buick Mackane wrote: 06 Dec 2020, 22:06 If its long range you want then you need the long ranger from binatone

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Bina ... SwFf1fsV6Q
They can also be used for self defence, or propping the car up whilst you change a wheel :thumbup:
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Re: long range PMR 446 radios NEEDED please

Post by Mikel »

By 'PMR446 handheld radio with a good long range' I assume you mean legal 0.5 watt radio with a built in rubber duck as the law dictates?

I have a few legal radios here that I can communicate with family over a reasonable range, but don't expect miracles with legal radios unless you are both on top of a big hill or mountain.

The two that get used the most though are the Binatone Action 950 and the Uniden PMR885 and with a range of 1 1/2 to 2 miles over varied terrain, that is from the upstairs bedroom up to the local business park where the big Tesco etc is.

I am not sure if these are still available new but regularly crop up second hand on ebay. But if you mean UHF handies that can be programmed to the 16 PMR446 frequencies but would be illegal to use, then yes like Mr Weetabix suggested a cheap set of Baofengs is as good as anything.

There is a school about 3 miles from me (my old Grammer school!) and they have kitted out most of the staff with BF-888S Baofeng radios that they have had programmed to PMR446 and they work remarkably well, and before the band Police arrive, yes I know they are breaking the law and have been doing so for a few years now - interesting listening some days, and from what I can hear I would not want to be a teacher!.

You can pick up a pair Baofeng BF-888S very cheaply, here is one example:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-BaoFeng-Wa ... SwxVFfo5Uy

Obviously you will have to programme them for PMR446 (illegal) or as many do around here (local B&Q, a farm, fox hunters, a factory, another school etc) use them on the default out of the box frequencies, again this will be illegal without the appropriate license.

No one has yet been prosecuted according to OFCOM, but someone has to be the first :)

I prefer and own Wouxun handies myself and the KG-UVD1P and KG-669 I have owned for many years and have worked faultlessly and are just as good in many ways to my Yaesu handies that cost significantly more, just don't drop them (Wouxun) down the bog as they are not waterproof like the Yaesu handies and take a long time to dry out (still worked afterwards) :)

By the way Warlock where do you keep all this radio gear you keep buying? Your 'shack' must look like Waters & Stantons whorehouse by now?

I know you are getting on a bit, any chance you could leave it to me in your will please? :D
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Re: long range PMR 446 radios NEEDED please

Post by MrWeetabix »

If you would like to leave your radio collection to the TM1 Barge Fund after you pass, arrangements can be made :-D
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Re: long range PMR 446 radios NEEDED please

Post by Mikel »

MrWeetabix wrote: 07 Dec 2020, 12:34 If you would like to leave your radio collection to the TM1 Barge Fund after you pass, arrangements can be made :-D
You can sod off, I asked first :lol:
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Re: long range PMR 446 radios NEEDED please

Post by MrWeetabix »

How about any two weeks of your choice in through the year for use on the barge? :-D
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Re: long range PMR 446 radios NEEDED please

Post by DX-Digger »

You guys!
2020 isnt over yet and you got poor Warlock dead and buried :D :D

Being Honest Warlock why dont you take your ham foundation lots of free online courses etc
Once you have passed you can use 10W on 70cms with large gain vertical antennas or beam antennas.
By the way a lot of 70cms ham antennas will work on 446PMR with little or no tuning.
Not that im trying to give you any ideas or anything ;-)
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Re: long range PMR 446 radios NEEDED please

Post by MrWeetabix »

We dont wish ill on Mr Warlock! haha. Just for clarity...its all in jest!

Though I am not sure if thrusting a tweed jacket on his shoulders is a punishment worse than death either mind :-P

Jokes aside...yes, get your ticket. 10w on 70cms is more than ample for decent range comms
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Re: long range PMR 446 radios NEEDED please

Post by Mikel »

I think that is a fabulous idea for anyone to get their Foundation license. Trouble is (at least around here) there is no one to talk to on 70cms unlike PMR446.

Anyone who remembers the days before CB was legal in the UK will remember the excitement of it all, partly perhaps because it was a bit naughty and Buzby might catch up with you.

PMR446 is at that stage in it's development at the moment, and like it or not, in the South Wales/West Country area at least, it has become a viable UHF CB system with a great of daily activity.

Illegal it definitely is with many using TYT 40 watt radios and widebanded ham gear (Yaesu 857's are popular) not to mention the ubiquitous range of Baofeng radios.

what do I think of this activity?

I don't judge people, I leave that to God.
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Re: long range PMR 446 radios NEEDED please

Post by DX-Digger »

MrWeetabix wrote: 07 Dec 2020, 15:37 We dont wish ill on Mr Warlock! haha. Just for clarity...its all in jest!

Though I am not sure if thrusting a tweed jacket on his shoulders is a punishment worse than death either mind :-P

Jokes aside...yes, get your ticket. 10w on 70cms is more than ample for decent range comms
I know it was a joke :D
And yes there are plenty of repeaters to use aswell and other bands than 70cms ofcourse.
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Re: long range PMR 446 radios NEEDED please

Post by Mikel »

Nothing wrong with amateur radio but not everyone wants to talk about tomato plants, haemorrhoids and the condition of your prostate :)

Do you know I haven't talked to anyone on an amateur frequency for ages, and the repeaters are like listening to paint dry - talk about mundane, boring conversation, as well as the cretins messing about, last time I used the local repeater I had to phone the Samaritans afterwards :D

I have gone back to using CB lately, there is a decent bunch around here at the moment and they run so much power I can hear them through the noise floor :thumbup:

Seriously though, one thing 'young' people take for granted is the ability to use a computer competently enough to set it up and use it to pass an exam.

I am an old fart myself but I have basic IT qualifications and have used computers in work for 15 years or so, and it has become a bit of a hobby for me with my Linux installations etc,

Many people of my age group (and older) including some of my friends can use the Facebook app on their phone or do basic non critical stuff like posting on a forum, but beyond that they are completely stuffed!

My kids struggle to believe me when I tell them I can remember the days before mobile phones and the Internet, and there were only 3 channels on the TV.

It looks like the online exam is here to stay for the foreseeable future and this makes access to an amateur license easier for most, but please don't under estimate what a major barrier this can be to those of an older persuasion.

I know, I know, it's easy just get someone to set it all up for them and away you go.

You may find this hard to believe but there are people of my age I come into contact with on a daily basis, who can't even master sending a text message from their phone, even after I have showed them how to do it a number of times.

It is a great suggestion to get the foundation license but please believe me it is not a simple process for many older folk who feel most comfortable with pen and paper and this is one reason why PMR446 can hold such an attraction for some.

I am not trying to make excuses for anyone honestly, but not everyone is au fait with the digital age.
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