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Chapter 19 · Communications without a cell phone19.6 Real range vs. what the box says

Chapter 19 · Communications without a cell phone

19.6 Real range vs. what the box says

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Boxes advertise dozens of miles. That number is measured under ideal conditions: from one mountain to another, or over water, with no obstacles. In a city, line of sight rules.

Real range vs. what the box says
Situation	Realistic range
FRS/GMRS handheld to handheld, channels 8–14	Less than half a mile (800 m)
Handheld to handheld on flat, open ground	Approximately 1 to 2 miles (1.6–3.2 km)
Handheld to handheld among buildings, houses, and trees	Can be less than 1 mile; inside buildings, sometimes only a few blocks
Mobile radios with an antenna on the car roof	Somewhat more than handhelds
Through a well-placed GMRS repeater	Up to about 20 miles (32 km), depending on its height and location

How to get the most out of your radio

Go up: a higher floor, an elevated parking lot, high ground. Height matters more than power. Step out of the building or move close to a window. Concrete, metal, and film-coated glass block the signal.
Hold the radio with the antenna vertical, away from your body.
Use high power only when you need it; it drains the battery much faster.
Test the real range today, between your apartment and the meeting points. Write it down.

Figure 19.1. FRS/GMRS signals travel almost in a straight line. A building blocks them; a repeater at a high point receives them and retransmits them over the obstacles. — Figure 19.1. FRS/GMRS signals travel almost in a straight line. A building blocks them; a repeater at a high point receives them and retransmits them over the obstacles.