Okay, it sounds like you understand radio well enough, but enough to understand why ham radio exists as a licensed privilege.
You obviously understand your limitations, but there are ways around your problem, solved by nothing but cash. The way I see it, your biggest #1 setback is your parent’s objection to a base antenna on the roof. You said with a telescope you have literal line of sight to their house, well let me tell you, wattage is not your problem! 2W on 151MHz will do it on a MURS freq!
Because you only need to reach a base antenna.
Have you considered a Kenwood or similar base radio with cross-band repeat? Jail break an HT, like I did to mine by simply removing a single solder dot, and let the base station worry about the reception. It’s a built in repeater for your exact situation, which is people who want to carry their HTs around and still listen in on other bands.
I have a 200’ wire in my backyard that’s invisible… picks up anything, from everywhere. Building antennas is one of my favorite things to do. I built this high gain portable specifically for hitting long distance 440MHz repeaters, using PVC and a Magpul MOE grip :
I looked into the ‘Spot’ satellite systems as I have rented them for extended camping/hiking trips in the past. They would ABSOLUTELY solve any range issues but the monthly subscription cost and the fact they are a one trick pony(ever watch a 75yo try to text?) eliminated them from contention. They also rely on someone else’s infrastructure(sat and cell) which I’m trying to avoid.
It’s not just the antenna on the roof but drilling any holes to run coax into the house as well. Even if I could install a base with an antenna mounted off of the house, that only solves the communication problems when they are actually IN the house. I also want something they can carry while doing things like walking the dog(My father takes long walks with the dog into areas of the ridge with far less ‘visibility’ of the valley below {1}). A repeater, which is not allowed on MURS, would give me the advantage of covering a fairly large perimeter around their property regardless of line of sight to the valley below.
Yes, theoretically, 2W on MURS will reach my house. Theoretically their current Talkabouts should do it from the front deck. They don’t, I’ve tried. All I get is faint voices and loud static. There is also the issue I mentioned earlier of every person with construction/farm equipment in the are using them. Try as I might, privacy codes and all, it is little better than CB up here in regard to traffic and language. GMRS is relatively dead in the area.
As noted we also already have a GMRS system in place between myself and my B.I.L…If a repeater could extend the range not only from the folks home to mine but to my sisters as well(which it should as they are closer to her than I am), that would be an extra measure of security if something happened to them/my sister/nephew/myself while in that coverage area. The drive from my sisters to my parents home has lots of cellular dead spots.
I’m a little confused on cross-band repeaters. As I understand it they will(for example) receive on UHF and rebroadcast on VHF or HF. They aren’t capable of rebroadcasting on the same band because of desense are they? As repeaters aren’t allowed on MURS at all, and a repeater that receives GMRS but broadcast on amateur bands would technically be GMRS radios on unauthorized bands, I don’t see how it would work(legally speaking) in my situation even if I do get my ham license.
{1}I understand it is a contradiction to previously say my father has mobility issues and then say he takes long walks with the dog. He has problems navigating stairs, getting up from chairs or walking while carrying things. He is capable, and often does, walk distance without issue(be it quite slow, but he does it).
Cross band lets you use your HT or whatever to receive and transmit through your base station at its full power, while you’re out in your garden or whatnot, you got it.
Looking for a solution for my neighborhood, which is 5 or 6 families spread out over a few miles, probably less than 2 miles as the crow flies. The terrain is forest and hilly, some BIG hills. This would be for communication when the power or phones are out. I’d envision each couple having a pair for their own family coms, but have a community channel for emergency or everybody just pick a channel and everybody knows it. Needs to be relatively inexpensive as everyone has different financial abilities. Portable and rechargeable would be awesome. Also, I don’t think anybody has any licenses.
I looked around and the options are quite varied in terms of options and prices. I just don’t know enough to know what we need.
Since you’re dealing with multiple families, and not likely to get them all to obtain GMRS licenses, you’re limited to CB(citizens band), MURS or FRS. CB can’t really be set up to filter out anything(no ‘privacy’ codes) and colorful language abounds. Stay away from FRS, it’s generally an absolute mess(kids with $10 radios) and seriously limited in output for its frequency range. That leaves MURS.
Handhelds such as the Retevis RT47V should get you the range you need. They have ‘sub channels’/‘privacy codes’ to filter out unwanted conversations, the chargers are USB fed so you can top them up from your car or a power bank if the power is out for an extended period and they’re waterproof. If they don’t quite perform to your needs, the antennas are removable and can be upgraded. A 2 pack goes for <$80.
How does the privacy code work? If you’re on a channel and two radios share the same privacy code, then nobody on the same channel can hear Their conversation, but they can hear others that don’t have a privacy code?
‘Privacy codes’ or ‘sub channels’ don’t actually give you privacy. What they really are is a filter that stops you from hearing anyone on the same frequency that doesn’t have their radio set to the same code. When you transmit with a privacy code enabled, and the person you’re trying to reach also has that same code enabled, your code is sent inaudibly in your transmission and signals their radio ‘hey wake up and listen to this’. Anyone else monitoring that frequency without codes selected will also hear your transmission, but you won’t hear theirs because they’re not sending out the proper code to ‘wake up’ your radio. Short of encrypted radios, which aren’t allowed on license free bands, there is no privacy when you transmit something out.
Here’s a simple explanation.
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Edited to add:
MURS regulations DO allow for voice inversion(scrambling) which buys you a little privacy and the Retevis radios I linked do have it in the programming. It’s not super secure, but not bad.
I agree. MURS is a great option, but I wouldn’t disregard GMRS or FRS. That market is growing in popularity and they are making higher quality radios with more power.
But also only if you are using type accepted radios. Even though your Yaesu is capable of transmitting on FRS frequencies, and even if you reduce the power output to 2W or less, it’s technically still illegal because the radio doesn’t have a fixed antenna. Do I think the FCC is going to find out and fine you even if you transmit on FRS at a full 5 watts??? Not really. Dual or tri band HT radios being capable of TXing on licensed channels is why I recommended decent quality MURS only units. They didn’t fit my needs but for @EQuinn’s situation they seem to fit the bill.
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