We use these at work and what's in the general market is garbage. I got the best Motorolas that Best Buy sells and they are junk! They are supposed to be good for up to 5 miles but they won't even work 1 mile away. We have Nextel but they want a fortune just to add a couple phones with just the 2-way option. I need a set of 4. Anybody have any good ideas?

Mike L.

 

Like you, I have a set of Motorolas that are supposed to be 7 mile radios. A mile is about their maximum range...and I've been in some areas where we were less than 300 yards apart and couldn't talk to each other.

 

Well first of all, you won't get any good FRS or GMRS radios from Wal-Mart or out of a bubble pack. What you need are the following:


1. First and foremost, a GMRS license.
2. A repeater on a tower.
3. GP300's, HT1000's or some other REAL radio built by Motorola. All easily obtainable on Ebay, but need to be programmed.

Other than that, I would suspect Nextel would be your best option. We have them all over the place, they're not THAT expensive. You get what you pay for.

 

oops, I just realized that you need these for work. Two options now

1. Nextel
2. A Motorola shop to help you build a proper system

or if you're desperate, cell phones.

 

Jack, I'm thinking about just getting cell phones with no long distance capability. One of those family plans. I'm not sure if they will give you that for a business though. Nextel wants like $30.00 per month per phone just for the 2-way option plus I still have to buy the phones. Oh well, this is my chance to get one of those cool new phones with a downloadable ring tone of the Cummins engine... Everybody else here will get the basic bottom of the line phone! It's good to be the boss...

Thanks for the input guys....

 

Jack.... this wording is a little goofy but it seems like it'd be legal to talk business on GMRS if everyone has a license?

(a) A station operator for an individual who is licensed in the GMRS (other
than an employee of that individual) may communicate two-way voice
messages concerning the licensee's personal or business activities (see
95.179).

DodgeZilla do they need to be handhelds or could they be mobile radios (mounted in vehicles?)

 

Yeah, it would be legal. A huge pain, but legal since the license is only good for you and your family. If you had a company of 20 people, you'd be getting 20 licenses unless they're all brother and sister.

 

Handheld and as small as possible. We're just trying to communicate within our warehouse which is about 100 yards long and our back yard which is another 50 yards long..

 

How about looking into repeaters? That would extend the range. I know they do that in big buildings such as hospitals. Depending on the construction of the building you may not be able to get out without a repeater. I know our Motorola radios at work (the fire department) won't transmit out of some buildings due to the construction.

If you switch back to the cell phones how about some pre paid phones so you just pay for the time you use?

They also have regular cordless phones now that will function as walkie talkies.

 

Within your warehouse and FRS doesn't work ??? FRS should easily go 100 yards.

 

If they are steel buildings that is the reason why. I always had trouble with the GP300, while in butler bildings.

 

Did you shop around on the Nextels? Dec 03, my wife and I got two Motorola I60's that have 300 minutes phone and 100 minutes 2 way a month for $60 total. If we want to add more phones to our plan it's $20 each.

The I60 was being discontinued and they were ~ $50. If you shop around looking for 4 phones, I bet someone will give you a deal. They must be discontinuing something now, so maybe you can get a similar deal.

 

I was thinking this to, I'm not sure how well it'd work if it had to go through some metal walls but if you set the base in the middle it only has to travel 50yds to the base. Isn't this what places like Home Depot use for communication? If so there must be a little promise in it.

 

Most of those cordless phones are for home use and won't plug into a commercial phone jack. I did think about this option too but sometimes one of my employees will have to go up to 5 miles away for business purposes and I need to be able to contact her.
The Motorolas work okay in the warehouse but the batteries don't last for crap. After just 2 months I would charge them up and within 5 minutes of turning them on I was getting the "Low Battery" signal!!
I may call Nextel again and see if they have any Hungry salespeople. I know their competitors are hungry. Nextel even has maps and GPS available now too....

Thanks again everybody....

 

Hey, if that means what I think I read, Don't do it..."Most of those cordless phones are for home use and won't plug into a commercial phone jack." If you have a business telco system IE comdial, AT&T, Vodavi and you plug any kind of a standard POTS device you have a very good chance of destroying that particular station port. These are really only terminals and the "BOX" KSU is a computer in simple terms. You need to plug into a ANALOG line for them to work.
If you want a good radio for local communications get a UHF system. I have a Motorola Spirit series #MU22CV, it is 2 watts 2 channel and 38 sub carrier frequencies so you can have private channels. The cheap FRS radios you find everywhere are just toys. FRS operates on 49MHZ and is borrowed from the old Citizen Band and is shared with remote controlls, baby monitors and old cordles phones. By its frequency it will not go through metal walls let alone general obstructions. It is ok for keeping track of your kids at a campground but that is about all. Stick with the UHF first choice as it is 470.0 MHZ and has no problems going through metal. If that is a bit $$$ then go with the VHF model, cheaper and are in the 154.0 MHZ. Most of the smaller local police departments are in this frequency and operate without repeaters quite well. Range is governed by the height and gain of the base antenna if you are going to have someone dispatch. The particular radio I have I can go to Disneyland and it will reach across the entire park. Home Depot used to use the VHF version of this radio before the recent change. Target, Wall Mart, Toys-R-Us and most of the big BOX stores use this type. (At least in California) They have a nice assortment of accessories for them also. I have all the Speaker/ Mics for them. To charge them, they drop into a desktop charger and have "Rapid Charge" batteries. And if you ever have the opportunity to spend about $75.00 / month for repeater space they will also work. If anyone ever needs batteries for communications radios, medical equipment (biocom, defib) Streamlite of Maglite battery sticks, let me know I have a battery dealer I get them from CHEAP... Streamlite 6 volt stick usually SAFT around $13.00
Also, here is an option.. I am sure you have a boat Right.. Get yourself some marine radios as they are also VHF and you can use these if you are not too close to any water just STAY off channel 16 as that is the maratime distress frequency. I know of several sea container companies using these. You can get these at even Radio Shack, most of them are made by ICOM and is a very good company. If you want to license them that is no problem Just don't tell them you are going to use them on land.
http://www.123radios.com/BuyItNow.asp?PID=34
http://www.123radios.com/xtn.asp
I hope this helps you, I am not a Motorola dealer or anything but I recomend them.

Forgot to mention.. If you have a system with a repeater and it goes down, you could be standing face to face and not reach the other radio, see it uses 2 frequencies 1 to talk to the repeater and one to recieve the repeated signal.. Confused now?