 The Michigan Sportsman Forums |
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Midland G-11 GMRS/FRS radio
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Reviews
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Date of last review
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1
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15041
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10/20/2003
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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Average Rating
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100% of reviewers
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None indicated
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6.0
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Description:
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Well you may remember that when we did the last review of outdoor communication devices FRS radios were in their infancy, handheld GMRS radios were first coming out, and the only real option for any distance in the field was handheld CB radios along with all the noise and nonsense that goes along with them.
After doing a lot of research I finally became convinced that one can do better these days. There are a lot of things to consider when one is going to buy a set of these radios. First of all throw out all of the claims of "communication up to 8 miles", that you may see. That may well be possible under ideal conditions. In fact, communication over scores of miles has been documented between cheap FRS radios that only output 500 milli-watts when used from mountaintop to mountaintop.
Rather than looking at over-stated claims, the things to look at are output power and quality. Pay special attention to what kind of batteries can be used and what combinations of batteries can be used. The Midland G-11 radios that I bought output 2 watts of power but this is only when using 4 AAA alkaline batteries. They also accept 4 NiMH batteries at 1.2 volts each, 3 AA batteries at 1.5 volts each, or 3 AA NiMH batteries at 1.2 volts each. Each battery option except for the 4AAA batteries produces less than the optimal 6 volts DC and therefore less output power. In fact using either of the AA battery options produces only 1 watt of output power. For distance testing I used only 4 new alkaline AAA batteries. Power isn't everything however. Consider the overall quality of the radio to be just as important if not more so. At this frequency range extra power does not necessarily translate into greatly increased range.
Now stay with me because this next part gets a little technical. Back when CB radio was king, most radios could connect to a variety of antennas. There is perhaps nothing that will affect the range of 2-way radios more than antenna selection except for maybe elevation. FRS radios are prohibited by the FCC from having removable antennas so you are stuck with what you get. Many GMRS radios have removable antennas (usually SMA connection). I sprung for a higher performance DG450BN Antenex antenna which allows for 2.5db of gain. They are more than 2 times the length of the stock antennas but will give you that extra punch when needed. Also needed to use these antennas on these radios are SMA to BNC adapters.
Now for the numbers you've been waiting for:
Radio
Observed Range*
2 older FRS radios with 500mwatt output- 1.5 miles
2 Midland G-11 radios with
stock antennas at volts - 2.2 miles
2 Midland G-11 radios with Antenex DG450BN antennas at 6volts - 4.4 miles
*Range was measured over terrain with little obstruction and elevation of at least one station of about 30' over most of the surrounding terrain. Your mileage will vary being more over water or with higher elevations and less through thick woods or buildings. Reception at these distances was still quite good and could probably be extended even further. If used from treestand to treestand these numbers could be fairly representative since both treestands would have some elevation.
Another nice feature that these radios have that is useful especially for deer hunters is a silent vibrating page to alert another that you are trying to make contact without making a sound. Channels 1-7 on these radios are also compatible with FRS channels 1-7 so you can also talk to your buddies that have FRS radios.
All in all I am happy with the range these radios produce especially for their small size. There is a link towards the upper right hand side of this page where you can buy essentially the same exact radio through Amazon.com. Keep in mind that the operation of these radios does require a license with the FCC good for 5 years.
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Keywords:
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Midland GMRS FRS radio |
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Administrator
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Posts: 15,655
Registered: January 2000
Location: The concrete jungle
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Author
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Steve
Administrator
Registered: January 2000
Location: The concrete jungle
Posts: 15655
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