GMRS radio tests

 In the typical campground I usually have a noise floor of S-3 on my radios. S-0 would be no noise like I am in a desert or forest with no power line’s or other people or things using electricity.  As we know campers and homes today are full of electrical items such as monitors, chargers, lights, TV’s etc.  Other things that inter fear with radio waves are vehicles, buildings, trees, hills, weather and more.  For this reason most hand held (HT) radios in VHF and UHF often only have a useful range at 6 feet above the ground of around one mile.

You can increase this range with more height above ground, a better antenna , more power or a combination of these.  Often a combination such as a HT to a mobile unit mounted in a vehicle or to a repeater say fifty feet or more above the HT can extend the usable range a lot.

Remember for VHF and UHF range is line of site.  Police departments that are not digital use repeaters all around your town and county to stay connected.  If they went digital then they also use the local internet and fewer repeaters.

First test 

Two BTech V1’s in a RV park in woods on flat ground passing some high power lines.  Usable range 1/2 to 1 mile at best.

Second test

For the handheld I used a BTech V1 HT at 3.5 watts.  For the mobile I used a Radioddity DG 20 at 15 watts the antenna was at 9 feet.  Took the HT with me and got just over 1.5 miles with the same environment as test one. Useable range .75 to 1.5 miles depending on terrain.

Third test

Same set up as second test but with antenna 14 feet up. Good reception at .5 miles then on a small hill at 1.7 miles, then at 3 miles with a gradual increase of elevation.  So, I at least doubled the range to 3 miles usable.  I stopped at three it might reach 3.5 or 4 miles I will try 3.5 to 5+ soon🤓

Fourth test

Two Radioddity DG 20’s one on truck roof a mag mount.  The second antenna on a 16 foot poll.  Still in the trees and campground, antenna would need to be 100 feet to clear most trees. Clear on elevation at .5, 1, 2, 3 and 3.5 miles.  Garbled out to 4.7 at times some were usable.  More usable reviving along the way with test four.  Please note that increased elevation helped reception.  Trees, household electrical systems and buildings reduced receiving.  

Elevation of at least one antenna fifty to over one hundred feet should increase range greatly. Clear line of site would also help.

Update

On test 1-4 I went south, I just did a west direction with trees but also some open interstate and I reached 4.5 miles clear and 5.5 with high static and some garble.

Higher antennas is the key to more range more power could help some but antenna height is the key for range.