Use for PMR radio

[Appin]

My other half works in a big city 35 miles from home. Fortunately she is tolerant even supportive of my prepping

We have discussed options in case there is a major "event " that stops her getting home by her usual train. Given shutting off cell phone coverage is a likely option in a Mombai / Paris style attack meeting up would have problems. WE have arranged RV points but want to cover all the possibilities.

Occurs to me PMR is a solution. Local coverage, free and the radios are cheap and small. Means we just need to get within 2km of each other and use the calling to establish contact.


I am in the process of making her a compact grab bag. A keep you going until you get home. Small amount food and water plus other things to help get home. Hence PMR

What does the group think?


Regards

Appin

[bobble]

Hi Appin, we think theyre a good extra to have on hand. We got ours from Machine mart and theyre ok for short distances. One of us walked to our local shops and the other stayed at home and they worked ok. And it was fun!

[pseudonym]

If you're both happy carrying them and the spare batteries, I say go for it.

[HBP]

Be aware that the range on the license free PMR446 handsets is pretty short. 2km is optimistic unless clear line of site is available. Add any buildings, trees or high ground between you and you won't get comms

They are pretty cheap so give them a go but don't rely on them

[Wingfoot]

Appin

I would get a couple of Baofeng UV-5R radios, about £20 each of that Auction site, they will work on all the PMR frequencies if you need them too & they will also cover the VHF & UHF ham radio bands as well as Marine bands & a lot more besides, giving you greater listening power in an emergency.

You will need a programming cable to make the best use of them which is around £8 & then download the free Chirp software which allows you to program the radio in any way you want.

For much longer range get a roll up J-Pole/slim jim antenna which can be used from any elevated position, tie some paracord to one end & toss the other end over a branch & hoist it in the air, & you will amazed how far you can get with a good elevated position, 40-50 miles is common if both users get their antennas into a good position, high buildings work just as well.

Listening in on the Ham bands may just entice you to do the foundation Ham licence, so be ready for that, its well worth doing & not that hard to get.

Good Luck

Wf

[Forres]

I would opt for multi band CB radio's instead or if looking for more portable go for hand held CB radio's. I know they are more expensive but worth it and the range will be much better. But that all depends on position also.

I have two multi-band radio's covering 25-28MHZ working off a simple Silver Rod and 200W amplifier. At least if the SHTF and if the propagation is good you will hear and should be able to contact other users around the world. On a good day over here I will talk with stations from around the UK, Holland, Germany, France, Italy and many more.

As Wingfoot say's you can always go got your Ham license.

[Wulfshead]

If I'm honest I'd say that while PMR is better than nothing they are a bit poo.

If it's an 'emergency' radio you want I would second the Baofeng for a couple of reasons.

The PMR system only allows half a watt of power and radios must have an integral antenna which can not be modified.
Now the Baofeng handies have a fantastic battery life, even super long if you buy the extended life battery which cost about £10 on the internet market sites.
They can be used at 1 watt or 5-ish watts so while against the law to use at 1 watt I doubt anyone would detect the higher power.

This is why I say the baofeng,
If you get home and want to monitor what's going on as best you can then it's quite easy to make a 70cm dipole antenna that will let you receive signals from a further distance than the little antennas that come as standard with a PMR or Baofeng radio.
The Baofeng will also let you know what's going on around you on the 2 meter amateur band and there will most likely be some sort of RAYNET traffic (RAYNET is the amateur emergency service that works with and along side the Emergency services)
If you choose to go for the Baofeng then I'll send you the youtube video of how to make a 2 meter and 70 cm dipole antenna that would make your radio function far better as an emergency radio once you get home and are deciding your next move.

That's it, just something to think on.

Wulfshead

[munchh]

You can now get a battery pack that takes AA's for the beofung on ebay, which makes them even more useful

[keithb]

I would endorse Wulfshead's comment re putting a better antenna on the Baofeng. Any improvement in an antenna is reciprocal for both transmit and receive - i.e. it will improve both whereas increasing transmit power won't do much to improve your ability to receive the other station!

[preppergb]

I agree with the comments in favour of Baofeng UV5R radios I have some reprogrammed using CHIRP to only operate on the 16 PMR channels, I use Nagoya NA771 antenna for much greater reception and reasonable increased broadcast range, I get around 5 miles line of sight. I only use the .5 watt power output normally and reserve the 5 watt power for after TSHTF. I dont use the amateur frequencies as I'm not a licence holder. Lets be honest that whilst UV5s are technically illegal for PMR use in an emergency or during a disaster I doubt if anyone will prosecute you for going over the power limit.