asking for your MURS opinion

[turkeydance]

what are the good points and bad parts about it?
what models have you used and/or recommend?
we currently use FRS/GMRS, but want extended range.

lots of details and qualifications:
1. users include Grandma, an 8-year-old, and everything in-between.
2. users above are able to operate FRS/GMRS with proficiency.
3. CB proved to be too high a bar and Ham was waaay too high.
4. units Must Be Hand-Held. no base stations.

nice to have:
1. removable antenna. just in case. FRS/GMRS don't allow that.
2. AAA or AA batteries. rechargeables have been hit but mostly miss.
3. finally, nothing exotic...easy to order an exact replacement.

money is no object for this discussion.

 

[Tigard]

MURS is cool. Walmart uses it but it's unlikely that your average suburbanite would have MURS radios. There's a company called Dakota Alert that sells radios and driveway alerts etc for larger scale MURS systems.

That said MURS is 2 watts IIRC. If you have your GMRS license (covers your whole family) you can use 5 watts. Not a huge difference but significant. You can also set up a GMRS repeater if so inclined.

The MURS will do things that GMRS won't - like driveway alarms and motion detectors - but ultimately just depends on what you're trying to do with it. Have fun with it and good luck in your search.

 

[turkeydance]

Tigard....thanks for your post. that's exactly the information we needed.
we will check out Dakota Alert. please post more possibilities.

 

[InvisibleOne]

Another vote in favor of dakota alert motion sensors. I can monitor my whole property while listening to my Wouxun handheld ham radio.