WRZI393

Thanks a lot guys. That makes the decision easier.

I need some advice. I'm about to purchase some type of GMRS radio. I have the license already. But before wasting money on a radio that won't do what I need I will ask for opinions. Here is the situation. I live in a very rural area with hills and trees everywhere. So, I'm thinking of becoming a member of nggmrs.org which is about $100/yr. They have a large network of repeaters in the southeast. According to Google earth and mygmrs.com maps, I'm almost 10 miles from the closest repeater. The repeater has an estimated range of 50 miles. I can hear it on a handheld in my house. The handheld is a 5w UV-5R. (not GMRS approved, I realize I need something approved). My elevation is 742ft. Repeater elevation is 2000ft. There is a hill and a few trees in between. Elevation of hill is 800ft. Hill is directly in line with repeater at about 1000ft. from my house. When standing on that hill, I can see the mountain that the tower is on. (In the south we consider 2000ft a mountain.) My questions are: do you guys think a 5w handheld would work at all, or should I be looking at a 15 or 20w mobile? Is a 5w HT even strong enough to connect to a repeater 10 miles away with clear line of site? At least with the mobile I could drive to the top of the hill. I would rather use an HT or mobile rather than base station. Also, are any of the Baofeng GMRS handhelds, worthwhile? Thanks in advance.