mcp1810

Some commercial radios (Motorola Saber, and Spectra) have at "Talk around" option that can be programmed. On the Spectra (mobile unit) it is normally activated by pushing a button (DIR) on the front panel. On my Saber I have the Top Mounted Selector Switch designated to select repeater in what otherwise would be the "Secure" mode and talk around (simplex) in what would be the "open" mode. When in talk around the unit transmits on that channels designated receive frequency and still uses the designated tone code.

I have about six of the bubble pack radios in addition to my "real" radios. Some of them are about the size and weight of the microphone for my Motorola. For family stuff, If we are only going to be a couple of hundred yards apart, there is no need to lug around the big four watt units. When there is another hurricane I can leave an FRS unit on one of the interstitial channels at the guard shack at the entrance to my neighborhood and give another to the HOA president who lives two doors over and the rest can be given out to our CERT people when they do the damage survey.

I have the two wide band freqs in a Motorola Systems Saber on low power. I also have National Weather and some of the local two meter stuff in it. Every now and then on E-bay you can find low powered (H33 series) two channel Motorola HT600s or P200s