Tonkatoy01 Posted February 26, 2015 Report Posted February 26, 2015 Hello fello radio enthusiasts. I live in Suffolk County New York. I know their are repeaters near by. I have Two Uniden Frs/GMRS radios. I plan on doing some Kayacking this summer and want to bring the radios for fun and in case of Emergency. What channel number would I use if I actually did need to get ahold of someone in an Emergency? The radios I bought were from (West Marine) in West Islip New York. They are water resistant, float and supposedly have a fifty mile range. Thank you for any and all input... Stay Safe Logan5 1 Quote
Logan5 Posted February 27, 2015 Report Posted February 27, 2015 LMAO @ 50 mile range. Welcome to forum TonkaToy. Glad to have you here. generally you would contact another person in your group, a GMRS radio is not specifically an emergency radio, but can be used as such if the comms are already there. If cell service is available 911 is your best option. Best regards Jim... Tonkatoy01 1 Quote
PastorGary Posted February 27, 2015 Report Posted February 27, 2015 Hello, and Welcome to MyGMRS Forums. The bubble pack radio range and distance claims are published under "laboratory conditions" from one wilderness mountain top to another. In real world scenarios, you can probably expect an effective range between identical radios, under average terrain situations, of 2 to 5 miles max... and in most cases quite a bit less. As Logan5 mentioned, a cell phone in a specifically designed waterproof bag is your best bet. The only way that I would rely on GMRS ONLY is to set up a temporary base station and gain type antenna at a staging area midway between your river entry and exit points and TEST the radio reception from shore all along that route BEFORE your departure and have someone stationed at that temporary base station during the trip. You also may wish to verify that there actually IS cellphone service in those areas as well - before you venture out. Rarely are any specific GMRS frequenices monitored routinely by official agencies for emergencies. That type of network simply does not exist. Best of luck and be safe... Tonkatoy01 1 Quote
gdavis316 Posted February 27, 2015 Report Posted February 27, 2015 Welcome to the site William.If those units are not repeater capable, I would take them back and get a pair that are. I would then look for repeaters in your area, and request permission to use it. Then at least the little units will be of some use for you and your family. Glenn Tonkatoy01 and zap 2 Quote
Tonkatoy01 Posted March 2, 2015 Author Report Posted March 2, 2015 Thank you for your posts.. I will be upgrading my radios.. I also invested in a life proof cellphone case ...lol. Logan5 1 Quote
Billy Posted March 2, 2015 Report Posted March 2, 2015 Welcome Thomas, can you be more specific about what part of Long Island you will be operating out of. I may be able to help you out and directing you to a few repeaters when you are ready. Bill Tonkatoy01 1 Quote
Tonkatoy01 Posted March 5, 2015 Author Report Posted March 5, 2015 Billy I am in Bayshore.. I was told their is a repeater in Babylon. Quote
Billy Posted March 6, 2015 Report Posted March 6, 2015 There are several good ones in the area. I doubt mine will be of any use to you in Bayshore with a HT to West Babylon (ENIGMA, my repeater). It does have very good HT coverage at Robert Moses if that is where you are Kayacking. This website has a very good repeater database. Give it a look and see if something comes closer. If you have any questions feel free to PM me. Quote
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