Vintage Radio Shack MURS radios

[BandEdger]

I've had all the Rat Shack MURS HTs over the years.

Anything with a metal belt clip is decent.

The latest (probably 20 years old by now) PLL design, with more rounded case and plastic belt clip, had nearly useless CTCSS decode and front end wide as a barn door. Any strong signal within +/- 300kHz would break right through the CTCSS. Almost useless in an urban or suburban setting with tons of businesses or VHF public safety. They weren't TXing that wide, but the receiver was horrid.

 

[Rob_MA]

There are also some grandfathered commercial radios like the Kenwood TK-2100 that are available very inexpensively now. They have two channels but you can store eight memory locations in them and move them to the A/B channel switch with a couple button presses.

The Baofeng radios aren't bad for the price. If you are in an urban, high RF environment they they may have some issues but out in the boonies they should be fine.

 

[sunbulls]

Last year I helped out the local Jeep Club run a poker run jeeps stopping at certain locations to pick up a card, and the one who got the most was the winner and got some sort of prize. I kept an ear out for everyone should there be a problem like getting lost or stuck.

I had MURS, and FRS CH 1 ( I think) and a CB Ch 15, outside external antennas, and used a VHF and UHF radios. We made VHF MURS contacts with the mobiles at least 20 miles away and over some hills. A local 50 miles away slammed in pretty good on VHF MURs ok, that was a good contact. The mobiles using FRS were hard to hear as compared to the MURS contacts. But of course the outside FRS UHF base antenna was a help. I got a photo some were of the antennas....

Jay in the Great Mojave DesertView attachment 30994

Love it! IMO,that's a great photo worthy of some magazine cover. Maybe poster size in your radio room....

 

[w9cll]

More "Legal" Murs radios - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=RT27V&me=AJFR970E0U757&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

[357magnum]

Chris , Ooops ! You mean I need a license for my Midland GXT-325's ? I don't use them , always on charge & the " New " batteries are probably crap by now . Sorry never read up on them , but I think " I might have seen that " when I bought them 10 years ago ! They do have decent range , used them once on a High Output channel when Wife was on horse back 4 miles away . But I have heard business's on there . But like said I really haven't used them in at least 4 years . So I don't think someone is going to arrest me ! Just some I saw , better than the 1/4 mile ones & just had to have !

 

[Jay Mojave]

I didn't care too much to legal aspect of the radios and such, I was concerned with all the Jeep entries 45 of them, not getting stuck or lost. The Poker Run put about 1000 dollars to Wounded Warriors Charity. After the run there was two Jeeps that started at the beginning of the run and ran thru the course to verify everyone was gone and no one got stuck or lost.

At the finish was a pot luck and BBQ, in the photo a custom grill can be seen that cooks everything slowly and comes out pretty good I must say. A good time was had by all.

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert

 

[Farmer Brown]

Last year I helped out the local Jeep Club run a poker run jeeps stopping at certain locations to pick up a card, and the one who got the most was the winner and got some sort of prize. I kept an ear out for everyone should there be a problem like getting lost or stuck.

I had MURS, and FRS CH 1 ( I think) and a CB Ch 15, outside external antennas, and used a VHF and UHF radios. We made VHF MURS contacts with the mobiles at least 20 miles away and over some hills. A local 50 miles away slammed in pretty good on VHF MURs ok, that was a good contact. The mobiles using FRS were hard to hear as compared to the MURS contacts. But of course the outside FRS UHF base antenna was a help. I got a photo some were of the antennas....

Jay in the Great Mojave DesertView attachment 30994

Jay that's really nice. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Farmer Brown]

Completely doable if using good antennas

W9cll, my wife's drive is about 30 mi as the Eagle flies, basically flat w/trees, few rolling hills and we live on a high point. What Base and Mobile antenna would you choose? On the car I'd rather go magnetic and not drill a hole, if possible.

 

[w9cll]

FB, if you can get the base antenna high enough then 30 miles is no problem. Have you looked into GMRS yet? While the license cost $85 its good for 5 years and it does cover all family members and you would be allowed 50 watts as opposed to two.

 

[w9cll]

Chris , Ooops ! You mean I need a license for my Midland GXT-325's ?

Yep

 

[sunbulls]

Chris , Ooops ! You mean I need a license for my Midland GXT-325's ? I don't use them , always on charge & the " New " batteries are probably crap by now . Sorry never read up on them , but I think " I might have seen that " when I bought them 10 years ago ! They do have decent range , used them once on a High Output channel when Wife was on horse back 4 miles away . But I have heard business's on there . But like said I really haven't used them in at least 4 years . So I don't think someone is going to arrest me ! Just some I saw , better than the 1/4 mile ones & just had to have !

It’s perfectly legal to use that model without a license on FRS channels 8-14, just not on the other higher power GMRS channels. In fact to make it legal, that radio will not allow you to switch to high power on those particular channels.

 

[357magnum]

Sunbull , Been a while since I even touched them , saw them the other day on the charger in our spare bedroom . I'll check them today , but pretty sure I can use " High Power " on mine , that's how I chatted w/ my wife while she was on horse back about 4 miles away when I first got them @ 15 years ago . I think they have @ 30 + channels ? Not sure , like said , don't use them , just a toy I saw & had to buy . Thanks , 73 & God Bless , Leo

 

[Farmer Brown]

FB, if you can get the base antenna high enough then 30 miles is no problem. Have you looked into GMRS yet? While the license cost $85 its good for 5 years and it does cover all family members and you would be allowed 50 watts as opposed to two.

Lots of great info/help thank you, I see a Tram 1410 Broad Band/Scanner antenna with excellent reviews and under $40 25MHz through 1300MHz will this cover the GMRS bands?

 

[w9cll]

While it will "work" it has zero gain and there for would not provide decent range. If you can get it mounted high, 50 feet or higher it will work better

 

[sunbulls]

Sunbull , Been a while since I even touched them , saw them the other day on the charger in our spare bedroom . I'll check them today , but pretty sure I can use " High Power " on mine , that's how I chatted w/ my wife while she was on horse back about 4 miles away when I first got them @ 15 years ago . I think they have @ 30 + channels ? Not sure , like said , don't use them , just a toy I saw & had to buy . Thanks , 73 & God Bless , Leo

22 Channels and low power only on 8-14. Unless yours has been modified somehow or the company made changes without notice, this scan was taken from page 11 in the manual.