| |
Type of
Operation
|
Environmental
Surroundings
|
Approx
Maximum
Distance
|
Brief
Explanation
|
Inside Car /
Inside Car |
Average |
< 1/2 mile
< 1 km |
Your car is a metal shield |
| Radio/Radio |
Metro Area |
1-3 mi
2-5 km |
Based on obstruction and
buildings |
| Radio/Radio |
Suburbs |
3-6 mi
5-10 km |
Based on the amount of
leaves on trees |
| Radio/Radio |
Flat Desert or
Over Water |
6-12 mi
10-20 km |
Based on line of sight to the
horizon |
| Radio/Radio |
Mountain to
Valley |
15-20 mi
25-30 km |
Based on height of
mountains and terrain below. |
| Radio/Radio |
Mountain to
Mountain |
30-35 mi
48-55 km |
Based on height of
mountains.
Possible, but definitely not typical. |
Radio via
Repeater |
Average |
30-75 mi
50-100 km |
Example: 15 miles to a
repeater, plus 20 miles to the other radio would
= 35 mi |
Elevation and obstruction are the two key
factors in determining expected distance. A better antenna
will also increase the range of your radio, but
remember, there
is no 'Magic Antenna'.
|
Your elevation and lack of obstructions will determine the overall distance you
can achieve. Trees and buildings are not your friends when trying to reach
great distances.
This is where the repeater comes into play. A repeater is a two-way radio system
that listens to one frequency an rebroadcasts what it hears on another frequency
simultaneously. Where the terrain prevents direct communications, a repeater
greatly extends the overall coverage of your contact.
BTW: When you see little 'Blister Pack' radios in the department store
advertised as 18/35 miles between two radios, they are talking Mountain to
Mountain or through a Repeater. There are No magic radios out there. Refer to
the chart above.
John 'Miklor'
|
