Never seen that one before. I just installed this one and it works great. https://www.amazon.com/QYT-KT-8900D...ng/dp/B01MS14WHZ/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1521084565&sr=8-5&keywords=qyt+kt-8900d

 

how hard are these to setup the channels ? I know nothing about them at all.

 

This is essentially a ham radio, which requires a license. The legality of using them without a license is questionable, However it's extremely common.

Most of the time offroad groups such as PCI and Rigid Radios pre-program frequencies (not called channels) that are in the business band part of the spectrum (also requires a different license, but frequently ignored). If they were to use the Ham part of the spectrum there would be a lot more stories of ham users tracking you down and reporting you to the FCC. They do that sort of thing for fun.

If radio communications interest you look into obtaining your ham radio license. There is a test for basic rules and operation and thats it. It requires some studying but all the test questions and answers are in the public domain. Otherwise stick to a Rigid or PCI product.

 

Just want one for emergency only

 

I suggest you try and get a technician ham radio license. It's not a straightforward thing so be able to fire one up and talk to someone. You might be on the right frequency but if you don't have one of the settings correct no one will hear you. These radios only have "line of sight" communications so they are only good to about 5 miles or so before the curvature of the earth and buildings and trees get in the way. There are typically ham radio repeaters setup that allow you to talk to a much greater area. In Colorado there are lots of repeaters setup on mountain tops. I can talk to people all over the state with these using the repeater network here. I need to know the input and output frequency and the sub-audible "tone" for the repeater to actually re-transmit my signal. Even then, where I ride it would be almost impossible to use a radio to successfully call for help. I would own one of the SPOT/PLB/EPIRB transmitters if I was that concerned about it.

The vast majority of the unlicensed radio users in offroad vehicles use them illegally. It's mostly been a non-issue since they stick to the "commercial" section of the frequency spectrum. The ham radio users are typically extremely protective and proactive about their allotted frequencies. They will get together and hunt you down if you frequently mis-use the ham radio bands. They call this a "fox hunt" and they do it for fun. FCC fines are no joke.

Basically, I urge you to be aware of the legal issues with these radios and be respectful of the others out there. There is a legal way to use them in an emergency. It's written into law that you can override ANY transmission to protect life and limb. However, there is a great deal of knowledge that you need to be successful and the best way to get that is to study for your ham license.

 

Since I saw this post, I thought I would ask this question as I've always wondered about this...

So, most people probably know that those hand-held 35 Mile range walkie talkies from Motorola, etc are only good for a few hundred yards in the woods at best! My question is, do you really need one of these several hundred dollar 2-way radios, or would a $40 Cobra CB work just fine? Aren't most people who are riding in a group that use these radios fairly close to each other anyways? I know they would be used to reach emergency services if needed and cell service was not available...but why go to all the hassle for these types of radios that require licenses?

Curious!!

 

I've used CB radios, they are just about worthless. OTR truckers don't even use them anymore. These radios are popular because they can be clearer then talking to someone on the telephone. The FRS/GMRS motorola radios could be used for two mountain peaks 35 miles from one another in perfect weather. Otherwise you are right. The higher transmit power of these radios makes a significant difference in usability but you are still very much limited by hills and mountains and trees. "Reaching emergency services" I think that concept is extremely unlikely unless you are at a Baja race and you know someone is monitoring a frequency. It's just not likely for the vast majority of how people use these. I have an idea of how to use my radio and I would strongly suggest against anyone expecting to use one of these radios for that purpose unless you are at a sanctioned race and know otherwise.

It's a technical hobby that is fun to tinker with. With the right antenna and the right timing you can talk to people on the space station orbiting the earth with one of these radios.

 

I'm really looking for something if I get lost in the woods from some friends. I ride Maine and NH

 

Roadie, as long as all your friends have these types of radios it will work well. For highly wooded areas I suggest a UHF radio (that one might transmit on those frequencies) Be aware that these radios do not have channels, they are difficult to program and have many many options that unless you geek out on them it may not work nearly as well as you might want.

Please be aware that there is practically no legal way to use these radios without a license. It's common to not have one, but still illegal. Be courteous and respectful to anyone who calls you out on that.

Good luck!

 

I was looking into the Baofeng radios which look strikingly familiar to the Rugged ones except for possibly a usb port and twice the cost?
I gave up since like you say being in the woods isn't good with any radio.
I know you say some of these radios are illegal to use without a license.
Like any sport/hobby there are bad apples no matter what.
How would they track you down 50 miles into the wilderness if you transmit to your buddy for just say 15 seconds? And then you move on.
Even more so at a place like Glamis where 10,000 guys are using radios.

 

Rugged has custom versions of those Baofeng radios. Apparently they modify them and add a plug to the rear to connect to their intercom systems in addition to some firmware changes. Personally I would rather make my own cables and purchase the cheaper radios but it is a nice packaged solution for people who don't want to bother with the technical details.

Your points about difficulty tracking are valid and I agree with you. As long as you are courteous and polite it will go a long way to making things easier. However its still a mostly ignored topic that these race radio companies sell these radios and practically don't inform their customers that they are required by law to be licensed to use them. I think that's ethically suspect but it seems capitalism over ethics is the way most businesses are run.

 

100% agree! I have been preaching this for years on these "race radios" being re-branded Ham radios. There is nothing special about them except the programming and added connectors etc to hook everything up. I imagine at some point it will be come a big enough issue to get the attention of the FCC and will force everything to get a HAM license to operate.

With that said I have used and plan to use them for offroad purposes and like you said be aware of the legality of what your doing. The nice thing about the rugged setup is its 100% turn key and programmed for a preset of channels that are not on the HAM frequency so your pretty safe unless you start calling attention to yourself

 

What is the cost of a ham license?
Until the FCC realizes how much money they are losing I doubt they're going to go after the occasional user.
Arizona did that with the state land here. Put up no trespassing signs and you had to get a permit to cross or ride on their land for $20 a year.
They will pull you over and give you a hefty fine if you don't have the permit.
Nothing is free anymore

 

When CB's were new you were required to get a license and call sign from the FCC. They even went around monitor and issues tickets, for a while. Finally they decided you did not need to register for a call sign and license and ignored the users. Wonder if not the same thing will happen with these radios since they are the new CB's. As in used for the same purpose and the CB was. Problem with the CB, the FCC put them on the very worst frequency's. People got tired of all the noise and lack of being able to use a good deal of the time. That led to the use of the new generation of radios. They were all ways out there but way to expensive for all but the business users. Now they are about the price, or cheaper then the CB's when they were new on the market.

 

The fcc does not charge for the ham license, the VOLUNTEER test takers typically charge $15 to help pay for supplies and rental space. My test ended up taking place at my local LDS church. The ham radio community are some of the nicest most helpful people you can meet. They are odd at times, but good people.

I doubt they will ever make them license free like CB. The race frequencies are squarely in the commercial bands which are very much regulated and in use. I would not be surprised if they create a whole new radio that is restricted to a few particular frequencies for this type of thing. Much like FRS and GMRS bands.

 

I agree the license will never go away. These radios are used tor way more than the "cb" type traffic. You can get handheld baofeng radios for no more than $35 on Amazon. Ham operators are indeed nice people and there is always someone willing to help program.

 

Just my 2 cents. As far as I know you only need a personal license to transmit in the ham frequencies. Most guys stay away from there if they are not hams. If they don’t they are dumb. All the “race radios” I program do not have any ham freqs preset or any marine channels set. As far as the race channels, they are supposed to be licensed by the club, organization, or race team. Almost none are licensed and to date I don’t know of anybody who has had contact with the FCC because of it, not that that makes it right.
I was told by a BLM officer that they are having problems in SoCal with people in the Santa Monica mountains using marine channels for off-roading.

 

I could not agree more. The "race" frequencies can be licensed by a club but I believe it's only for a particular event at a particular location. The proper way is to have a race team have a license for a particular frequency, that's the legal way to do it, but costs $300-500.

 

The Baofengs are a blessing and a curse at the same time. It got a lot of people interested and aware and using the spectrum but it has also brought a lot of people who cant be bothered to be polite about it and refuse to get a license.

I suggest anyone who has one of these radios without a license to stick to the MURS or GMRS frequencies, while technically illegal since you don't have a "type" qualified radio it works. These frequencies are already set aside for people to talk together in an informal and typically non-commercial way.

 

How hard is it to setup 4 different radios with the same channel so they can stay in touch with each other

 

Depends on the radio but usually not that hard.

 

Belonging to the largest ATV/UTV club in the United States has its perks when it comes to communications. We have several members who are techs and take care of the members radios, including programming. Our litany of frequencies include FRS, GMRS, MURS, Marine(16) emergency, WX channels and some business/commercial for strictly in house comm. I just bought 2 Baofeng UV82HP dual band tri power radios for $60 and the GMRS band at 8w will work for a long distance. Granted, a lot of this is illegal, but we don;t chat on them, they are used judiciously for rides and large gatherings, like the TriState Jamboree this week with 950 participants.

Just be courteous on the radio and if you're called out by someone, shut up and go on your way so you are not there if the fox hunters show up.

 

Look at Yeasu 2980R for a great powerful radio at great price. Compatible with Rugged intercoms and antennas too if you choose.

 

I have experience with programming radios with chirp so I got the cheap eBay version of the rugged radio. Works fine for the DIY user. Anyone know if the rugged radio intercom is also a rebranded China unit I can grab for cheap somewhere?


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Is there a higher powered front speaker radio that is waterproof, that is also capable of adding intercom in the future?

Our small group does not currently have any comms but I am willing to be our radio guy. Are the non front facing speakers loud enough, and what do you do to wash the inside of the vehicle when the radio is not waterproof?

Edit: I keep.coming back to this radio: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007470C0...0A&linkCode=w61&imprToken=sdqu4WLCB7xd.BJHWlaLrA&slotNum=3&tag=walkitalkicen-20

What are your thoughts on it? Would I be able to hook up an intercom in the future if I wished to?

 

I have a few of these. They are outstanding.

I wash the inside like normal but throw a piece of duct tape over the face. I use it with the rugged radio intercom. Get it wired to your helmet. Don't use speaker.

 

We have the Rugged radio handheld 5 watt walkie talkie. Range is not very good. We are trying out some external antennas but once a few people complain about range or the radio handheld mic not being loud enough it seems that others don't even try. So unless everyone buys a radio at the same time or a groupe buy. You may find you are the only one with a radio in your group. Our group has about 6 people. Two of us have radios. And it seems that our success of making contact is not very good. We all play music radios and we forget to turn our handheld radios on or the battery will die in the handheld or was not charged ect. So it seems there is always a reason why we can't communicate. I would think those that ride on the west coast would benefit more from the radios. Here in NC there is not a lot of places to ride so we ride at the parks and while there I do not see a lot of people running a communication radio. Plus we have cell phone service.

The handheld radios need a special mout to attach the radio to the vehicle. That was not cheap. And they will need an external antenna to help with the range. The range we are seeing at Busco beach is less than 1 mile. Not very good. I figured they would work at all corners of the park but I was mistaken. Hope this helps some.

 

If you aren't going to go the PCI Race Radios or Rugged Radios route and don't want to go super cheap look at getting a Kenwood TM-281A. It can easily be modified to accept a wider range of bands to transmit on and if you get a programming cable it will make it a lot easier to program. (the mod requires removing 1 resistor and is REALLY easy)

Also keep in mind that you really should trim your antenna to the correct frequency(s) for the best performance, failure to do this is going to result in pretty craptacular performance.

Myself and the group of people I run with all use PCI equipment in our rigs. I'm going to be installing a TM-281A in my motorhome with the modification so family can talk to me while I'm out riding

 

Hey, just wanted to let everyone know we just launched a UTV communications device called "The COM"

Our goal was to offer a product that does everything the current, full featured race radio kits do, but deliver it in a single device.

Only we made it include all the necessities (I.e., install bracket, antenna mount, in-line noise filter) that typically is charged on top of the race radio kits. That saves people about $150 in unexpected cost.

We also included really bright LED cabin lights and a LED rear cargo light. That saves people the expense and headache of wiring in lights.

We made it plug 'n play.
It installs in about 10 minutes with no tools. The list of programmed radio channels line up with what everyone else is using (walkie-talkies, desert race channels and rugged) so you can talk with anyone. It includes a users manual for your glove compartment for quick reference on the trail.

And we priced it for less.
If you sign up, you'll get a coupon code that will save you even more.

www.UTVCOM.com

Our website is pretty informative, but I'd be happy to answer any questions you have.

 

Nice setup.
Your website says you can wash it with a light pressure wash. Is that radio waterproof? I have just the radio and never saw a waterproof version.