VHF or 2 Way

[PointMan]

I'm looking to pick up a radio to put in my truck and maybe a base to have at home, so I can make contact with my wife if need be. My question is, which is it I need and do you have any suggestions? I want one so I can monitor the logging roads, especially the busy ones like the Kettle.

[Drillbit]

Talk to Brad at Interior communications, he'll hook you up. VHF will jive with all the road channels. Should be able to get an old midland and a power station for the house for under $200. Buy something better for your truck, lots of good used stuff out there. Save $ by buying used antennas too. Just personal opinion, but I stay away from Kenwood and run TAD M10's, and ICOM F14 handhelds. Motorolla, midland, icom, are all pretty good.

[PointMan]

Thanks Drillbit, I look into it. Don't really know much about the technology or what's involved, so any help is appreciated. If you hear of anything out there, fire me a PM. For the right deal I might be willing to do a trade of some sort, I have a box full of Snap-On tools not getting used like they used to.

[RiverOtter]

If you don't know much about VHF's, I'll definately second Brad at Interior, he goes above and beyond with customer service and is as honest as they come; I deal with him lots.

For what you describe, you shouldn't need to break the bank. Icom or Tad are both great. Make sure to ask him about getting it set up to "Field Program", and also getting an operator number to use the Telus repeaters; JP, JL etc. While you're at it, not a bad idea to get the forest service channels put in as well, Yellow, Orange, copper etc., as they can be used to reach out in an emergency if need be.

[Gun Dog]

VHF requires a Ham license and you can't transmit on resource frequencies without yet another license. There's always CB radio.

[Boner]

If they won't tell you the code to program it, i'd go to another store.

I too have a Tad M10 and having used other truck radios, i'm happy with what I bought. For handheld, i've got an Icom 128 channel setup, it's good too. Except that I had to pay for my battery charger extra, and it was $70.

[PointMan]

Any idea what these radios cost?

[Boner]

Operating on VHF doesn't necessarily require a Ham license. That's amateur stuff separated from commercial use. Commercial use would be traversing radio controlled roads, or using a frequency for a work or BS channel.

[Singleshotneeded]

VHF is the way to go, and if you get a handheld make sure it's five watts, no less...

[RiverOtter]

Any idea what these radios cost?

Won't be less than 4 bills.....:-P

Radio's have come down in price since I bought my last(2003), but I'm still thinking you'd be in the 5-600 range to get radio, bracket, mic and antenna. Installation should be fairly reasonable, assuming you go to Brad.

[RustyBrit]

No license required for a VHF (commercial band, not HAM band) but for any channel you program in, you require written permission from the owner of that channel and then pay a license fee to use it. Good luck having BCFS give you a letter for the 'colored' channels. Of course for the 110 channels I have in my truck radio I pay for each and every one of them..... or not.... Oh and having a field programmable VHF radio is illegal for sure for the previously mentioned reasons. Only aircraft allowed to do that.

We recently had the Industry Canada guy stop by our shop (they are legally allowed to check any truck or home with an antenna on it). He checked out the radio and said we had to get rid of some channels that we didn't have paperwork for and that our radio was transmitting too powerfully. I think they are running out of frequencies for everyone so they are policing it more and more.

Cheers.

[limit time]

Midland make a decent marine VHF radio, it's also water proof. You get logging road channels, weather channels and emergency. Whole sale have a cheap ( in price) 99$ hand held.

[Boner]

I paid close to 5 bills for my Icom and the charger. The Tad M10 was a grand, plus close to 150 for the antenna and mag mount. You pay for what you get.

[Singleshotneeded]

Midland VHF 5 watt hand held radios on Amazon right now for $45...with accessories!

[RiverOtter]

Love my Icom handheld for work, but it sucks for distance. Sure it'll pick up signal like no other, but you'll never talk as far as you can hear, and often they sound quiet for the people you're talking to. Go for a truck mounted jobby as your main radio and get all the channels you can, including the BCFS, along with field program capability. I know you're not supposed to have that stuff in there, but if you're not a dick and only use it as an emergency plan, you're not gonna have an issue.