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Rino_How_many_miles_from_car_to_Car?


shivia

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If Rino HCx (or other Rino models) installed on each car, in the highway, how many miles can separate them without losing tracking signal? And samething in the city, like New York with the thousand buildings around, how many miles I can go before I loss my buddy's signal? thanks.

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If Rino HCx (or other Rino models) installed on each car, in the highway, how many miles can separate them without losing tracking signal? And samething in the city, like New York with the thousand buildings around, how many miles I can go before I loss my buddy's signal? thanks.

 

Thinking in terms of miles is probably wildly optimistic.

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Thinking in terms of miles is probably wildly optimistic.

- only few hundreds of feet?

 

Depends.

 

You will will likely be able to keep comms with the other car when you can see it clearly with your eyeballs and the units are mounted so their antennas can "see" each other clearly as well.

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My Rino 120's radio is pretty lame. I could SEE cars in front of and behind me (both had Motorola FRS radios), and while I could hear and receive calls from their FRS radios, the transmit on my Rino 120 wasn't enough for them to hear me. They got static at best. Once they got closer than 1/8 mile, then we could converse clearly over the radio. It's bad, because the two Motorolas in front of and behind me could talk to each other, but neither could hear me. Hopefully, the 500 series Rinos have a higher transmit power.

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These things are really limited by thier poor built in antenna. I know FRS does not allow antenna modifications but maybe the GMRS version does? Does the Garmin allow external antenna?

 

With the poor built in antenna and low power line of sight is about as good as it gets. We're talking at best a mile. Also, if these radio are "hearing' CB and other transisions from strong nearby "off band" traffic then they front ends of the radios are poorly designed and get leakage those strong signals.

 

If you could add an external 5/8 wave antenna to both vehicals you could probably get 5 or more miles unless the terrain is too mountainous.

 

 

I carry around an icom just for the simple reason that other "bubble pack" radios suck. Yes it's another thing to haul around but the payoff is worth it IMO. I guess you can't see your buddies position though......

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If you could add an external 5/8 wave antenna to both vehicals you could probably get 5 or more miles unless the terrain is too mountainous.

- a garmin gps external low profile antenna (designed for gps purpose) is enough to greatly enhance the communication?

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These things are really limited by thier poor built in antenna. I know FRS does not allow antenna modifications but maybe the GMRS version does? Does the Garmin allow external antenna?

 

The Icom radios allow external antennas but I'm not sure about the Garmin. People set up repeater systems with GMRS so I'm sure there's not limit in antennas as long as you stay in the effective radiated power (the amount of power coming from the antenna) limit the FCC has. I have no idea what that limit is.

 

Shivia, if the Garmin GPS antenna sounds like it would be a GPS antenna only, not a UHF antenna which is what's needed for FRS.

 

I should have said this in the earlier post but I got the Icom radios because my girlfriend and I are always going on rides with the local Mini Cooper group and I got tired of getting an 1/8 of a mile away from them and not being able to talk to the lead car. Now my problem is 2 of us have good radios but the other guys don't so they hear me but I never hear them. :laughing: One of the other group members got some Icoms so it'll be better on the next ride.

 

-Brad

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With the new H series chipset, do you think the distance between units will be longer than older models?

The H series has an improved chipset for gps reception. It has nothing to do with the radio portion. The H series does only show up in the 5x0 models, however, and all the 5x0 models do have higher wattage on the radio than the 1x0 models.

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With the new H series chipset, do you think the distance between units will be longer than older models?

The H series has an improved chipset for gps reception. It has nothing to do with the radio portion. The H series does only show up in the 5x0 models, however, and all the 5x0 models do have higher wattage on the radio than the 1x0 models.

 

FRS/GMRS is the radio service that the rino's use. FRS is unlicensed and limited to 1/2 a watt. Use on GRMS frequencies requires that you get a license (~$75 from the FCC for 10 years I think) Both are also limited by the antenna that is built in and cannot be legally modified (FRS restriction). The new chipset is for the GPS and does not change the FRS/GRMS range in any way.

 

Range quotes of “miles” are WAY optimistic for normal use. Miles might be obtained line of site – from mountain top to mountain top, for example. Fractions of a mile are more likely on the ground, and less in terrain that blocks the signal.

 

Car to car is even worse as the car shields the signal. Car to car in the city is worse still – maybe a block or two.

 

If you are looking to get further, you’ll need a GRMS license and radios with more power and external antennas. Better yet, get a Ham license – cheaper, and you have access to much more frequencies (GRMS is limited to a handful of channels) across the entire RF spectrum! There’s a forum here about GPS and Ham radio as well.

 

I am a ham, and have enjoyed using APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System) which is the ham “equivalent” of position reporting on Rino’s, but much more. There are gateways to the internet that allow anyone to look up my position online, 2 way messaging, etc. Lots of fun!

 

SteveL

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With the new H series chipset, do you think the distance between units will be longer than older models?

The H series has an improved chipset for gps reception. It has nothing to do with the radio portion. The H series does only show up in the 5x0 models, however, and all the 5x0 models do have higher wattage on the radio than the 1x0 models.

 

FRS/GMRS is the radio service that the rino's use. FRS is unlicensed and limited to 1/2 a watt. Use on GRMS frequencies requires that you get a license (~$75 from the FCC for 10 years I think) Both are also limited by the antenna that is built in and cannot be legally modified (FRS restriction). The new chipset is for the GPS and does not change the FRS/GRMS range in any way.

 

Range quotes of "miles" are WAY optimistic for normal use. Miles might be obtained line of site – from mountain top to mountain top, for example. Fractions of a mile are more likely on the ground, and less in terrain that blocks the signal.

 

Car to car is even worse as the car shields the signal. Car to car in the city is worse still – maybe a block or two.

 

If you are looking to get further, you'll need a GRMS license and radios with more power and external antennas. Better yet, get a Ham license – cheaper, and you have access to much more frequencies (GRMS is limited to a handful of channels) across the entire RF spectrum! There's a forum here about GPS and Ham radio as well.

 

I am a ham, and have enjoyed using APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System) which is the ham "equivalent" of position reporting on Rino's, but much more. There are gateways to the internet that allow anyone to look up my position online, 2 way messaging, etc. Lots of fun!

 

SteveL

- wow, thanks for detailed explanations about FRS/GRMS.

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