What is the range of a 2-way radio?
Handheld radios generally will talk “radio-to-radio”, “line-of-sight” up to 2 miles. Once you start putting obstacles in between the radios you will shorten your range. Even the body fluid of the person wearing the radio on their hip will absorb some of the range. Higher wattage radios will have a slight increase in range and a significant increase in clarity of transmission on the outer fringes of your range. Mobile radios, such as those mounted in vehicles, will generally talk “radio-to-radio” 8-10 miles depending upon the obstacles and the terrain. Base stations will generally talk approx. 8-12 miles. Contrary to popular belief wattage does not determine distance. Antenna height and placement determines distance. Increasing Range: Hold your radio perpendicular to the ground, not slanted like you would hold a phone. This problem alone could decrease your range 30-50%. Don’t shout CB-style, shouting reduces talk-range on industrial-type radios. Have your radios serviced every two year
