There is More to GMRS than the Bubble-Pack Radio

An interview with Scott Bullock,
Owner of Advantage Communications.

by Doug Smith, Editor

There is more to the General Mobile Radio Service than the bubble-pack radios purchased at big-box electronics stores. There are better, more reliable, and durable communications options that make the service even more useful. Options like higher power, outdoor or on vehicle antennas, commercial quality equipment, and radio repeaters can greatly expand the utility of GMRS. GMRS can potentially provide a sophisticated yet simple communications system for the right family in the right place.

As a GMRS licensee you can own your own repeater, base stations, and mobile units all with output powers of up to fifty watts. Commercial grade antennas can be used to give these transmitters a higher Effective Radiated Power or ERP allowing a tremendous communications range.

The mass-market approach to GMRS from the big-box stores has been to hype the convenient and budget-priced GMRS hand-held radios and to ignore the incredible potential of a true GMRS family communications system. The typical mass-market buyer of the GMRS hand-held has no clue he/she must have a GMRS license or that their radio operates in a radio service capable of so much more than the bubble-pack can actually deliver. Many families are even feel misled by the hype because they don't get 10 miles from a ten-mile radio, five miles from a five-mile radio etc.

I have also found over the years that some of the so-called mass-market bubble-pack GMRS radios are nothing more than toys. Many are poorly constructed. One unit tested here at the magazine could not transmit at the advertised power level of two watts. Well it did for just an instant - and then the radio's innards exploded as the supply voltage went up. It has been our contention that that after the FCC created this bubble-pack industry the FCC then took no responsibility for making it work technically. In simple terms the bubble-packs offer some utility but these radios cannot and do not hold up like the commercial grade equipment that has historically been used in GMRS. Many are simply junk.

Here at the magazine we thought it was time to talk about the REAL GMRS with a REAL two-way radio radio shop. Advantage Communications, aka/RadiosOnline has serviced the GMRS and commercial radios markets for 14 years. Scott, the owner has always seen the value in a family communications system.

Scott, also known as TheRadioMan, is a practical, no-nonsense, customer-service-oriented kind of guy who has supported the magazine almost from the beginning. He has assisted many of our readers over the years with the purchase of their GMRS equipment. He continues to run one of the few radio shops with a sincere interest in the GMRS customer. Scott's business is located in Watertown, MA and online at RadiosOnline.com

Please contact Scott via his website if you have any questions about his products and services or with this interview.

The Interview

Editor: How many years have you been selling in the GMRS market?

14 years in business and I've been selling GMRS stuff for about 12 of them.

Doug: It seems to me that the mass market is leaning towards low cost in GMRS products. Is there any correlation between what you pay for and what you get for the money you pay?

Scott: Absolutely, we've seen the change in the last few years to cheaper and cheaper radios that are mass marketed in every store across the country. Virtually all of these stores know nothing about what they are selling and only look at the profit they can make on these items. Cheaper products give you less features, less durability, and cheaper components which result in less range and poor operation in the form of overload, stability etc.

Doug: Do you have any criticisms of the bubble-pack radios sold by mass-market retailers?

Scott: Yea but it's mostly directed towards the FCC for allowing this mess that is out there now. People that can't service what they sell shouldn't be allowed to sell it in the first place. Maybe then we'd have less people buying these toy radios and using them without the proper license etc.

Doug: Have you ever put any of the bubble-pack or other mass-market products on the bench to see if they measure up?

Scott: No I don't get into any part of that market because it's generally cheap lower end stuff that isn't worth putting your name behind.

Doug: What advantage is there to using commercial type two-way radio equipment versus the bubblepack radios we can buy at the local hardware store or RadioShack store?

Scott: Quality, better range, better specs, more available accessories.

Doug: You have been a big supporter of GMRS for some years now. What attracted you to this market?

Scott: GMRS equipment works hand in hand with the commercial radios we sell and service every day. I've always had the attitude that better quality commercial grade radios are far superior to all the "bubble pack" radios commonly available today. Many of the same items in the commercial field can be used for GMRS.

Doug: So then your approach was to take what you already knew as a bonafide expert and apply it to potential GMRS business. It has been my observation that few REAL radio shops want to get involved in GMRS. Why do you think that is and then what makes your approach to doing business with the GMRS customer so special?

Scott: Bonafide Expert...wow. No just a shop that approaches sales a little different way...I'm not a salesman, I'm a technician and approach sales from that standpoint....Put the right product into someone's hands to do the job and that will grow with them. It's a philosophy that has helped us grow over the years...and not many shops realize that this is the right way to approach things-they just want to sell you what they have on the shelf.

Editor: When a potential customer comes to you about buying a system how do you qualify his/her needs?

Scott: Learn what it is they are trying to accomplish, determine what they would like to spend and design a system taking into account all the concerns to give them the "best bang for the buck" I'm old school, and if someone comes to me and says they want to do something and I know it can't be done I'm not afraid to walk away from the sale. Unfortunately this isn't the case with most shops when salesmen get paid by commission etc.

Editor: Would you discourage anyone from buying GMRS equipment?

Scott: Yep sure would and do every day. People that think they can just start using it for business, or if it doesn't fit their particular needs we'll steer them towards something else that is better for them like MURS, licensed business band radio service, or even cellular telephones.

Editor: Do you see a value in family communications systems? Is there a typical type of customer that buys mobile units, base stations and repeaters?

Scott: Sure there's a value, such as being able to keep in touch with young one's, saving time and steps, coordinating outdoor activities and much more. Most people that buy mobiles and repeaters are serious users, looking to save on cellular bills, and to extend their local communications areas.

Editor: Is eliminating the cost of subscription services to communicate around the home an attraction even though cellular rates are relatively low?

Scott: Cellular rates have dropped substantially in the last few years due to competition, but they're still expensive and easy to abuse especially by kids. Many people that buy GMRS radios are looking for local communications that cellular really isn't needed for.

Editor: When you discuss GMRS with your customers do you find many are completely unaware that they can use high powered radios and repeaters?

Scott: It's interesting to note that many people I talk with on a daily basis really have no clue that there are other radios out there that would better suit their purposes. I see many people buying an Audiovox GMRS radio in a store like Office Max etc. and then calling us to help out when they find out they can't cover inside a building or the entire outdoor area they are looking for etc. Many people don't even know that they're required to have a license to operate and they can't use GMRS radios for company business. This has been a major problem with stores like this that sell this type of equipment. They buy a $100 radio fully expecting to get 10 miles of coverage and then they're disillusioned when it won't cover like they read on the package. Many times people will end up returning the equipment and buying a higher powered radio, or they realize they are stuck with the "bubble pack radio" and wasted their money. But we also find many people who aren't willing to spend the money on a good radio which will grow with their needs.

Editor: Before I invest in a repeater what should I know? What do I need to take into consideration before I begin building a communications system?

Scott: The number one thing is to be prepared to spend some money and do it right the first time. Use high quality components and don't try to "do it on the cheap", otherwise you will end up being unhappy and have to go back and re-do it again. Use good quality site management products (band-pass/band-reject duplexers, receiver preselectors etc.) Repeaters aren't cheap, but a properly designed system will give you many years of trouble free success.

Editor: Well let's assume the person reading this article is ready for the pitch. Convince me I need more than a bubble-pack. Sell me a system. How do you respond to the concerns your customers have about spending more than $49.99?

Scott: People need to understand that much of the "bubble pack" stuff on the market is junk. The old adage "you get what you pay for" holds true here too. You can buy a radio for $49.99 and throw it out in a year or even 6 months, or you can buy a radio for $200 and have something that will grow with you and be durable enough to not have to replace it when you accidentally drop it.

Editor: Can the average consumer buy a repeater, install it, and benefit from it?

Scott: Sure can, many people call looking to cover beyond a local area that their current radios cover. Many don't realize they can utilize a repeater to extend their range. I saw a niche many years ago for pre-packaged components from antenna systems to full repeater systems. We take high quality components that work reliably together and package them in ready to install kits. It has helped many people with setting up a base station or repeater to get extra distance.

Editor: I can say from my own experience that installing the Ritron Patriot repeater I purchased from you was relatively easy. Everything was indeed purchased so that it could be installed quickly. The radio shop took care of the science involved in tuning the repeater, tuning the cavity, making the heliax cable, and furnishing a tuned antenna. There is test equipment needed to do all this work that the average consumer (me) isn't going to have. I used basic handy-guy skills to put the antenna up and plug in the system. I consider myself a bit better at this than most since I have been involved in communications for thirty years. Are you saying when you sell a system the customer gets a quick lesson in installation of the system components or do you provide install support in some fashion. How much help should a customer expect from a radio shop? Does the customer have to have a certain level of confidence, no fear of heights and electricity etc.?

Scott: I'm a telephone call away :) There is a expectation that you have some mechanical prowess. That's basically all you need to install a base antenna. A few tools, a drill, and you're off and running. Heights are relative... It's gonna hurt whether you fall 10' or 30'....so if you're afraid of heights ask a neighbor or a relative to do the ladder work for you. That's one thing I can't help you with :)

Editor: What are the minimum skills I need to put a mobile unit in a car, set up a base station, erect antenna etc.?

Scott: You need to have a basic understanding of use of mechanical tools, and be somewhat mechanically inclined. Prior planning is essential and will contribute greatly to a properly installed product.

Editor: The customer decides to buy a repeater. Where do you start? What does the customer need to know about tones, batteries, cables, cavities, and <gulp> the bottom line. What is on the the list of possible accessories? How affordable is it? I know you have given me a ball park repeater figure but what is the range in dollars?

Scott: One of the first questions I ask is what your budget is...how much you want to spend is going to affect what you can do. Sure you can take $5000 and build a great system but realistically you don't need a lot of bells and whistles if you don't have to. One of the major factors in designing a system is what you want to spend. I ask simple questions to determine the level of equipment that is needed to do the job properly the first time. Then it's up to the user to determine if they want to spend the money.

Editor: What do you do for your customers to make sure they are satisfied with their repeater purchase.

Scott: First thing on any repeater sale is to analyze when and where the unit is going to be used. You can't just take any repeater and put it up somewhere, there are many factors involved in setting it up, and we work with people to get the right product for the job. You will find many companies that sell in-expensive mobile radios strapped together to make a repeater. Besides possibly being illegal to do in the first place, many of these radios lack sufficient receiver filtering and frequency stability to use as a repeater/base station. Repeaters that are used near local radio towers are very susceptible to interference and proper site management is critical to proper operation. Time and time again we've spoken with people who have bought these in-expensive repeaters only to find out that the "notch" style duplexers aren't the right type to use when you're too close to other radio signals. We want to make these "plug and play" to the most extent possible.

Editor: You are really focusing on the quality of the radio frequency engineering that goes into a GMRS system. You're telling me then heeding to the basics of good design is one reason the cost of the equipment is more than $49.99.

Scott: Absolutely. I've seen guys buy a repeater then say "oh I bought a duplexer off EBay last year just for this...than find out after the sale that it's a notch style duplexer and they're less than a mile from a huge radio site with 250 watt paging transmitters that are spewing interference everywhere and the repeater can't hand the overload.

Editor: When I was repeater shopping I asked around about your recommendation of the Ritron Patriot repeater. When I asked the magazine's Professional Technical Editor, Paul Shinn about this product he didn't even hesitate. He just said very simply, "It will never break." That sold me. What makes the Ritron Patriot such a good choice?

Scott: Ritron is one of the only companies that still design and manufacture their equipment in the USA. They built a product that is designed to do the job intended. I got some of the first repeaters off the line years ago and tested these on the John Hancock building in Boston, the results were fantastic. And this is one of the most RF intensive sites you could possibly find. They use helical resonators in their receivers, good shielding, and generally good construction practices that result in a great package that literally runs forever. I've had repeaters on the air now for 7-8 years without a whimper and some of these run 24x7 key down during major snowstorms etc.

Editor: Tell us about antennas and feed line. What do I need to buy for GMRS? How important are these items?

Scott: The most important part in any radio system is the antenna and feed line. You can put 10 thousand watts into a junk antenna system and it still won't perform any better than a properly designed antenna system with lower power. Good antennas and as much height as possible are key to proper operation.

Most people think that buying the highest gain antenna is better because it will "boost" your power more and give you better range. Not true. Surrounding terrain has a serious influence in what should be used for an antenna. Severely congested urban areas present many problems in trying to get proper coverage. A basic 0 dB gain antenna has a pattern much like a donut on it's side. When you add elements to an antenna to increase it's gain, basically you make the pattern look like someone sat on the donut....it concentrates more of the signal straight out at the horizon and less lobes of signal above and below the main lobe. This can cause loss of signal or "picket fencing" in close to a station well within your desired coverage area. This is why a lower gain antenna is better in many cases. Likewise you don't want a high gain antenna on top of a mountain because it will cause similar gaps in coverage due to overshoot in the pattern.

Editor: OK, let's take my location. I am at an elevation of eighty feet and 800 feet from the Chesapeake Bay. Behind me is solid forest and the antenna I am using now is barely 20 feet above the road on the forest side of the house. I get barely two miles that direction. The forest elevation also rises and falls quite a bit. I have a line of sight up and down the bay maybe twenty miles or more and I can see the lights of Cambridge, Maryland about 24 miles away at night. My repeater is probably going to be more useful on the Bay, on the Eastern Shore and up and down the beaches. What kind of antenna is best for me? Should I send you a map of the area? Would that help?

Scott: Your case would be a very non-typical install. You don't need or want to cover out over the water so you would want to steer your pattern away from that direction and concentrate your signal into the other areas. Folded dipole arrays would probably be the best solution for this as you can steer the pattern of the antenna broadside to the water and pick up better in the other directions.

Editor: Are the systems you sell plug-and-play?

Scott: That is the intent of every system we sell, we want you to be able to pull everything out of the package and with very little knowledge plug everything together and install it yourself. I think it contributes a lot to pride in ownership also.

Editor: What kind of protection should my antenna have against lighting? Do you sell what the consumer needs for lightning protection.

Scott: Lightning protection is defined in the National Electrical Code. Any antenna must be grounded properly. We don't supply grounding materials with our antennas as there are so many ways that a particular installation could be grounded, it would raise the cost prohibitively to include enough materials for each install to be properly done. As a rule on our installations we make sure that the sheath of the cable is grounded through a lightning arrestor to a rod at the point it enters the building. Also there are many arrestors on the market from simple air gap types to full gas cartridge EMP styles. We highly recommend the Polyphaser line of products and use them on all of our installations.

Editor: What are the grounding requirements for installation of a base station and/or repeater?

Scott: Repeater antennas are in effect the same as a base antenna, and again they must be grounded at the point they enter the building, or at the base of the supporting structure.

Editor: Are mag-mount mobile antennas acceptable for GMRS? Is there any benefit to having a permanent mount GMRS antenna on a car or truck?

Scott: Sure, we have many people who use magnetic mount antennas, they are a great way of using a radio in a vehicle that you don't want a permanent installation or want to drill a hole in the roof. The best antenna is one mounted in a permanent hold mount in the center of the roof, then a magnetic mount in the same place, then a deck mount antenna on a trunk lid.

Editor: What are the best mobile antennas?

Scott: 5/8 wave collinear antennas are the antennas of choice, they give you 3 DB gain over a 1/4 wave antenna, but 1/4 wave 6 inch "spike" antennas work very effectively for GMRS usage especially in urban areas.

Editor: What base station and repeater antennas do you recommend?

Scott: One of our most popular and cost effective antennas is a COMTELCO 2.5 dB gain fiberglass antenna with an integral mounting clamp. It represents a very good trade-off between a lower cost cheap antenna, and a higher cost full blown repeater antenna. Each site has different requirements for an antenna. You can't put a antenna designed for 60 m.p.h. winds up on top of a 8,000 foot mountain and expect it to last, the first storm would destroy it, so you would want a better quality antenna such as a Celwave Stationmaster antenna. But with higher quality comes a higher price too, and a high quality commercial repeater antenna can be out of the average person's budget so there is always a trade-off.

Editor: What families would benefit from a GMRS system that includes mobile units and repeaters?

Scott: Anyone with multiple users and the desire to increase their range.

Editor: What might be a ball park figure for a system that includes a basic repeater, four mobile units and say two hand-held radios?

Scott: A basic repeater will go for approximately $1500 plus antenna system, while decent mobiles will run around $3-400 each, and good quality commercial grade portables start at $250 and go up from there.

Editor: What kind of support do you offer to customers that buy your radio products?

Scott: A phone call away.....And when needed we do all our repairs in house, which many shops don't do. We don't "board swap", we troubleshoot to component level like it should be done.

Editor: Do you have specific brands that you recommend?

Scott: Originally we sold Vertex equipment, but we found over the years that they used the customer as "guinea pigs" and whenever they had a problem with a radio they would discontinue it and come out with a new model. So over the last few years we've steered away from their stuff, and have been doing Maxon radios and Ritron radios. Those are our two biggest lines. Each offers products that are a good fit for the customer without breaking the bank like some of the bigger brand names where you pay more for the name than the product.

Editor: You sell used radio equipment. I know you do because one of the first mobile units I ever bought for use at home was a used radio from you. What does a GMRS customer need to know about buying used equipment? Is there an advantage to buying used from a radio shop like yours and can it really produce a cost savings? Maybe the question should be, "Who should buy used and who shouldn't? What say you RadioMan?

Buying used equipment can be good and bad. The market is flooded with stuff from all the cellular phone conversions that have been done in the commercial industry. There-in lies one problem. First you don't know if it works or not, and if it doesn't what it's going to cost to fix it. Many of the radios out there are SMD or surface mount technology which takes very sophisticated equipment to work on, that which not a lot of shops have and the one's that do have to charge higher rates to afford this stuff. Another problem is cost of replacement accessories, specifically batteries. Some batteries can cost more than what you paid for the radio to begin with. Add that to a repair or re-programming and you have a losing proposition.

We used to sell a lot of used radios, but found over the last few years that people were attracted more to the new stuff. New radios are a better alternative from the warranty standpoint alone. Most radios have a minimum 1-2 year warranty on them which makes them much more economical in the long run. Newer technology, generally more features, no repair bills for a set time, the list of benefits goes on. The prices have come down so much over the last few years that it just doesn't make a lot of sense to buy used anymore.

Editor: Do you and your family use two-way radio for family use? GMRS?

Scott: No we use tin cans and strings... :)

Editor: Do you use clip leads in any of your stuff?

Scott: Only when I work on your stuff. :)

Ideas

I want to thank Scott for taking the time to give us his point of view. Before I close the article I would like to offer some ideas to those of you perhaps considering a real GMRS system. Let's look at some potential customers:

You may be an above average income earner or you could be part of a group of families interested in using two-way radio repeater communication rather than cellular. As a matter of fact cellular may not work well near your home or if it does you do not have a plan with the working carrier.

You might live on a farm and have a large family that could benefit on a day-to-day basis by using a GMRS system. Only your employees cannot use the radios.

You might live at a high-altitude location and need base to mobile location around your home. GMRS is well suited for this.

You vacation quite a bit and often have more than one vehicle. GMRS mobile units would give you much better range than the bubble-packs. Don't believe the ten-mile claims of the bubble-pack peddlers. Range is a function of many factors relative to your radio transmissions. Even powerful radios are range challenged in certain areas. Stronger power can give you more reliable communication in a variety of locations.

You want reliable communication and you want reliable, long lasting, and durable hand-held radios for camping, walking, shopping etc. Commercial hand-held radios like the Maxon and Ritron radios provide that peace of mind.

You want to get an antenna on the roof of your car or home but you cannot do it with the bubble-pack radio. Buy a commercial radio. You can have bases stations up to fifty watts output power on the GMRS channels and use up to five watts ERP on the GMRS Interstitials (also known as FRS 1-7.) You will definitely have a leg up over others using bubble packs trying to keep track of the kids in your neighborhood.

My wife and I benefitted for some time just having a base station, two mobile units, and two hand-held radios. You don't have to have a repeater to have the benefit of an external or mobile antenna and higher power. As Scott qualifies a customer's needs he helps you determine whether a base station and mobile units will be effective for your family. The cost for a home base station and mobile units may be all some folks would have to incur since it is also possible to contact repeater owners in their area to share the use of a repeater.

Finally I'd like to close with some words of wisdom stolen from Scott's website. My family has found it to be true: "Two-way radios don't cost, they pay." At PopularWireless Magazine we encourage you to take advantage of this unique family resource. Seriously consider doing business with the commercial radio shop of your choice and by all means give Scott and our other GMRS oriented advertisers a shot at helping you get there!