I think I would look at an MURS radio. They run two watts in the
150-160 Mhz range, and do not require a license. Recognize though,
that even with a 5-watt radio, you cannot be assured of 2-3 mile
range. We used 5-watt GMRS radios in our CERT organization, which was
only intended to cover our housing development from one end to
another. It's a little over a mile, but coverage was often spotty at
best. You are probably looking for something that doesn't exist. To
get reliable coverage over a 3-mile distance usually requires a
repeater, and that's a whole different ball game. Ever thought about
getting her a ham license? It's not that difficult now.

Dick - W6CCD

On Mon, 12 Sep 2005 09:26:52 -0400, "Percival P. Cassidy"
wrote:

GMRS? Allegedly better range than FRS, but needs a (no-examination)
license that costs.

Perce

On 09/12/05 08:29 am Win Heagy tossed the following ingredients into the
ever-growing pot of cybersoup:

I'd like to get a small, portable HT type radio for my wife (a non HAM)
in case phones, etc., fail. What can you recommend? It should be small
enough to carry daily, but get an honest 2-3 mile range (depending on
terrain).
We've tried several of the FSR type radios, but none get anywhere near the
advertised range. Any suggestions?