Smed wrote:

Will I need an FCC license? They say the radios work right out of the
box but some of the channels might be blocked without the license. How
much is the license? Are the unblocked channels over crowded and
worthless?

There are two radio service available to you that these devices support.

FRS, Family Radio Service, does not require a license of any kind. The
maximum power is 1/2 watt. The radio will automatically reduce power on
FRS-only channels.

GMRS, General Mobile Radio Service, does require a license. Higher
power is allowed, and the amount available will depend on the device. I
went to the Midland site and they do not list the actual power output
for the radio, which for me would be enough that I would not buy the radio.

Bottom line: How much range do you need? If your communication will be
over open water, the 1/2 watt that the FRS provides will be more than
adequate, and you can probably find much cheaper units at your local big
box store that will fill the bill. If you have a need to communicate
over longer distances, which I can't see happening on a canoe trip, go
with a more powerful unit that supports GMRS and get the license. But
do not believe the claims on the web site of 36 mile range; you might
get 36 miles over open water with full power on GMRS, but in general use
I would expect no more than a couple of miles at best.

I don't think you will run into any problems with channel overcrowding
on FRS channels, especially in the wilds of Montana. Pick something
other than "1" and you should be fine. And should you run into another
group that has picked the same channel, all you need to do is change.

And "blocked" is rather a misnomer. The radio doesn't know if you have
a license. FRS and GMRS share some channels, and the license is
required to use high power.

Have a good trip.

73, Steve KB9X