If this is a Troll, I will give it the benefit of a doubt.
There is one way to get by as cheaply as possible. That way
is to get a pager and if relatives want to talk to you, they can
page you. And you may call them back using any public coin phone
near by. If none can afford a phone which is as secure as anything
unless its cordless then drive to their house/trailer etc. to visit.
If this is a troll, oh well, we need a little humor once in a while.



"Google Mike" wrote in message
om...
Is there such a thing as a portable, affordable, two-way radio system
with 10 mile coverage or better?

What about something that is slightly secure?

Here's the need that is driving this:

I can't really afford cell phone bills. I live near 5 families of
relatives in South Carolina USA, each within 1 mile of me. Each
morning and evening, I travel a long 40 mile road with no cell phone
tower in sight -- zero coverage, even if I bought a cellphone. I would
love to have a device that each of us keep in our cars, always turned
on, as well as in our homes, and it would only provide communication
among myself and my relatives. I would prefer to have something that
could not be eavesdropped very easily, but I would take whatever I
could get.

BTW, I don't know much about HAM radio, so please forgive my
ignorance.