In article ,
Pdigmking wrote:

I'm looking at these GMRS motorolas, one is a t6510xmrs and another is a
t5520. Here's the thing: both have a power output of one watt, but one
claims to have a distance range of 8 miles, and the other 5. Is this BS or
what? Why would one 1 -watt radio have more range than another 1 watt
radio? They both have the same size antenna.

The difference might be real, due to improved receiver sensitivity or
to the use of an antenna which looks the same but has lower losses or
higher gain.

The difference might be illusory, due to differences in the assumed
test conditions (e.g. height of the radios above ground clutter and
obstructions, or just what sort of signal intelligibility qualifies as
an acceptable contact for the purposes of figuring out range).

The difference might be marketingbabble - numbers pulled out of the
air, or out of somebody's bodily orifice, for the sole purpose of
making the radios seem (and sell) better than those of the competition.

Frankly, I suspect that a a 1-watt GMRS radio is likely to achieve
even the lower of these two range figures (5 miles) only under rather
optimistic conditions... e.g. both users are up on the tops of
buildings or hills, with a clear line of sight to the other and with
no obstructions in between the two.

In a typical suburban ground-level setting, I wouldn't count on
getting signals to go more than a mile, and you'd probably have to
walk around a bit to find a location with a clean signal path (direct
or reflected) to the other.

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
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