You need to learn something about radio waves as opposed to light beams. In particular "ground wave propagation". Think of radio waves as sound waves and a light may dawn.Line of sight vs the 30ft thick berm at the target pits though?
Not as a "two-way radio". If you stop paying the phone bill, transmission fails. If you or your buddy are out of cell coverage, ditto. My cell phone will fail soon because of network upgrades. A power outage can take down a cell network.Nothing works better than your cell phone!!!
At many ranges there is no cell service.Nothing works better than your cell phone!!!
My understanding of radio wave transmission, reflection, refraction, and diffusion is not the problem. I also understand that true line-of-sight is about the best case for signal strength.You need to learn something about radio waves as opposed to light beams. In particular "ground wave propagation". Think of radio waves as sound waves and a light may dawn.
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In the rugged treeless terrain I typically hunt in, I've often had a big hill or ridge, a hundred or more feet tall, solid granite, between me and a partner's FRS handheld. The only reason we even carry radios is the liklihood of interceding terrain.Your post refers to "line-of-sight" twice without any specifics. I was asking if you would confirm how your experiences were sufficiently similar to a 1000-yard range target pit. Maybe they were, and by asking for more details I was tossing you a big softball.
David
Agreed. I listen to the Space Shuttle with a home made antenna and radios I have bought at yard sales and repaired. It is really easy to build an antenna and then use an adapter to hook it to a hand held. When we do weather balloon launches we use Kenwood TH-74s and APRS to track the balloon. It is amazing what can be done with a hand held. The ISS got a new radio last fall, I have not listened to them talk on it but I have pinged it on APRS.During the Space Shuttle Flights, there was almost always a HAM on board. I worked the Space Shuttle at least 6 times with a Hand Help 5 Watt Radio. Line of Sight is just that. At this higher frequencies there is no Bounce off the ionisphere and ground wave is close to useless. Not that there can not be anything in between each of you, but if you can see each other even as a speck, you should be able to talk to each other with a Personal Band Radio. May or may not work with you down in a pit behind dirt, concrete and steel.
Bob