Radios for a Group of Three or More: Planning With the Midland GXT1000 Three-Pack

Two radios are enough for a pair of people. For a family of four, a small group of friends or a few people on a work crew, you need more, and the way you set them up matters as much as the model you buy. This post is about planning for a group of three or more.

How many radios do you need?

Count the people who will be apart from one another. A parent and two kids who stay near each other might share. A group that spreads out, with separate people in different places, needs one radio each. The store offers the Midland GXT1000 as a three-pack, as a two-pack, and as a single radio, so you can start with what you need and add one later.

Set up a channel plan before you leave

• Pick a main channel and a backup channel. If the main one is busy with other users, move everyone to the backup.
• Choose a privacy code and make sure every radio uses the same one. Privacy codes only filter out other conversations. They do not encrypt anything, and anyone on the channel without the code can still hear you.
• Do a radio check before you split up, and again when you reach the area you will be in.
• Agree on a regroup time in case anyone is out of range.

Licensing for a group

The GXT1000 is a GMRS radio, so someone in the group needs an FCC GMRS license. The license costs $35 in FCC fees, lasts ten years and involves no exam. It covers the licensee and their immediate family, a list that includes spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and in-laws. Friends and co-workers who are not immediate family would need their own licenses to use GMRS legally. If that rules out your group, FRS radios need no license.

Range with more radios

Adding radios does not add range. Each radio talks to the others directly, so the distance that counts is the distance between the two radios that are farthest apart, and all the usual limits apply. Midland states a 36-mile maximum for ideal, open conditions and gives about half a mile to two miles as an average in normal use. Hills, buildings and dense trees reduce the figure.

If you expect the group to spread out, a high point, an open field or a clear line between radios helps more than any feature on the box.

Keep it simple

With three or more people, short messages work best. Say who you are calling, then your message, and wait for a clear channel before talking. Our practical guide to walkie talkies covers the basics of how conversations on a shared channel work.

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