A couple of weeks ago, another guy and I ran a two-vehicle convoy from Michigan to Montana.  We coordinated and communicated using GMRS radio.  Along the way, I had my vehicle mounted XTL 5000 radio from Motorola scanning the GMRS repeaters and the simplex channels.  In this article, we're going to talk about what we learned, what worked, and what didn't work.  We'll also talk about how you can better prepare and practice yourself.

First, let's talk gear.  My vehicle radio is a Motorola XTL 5000.  It's a UHF radio that you can find on e-bay for a couple hundred dollars.  It's a 50 watt radio that allows you to program 1000 channels, as long as you have the software and cable.  Mine is in what Motorola calls "UHF I" range or 380-470 Mhz.  This is important because UHF II is 450-520 Mhz, and while both can do GMRS, I have mine programmed for international operations and need a lower range (446 Mhz) for Europe.  This radio has a detachable control head that is kept on my console, with the main unit being under the driver's seat.  The external speaker sits on the transmission hump.

Bill used a Baofeng AR-152 10 watt handheld.  As a supplement, I had a Motorola XTS 5000, the handheld version of the vehicle radio, only because it scans faster than the Baofeng does.  Truthfully, aside from scanning speed and encryption, the Baofeng UV-5R and AR-152 units OUTPERFORM the expensive Motorolas where it matters - transmit and receive range.  Sure, the Motorola has better features, but in what really matters, the Baofeng is king.

Let's talk about what we learned....but first, this is where you become a paid supporter.

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I first learned of the Kenwood TK-3140 radio long ago, while working for the security department of a major US corporation.  One of my projects was upgrading the radios for a surveillance team dedicated to fighting organized retail crime.  At the time, digital radios were brand new.  This "FleetSync" was an entirely new concept, a radio that functioned as an analog radio, but it had a built-in text message capability.  This meant that for a surveillance team, they could communicate without raising a radio to their mouth.

Now, today, that's not all that uncommon, as DMR radios have increased in popularity and come down in cost.  However, it is generally the realm of amateur radio operators, as most types of DMR require a license number (call sign) to access the system.  Not so for the Kenwood FleetSync radios, at least for digital DATA, like text messages.

Recently, rule changes to GMRS have made short text messages legal over GMRS.  The problem with that is that most modern DMR radios require an entire channel to operate as digital to do this.  The FleetSync digital protocol on these TK-3140 radio doesn't require it, and it's secure.  We'll talk about that farther down the article, for supporters only (become a supporter to learn the spicy stuff ya noob).

I recently got contacted by someone who knew I had used these and offered to sell me a complete sytem of 15 TK-3140 radios, two gang chargers, and some spare batteries for $600.  Knowing that when I bought these for a company before they were each over $1500 new, I jumped at the chance.  I mean, this made each unit $40, roughly the equivalent of a Baofeng radio. What a steal!

They are very compact and concealable radios, making them excellent for surveillance or clandestine communications.  They are 5 watts, so just as powerful as most handheld radios.  The units allow 250 channels, organized into zones with no limit on the number of channels per zone (motorola and others limit you to 16 channels per zone).  They are certainly more rugged and more water-resistant than the Baofeng.

In fact, my students used these during my recent Fieldcraft class and they worked solidly.

The main drawback is that you need Kenwood's "Field Programming Unit (FPU)" software to program these, but it's widely available (even for free if you look) and a proprietary cable.  I buy my cables from BlueMaxer 49 on Ebay, as his handmade cables work and are under $50 each.  He also provides copies of the software as long as you buy a cable.  He's also great about helping you through programming issues.  

Another drawback is that you can buy these either as UHF (GMRS-style) or VHF (MURS/Marine Radio) but never both.  The Baofeng is a dual band radio and these are not.  I look at these as specific radios for clandestine work like intelligence gathering and surveillance, and Baofengs as tactical radios.  They are different tools for different jobs.

Now, let's talk about using these for clandestine comms.

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Amazon Link: Wilderness Navigation

The National Outdoor Leadership School is a group that teaches college-aged kids outdoor skills.  If you recall, I reviewed their Wilderness First AId Book.  This is the second book of theirs I've read.

Again, this book is geared toward the hobby hiker or backpacker, and not anyone involved in anything remotely tactical.  This is evidenced by it's insistence on staying on the trail to keep from getting lost, which is the last thing we would do.

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