yoshie wrote:I started with a cheap 1.5w from Jaycar to keep in touch with my hunting party, i never really had a problem as we were never really 5 kms apart, but eventually went to a 5w GME and couldn't really tell the different in practical terms.
I've found much the same.
I have a 5W mounted in the truck and a 3W GME hand held. Really I only bought the 3 watt as the unit it self was a lot more tougher and boasted some water/dust proofing which the lower ones didn't.
It's not a quite a fair comparison in terms of Watt vs Watt as the mounted unit is being pushed through a 3ft 6db antenna which the handheld obviously isn't. Anyway...
I mostly use mine for staying in communication in 4WD convoys and off roading. Off road never had a problem typically no one would be more than a few hundred metres apart.
The only situation I've noticed a tangible difference is on the tarmac where you can get stretched further apart by traffic, when someone has had my 3W in their truck. If you're having undulating roads cutting you off as you get further apart there is a little window where the 5W will pick up the 3W transmitting, but the person with the 3W can't hear me.
Only talking distances of up to maybe a KM when I've experienced this, and I'm chalking the effect mostly up to the antenna of the fixed unit rather than lack of transmission power from the handheld.
Having the mounted unit in the car, and even if I didn't probably, I don't see myself ever paying 2x the price or more for a 5w handheld.