Schneider Orientation Fontana 1 July 2014, Military Apprenticeship, Colorado

You can buy headsets for certain models of radios. Higher quality radios will have a VOX (voice-activated) setting, meaning that if the radio mic hears you talking, it will break squelch and transmit. The downside to this is that if the VOX setting is too sensitive, your radio could transmit just by picking up ambient noise. But good quality radios will have adjustable VOX. I've never bought any, but I imagine that cheap "bubble pack" radios might not come with the VOX feature. I'm a ham radio operator and I learned that as with most other things, you get what you pay for High quality radios (FRS/GMRS, CB, MURS) should come with VOX. (Please remember that an easy to get FCC license is required to transmit on GMRS frequencies. Also, CB radios are available in portable/handheld models as well. With a good antenna, these should have better range that FRS, GMRS, or MURS.)

 

warhippy, thanks for posting all this info. I enlisted in the MGIB days and paid $600 extra into it to get the kicker. Several reenlistments later, I got out and decided to go back to college. Before switching to Post 9/11, I called the VA to see if it would be advantageous to switch. Because of my location, I would be getting more benefits, but the VA people said that I would no longer have the kicker. Which GI Bill is your son using? Post 9/11?

 

SF, the Quiet Professionals.