How big difference will it be between UV-5R 4W & newer UV-5R 8W (difference between 4W & 8W), in real life use 1 on 1 HT. In SAME conditions, how much different distance / range will we get? (simple example)
So I want to buy two HTs and change stock antennas with Nagoya NA-701, and major things that I want to use them for are:
Rare occasions use and for about 8-10 hours top max until it will be near charger;
will not use 8W all the time, just in case when other HT is out of reach with 4W (between two ski resorts, one car start the trip few minutes before other one..);
mountain - skiing, to get friends locations, to meet up;
while travelling by car, with friends (few km separated);
I read A LOT of topics 4W vs 8W, and most of people say it's too small difference, few are saying with hard evidence that it's a big difference (Link added).. here are some quotes (for helping other people that read this):
some say that thay don't want 8W radiation around their head for too long.
5W vs 8W won't make more than a "mosquito-fart" difference in signal.
Range depends on antenna height and terrain. Those few extra Watts won't do much, if anything, but they will drain battery faster.
Don’t forget – gaining one lousy extra s-point would require 4x the original power output, which means that the UV-5R would have to deliver 16 Watts. That’s technically not possible.
I hope that you will help me, and that this thread will help others while still there are not so much info & tests about "UV-5R 8W"
To simplify, here's the example situation:
Talk between two same HTs (4W to 4W or 8W to 8W), with line-of-sight (mountain to valley or mountain to another mountain) that means no earth curving, could we produce a situation when 4W to 4W is not enough and in same spots 8W to 8W will work?
And approximately what would be a difference in KM / Mile? or would it be more likely in Meters maybe?
Because I'm not interested in repeater just in one on one HT use, and use of 8W would only be when other HT is out of reach with 4W, also I would use 8W just to set meeting point... so in that kind of use, I don't need to worry about "Brain radiation" or whatever.
That is what I'm looking for here, in real life, will that work or not and what would be the difference in distance for the same spots if it works.
I'm new to radios / frequencies / dBs and all that comes to it, but thinking would it be good to spend little more $ for 4W more (for future needs) or it's a waste of money.