"Andy" wrote in message
oups.com...
i have a radio rated at 10W and a radio rated for 5W output. mine 5
watter isn't a handheld but this is typical output for that genre.

assuming they are using the same antenna what is the theoretical range
difference between the two and what is the practical range
difference? it seems the price difference is 2X to 3X. is the price
difference justified?

i guess i'm asking "should i ebay the 10W unit and find a better use
for the remainder?"

My recollections from physics 20+ years ago is that radio wave strength is
determined by the cube root of the transmitter strength. So, a 10w radio
has twice the power of a 5w radio. The cube root of 2 (twice the power) is
1.26, meaning that the higher powered radio should have 26% more range than
the low powered radio.

One thing to consider is that a 10w radio will have an easier time
overpowering a distant signal, so your transmissions get "stepped on" less.

KB