2-Way Radios

[<svparisi>]

I'm not sure if this topic was already addressed in an old post, I only searched briefly...

Does anyone have recommendations for what 2-way radios work best for on the slopes, back country, and tucks, of course. :radio: :radio: I'm thinking I need something reliable for a least a couple miles. There is such a wide range of prices & models, so I'm not sure what to look at. :santa: needs specifics! Thanks a bunch.

ski&ride

[ski&ride]

Okay, I swore I logged in, I wonder why my topic showed up as unregistered? I don't think I can modify it either. Oh well, I wrote it. :skifemcool:

ski&ride

[DMC]

I got a Motorola Talkabout... It's pretty good - but the thing I really like about it is it has weather and radio on it... And an alarm..

[skicdave]

I'm not expert... but :chair: Kate and I use some Motorola T5200 Talkabouts for skiing and mall shopping. Ours use 3 AA batteries which we seem to be forever replacing. Not sure how the rechargeable units work... but worthing investigating which option is best. Make sure they have sub channels as in many locations you'll want channel selection to get away from everyone else. :radio:

CaseLogic makes a great soft case for talkabouts so you can hang your radio around your neck inside your phone...

http://timefortuckerman.com/members/skicdave/ontheradio.jpg

[M@]

We've got the motorola talkabouts. I can talk to people at pinkham from the Lean-To's.

M@

[ski&ride]

Thanks guys,

I think the Motorola Talkabout (& soft case) is definately the way to go. I especially like what DMC pointed out, about it having a weather channel. And Pinkham to lean to's is a great range. If you all use these, they have to be good! Dave, love the photo, very serious! :p

Thanx again, ski&ride
:skifemcool: & :snowboarding:

[Bannick]

Ya my fishing buddies and I have several of the talkabouts....tho I dont think we have battery issues....pretty good range especially on the water but the signal does get blocked by shoreline if you are in a bay.

[clg898]

There are FRS models that have a range under optimal conditions of about 2 miles... usually it's going to be much less than that, but at ski areas they seem to work pretty well.

If I was new to the market I might look at the GMRS radios that have a range of up to 5 miles. They are slightly larger, heavier and you need an FCC license which from what I understand can be obtained by filling out a form and paying a small fee. These would work well at larger ski areas, in dense brush, etc.

That said I have a Talkabout that I got four or five years ago when they were pretty new. It's served me well. It takes two AA batteries and they seem to last for a while... I do notice that it will beep alerting me to a low battery, but it will do that for a long time before the radio actually dies... I think it may be the cold messing with the batteries.

Anyway, I'd kind of forgotten about this site and I haven't been to it in a long time. If what I remember as TFT is accurate, then there have been some huge changes! Great site!

-chris

[DRPHIDDLEPHOS]

Talk abouts all the way!! great range, and multi channle a must espesally at big mountains like kmart, lots of people and lots of radios! :radio: otherwise just grab two green bean cans and a real long string :D

[skicdave]

I must say that :radio: are great, even if the range is limited. Unlike cell phones, if your in range they are reliable... and you don't get hit with ridiculous airtime. I'm still fuming over a $55 phone bill after trying to keep in touch with a friend who was in the same area as us while hiking in the ADK at Thanksgiving.

:radio: = :cooldog:

cellphones eat :outhouse: and :disinfo:

[skidude]

We have 2 differnet pairs that are compatible with eachother. My friend has the ones you guys all like :radio: Anyway mine work fine but nothing too great. Get the job done.

I think you can get :radio: with a 2 mile thingy for anywhere from like 20 bucks to well a lot. If you want ones that go farther your going to need to spend TONS of money I belive.

[ski&ride]

Yeah, I'm thinking I'd pay a little more for one with weather channels, but a 2 mile range is fine with me. Because if the signal is poor in a certain area, I'm assuming it won't make a difference to have a longer range (unless you get it w/ GMRS). Seems like it's a smart, safe thing to have around. That's the angle I'll use to get it as a X-Mas gift! ;)

ski&ride

[clg898]

GMRS are more expensive, but I wouldn't say TONS of money. You can get an FRS/GMRS set (2 radios) for less $100. These come with all the bells and whistles like NOAA weather radio voice activation, etc. A similarly equiped FRS radio cost just about as much. You can get a base level model w/o NOAA radio and only 1/2 watt FRS svc for less, but if I were in the market I'd probably go for the radios with the option of using 1 watt GMRS channels in addition to the 1/2 watt FRS.

If you want a 2 watt GMRS radio, then you'll be paying more, but even then your talking about $100-$125 per radio... more than I'd want to spend, but not too bad.

[Skilasnow]

My talkabout works great. I agree with Dave that I seem to need batteries often. But I use rechargables so I am not forever buying 20 packs of AAs.

Dave, I bought 6 rechargables and a charger for $20US, and they are good for 1000 recharges, and you aren't disposing of nast acid batteries all the time. They say please dispose of batteries appropriately, but the problem is there is no appropriate way to dispose of them yet.

[boarder25]

Get the Talkabouts. They work the best. I don't have too much luck with my frs models.

[ski&ride]

clg898:
GMRS are more expensive, but I wouldn't say TONS of money. You can get an FRS/GMRS set (2 radios) for less $100. These come with all the bells and whistles like NOAA weather radio voice activation, etc. A similarly equiped FRS radio cost just about as much. You can get a base level model w/o NOAA radio and only 1/2 watt FRS svc for less, but if I were in the market I'd probably go for the radios with the option of using 1 watt GMRS channels in addition to the 1/2 watt FRS. Less than $100?! Sounds ideal! It's worth the 1 time fee, especially since that's the way technology is going...

[skicdave]

ski&ride:
Less than $100?! Sounds ideal! It's worth the 1 time fee, especially since that's the way technology is going... Its funny isn't it? How the REALLY old technology is the way things are going? GMRS is the new came for Citizen Band or CB radio isn't it?

Why when I was just a little kiddling about 30 years ago, I had CB's and such (my handle was 'Timberjack' back then!). A bunch of us would talk to each other across town as well as to other people a gazzillion miles away, and it was free except for the license. Sure beats the low power of todays :radio: . But alas old becomes new, and I bet the 'new technology' of CB's will be born again with a vengance...

While on the topic of radio communications, I can't wait until society wakes up and decides to bury the 'advanced' cell technology. Its obvious how weak the technology is when you see all the junk they use to promote cell phones. Last time I talked to a our cell phone provider about service/billing issues, the attendant said something like "before we get started, I'd like to let you know that you can now download ring tones and screen savers for your phone! Isn't that great!". I almost fell off my chair. Hey lady isn't a cell phone for talking? What the heck am I going to use a screen saver for? Watch fishies while I wait for someone to call me? And ringtones? I think everyone agrees they are annoying...

Heck what next? Hey I want my SKIS to have a SKINSAVER&trade;! and how about EDGETONES&trade;. I want my skis to sing when I carve a sweat turn!

BLAH!!! Thank god its Survivor night! :p

my 2 cents.

[clg898]

REI - FRS/GMRS Radio Set (http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47658062&parent_category_rn=4500616)

You can probably find them elsewhere for less too. I've almost convinced myself to ditch my old ones and get a new set! :)

[DMC]

skicdave:
Heck what next? Hey I want my SKIS to have a SKINSAVER&trade;! and how about EDGETONES&trade;. I want my skis to sing when I carve a sweat turn!

BLAH!!! Thank god its Survivor night! Excellent rant Dave... Very good!

[DMC]

clg898:
REI - FRS/GMRS Radio Set (http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47658062&parent_category_rn=4500616)

You can probably find them elsewhere for less too. I've almost convinced myself to ditch my old ones and get a new set! :) That radio is sweet! I may get a set for Xmas..

[M@]

Those motorola's look pretty sweet. I'm thinking that recharable set might find it's way to our xmas tree.

I was gonna say the problem with the GMRS is that everyone else has the other kind of radio - but you can "step down" and talk on the FRS (normal 2 mile range) radios! Very kewl.

The reason I like the rechargeable ones is the base station - we have the problem now of WHERE do we keep our FRS radios. If we decide to keep them in one car, we end up being somewhere in the other car - and they invariably get left in a ski jacket in the ON postion. The count down on these GMRS would solve that problem.

BTW: I have a cell phone with tons of ring tones and pictures of my kids on it. I'm into gadgets!

M@

[elwood]

Talkabouts are da bomb. I have the GMRS one, I got a pair for $50 with a $25 mail in rebate at Best Buy. Motorola makes a really sick one with all of DMC's bells and whistles, as well as an altimiter. I like combining as many technologies as possible into one unit. If it only served beer too...

[skicdave]

elwood:
Talkabouts are da bomb. I have the GMRS one, I got a pair for $50 with a $25 mail in rebate at Best Buy. Motorola makes a really sick one with all of DMC's bells and whistles, as well as an altimiter. I like combining as many technologies as possible into one unit. If it only served beer too... Thank god they don't have screensavers and ringtone downloads for GMRS (see rant above) :p

[Finhead]

CLG898 mentioned needing a license for the GMRS radios? Anyone know the cost and if there are any conditions for obtaining a license? Do you all have one? ;)

I like the idea of a combined GMRS/FRS :radio: as most people have FRS. I am thinking of adding another pair :radio: to my :santa: list. I am a gadget geek like :ma: :D No offense :ma: , that is what my wife calls me.

[M@]

No offense at all - I'm a confirmed gadget geek as well. Not so much the past year it seems. I dunno if it's becuase I'm saving money or that there really haven't been too many really new gadgets that caught my eye. I think the Digital Camcorder and firewire enabled PC was the last real gadget type thing I got. Maybe the cell phone counts, as I hacked it to download ringtones without paying. The self pointing telescope has high gadget vlaue... and the R/C planes are really just big flying gadgets.

My ultimate gadget is one of these:
Yamaha Disclavier (http://yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/ModelSeriesDetail/0,6373,CNTID%253D2113%2526CTID%253D201800%2526VNM% 253DLIVE%2526AFLG%253DY%2526LGFL%253DN,00.html)

I'm actually going to look at one next month - they are way too expensive though. Maybe if my sister buys my current piano... and I can tell the wife it's really for the kids... yeah, that'll work.

M@

[Finhead]

I am currently looking for a combination cell phone, pda, two way radio, gps, transciever with an ice cube dispenser and personal heater.

Of course this should be no bigger than my current Palm Pilot.

While we are at, let's add swiss army knife or Gerber functions as well. Could make it tough to get through airport security.

Seriously though, my :santa: list is small this year.

MSR Denali EVO Ascent snowshoes, with flotation tails.
Black Diamond Flick Lock poles.
Black Diamond Self Arrest Whippet for above poles.

[RR]

Finny..Get a Garmin Rino 120 (http://www.garmin.com/products/rino/) and A TNF Met5 jacket (http://www.thenorthface.com/index_flash.html). That should cover most of the deal.

[skicdave]

Finhead:
I am currently looking for a combination cell phone, pda, two way radio, gps, transciever with an ice cube dispenser and personal heater.

Of course this should be no bigger than my current Palm Pilot.

While we are at, let's add swiss army knife or Gerber functions as well. Could make it tough to get through airport security.

Seriously though, my :santa: list is small this year.

MSR Denali EVO Ascent snowshoes, with flotation tails.
Black Diamond Flick Lock poles.
Black Diamond Self Arrest Whippet for above poles. Finhead,

I think you might want to look at the Nokia N-Gage (http://reviews.cnet.com/Nokia_N_Gage/4505-6454_7-30479027-3.html) . It promises a lot apparently such as a a GSM cell phone, gaming, music, web, email. Reviews aren't so good, but it may make a good handwarmer.

[clg898]

Hi Finhead,

The licensing fee is $75 for 5 years. You can fill out a form and pay by credit card online. You can find out more here FCC (http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/personal/generalmobile/)

If you search and can pay a bit more, there are several 3 watt radios put out by companies other than Motorola that will actually give you even greater range... some claim up to 10 miles under ideal conditions.

My Christmas list is growing ;) Now if we could just get some :snowflakes:

[Finhead]

CLG,

Thanks for the info. Does everybody who owns GMRS actually buy the license???

I have have seen the 10 mile radios. Midland makes some. Sportsmans Guide (I think) had a pair for $75. Sounds like a good deal.

[clg898]

Finhead,

Well, I was going to mention it in my previous post, but I don't want to encourage anyone to break the law... anyway, what I was going to say is that I did a search of all registered GMRS users in the city of Boston. It came up with a total of 42 licenses, several of which were for businesses or expired.

Do you think there are only 42 people in Boston with a GMRS radio? ;) ;)