Two way radios
- Thread starter quietone
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We use Vertex VX241 at the office here. The battery lasts well, the range is good and they are extremely well built.
http://www.twoway-radio.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=124
http://www.twoway-radio.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=124
I'll second the baofeng - amazing price for what you get. I think their may have been a few past threads on here about them, so a key word search may throw something up...
I'm assuming that you are looking for licence exempt radios, to use out of the box, legally.
What you are probably looking will be sold as 'PMR446'. Those will be basic radios that do what you need, legally.
Be aware that many of the Baofeng radios (for example the UV5R) will cover lots of the V/UHF spectrum. So you have to be sure that you are using them on channels that you are legally entitled to.
Also, these type are not be type approved for use on the licence exempt 446MHz allocation. So although they will work there (and work very well), they are not strictly legal.
They can also be used to listen to other traffic, such as amateur radio and marine bands. Though they will transmit there as well, if you accidentally let the transmit button get pressed! So care would be advised.
Also these type of wide band radios can be a pain to set up/operate if you are not used to them.
What you are probably looking will be sold as 'PMR446'. Those will be basic radios that do what you need, legally.
Be aware that many of the Baofeng radios (for example the UV5R) will cover lots of the V/UHF spectrum. So you have to be sure that you are using them on channels that you are legally entitled to.
Also, these type are not be type approved for use on the licence exempt 446MHz allocation. So although they will work there (and work very well), they are not strictly legal.
They can also be used to listen to other traffic, such as amateur radio and marine bands. Though they will transmit there as well, if you accidentally let the transmit button get pressed! So care would be advised.
Also these type of wide band radios can be a pain to set up/operate if you are not used to them.
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I have some UV5's and I know loads of other people who use them too. Fantastic kit and can handle lots of rough use and drops! Legally you need a licence. If you set it at low power however it won't output much past .5 watt as the massively lie about the power to begin with - these 5watt radios don't output much past 3 watt on full power. Still it's a moral question as to whether you would operate a radio without licence, but then I discreetly wild camp (and have done for fifteen years) without permission.
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Noticed Levison Wood in his walking the Himalayas had a Motorola T80 Extreme strapped to his pack in certain episodes.
http://www.motorolasolutions.com/en_xu/products/consumer-two-way-radios/t80e.html
PMR446 license free two way radio.
http://www.motorolasolutions.com/en_xu/products/consumer-two-way-radios/t80e.html
PMR446 license free two way radio.
What distance and terrain will you be using them in? For PMR I'd probably go with Motorola. You can get Baofeng that work on the PMR channels for about £10 each (the 888 model) up they need programming up with Chirp software whereas the Motorola will work straight out the box.
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Chirp is easy to use. I have some 888's and they are handy little sets. Most 446 radios have the same range - it all depends on conditions. You will struggle to penetrate a mile of woodland, and probably fail altogether with rolling hills at half that range... Unless you get high end or are in the open with ideal weather conditions the range is short. That said, I think the longest recorded convo using 446 was 200 odd miles from England to the Netherlands!
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A general comment. (Not aimed at Rich specifically.)
If non approved radios are used on the PMR446 frequencies, even running at higher powers, it is very unlikely that anyone will bother you (or you bother them).
But I strongly advise against transmitting on random frequencies, as you may be interfering with other systems. Even if you can't hear anyone on the channel, that is no guarantee that it is not in use. And it could be safety of life systems or critical telemetry/control links that you are stepping on.
Listening around the bands, it's not uncommon to hear people who have brought a set of radios, and using them at whatever default frequencies they had when they came out of the box.
Stay on frequencies you know are safe, and double check that before transmitting (in case you have mashed the keypad in your pocket or been scanning around listening).
Hmmmm.. I don't intend using the radios very frequently. However, it would be interesting to scan and eavesdrop now and again. I would also like to do it as legally as possible I guess. As I'm a complete noob with PMR etiquette, so does anyone know of a beginner's site to read up on?
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Your British compatriots will better advise you on your local legalities and etiquette, but my best advise is to go ahead and look at getting your amateur license. It's addictive. Here's a British link to get you started www.rsgb.org
If you are looking to take the licence route, I can recommend the on-line course run by Essexham.co.uk
You will need to create an account and apply to join the next available on-line course - http://www.essexham.co.uk/foundation-online . The members there add a few parts of the curriculum every few weeks so that there is never too much to study!
I am going through the course at the moment and hoping to get the practical side of the examination done before the summer
There are recommended publications which detail the various frequencies and availability to stop you transmitting on reserved frequencies that might warrant a visit from Offcom. Overall theres plenty to learn and has been enjoyable so far.
ATB
Ogri the trog
You will need to create an account and apply to join the next available on-line course - http://www.essexham.co.uk/foundation-online . The members there add a few parts of the curriculum every few weeks so that there is never too much to study!
I am going through the course at the moment and hoping to get the practical side of the examination done before the summer
There are recommended publications which detail the various frequencies and availability to stop you transmitting on reserved frequencies that might warrant a visit from Offcom. Overall theres plenty to learn and has been enjoyable so far.
ATB
Ogri the trog
Thanks for that. Yeah, I'll most likely be looking at a course methinks.
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