Armature Radio

[BIGNASTY]

Any armature radio guys out there. We are looking at getting a radio kind of system (multi radio's) so when we are hunting instead of firing shots to kind of talk to each other in the mountains. I was looking at handheld icom equipment.



QUESTIONS

How far can you talk in the mountains (line of sight or over a pass)



How long do batteries last and how are they charged via a generator of can they be solar panel charged.



Do you really need a licence to use these It's not like we are going to use them driving down the road. Just to let each other know where we are and what to bring for the task at hand.



Thanks BIG

 

[ed9824v]

you really need a liciense, get a race radio and be legal I have a liciense but we use the race radios inour baja bug.

 

[NIsaacs]

Cell phones kind of made radio's a little obsolete. Do you not have cell coverage? Is a CB type an option?



Nick

 

[The patriot]

Mountains will cut down range, unless one of you are on the top.

The sun spot cycle is almost at it's peak. You'd probably talk to someone 10,000 miles away easier than 20 miles away right now and for the next several years.

You need a license to talk on everything other than the CB 40 channels IIRC.

I used to sell export CB's & amps, I can get you good prices if youre interested.

Theyre not legal.

 

[JLEONARD]

If you are talking about the Radio Shack, Cobra, etc personal radios, I have a pair that we use around the boat. Batteries will last a day or two or three depending on use. We have no trouble with range, but we do NOT have any mountains to talk thru. I have used them to talk to someone on the other side of town thru buildings, etc. was probably 2 to 3 miles approx.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Cells not an option no cell towers in the forest as far back as we need communication. CB is not an option I have CB with Texas Star mega watt in the Dodge. Didn't know if the icom type would be better like a 2 meter or 10 meter. As for being legal I DONT NEED TO BE if I don't have to be to buy the equipment. I HAVE DONE LOTS OF ILLEGEAL THINGS BEFORE AND SLEEP JUST FINE. What ever it is it would need to be hand held. USFD is giving us satellite phones but these are for personal use when the USFD takes back the sat phones. Just need about 5 or 6 mile range in mountains.

 

[Tractorat]

Have you tried a set of those little FRS or GMRS radios ? They claim to have quite a line of sight distance. (but Im not sure that I believe them)

 

[BIGNASTY]

Are those the walki talki type ones if so no they work when your close enough to just yell IM HERE

 

[Tractorat]

Yeh, those are the ones. Ive seen the GMRS in the stores. Their packaging claims 20, 30 miles and longer line of sight. But Ive never really believed them nor tried them out. Just wondered if someone had tried them.



Ive got a 5 watt CB walkie talkie around here somewhere. But I dont think it goes more than a mile line of sight.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Maybe so Trat but we had some of them for camping with the TT but Im quite sure that 20 miles would be under extraordinary conditions. They were nice backing the TT into spot I can see side to side but couldn't tell how far back. The wife didn't have to YELL STOP

 

[NIsaacs]

I am not sure what systems are available in your area with commercial type radios. But down here, even the high powered/high dollar police radios don't work very well "car to car" if anything obstructs the signal. To get any range they have to use repeaters on all the high peaks. If you can get with a local commercial system "with repeaters" they work good. Without them they are not much better than CB's.



Nick

 

[BIGNASTY]

Thanks for the info I dont think my Mules are going to go with a big battery and a dashboard on the saddle horn to mount the equipment. So if its and Elk 2 shots followed by 1 for every mile out of camp they are. 3 for Deer + 1 for every mile. Both scenarios followed by how many mules to bring to haul the game back to camp in rapid succession

 

[WesJohnston]

May as well switch to Morse code and fill your paniers with extra ammo:-laf

 

[BIGNASTY]

Its worked so far

 

[NIsaacs]

Thanks for the info I dont think my Mules are going to go with a big battery and a dashboard on the saddle horn to mount the equipment.



Every cop I ever saw carries a portable handheld unit, they work the same way as the Mule mounted unit:-laf



I think the point of your original question was emergency communication in the event of possible serious injury, three days from civilization. In that case anything is better than nothing.



I know as an ex-trucker you are familiar with the short range CB's when the skip rolls in. If someone is home, a good base station with about a 5/8 wave antenna can work good as a repeater/translator. It might reach your portables when they wont reach each other. When I was logging I had one and on a quiet night I could talk to the trucks on I-40 about 30 miles as the crow flies from my house. I was at 6800' elevation, I-40 was about 5,000' so it worked good. I don't know how your home is located in relation to your pack trips tho.



Nick

 

[BIGNASTY]

Nick it was mostly to be able to talk to get info short range really. When hunting we are not that far from camp 6 to 10 miles usually. And people in camp and on trail (ME) hear a shot from a long ways away. It would be nice to be able to TALK to the ones that downed the game to gain info. And when a pack string is coming into camp at nite I really dont like being greeted by armed people. The shots we fire HAS GOT TO scare the crap out of everything living around for miles making our job for hunters that much more difficult.

 

[Buffalo]

Bignasty,



I remember on hunting trips to CO. , many of the outfitters used "business radio's" that are much more powerful than CB's. They kept track of their hunters that way.



We all had these radio's with scanning features & they worked great. I talked to friends over 100 miles away, once. I was on top of a range at about 7000' & they were around 1200'. In the mountains, they were affected by mountains but, were still much better than CB's.



I'd get ahold of some local hunting outfitters & see what works well for them.



Joe F.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Buff thanks for the info we have indeed talked to other outfitters and even the local search and rescue for the Forest Department. The outfitters use Satellite phones or the Gun Shot thing like us. The Forest and search and rescue bounce everything off the air born choppers that go out. Satellite phones aren't that expensive but the service is very expensive. I will look into the Business radios thanks again for the info.

BIG