Two way radios. Recommendations
- Thread starter Overlay
- Start date
Have a word with Clive, he supplied our shoot radios, then another set for my stalking activities, good range, very reliable and didn’t break the bank.
Willowbank.
Willowbank.
CarlW
Well-Known Member
Do you want PMR or VHF/UHF?
Overlay
Well-Known Member
Hi Carl
Range for using would be no more than 12 km in heavy wooded/ valley and heavily populated areas
If I could get a pair of sturdy well built radios to do that without breaking the bank PMR/ VHF any, that will do the job would be brilliant
Cheers
Phil
oowee
Well-Known Member
You will need a licence for the VHF ones but the Bafang ones are cheap and decent product on e bay. I am surprised that the cobra ones covered the area you mention as they are on the PMR band and they all have the same power (0.5w). I have the same for hide shooting and they are good over a couple of miles at least unless anything is in the way.
Chasey
Well-Known Member
We are using Cobra CXR925s which are supposed to have a 35mile range. We cant get them any more so I have just taken delivery of a set of the new 37mile ones
www.cobrafrs.com
Don't know about 35miles but they seem to work in the woods OK
Cobra ACXT1035R FLT 37-mile Two Way Radio / Walkie Talkie
ACXT1035R FLT 37-Mile Floating Walkie Talkie Radios This Cobra Floating Walkie Talkies are the perfect radio for your next hike, camping trip or other outdoor adventure. The ACXT 1035R FLT two-way radios come pre-charged and ready to use out of the box and have a max performance range of 37...
www.cobrafrs.com
Don't know about 35miles but they seem to work in the woods OK
CarlW
Well-Known Member
I would go VHF. PMR are a waste of time for serious work. You will need a licence for VHF which is pretty much just a formality. Personally I like Motorola. You'll need to get someone to programme them (or do it yourself if you are cleverer than me and have the right cables!).
I use these guys for our radios for Mozambique: Buy/Hire Two Way Radios - Hereford
V best,
Carl
Sonicdmb73
Well-Known Member
The license is £75 for five years iirc. VHF and UHF work slightly better for different uses.
UHF is good for buildings VHF more open ground. From what I have read anyway. I have some Kenwood UHF radios I got off a friend Which is why I looked into it. The license is pretty much a fill a form pay your money job.
I have previously had license free radios and never had the range even line of sight. That were claimed by the manufacturer.
UHF is good for buildings VHF more open ground. From what I have read anyway. I have some Kenwood UHF radios I got off a friend Which is why I looked into it. The license is pretty much a fill a form pay your money job.
I have previously had license free radios and never had the range even line of sight. That were claimed by the manufacturer.
gonzo
Well-Known Member
12km from hand portables, in wooded areas, is going to be asking a lot. Even from VHF licenced (5watt).
The 37km that was mentioned is going to be best case, ie. Hilltop to hilltop, line of sight. Those same radios in heavy woodland are going to be down to a few km range.
Hand portable, to a mobile setup (the person in your recovery land rover etc.) parked up on a high spot, then you have more chance of getting your 12km. That would be for a VHF/UHF licenced system. As you can't install the 446MHz licenec exempt radios.
(I assume 446MHz are the ones people are referring to as being PMR?)
The 37km that was mentioned is going to be best case, ie. Hilltop to hilltop, line of sight. Those same radios in heavy woodland are going to be down to a few km range.
Hand portable, to a mobile setup (the person in your recovery land rover etc.) parked up on a high spot, then you have more chance of getting your 12km. That would be for a VHF/UHF licenced system. As you can't install the 446MHz licenec exempt radios.
(I assume 446MHz are the ones people are referring to as being PMR?)
CarlW
Well-Known Member
Yes. PMR = 446MHz = toys.
I agree re ranges. We never get 37km out of VHF portable-portable or even mobile-mobile unless we go via our repeater channel. Repeater sits up on a kopje and is solar powered/charged. Not sure you are allowed to do that in the UK...
CarlW
Well-Known Member
Great. They are good boffins, eh?
They know there stuff and only offer good advice, very impressed overall
bobjs
Well-Known Member
to cover 35 miles VHF is best but even then you will need a duplex set up and a repeater somewhere in the middle of the area to be covered, the castle at Highclere have 5 watt vhf radios and I can speak back to work from about 10 miles in clear space, and Highclere being one of the highest locations down here we would struggle otherwise. duplex is one freq in and another out simplex is one freq in and out and as mentioned VHF is absorbed with everything around it and I am sure you will not get the coverage in woodland,
Intek PMR radios are very well built and reliable units, at a reasonable price. Maximum output is 500mw but there is a very easy modification that can be done to increase the power output to 4W
Intek MT-5050 Professional PMR-446 Radio Review – Transmission1
Intek PMR radios are very well built and reliable units, at a reasonable price. Maximum output is 500mw but there is a very easy modification that can be done to increase the power output to 4W
Intek MT-5050 Professional PMR-446 Radio Review – Transmission1
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HistoricBore
Well-Known Member
Go with Motorola - brilliant.
gonzo
Well-Known Member
I didn't mention repeaters, as I assumed that most people here will just want a couple of handhelds radios for point to point comms.
Hence mentioning hthe option of having someone on a bit of high ground, with the recovery vehicle, to act as a repeater and manually relay messages.
Repeators are indeed licencable in the UK. You would need to have licenced channels an register the repetors location. So would only really be useable for a fixed location, such as an estate.
But the cost of this is going to be well above a couple of handheld's on a business light licence. I recall the licence is £75 per channel pair per year. And there was a minimum of £150, last time I had them. And a repeater is going to be a significant cost.
But a repeater would dramatically increase the range.
Hence mentioning hthe option of having someone on a bit of high ground, with the recovery vehicle, to act as a repeater and manually relay messages.
Repeators are indeed licencable in the UK. You would need to have licenced channels an register the repetors location. So would only really be useable for a fixed location, such as an estate.
But the cost of this is going to be well above a couple of handheld's on a business light licence. I recall the licence is £75 per channel pair per year. And there was a minimum of £150, last time I had them. And a repeater is going to be a significant cost.
But a repeater would dramatically increase the range.
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