Walkie Talkie

LAG · Jun 26, 2017

Hello everyone

Apologies if this is not the right place to post this question.

In many of my photographics sessions (in the woods, costline or mountains ...) I go with a friend of mine. Sometimes we separate (because one has decided to prepare a long shot and the other keeps on looking for the next one - which happens very often -), and when we decide to meet again, usually the one behind is the one who will follow the path until he finds the other ... we use to leave marks in our way if there is deviation (such a stick or stones pointing in the right direction), etc ... but if it has been a long time and we suspect that something may have happened, then we make a phone call (in case we have signal coverage), or we shout if we suspect that we could be close enough of one another.

One of the most annoying problems - for me - in this kind of sessions is when I want to call his attention so that he can return by my side (because of some animal, or some situation ...) in other not to lose that opportunity ruining the moment ...

Well, the question is, has anyone of you been seen in the same situations? and what do you use? Does anyone use a device to establish contact with no call cost - no text messages - such as a Walkie Talkie type? Any recommendations?

I highly appreciate your thought with this.
Thanks in advance

Rick A · Jun 26, 2017

Walkie-talkie long range models are relatively inexpensive, I've owned a set for several years for hunting. I have two sets actually (4 radios), all set to the same frequency. Both are good (supposedly) for 10 mile range, and are rechargeable or can use AAA batteries. They are indispensable up here in the mountains of north central Pennsylvania, where cell coverage is limited. Newer models may be good for 30+ mile range and still really affordable.

E. von Hoegh · Jun 26, 2017

Rick A said:
Walkie-talkie long range models are relatively inexpensive, I've owned a set for several years for hunting. I have two sets actually (4 radios), all set to the same frequency. Both are good (supposedly) for 10 mile range, and are rechargeable or can use AAA batteries. They are indispensable up here in the mountains of north central Pennsylvania, where cell coverage is limited. Newer models may be good for 30+ mile range and still really affordable.

"walkie talkies" used to work near the 10 meter band, in the so-called "citizen's band", they used channel 14 i.e. 27.125 mc. They have been supplanted by FRS and GMRS radios which work on UHF frequencies and, while they may claim a 10 or so mile range, are limited to more or less line-of-sight communication due to the frequencies they use.
Under the right ionospheric conditions, the old ones could reach hundreds of miles.

removed account4 · Jun 26, 2017

we use walkie talkies when we travel by car in a convoy
both in the states and in europe
they work with a several mile range and cost very little.
that is highway, not woods with trees, mountains, volcano, boulders that
might be obstructions to the signal. still 20-30 euro off of amazon.com is pretty cheap
and if it doesn't work in the woods, it works in a grocery store when the kids are lost in the frozen food aisle
and you are at the check out.

Sirius Glass · Jun 26, 2017

I use my 2 meter radios which have a range of approximately 50 miles without a repeater. Get yourself an amateur radio license which is easy to do. No International Morse Code is required.

Vaughn · Jun 26, 2017

LAG said:
...Well, the question is, has anyone of you been seen in the same situations? and what do you use? Does anyone use a device to establish contact with no call cost - no text messages - such as a Walkie Talkie type? Any recommendations?...

Yes. Nothing. Most likely someone does. Yes, but mostly they would be about not taking any communication devices.

Jeff Bradford · Jun 26, 2017

The most common portable communications radio these days works in the 400 MHz range, which is UHF. One mile distance is possible in open terrain. They are not expensive and offer multiple channels for your communication needs. However, if you cannot see the other party, calling them on the radio does not give them your position. Unless both parties already know the landscape and share the same names for the landmarks, all you can really communicate is "Come over here. I'm near a tree." Just because you can talk to someone doesn't mean you can actually communicate what you need them to know. This is why people who talk on radios all day use so much "jargon".

LAG · Jun 27, 2017

Thank you all! We will definitely have to buy one W/Talkie

Vaughn said:
Yes. Nothing. Most likely someone does. Yes, but mostly they would be about not taking any communication devices.

I'm sorry Vaughn, I don't understand what you mean. If I have understood "your telegram" right, you do not use one and the most of us do not either, but you think we should, am I right? (beautiful sunglasses)

Jeff Bradford said:
However, if you cannot see the other party, calling them on the radio does not give them your position. Unless both parties already know the landscape and share the same names for the landmarks, all you can really communicate is "Come over here. I'm near a tree." Just because you can talk to someone doesn't mean you can actually communicate what you need them to know

Understood your point of view Jeff! (We end up finding each other sooner or later with those kind of marks we make, so one can imagen that if we had the opportunity to talk, things will be even easier), but one of the important things is to know that we are not in danger at least, and that at one point one of us can hurry up, or the other can have the opportunity to come back. Generally speaking we're working within a radius of 5 miles, that's not much I believe, except for the mountains of the density in the forest (until now, in case that one of us is in trouble, we have agreed that we must return to the "logical main & visible path we're dealing with" and wait there for help).

I guess the best ones would be lightweight and with AAA type batteries

Again thank you all!

Rick A · Jun 27, 2017

LAG said:
Thank you all! We will definitely have to buy one W/Talkie

Again thank you all!

They work best in multiples, buying "one" won't do you any good.

LAG · Jun 27, 2017

Rick A said:
They work best in multiples, buying "one" won't do you any good.

Haha (that's why I said "we") "We" will have to buy one ("one" each) You're right

Thanks all the same for making me laugh!

Dan Fromm · Jun 27, 2017

I have a pair of FRS walkie talkies. My wife and I tried to use them in rugged terrain in Panama. Pretty useless, line-of-sight only.

E. von Hoegh · Jun 27, 2017

FRS

Dan Fromm said:
I have a pair of FRS walkie talkies. My wife and I tried to use them in rugged terrain in Panama. Pretty useless, line-of-sight only.

FRS radios are limited to 1/2 watt, GMRS radios can run 5 watts. Both use UHF frequencies around 462 mc, so line of sight regardless of the output.

Smoke signals would at least indicate position...

Dan Fromm · Jun 27, 2017

Rain forest, making smoke signals was difficult.

E. von Hoegh · Jun 27, 2017

Dan Fromm said:
Rain forest, making smoke signals was difficult.

https://store.metermall.com/s104g-c...e=googlebase&gclid=CLzc-7-o3tQCFdaNswodr4IOdA

MattKing · Jun 27, 2017

I'd like to have a pair of them when I go shopping with my wife in the US and we don't want to pay roaming charges for our cel phones.

Theo Sulphate · Jun 27, 2017

Sirius Glass said:
I use my 2 meter radios which have a range of approximately 50 miles without a repeater. ...

For the OP's stated usage, that may be misleading. A handheld 2-meter radio, even at a typical maximum of 5 watts, won't have a simplex (radio-to-radio) range anywhere near 50 miles unless it's either line of sight, or one radio is at a high elevation with respect to the other, or the antennas are insanely optimized yagis (no rubber duckies). In the woods or hills your VHF waves are going to be attenuated by the foliage and the range won't be great.

Yes, there are rare atmospheric phenomena which can allow unusually distant communication on VHF and UHF frequencies.

fdonadio · Jun 27, 2017

Sirius Glass said:
No International Morse Code is required.

No one should have an amateur radio license without knowing Morse Code! ... --- ...

LAG · Jun 28, 2017

E. von Hoegh said:
Smoke signals would at least indicate position...

I'd rather not! but good to know the link you've posted!

MattKing said:
I'd like to have a pair of them when I go shopping with my wife in the US and we don't want to pay roaming charges for our cel phones.

Theo Sulphate said:
For the OP's stated usage, that may be misleading. A handheld 2-meter radio, even at a typical maximum of 5 watts, won't have a simplex (radio-to-radio) range anywhere near 50 miles unless it's either line of sight, or one radio is at a high elevation with respect to the other, or the antennas are insanely optimized yagis (no rubber duckies). In the woods or hills your VHF waves are going to be attenuated by the foliage and the range won't be great.

Yes, there are rare atmospheric phenomena which can allow unusually distant communication on VHF and UHF frequencies.

Good points!

Thank you everyone!

fdonadio said:
No one should have an amateur radio license without knowing Morse Code! ... --- ...

- .... .- -. -.- / -.-- --- ..-

E. von Hoegh · Jun 28, 2017

I have both FRS and GMRS on a set of Uniden radios from a garage sale. I should compare them with my 1970s 3w Radio Shack walkie talkies, the RS ones are pretty good, with a center loaded whip antenna. I bet the low frequency radios will work better in the woods.

Sirius Glass · Jun 28, 2017

fdonadio said:
No one should have an amateur radio license without knowing Morse Code! ... --- ...

-.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.-

Jeff Bradford · Jun 28, 2017

E. von Hoegh said:
I have both FRS and GMRS on a set of Uniden radios from a garage sale. I should compare them with my 1970s 3w Radio Shack walkie talkies, the RS ones are pretty good, with a center loaded whip antenna. I bet the low frequency radios will work better in the woods.

CB (frequencies in the 27 MHz range, or 11 Meters) will give two advantages over FRS (UHF). The longer wavelength will give better coverage through trees and low hills, plus CB radios are 4 Watts when FRS radios are only 1/2 watt. When I was in the army, we used 50 MHz (6 Meters) for rough terrain. The closest available frequency for unlicensed civilians is older 49MHz hand-held radios. At least in the USA. I don't know the rules for Iberia.

fdonadio · Jun 29, 2017

LAG said:
- .... .- -. -.- / -.-- --- ..-

Sirius Glass said:
-.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.-

You guys are fantastic!

E. von Hoegh · Jun 29, 2017

Jeff Bradford said:
CB (frequencies in the 27 MHz range, or 11 Meters) will give two advantages over FRS (UHF). The longer wavelength will give better coverage through trees and low hills, plus CB radios are 4 Watts when FRS radios are only 1/2 watt. When I was in the army, we used 50 MHz (6 Meters) for rough terrain. The closest available frequency for unlicensed civilians is older 49MHz hand-held radios. At least in the USA. I don't know the rules for Iberia.

Yup, 11 meters vs. 70cm, it's a no brainer. Also the antennae on the little FRS handhelds aren't always the most efficient. On my FRS-only sets I can sometimes hear hikers on or near mountain summits, at a range of 8 or more miles. I can't contact them though. I have a pair on Uniden sets that cover FRS and GMRS, the FRS sections on these are much better.

Sirius Glass · Jun 29, 2017

The CB reception is much poorer than the 2 meter band and the 70 cm band. I prefer to avoid CB unless the others do not have amateur radios.

Diapositivo · Jun 30, 2017

For your needs, and as you live in Europe, a couple of free-to-use PMR-446 radio is the way to go.
Very cheap, very practical.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMR446

PMR-446 devices have only 8 channels, though. You will have to study a little bit about "good manners" in order to share the frequency with some other people who are using it (cranemen, warehousemen, paragliders and hikers, and even local police sometimes).

A decently well-made PMR-446 also has LPD433 capabilities:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LPD433

For shorter distances LPD433 is much more practical than PMR-446, you have many more channels and much less range, so much less interferences.

If you get so far apart from each other as to make reassembly not an obvious task, you can examine GPS apps for smartphones (such as Real-Time GPS Tracker) which allow you to keep track of your "buddy" (and the buddy to keep track of your position) so that it is easier, when you talk at the radio, to understand the reciprocal position.

Beware that you need a specific radio "ham" license to use frequencies outside of the above mentioned 446 MHz and 433 MHz. The open frequencies should be more than enough to satisfy your needs.

Walkie Talkie

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