Walkie-talkie advice, please.

[308Mike]

I don't know the regulations in your country, but several years ago (okay, more than a decade ago), I bought my wife and I a pair of VHF marine radios, which switch between 1 watt and 5 watts. When using the 5 watt setting, we've been able to communicate across our small local city of Santee, even though my wife is located on the backside of a hill facing away from where I was testing our transmissions. It wasn't reliable at that distance, but had she been line-of-sight, I'm sure her position on the hill would have allowed us to talk over MUCH longer distances (of course, we were NOT using channel 16 for our testing - the default channel when you turn the radio on).

One of the things I love about these VHF radios is that they can also use (besides rechargeable batteries), a pile of AA batteries (I think 8 of them is necessary to operate each radio) - but they also last forever if you're only using the radio occasionally.

If you'd like the manufacturer and model number of these radios, I'd be more than happy to post them, especially since I'm sure their cost has gone down - however, you might be better off with the latest generation of the other types of radios already discussed, especially those utilizing PL codes.

[Denis]

Thanks, Mike.

I have been researching some more. It seems there is a European standard for nonlicensed amateur radios: PMR 446. This covers consumer grade short range "walkie talkies". Aldi here has some on offer this week for EUR35 the pair. They look a lot like toys, and I suspect they perform like toys - 10km range "under optimal conditions" (hilltop to hilltop) is not very encouraging.

I think the way forward for my needs might be to get a unit like the Baofeng I mentioned above, and use it at low TX power in the PMR446 allocated band...

[Erik]

I have been researching some more. It seems there is a European standard for nonlicensed amateur radios: PMR 446. This covers consumer grade short range "walkie talkies".

You don't use walkie talkies for hunting? The ones used by hunters here don't need a license, and they will easily cover a few km in forest conditions. I don't know what the maximum range is, I've heard 6km and I don't doubt it, I've used them over several km distance in the forest myself.

I don't know much about radios, so I had to google the specifics: The walkie-talkies used for hunting here is 31 or 155 MHz, and max 5w to be free from licensing. I wouldn't be surprised if there was something similar in your country.

You can also fit a longer antenna to them to increase range. A quick online check tells me the prices are between 150 Euro and 500 Euro, with 25 Euro for the extra antenna.

ETA: I can buy the PMR radios here as well. From what I hear they can be good to have for short distances, over a lake or in a ski slope, but opinions of them over longer distances when there's things between them seems very subjective. Most people with experience seems to prefer to use their hunting radios rather than buying those cheaper models.

[Netpackrat]

You don't use walkie talkies for hunting?

In Alaska, for the most part, you are not allowed to use radio communication for hunting.

[Erik]

You don't use walkie talkies for hunting?

In Alaska, for the most part, you are not allowed to use radio communication for hunting.

Here they are used all the time, primarily for moose hunting and these days for boar hunting as well. Any type of hunting when there's several hunters in a party spread out in a fairly small area. It's a safety thing, it's important that everyone in the hunting party knows what's going on at all times.

I figure the reason it's not allowed in Alaska is that it would be an unfair advantage, you could have a scout locate the animal and guide the hunters to it. That's not an issue here, the geography of the land wouldn't make that a viable tactic.

[Denis]

You don't use walkie talkies for hunting? The ones used by hunters here don't need a license, and they will easily cover a few km in forest conditions. ...Most people with experience seems to prefer to use their hunting radios rather than buying those cheaper models.

Unfortunately, the use of radios for purposes of hunting is strictly forbidden here. There have been instances of the forestry authorities and police stopping and searching hunters on their way to shoots, and confiscating both radio equipment and any vehicles containing it.

The rule doesn't seem to make much sense, particularly when everybody already has a mobile phone. I have been to shoots organised by the forestry service, which expressly expected participants to have a mobile phone with them and turned on, in order to receive instructions from the shoot manager during the shoot.

Still, if I go hiking or biking in the woods, I think a pair of radios would be a good addition to my emergency equipment. do you have some links to the equipment which is popular in Sweden, please?

[Erik]

Still, if I go hiking or biking in the woods, I think a pair of radios would be a good addition to my emergency equipment. do you have some links to the equipment which is popular in Sweden, please?

I've really not paid much attention to what brands are supposedly the best now. What I remember is that Zodiac used to be the most common one, but it's been years since I used them myself. (Before the days of the cellphone...)
Did a bit of googling, and it seems that Lafayette, Icom and Zodiac are a few of the top brands these days.

Here's a few from a lowpriced online site.
Here's a site that I've found to have good quality products. (If they have it, it's not crap)
Here's one of the hunting stores.

[Termite]

I'm with 308 Mike: a couple of marine band handheld VHFs should work well. If you are not near the coast or major rivers, you will have little radio traffic. Stay off channel 16 though; it's the emergency channel.

[Highspeed]

It's a bit of an over simplification, but the lowest frequency available to you will provide the longest range.
Which in practical terms I guess would be a hand held CB - 27mhz FM in EU legal form.

[Denis]

Thanks all, for the suggestions and advice. Erik, thanks for those links - they look great, but too pricey for my very occasional needs. I ordered two of the Baofeng UV-5R units and some accessories. We'll see how they turn out.