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Old February 19, 2005, 11:48 AM   #1
Dean C
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2-way radios

I'm looking for some advice and experiences on 2-way radios.
My son and I hunt mountainous areas in the North Cascades in Washington. We usually separate and plan to meet in a certain area after a certain time. Well, that doesn't always work when one of us stumbles across a paticularly enticing trail or some very fresh sign. So, what I think I need is radio communication that is good for fairly forested mountain regions. Some alert of a call that can be selectable between audible and something that isn't audible. Light weight, weatherproof and small.
Any ideas for me?
thanks,
dean
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Old February 19, 2005, 01:20 PM   #2
carolinaflats
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Dean C,
We use the motorola talkabouts at the club where I hunt. Usually everyone will turn them on when getting out of the stand after dark or if someone shoots and gets out of the stand to go look for a deer. It's a good saftey measure if someone is trying to find a deer they shot and need to follow a blood trail into an area where someone else may be hunting. I don't know of any that can vibrate when someone is trying to get a hold of you but some manufacturer might make one if that is what your looking for. Another way to use them might be with an earpiece so it won't make a lot of noise that could scare game away. The motorolas have good enough range to use at our club, though it is flat wooded land. Mountainous terrain might interfere with the signal, I'm not sure. I would imagine that if you're with a mile or so of each other they would work fine. Good luck!
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Old February 19, 2005, 03:05 PM   #3
CAPTAIN MIKE
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Longer Range, Higher Power

Midland has a nice walkie talkie. The version I use is the model 450 but I understand that are about to come out with the 550 which I believe will have a maximum range of 12 miles.

The radio has BOTH the GMRS (license required) and the FRS (no license family service band) channels, with something like 38 different privacy settings on each of the channels. Pretty cool. I use them with my Boy Scouts for campouts and hikes, and at the outdoor range where friends are way on the other side.

The price is pretty reasonable and you can find the best deals probably on e-Bay. Good luck !!
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Old February 19, 2005, 07:36 PM   #4
BillCA
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I found a pair of Southwestern Bell FRS/GMRS radios for $39.99 at a local discount electronics store that seem to be pretty good.

These have a vibrate mode and a "roger beep" (end Xmit tone) that are selectable. Model #GMRS1907BL They claim a 7-mile range, but that would have to be in Nebraska with no power lines around. These use rechargable battery packs but can also operate on AA cells. These have both an external speaker & Mic jack.

A note about radios -- remember that they're only good for "line of sight" communications. If your buddy is on the other side of the hill or in a ravine, you may not get any reception until within 1/4 mile or so.

Be sure you're operating on a GMRS channel (most power/range). Establish a particular channel as the channel for the hunt. Avoid using the "sub-channel" feature so you can hear anyone else on the same channel who may call for help. Wear an earphone while hunting to avoid spooking the game should someone suddenly start talking.
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Old March 4, 2005, 02:20 PM   #5
Dean C
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Gentlemen,
Thanks for the responses. I went with the Motorola T5500. Didn't have all the features I wanted but the price was right. I'll be testing them out on the rolling hills in central WA this weekend looking for 'yotes.
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