I'm in the market to pick up a pair of quality walkie talkies for group hikes and other uses. Something with a 5 to 7 mile stretch would be nice and I assume its signal can cut through the forest a bit better than a talkie that has a two mile range. My budget is $100 - anyone have a particular brand they like. Also, a good solid build is important.
Good Walkie Talkies
- Thread starter Brien
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percious
Well-known member
Stay away from Audiovox. Mine didnt make it through one trip. I think Motorola makes a pretty good product though.
Jim lombard
New member
Kenwood
Kenwood has a 2 mile Freetalk radio that runs about $100 each. You can do a google search under Kenwood Freetalk for the best deals. Motorola is a good name too but you might pay more.
Kenwood has a 2 mile Freetalk radio that runs about $100 each. You can do a google search under Kenwood Freetalk for the best deals. Motorola is a good name too but you might pay more.
ecc
Member
We use Motorola Walk-abouts. They are supposed to have a 2 mile range, but this is considerably limited by terrain. Just around the shoulder of that mountain may be .125 mile, but the shoulder interferes with reception, so the walkie talkies don't work. We still bring them along and they do work to some degree.
ecc
ecc
SABERG
New member
Motorola makes a series of "jobsite" radios for the construction fields.
They have better distance and clarity than the talkabout series.
The cost runs just above youre budget at $120-$130 each.
I have had good luck in tough terrain and with good distances covered.
Good luck
SABERG
They have better distance and clarity than the talkabout series.
The cost runs just above youre budget at $120-$130 each.
I have had good luck in tough terrain and with good distances covered.
Good luck
SABERG
bubba
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Gander Mountain usually has a pretty good selection including Motorola, Cobra and Midland. They have a Midland 10-mile version that you can pick up for $70 -- packaged with a hands free ear/mic accessory and vibra-alert (vibrating rather than tone).
All of the radios are affected by both terrain and weather. Best conditions are line of sight on a 65-degree, non-humid day.
I believe that two-way radios were recently reduced in price at GM. Price them and comparitive shop as most "chains" will price match. Wal-Mart usually has decent prices, too.
All of the radios are affected by both terrain and weather. Best conditions are line of sight on a 65-degree, non-humid day.
I believe that two-way radios were recently reduced in price at GM. Price them and comparitive shop as most "chains" will price match. Wal-Mart usually has decent prices, too.
Warren
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I picked up the motorola talkabouts FRS/GMRS 2 ways that does weather band as well. Haven't tested range in backwoods to any great degree and I haven't used the GMRS bands as I'm unlicscensed. But:
Across a flatish, vegetated park the one mile range is about what I was getting.
In the woods to another unit uphill from me just under a mile.
My conclusion, useful for small groups in small area but certainly not reliable. The weather radio however is very handy.
Search the archives for 2-way and HAM as well as radio, there's been a few discussions on the topic.
Across a flatish, vegetated park the one mile range is about what I was getting.
In the woods to another unit uphill from me just under a mile.
My conclusion, useful for small groups in small area but certainly not reliable. The weather radio however is very handy.
Search the archives for 2-way and HAM as well as radio, there's been a few discussions on the topic.
Rick
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Two years ago, our friends' brought their motorola talkabouts that they just got to our cottage in Keuka. I stayed on the shore while they took the boat down to Hammondsport, 2.25 miles away.
I could see them with my binocs but at 2.25 miles over open water, with line-of-sight, we couldn't communicate. They brought the boat closer - almiost by .5 miles (to 1.75 miles) and we started getting broken reception.
I thought it might have been the batteries, but they siad they had freshly charged them overnight.
FWIW, I was not very pleased with that performance. I figured if I ever do go this route, I would just get the 5-watt radios with much better performance (and ultimately the FCC license).
I could see them with my binocs but at 2.25 miles over open water, with line-of-sight, we couldn't communicate. They brought the boat closer - almiost by .5 miles (to 1.75 miles) and we started getting broken reception.
I thought it might have been the batteries, but they siad they had freshly charged them overnight.
FWIW, I was not very pleased with that performance. I figured if I ever do go this route, I would just get the 5-watt radios with much better performance (and ultimately the FCC license).
RichW
New member
Higher power makes small improvement
I am a ham operator, and can tell you that doubling the power of a radio makes a minimal improvement in distance. I use a cheap FRS radio that I bought and it works for hike groups.
For better transmissions, cell phones are usually a better choice, if there is coverage (sigh). I also think using a radio detracts from a hike, but then again, getting lost from the group detracts even more.
I am a ham operator, and can tell you that doubling the power of a radio makes a minimal improvement in distance. I use a cheap FRS radio that I bought and it works for hike groups.
For better transmissions, cell phones are usually a better choice, if there is coverage (sigh). I also think using a radio detracts from a hike, but then again, getting lost from the group detracts even more.
imarchant
Active member
I have the Icom IC-4008A FRS radios. I have not used them for hiking, but the range is limited, as any FRS radio will be especially in the woods and varing terrain. This radio is ruggedly built and water resistant. If it wasn't for the limited range I would recommend this radio. They cost about $80 each.
You are probably better off with a GMRS radio. These radios require a license. Get a higher wattage radio for increased range in the woods.
You are probably better off with a GMRS radio. These radios require a license. Get a higher wattage radio for increased range in the woods.
Mark
Member
I tested a pair of GMRS radios from Cobra. They allegedly had a 5-7 mile range. On Sebago Lake with direct line of sight, we lost the signal between 2 and 3 miles. I have no idea on how they rate these for distance, but we found them lacking. We returned them.
Grumpy
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Some friends, evidently concerned about my proclivity for solo hiking while Mrs. Grumpy provides trailhead shuttle (drop-off and pick-up) services, gave us a pair of those Cobra radios as a Christmas gift. Trying them out around town got us a max range of about 1.75 miles. So I suspect they’d be of little use insofar as the personal safety-emergency call purpose our friends have in mind is concerned. Especially in the wooded mountains.Mark said:
But . . .
Mrs. G and I have toted the radios along on a few of our family bonding hikes recently, and have had great fun with them when we got separated by, say a few hundred yards or a quarter mile. Mrs. G has been an elementary school teacher for something like 36 years and likes to keep pretty close tabs on her charges, when she can. I get to be “IT” when we hike together. Using the radios beats shouting and has avoided unpleasantness when I’ve elected to wander on while Mrs G answers a Nature call or something like that.
Now I’m thinking that those radios actually might be useful for hailing Mrs. G’s shuttle taxi as I approach the end of a solo adventure. I figure if it’s possible to reach out a half mile or so to her, Mrs. G will have ample time to properly prepare post hike libations for celebratory consumption upon my arrival. In the past, I have had to pop the cap off my own chilled brewski.
Well, a guy can dream some, can’t he?
G.
Stan
Well-known member
My objective in buying a set was similar to Grumpy's. I also thought they might come in handy when I lead groups and we split up either to take different routes or to accomodate different paces.
I opted for the Uniden 5-7 mile version, which requires the GMRS license, the application for which is another bushwhack in itself, because the price for a pair was about $59 on sale just after Christmas and it had NOAA weather channels.
Fascinating little toys but haven't really tested it on the trail. However, you can pay that much and get neither the advertised range nor the weather so I don't think they will have been a bad investment in any case.
I opted for the Uniden 5-7 mile version, which requires the GMRS license, the application for which is another bushwhack in itself, because the price for a pair was about $59 on sale just after Christmas and it had NOAA weather channels.
Fascinating little toys but haven't really tested it on the trail. However, you can pay that much and get neither the advertised range nor the weather so I don't think they will have been a bad investment in any case.
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My only suggestion is to get one capable of receiving weather forecasts. Inbound snow near your home? or where you are hiking? Better conditions somewhere else? Not only can this information lower risks, but it can enhance your experience.
Also, in deference to the people in the community who enjoy peace and quiet, consider getting a a cheap headset or earphone. You will find there is alot of radio conversations occurring on the highways, ski areas, snowmobiling, and ice fishing. Its becoming just like CB.
.
Also, in deference to the people in the community who enjoy peace and quiet, consider getting a a cheap headset or earphone. You will find there is alot of radio conversations occurring on the highways, ski areas, snowmobiling, and ice fishing. Its becoming just like CB.
.
lilmountaingirl
New member
I use the Motorola T5410 Talkabouts. The have a 2 mile range and I've had pretty decent luck with them. We've used them in Search & Rescue training and they worked through all of the concrete barriers ~ so I bought some for personal use.
wally2q
New member
Talk-about's
I've used Motorola Talkabout (250's?... an older series) very sucessfully.
- Over basically line of sight, with one person inside a car (thus limiting range), we punched out well over 2 miles. Close to 3 actually.
- In a forest with hills and escarpments, we got 1.5 miles in any direction, and if avoiding ridges (forest only) we got 2 miles.
We did these tests in an area that we've been hiking every single week, for almost 10 years. We know the terrain, and the distances perfectly as they have been mapped by GPS many times.
What I did find is a substantial variability radio-to-radio. The FRS radios use a self adjusting squelch. If the noise floor of the given frequency is high (read: a lot of other radio traffic on adjacent channels and privacy codes etc.), then the radio effectively gets desensitized to avoid garble.
But even in a quiet environment, we found times where one radio would receive clear as day, and another exact same radio would not even cracle. Pushing the "monitor button" which disables the squelch, brought clear-as-day voice in on the unit which would seem to not receive well. So it would appear that the variance in internal adjustments / settings of the unit's squelch function has a substantial effect on performance between radios of the same make and model.
the wall......
I've used Motorola Talkabout (250's?... an older series) very sucessfully.
- Over basically line of sight, with one person inside a car (thus limiting range), we punched out well over 2 miles. Close to 3 actually.
- In a forest with hills and escarpments, we got 1.5 miles in any direction, and if avoiding ridges (forest only) we got 2 miles.
We did these tests in an area that we've been hiking every single week, for almost 10 years. We know the terrain, and the distances perfectly as they have been mapped by GPS many times.
What I did find is a substantial variability radio-to-radio. The FRS radios use a self adjusting squelch. If the noise floor of the given frequency is high (read: a lot of other radio traffic on adjacent channels and privacy codes etc.), then the radio effectively gets desensitized to avoid garble.
But even in a quiet environment, we found times where one radio would receive clear as day, and another exact same radio would not even cracle. Pushing the "monitor button" which disables the squelch, brought clear-as-day voice in on the unit which would seem to not receive well. So it would appear that the variance in internal adjustments / settings of the unit's squelch function has a substantial effect on performance between radios of the same make and model.
the wall......
Woody
New member
I have a set of Motorola talkabouts and set of Cobras. Both work well within a limited range. I wouldn't count on them when more than a few hundred yards apart. We generally use them now for ice climbing. We use them with earbuds and microphones. It is easier to communicate with each other with the wind howling instead of yelling or using rope signals.
peak_bgr
New member
I have a pair by Cobra. They work excellent. They were around 50 bucks. They have a roughly 1 mile working distance.
