Thread: Advice on hand held walkie talkies

Originally Posted by Bushie

I agree re the Icoms, but with regard to cheap programmable chinese radios, I hope with the proliferation they don't start coming up on channels used by emergency services, causing interferance.


Martyn

I know for sure that they do work on those channels but you need to know the code to transmit which is not that hard to work out. All emergency services are getting new digital radios soon so it wont be a problem when they arrive it will be very difficult indeed for anyone to transmit on an emergency frequency.
Chris

Maybe going digital, but it wont stop others transmitting on the frequency and causing interferance. Not too many services have gone digital on fireground/tasking (generally vhf) systems so they will be very open to interferance.

But now we've gone well off topic.


Martyn

Originally Posted by Bushie

Maybe going digital, but it wont stop others transmitting on the frequency and causing interferance. Not too many services have gone digital on fireground/tasking (generally vhf) systems so they will be very open to interferance.

But now we've gone well off topic.


Martyn

Not many have gone digital yet, but soon all radios will swap to digital. In the rurals we just got some new simcos, but they were existing stock. I have had a presentation on the new digital ones in the urban's already.
Chris

Originally Posted by Bushie

I agree re the Icoms, but with regard to cheap programmable chinese radios, I hope with the proliferation they don't start coming up on channels used by emergency services, causing interferance.


Martyn

They are not type approved for uhf cb use, so can only be used if you have an appropriate license and frequency allocation.

Aaron

Originally Posted by Aaron IIA

They are not type approved for uhf cb use, so can only be used if you have an appropriate license and frequency allocation.

Aaron

Might well be true, but I doubt anyone in Aus has been busted for using one. Also it they where it would only be for messing about on emergency channels not likely if radio is used for legal purposes.
Chris

I just recently purchased done radios for such a purpose my biggest issue was range as the kid is starting to get confident on his motorbike and venturing further away do got some from jaycar $130 each with 240&12volt chargers with a 10 or 20km claimed range though that does depend on location as I have picked up people over 40km away with them when both on top ofhills

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

Originally Posted by Keithy P38

I agree with cafe latte. I have used Icom and Tait 5w hand held radios for over 11yrs in the mining industry. They get buried in slurry, chemicals, dropped from height, soaked in rain. I've never had one replaced in that time due to failure. The Icom ones recover from a soaking quicker (the speaker goes quiet when they get wet), but both are definitely a true IP68 and can handle anything you will throw at them in a lifetime.

Battery life on the Icom is normally 36hrs with constant (ab)use and someone talking on it nearly all of the time. On standby (switched on but no activity) we often get 5 days out of a battery before recharge. Both have a clear 14km range with my use which is better than the ones in our vehicles.

Cheers
Keithy

Great to hear how rugged the ICOM handhelds are.

Does anyone have a handheld UHF in car cradle? I'm interested in the portability of the ICOM 41pro 5w handheld, but also want to mount it in car with bullbar mount aerial. Can't seem to find a good car cradle / attachments for it though.

Any advice welcome...

Originally Posted by Bushie

I agree re the Icoms, but with regard to cheap programmable chinese radios, I hope with the proliferation they don't start coming up on channels used by emergency services, causing interferance.


Martyn

One of the main reasons that unlicensed 2 ways are limited in power. But, don't most emergency services use restricted digital channels?