walkie-talkies on the slopes - any good?

I've always just used mobile phones to keep in touch with mixed groups on
the slopes, but it does get expensive unless you can justify buying french
simms. You can get 2-way radios very cheap now, with 2 mile range and 14-odd
channels.

Does anyone have experience of using these in a busy resort? Are they
totally swamped by other users?

John Ricketts wrote:

I've always just used mobile phones to keep in touch with mixed groups on
the slopes, but it does get expensive unless you can justify buying french
simms. You can get 2-way radios very cheap now, with 2 mile range and 14-odd
channels.

Does anyone have experience of using these in a busy resort? Are they
totally swamped by other users?


2 mile range, 1 if your lucky!!!!!

John Ricketts wrote:
: Does anyone have experience of using these in a busy resort? Are they
: totally swamped by other users?

This was definitely the case when a member of my group lent me (an admittedly
quite cheap) one in the 3 Valleys last year.

Over this New Year we used text messages on mobiles. Not TOO expensive and
meant that if the other party was in motion they could pick the message up when
they stopped.

In article ,=20
says...
I've always just used mobile phones to keep in touch with mixed groups on=
=20
the slopes, but it does get expensive unless you can justify buying frenc=
h=20
simms. You can get 2-way radios very cheap now, with 2 mile range and 14-=
odd=20
channels.
=20
Does anyone have experience of using these in a busy resort? Are they=20
totally swamped by other users?=20

Used them in La Rosiere last year, with some success. As you say,=20
cheaper than mobile phones, but are you really going to spend more than=20
=A350 on calls while in resort?

We managed about 2 miles with ours, and found there to be hardly any=20
interference from other users. Ours are those with sub-channels, rather=20
than just 8 main frequencies.

They're easier to use than mobiles, particularly with hands-free and=20
voice activation.

--=20
Hywel http://kibo.org.uk/
I do not eat quiche.

Range can be a bit limited but I've never had much of a problem with other
users. They are well worth it IMHO. Thought you might want to know that I
found the motorolas in my local electrical wholesalers this week for only
£50 a pair - a bloody sight cheaper than what I paid in Snow & Rock or they
charge in a ski resort
Rob
"John Ricketts" wrote in message
...
I've always just used mobile phones to keep in touch with mixed groups on
the slopes, but it does get expensive unless you can justify buying french
simms. You can get 2-way radios very cheap now, with 2 mile range and
14-odd
channels.

Does anyone have experience of using these in a busy resort? Are they
totally swamped by other users?

We've used then extensively with a group of about ten of us over the
last few years.

If you get the right "setup" then they're great... If you don't, they're
a fiddly pain!

Our observations after MUCH experimentation.

1. Get ones that have sub-channels.

2. If you can, get ones that have "digital volume" such as the now
discontinued Motorola T6222 (they quite often pop up on ebay) then they
don't turn themselves down in your pocket whilst skiing, unlike most of
the rotary volume knob ones. Having said that the rotary volume ones can
easily be "fixed" with a bit of ducktape round the volume knob!

3. Don't use Vox!... Normally too much wind noise and annoying vox
pauses.

4. Get one that will take a external mic/earpiece.

5. Don't buy a "normal" mic/earpiece as the mic switch on them are just
too fiddly to use with ski gloves. Instead, get a "speaker mic" that
will also accept a earpiece, such as
http://www.pryme.com/bvc3/product_Ob...Specsheet.aspx. Clip this on
your collar and it's easy to use with ski gloves on. Add a decent
earpiece such as http://www.pryme.com/bvc3/product_ReconSpecsheet.aspx
and you have the perfect setup!... The trick here is getting a speaker
mic with the right connection for your radio, which is a LOT harder than
it sounds!... I can assist in this if anyone's interested.

6. Buy a good quality PMR radio such as a Motorola (current model T5522
is good value). Many of the real cheap ones are just terrible!

With a setup like the above, it will add a whole new dymanic to group
skiing, such as letting more advanced skiiers go off to find some powder
but still being able to meet up for a hot-choc break, group chat on
chairlifts (hey, watch then deb' down there to your left, he's gonna
bail in a moment!) and when on the piste "hey Fred, you're going the
wrong way, that leads to a black couloir!"

Steve

"Hywel Jenkins" wrote in message
:
In article ,
says...
I've always just used mobile phones to keep in touch with mixed groups
on
the slopes, but it does get expensive unless you can justify buying
french
simms. You can get 2-way radios very cheap now, with 2 mile range and
14-odd
channels.

Does anyone have experience of using these in a busy resort? Are they
totally swamped by other users?

Used them in La Rosiere last year, with some success. As you say,
cheaper than mobile phones, but are you really going to spend more than
£50 on calls while in resort?

We managed about 2 miles with ours, and found there to be hardly any
interference from other users. Ours are those with sub-channels, rather

than just 8 main frequencies.

They're easier to use than mobiles, particularly with hands-free and
voice activation.

--
Hywel http://kibo.org.uk/
I do not eat quiche.

| Does anyone have experience of using these in a busy resort? Are
they
| totally swamped by other users?

No problem as long as they have subchannels. Line of sight is key. They
can work two miles away - or fail to work 200 metres away with a
sufficiently large obstruction inbetween.

Pete
http://bsm.alpesprovence.net

"Steve" wrote in message
...
We've used then extensively with a group of about ten of us over the
last few years.

If you get the right "setup" then they're great... If you don't, they're
a fiddly pain!

Our observations after MUCH experimentation.

1. Get ones that have sub-channels.

2. If you can, get ones that have "digital volume" such as the now
discontinued Motorola T6222 (they quite often pop up on ebay) then they
don't turn themselves down in your pocket whilst skiing, unlike most of
the rotary volume knob ones. Having said that the rotary volume ones can
easily be "fixed" with a bit of ducktape round the volume knob!

3. Don't use Vox!... Normally too much wind noise and annoying vox
pauses.

4. Get one that will take a external mic/earpiece.

5. Don't buy a "normal" mic/earpiece as the mic switch on them are just
too fiddly to use with ski gloves. Instead, get a "speaker mic" that
will also accept a earpiece, such as
http://www.pryme.com/bvc3/product_Ob...Specsheet.aspx. Clip this on
your collar and it's easy to use with ski gloves on. Add a decent
earpiece such as http://www.pryme.com/bvc3/product_ReconSpecsheet.aspx
and you have the perfect setup!... The trick here is getting a speaker
mic with the right connection for your radio, which is a LOT harder than
it sounds!... I can assist in this if anyone's interested.

6. Buy a good quality PMR radio such as a Motorola (current model T5522
is good value). Many of the real cheap ones are just terrible!

With a setup like the above, it will add a whole new dymanic to group
skiing, such as letting more advanced skiiers go off to find some powder
but still being able to meet up for a hot-choc break, group chat on
chairlifts (hey, watch then deb' down there to your left, he's gonna
bail in a moment!) and when on the piste "hey Fred, you're going the
wrong way, that leads to a black couloir!"

Steve

"Hywel Jenkins" wrote in message
:
In article ,
says...
I've always just used mobile phones to keep in touch with mixed groups
on
the slopes, but it does get expensive unless you can justify buying
french
simms. You can get 2-way radios very cheap now, with 2 mile range and
14-odd
channels.

Does anyone have experience of using these in a busy resort? Are they
totally swamped by other users?

Used them in La Rosiere last year, with some success. As you say,
cheaper than mobile phones, but are you really going to spend more than
£50 on calls while in resort?

We managed about 2 miles with ours, and found there to be hardly any
interference from other users. Ours are those with sub-channels, rather

than just 8 main frequencies.

They're easier to use than mobiles, particularly with hands-free and
voice activation.

--
Hywel http://kibo.org.uk/
I do not eat quiche.


We found the use of a lapel speaker/mic combo does the job perfectly, I
bought a cheap £10 one from maplin and buchered a connector to my motorola
radio and it works great. If you have to fish aroud for the radio in a
pocket and take your glove off they are useless.

Great for making those comments that matter when something interesting
happens!!!!!

Paul

"John Ricketts" wrote in message
...
I've always just used mobile phones to keep in touch with mixed groups on
the slopes, but it does get expensive unless you can justify buying french
simms. You can get 2-way radios very cheap now, with 2 mile range and
14-odd
channels.

Does anyone have experience of using these in a busy resort? Are they
totally swamped by other users?



I have had good results with cheapo Binatone PMR442 radios from Argos (was
about £90 for 4 with x2 chargers 2 years ago). Line of sight is usually
required to guarantee operation of any decent distant (2-3Km max) but I have
managed to call La Tania from Courchevel 'round the mountain' so must have
been good propagation that day !

Loads of them in 3V so you really need the 8 channel 38 code type giving you
8 x 38 'channel' options to find one thats free. Other resorts have not been
a proablem. (and the kids love playing with them the rest of the time)

Have fun !

Edi

John Ricketts wrote:
justify buying french simms. You can get 2-way radios very cheap now,
with 2 mile range and 14-odd channels.

Most of the 446 MHz Walkie-talkies have 8 channels (frequncies) and 38
privacy codes (CTCSS) these are not subchannels. It's an advanced tone
coding system used to reduce incoming transmissions from other users on the
same channel. The effect stays the same as with 8 mainchannels and 38
subchannels. 306 different possibilities.
How do I know this? I just bought a set of Cobra MT725 walkie-talkies and
finished reading the manual ;-))

Happy skiing,

Marinus

--
http://snow.jeuring.com