Colc08 Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 Hi Chaps, I am needing to aquire a set of 4 radios for our shoot. Can anyone reccommend a set to buy? They dont have to be too fancy as long as they do the job and wont die on us as soon as there is a bit of rain in the air Dont mind if they are reconditioned as long as they have some kind of guarantee. I don't know a great deal about requencies and what distance is required but I'm sure someone can advise me. Can't be too expensive either please Cheers Col Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 We just use mobile phones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colc08 Posted September 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 They are pretty essential on our shoot. We have been borrowing someone elses but its about time we got our own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 Title don't do this topic justice, thought it was a new type of shooting with radios instead of clays The cheap Binatone PMR ones work very well line of sight up to a couple of miles, in thick wooded areas range is a lot less. Figgy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 We just use mobile phones. Do you set up a day long conference call then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colc08 Posted September 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 There are a few on ebay and Amazon around the £50 a pair mark and have decent reviews. We have a budget of around £150 for 4 units. They are really for myself, the other keeper, a picker up and another for someone else in the beating line to keep in touch . They wont have to reach far but was wondering how they'd fair up in a thick blackthorn wood where it is essential to keep in touch with the other end of the beating line? Was looking at these maybe? link They are a bit Chineesy but isn't everything these days. A1 Decoys sell these link but they look like they have way too many buttons to get pressed in the pocket or a numpty on the other end of it. One big button to press and talk and they cant really go wrong.......Can they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colc08 Posted September 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 Do you set up a day long conference call then? No there are 500 partridge breaking out the side of the drive so hang on a second, i'll just give John a quick call and tell him to get on his F*@$*G toes with that flag! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 No there are 500 partridge breaking out the side of the drive so hang on a second, i'll just give John a quick call and tell him to get on his F*@$*G toes with that flag! That was the sort of scene I imagined, or getting voicemail trying to call your mate as all your birds go west For stalking I bought an Icom licenced radio to match those of my mates, I can't fault it but at about £160 a pop they may be a bit more than you are looking for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colc08 Posted September 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 Yeah I think £160n a pop is out of our budget range. The head keeper has asked me to have a looksy and see what I can get for about £150. He's set the buget at that as the set we borrowed last year from his mate cost about that and they were decent but he wont buy them as they are re-conditioned, which is fine but this company wont guarantee the batteries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northstar Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 HI, As I don't know the lay of the land on your shoot I would recommend you go for VHF radios around 4 watts in power, UHF are ok in more open areas but if you have thick woodland VHF work better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fizzbangwhallop Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 (edited) Radioswap should have some decent secondhand 'professional' sets, give them a ring to see what they've got in your budget....Chris Medlock would be the man to talk to. He should be able to put together a 'tatty but reliable' set if required. The PMR446 stuff will probably just frustrate the nuts out of you unless your ground is a flat as a pancake and not very big. The higher the wattage the better, UHF distance good, VHF better. http://www.radioswap.co.uk/default.aspx link to their fleabay shop http://stores.ebay.co.uk/RADIOSWAP-SHOP I don't think many Companies will guarantee batteries unless they're provided new with the handsets...... I buy new non-OEM Nimh batteries from Tony at tw-comms.co.uk for my ancient Kenwoods at around £15 or £16 a pop, he also sold more than 40 GP300 batts to a foxhound man in Scotland so they can't be that bad. cheers Fizz Edited September 22, 2014 by fizzbangwhallop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 No there are 500 partridge breaking out the side of the drive so hang on a second, i'll just give John a quick call and tell him to get on his F*@$*G toes with that flag! Made me smile. We have a couple of walkie-talkies but they're never used. Our mobile phone calls are usually answered with the words: "Doesn't matter, it's too ******* late now"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northstar Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 Hi Fizz, If your radios are Kenwood tk350 UHF I have some for sale and a number of Motorola ht600e UHF also I can put in any channels the user requires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprinter Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 Im using a baofeng uv-5ra and its probably the best thing since sliced bread. Easily the lightest shoot radio I have used (ive had to lump some right old bricks around). With an earpiece in and the unit in your jacket pocket its private and you forget you're carrying it. Can monitor 2 channels at once so you can keep in touch with gun captains and beaters/ pickers up at the same time or if all is going swimmingly you can listen to the grand prix qualifying or the archers at the same time as yelling at your beaters...... currently its set up to use all the pmr channels and also the legit and hookey channels of other local shoots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 Yeah I think £160n a pop is out of our budget range. The head keeper has asked me to have a looksy and see what I can get for about £150. That was new and with push to talk headset, so if you look for re-furbed they may come down closer to your budget Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 If looking at pro stuff and VHF be aware of the liscencing system most VHF sets need a liscence some are free if done online iirc. The cheapie aldi ones are good for the money £20-30 a pair if the do the range you need best to test a pair if they are needed for anything important then VHF is the way to go but decent VHF isn't cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed5hed Posted September 22, 2014 Report Share Posted September 22, 2014 Cobra Microtalk do the trick for myself and friends when we go skiing even at good ranges some models are vox compatible (handfree headsets) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted September 23, 2014 Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 We used to make them but have now stopped or i would sort ypu some out at a good discount. Cobra are good, Binatone are okish. Range is normally 5k dependent on buildings etc Would say 3k in the field is about right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeadWasp Posted September 23, 2014 Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 (edited) A big part of the issue as to whether PMR's will work concerns terrain and leaf cover. Luckily they are so cheap and many people have a set that you might easily be able to borrow a pair and try them out at different locations on your shoot. The worst situation would be lots of wooded valleys. The valleys (or hills) don't help line-of-sight for VHF and although leaves (being full of water) can block transmissions through them often the signal reflects under the canopy and you get better reception in wood when under leaf. This is exactly our position on the South Downs - big area, large areas of woodland (beech, yew etc) and very folded terrain. Early season the valley to valley transmission gets better reception because of the leaf canopy. We needed professional radios and http://www.radiohire.com were very helpful or somebody like fixxbangwhallop's suggestion. Unfortunately for higher power stuff your budget might be rather limiting. You can hire radios (with hire-licence) for the day too which is what we do. best of luck anyway Edited September 23, 2014 by LeadWasp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubble Posted September 23, 2014 Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 I use these for skiing http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Motorola-TLKR-T80-Extreme-Rugged-All-Weather-Handheld-Radios-QUAD-P14MAA03A1-/231319585792?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_SpecialistRadioEquipment_SM&hash=item35dbb8c400 with these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Motorola-Radio-D-Shape-Earpiece-Headset-Mic-TLKR-T5-T6-T7-T8-T60-T80-XTR446-1PIN-/281402782251?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_SpecialistRadioEquipment_SM&hash=item4184e9b22b works over a couple of miles and last two days neill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted September 23, 2014 Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 We have used 10 Motorrola's for over 10 years in all weathers, never had a failure. Batteries are expensive and dont last beyond about 3 years but can be replaced with 3 AAs per hand set. A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colc08 Posted September 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2014 Thanks for all your feedback guys, really helpful as i knmow very little about radios. I have dropped an email over to Radio Swap and just waiting on a reply on a set of reconditioned Motorolla's Its either that or just go for a set of cheapies and see how we get on. Looking at something like this LINK . I'd rather have a simple set with basic functions rather thjan something with a million buttons on. They really do need to be idiot proof As far as terrain goes its just averaghe Northamptonshire land with very mild dips out on the fields but our woodland is pretty dense. We will never be more than a field or two apart and its really just to keep contact between the beating line and the guns and from flank to flank. Some of the blocks drives in the wood are odd shapes and require sweeping round so is handy to keep in touch with what the other end of the line is doing. Col Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul041075 Posted October 12, 2014 Report Share Posted October 12, 2014 How did you get on with your radios? In the same position needing 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colc08 Posted October 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 How did you get on with your radios? In the same position needing 4 Hi Paul, I have just recieved my 4 today along with a programming cable and software. Apparently they can be easily programmed and set to a private channel so not to get any local taxi companies etc. On recommendation I ended up going for a cheap set of these to begin with LINK. The reviews seem good. For what we need them for they should do a job and if one breaks down they are not expensive to replace. I'm hoping to get them set up and programmed this week ready for testing at the weekend so will let you know if they are any good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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