Radios and general car gadgets...
Discussion
So, I've organised a run into the countryside in a couple of weekends.
I was thinking that I should buy a set of radios for the group, as this is slowly becoming a regular thing and mobile phones don't quite do the job.
I'd be very grateful for some suggestions for radios suited to the job.
I'm a complete radio numpty, so please do feel free to patronise me with the most basis of information if it helps to make a choice.
Links to the products would be ideal.
Also, generally speaking any super car gadgets or apps out there?
I was thinking that I should buy a set of radios for the group, as this is slowly becoming a regular thing and mobile phones don't quite do the job.
I'd be very grateful for some suggestions for radios suited to the job.
I'm a complete radio numpty, so please do feel free to patronise me with the most basis of information if it helps to make a choice.
Links to the products would be ideal.
Also, generally speaking any super car gadgets or apps out there?
Interested in this also.
There seem to be 2 main varieties of 2-way radio, the cheaper 0.5w units you get from anywhere and the professional-grade 5w that cost quite a bit more but should be significantly better in terms of range. You're supposed to pay for a license (£75 for 5 years).
The 2 problems with radios i've used have been range and delay in transmitting. The range is massively affected because you're inside a metal cage flying around hills, towns, forests etc and the tx seems to be some radios that have a delay of 1 second which means if you talk as soon as you press the button the recipient doesn't hear the first bit... this can be very annoying and confusing whilst driving e.g. "Not clear" would come across as "clear".
On one trip to Wales we had the cheaper consumer Binatone radios which actually seemed to work very well with the group but range was probably only 1/2 mile.
The last time i was in Wales the group had some professional 5w radios, which were abysmal, almost pointless, so i've just bought some Binatone Action 1000 radios for £42/pair off amazon to use this weekend at short-notice. I can let you know how i get on.
The other professional radios which people had recommended and which i'd looked at are:
YAESU FT-277 (£100 each @ Ebay)
Kirisun PT-4200 (£85 each @ Ebay)
Mitex General (£80 each @ Maplin)
There seem to be 2 main varieties of 2-way radio, the cheaper 0.5w units you get from anywhere and the professional-grade 5w that cost quite a bit more but should be significantly better in terms of range. You're supposed to pay for a license (£75 for 5 years).
The 2 problems with radios i've used have been range and delay in transmitting. The range is massively affected because you're inside a metal cage flying around hills, towns, forests etc and the tx seems to be some radios that have a delay of 1 second which means if you talk as soon as you press the button the recipient doesn't hear the first bit... this can be very annoying and confusing whilst driving e.g. "Not clear" would come across as "clear".
On one trip to Wales we had the cheaper consumer Binatone radios which actually seemed to work very well with the group but range was probably only 1/2 mile.
The last time i was in Wales the group had some professional 5w radios, which were abysmal, almost pointless, so i've just bought some Binatone Action 1000 radios for £42/pair off amazon to use this weekend at short-notice. I can let you know how i get on.
The other professional radios which people had recommended and which i'd looked at are:
YAESU FT-277 (£100 each @ Ebay)
Kirisun PT-4200 (£85 each @ Ebay)
Mitex General (£80 each @ Maplin)
Sonic said:
Interested in this also.
There seem to be 2 main varieties of 2-way radio, the cheaper 0.5w units you get from anywhere and the professional-grade 5w that cost quite a bit more but should be significantly better in terms of range. You're supposed to pay for a license (£75 for 5 years).
The 2 problems with radios i've used have been range and delay in transmitting. The range is massively affected because you're inside a metal cage flying around hills, towns, forests etc and the tx seems to be some radios that have a delay of 1 second which means if you talk as soon as you press the button the recipient doesn't hear the first bit... this can be very annoying and confusing whilst driving e.g. "Not clear" would come across as "clear".
On one trip to Wales we had the cheaper consumer Binatone radios which actually seemed to work very well with the group but range was probably only 1/2 mile.
The last time i was in Wales the group had some professional 5w radios, which were abysmal, almost pointless, so i've just bought some Binatone Action 1000 radios for £42/pair off amazon to use this weekend at short-notice. I can let you know how i get on.
The other professional radios which people had recommended and which i'd looked at are:
YAESU FT-277 (£100 each @ Ebay)
Kirisun PT-4200 (£85 each @ Ebay)
Mitex General (£80 each @ Maplin)
Seconded.. the ones we had in Wales at Easter were abysmal There seem to be 2 main varieties of 2-way radio, the cheaper 0.5w units you get from anywhere and the professional-grade 5w that cost quite a bit more but should be significantly better in terms of range. You're supposed to pay for a license (£75 for 5 years).
The 2 problems with radios i've used have been range and delay in transmitting. The range is massively affected because you're inside a metal cage flying around hills, towns, forests etc and the tx seems to be some radios that have a delay of 1 second which means if you talk as soon as you press the button the recipient doesn't hear the first bit... this can be very annoying and confusing whilst driving e.g. "Not clear" would come across as "clear".
On one trip to Wales we had the cheaper consumer Binatone radios which actually seemed to work very well with the group but range was probably only 1/2 mile.
The last time i was in Wales the group had some professional 5w radios, which were abysmal, almost pointless, so i've just bought some Binatone Action 1000 radios for £42/pair off amazon to use this weekend at short-notice. I can let you know how i get on.
The other professional radios which people had recommended and which i'd looked at are:
YAESU FT-277 (£100 each @ Ebay)
Kirisun PT-4200 (£85 each @ Ebay)
Mitex General (£80 each @ Maplin)
The £20 Argos jobbies we used in the lakes were better!Id use a small CB. Plenty of power and the idiots that the term 'CB radio' conjures up are largely a thing of the past and even if you do encounter hobbyists or other groups using them, youll have a further 79 frequencies to choose from.
Dont be tempted by silly amplifiers which wont increase you range but which will cause interference, and make sure that you SWR the aerial.
Also: buy new, dont be tempted to buy used and theyll be just what you need. Legal to use whilst driving too.
Dont be tempted by silly amplifiers which wont increase you range but which will cause interference, and make sure that you SWR the aerial.
Also: buy new, dont be tempted to buy used and theyll be just what you need. Legal to use whilst driving too.
Generally, yes.
Consumer radios come with PMR446 programmed in, so 2 radios on the same PMR channel will work together regardless of manufacturer.
CTCSS and DCS may also be enabled, but basically if all the radios are on the same channels for everything they will work.
The pro radios might not come with the PMR446 channels pre-programmed, but can't imagine it would be a problem to tune into those frequencies.
Consumer radios come with PMR446 programmed in, so 2 radios on the same PMR channel will work together regardless of manufacturer.
CTCSS and DCS may also be enabled, but basically if all the radios are on the same channels for everything they will work.
The pro radios might not come with the PMR446 channels pre-programmed, but can't imagine it would be a problem to tune into those frequencies.
GC8 said:
Id use a small CB. Plenty of power and the idiots that the term 'CB radio' conjures up are largely a thing of the past and even if you do encounter hobbyists or other groups using them, youll have a further 79 frequencies to choose from.
Dont be tempted by silly amplifiers which wont increase you range but which will cause interference, and make sure that you SWR the aerial.
Also: buy new, dont be tempted to buy used and theyll be just what you need. Legal to use whilst driving too.
Could you link to one for sale please? Dont be tempted by silly amplifiers which wont increase you range but which will cause interference, and make sure that you SWR the aerial.
Also: buy new, dont be tempted to buy used and theyll be just what you need. Legal to use whilst driving too.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/INTEK-M-130-CB-RADIO-NOI...
Something like this is easy to find at around fifty. When I have looked for charity rallies in the past there have been starter kits with aerial and SWR meters included for around this price.
With regards to mounting, Id put it in the glovebox but you can buy under-dash DIN enclosures and DIN mounts for the radios.
Something like this is easy to find at around fifty. When I have looked for charity rallies in the past there have been starter kits with aerial and SWR meters included for around this price.
With regards to mounting, Id put it in the glovebox but you can buy under-dash DIN enclosures and DIN mounts for the radios.
GC8 said:
With regards to mounting, Id put it in the glovebox but you can buy under-dash DIN enclosures and DIN mounts for the radios.
Ah, therein lies the problem. Challenge Stradale doesn't have a cupholder or a glovebox. 
I suppose these would have to be hardwired too? Not an option for me sadly...
Sympathetic mounting should be a problem, although I probably wouldnt want to secrew it to anything. Velcro ontop the carpet would probably work. Hardwiring can be achieved without cutting any circuits by using a piggyback fuse, but it might be easier to connect to a cigar lighter if you have one.
Failing that Id be looking at a hand portable device, or a PMR...
Failing that Id be looking at a hand portable device, or a PMR...
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