Affordable walkie talkies

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clumpyedge

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Can anyone suggest anything that's worthwhile? I play a lot in woodland so would need to be good for that type of environment....

 
it really depends what you are after, if you're looking for a simple two way then there's really cheap crap everywhere (Motorola do a decent two way), but of course the more advanced you get the higher prices will be. for alot of people who like simulation, the real deal is the only option. so do you want the military look? and what is a price range you were thinking of?

 
hprentice said:
it really depends what you are after, if you're looking for a simple two way then there's really cheap crap everywhere (Motorola do a decent two way), but of course the more advanced you get the higher prices will be. for alot of people who like simulation, the real deal is the only option. so do you want the military look? and what is a price range you were thinking of?
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ideally i'm looking for ones that can be bought by numerous members of a team and still be used together if we cant buy in bulk... as long as they have ear piece compatability i dont really mind to be honest. the whole "real deal" scenario is way out of mine and my teams price range

i did find these...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141047997223?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 
Id recommend steering clear of Cobra radios, they're not the best quality by a long stretch.

Anything which is a PMR446 radio will work with any other PMR446 radio. I personally use an Intek MT5050, they're not cheap but they're very good for their price, others swear by the Motorola XTNiD.

One thing to note though is with radios you're buying a real product which is doing what it was really intended for, a clone of something is going to fall below the standard that you require in most cases, as will cheap option. You wouldn't buy a cheap pair of boots to protect your feet and ankes, you can't expect a cheapo radio to allow effective communication in any but the most ideal of conditions. The exception to that being the most basic components; e.g. speakers and microphones. A clone headset combined with the appropriate PTT will work 90% of the time.

http://www.twoway-radio.co.uk/personal <--- stacks of good deals there, I wouldn't consider anything under £50 for a pair though and would recommend looking in the bottom half of the page at the least.

 
jcheeseright said:
Id recommend steering clear of Cobra radios, they're not the best quality by a long stretch.

Anything which is a PMR446 radio will work with any other PMR446 radio. I personally use an Intek MT5050, they're not cheap but they're very good for their price, others swear by the Motorola XTNiD.

One thing to note though is with radios you're buying a real product which is doing what it was really intended for, a clone of something is going to fall below the standard that you require in most cases, as will cheap option. You wouldn't buy a cheap pair of boots to protect your feet and ankes, you can't expect a cheapo radio to allow effective communication in any but the most ideal of conditions. The exception to that being the most basic components; e.g. speakers and microphones. A clone headset combined with the appropriate PTT will work 90% of the time.

http://www.twoway-radio.co.uk/personal <--- stacks of good deals there, I wouldn't consider anything under £50 for a pair though and would recommend looking in the bottom half of the page at the least.
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you sir are a wealth of knowledge... almost like a wizard

 
You can also get a variety of headsets to go with the XTN446. If you dig around a bit in the forum, there was another thread with extensive insight into radio's and comms. It had plenty of links in it too.

 
jcheeseright said:
Id recommend steering clear of Cobra radios, they're not the best quality by a long stretch.
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Not to mention really fussy on headsets. Definitely steer clear.

If you can't afford Motorola XTN, look out for the Motorola XTR - they are a budget version but still superior to most other PMR446 radios out there, plus you'll get 2 for the price of a single XTN.

 
I will be selling a single XTR446 w/charger and rechargeable battery pack soon (from early next week some time). It is used but fully working and in pretty good condition - all the buttons have their decals on, the screen works perfectly, no dirt packed into any openings, etc. The only mark is a slight scratch on the screen, but it doesn't interfere with reading it. PM me if you're interested.

 
Oh, the only reason I'm selling it is because I had to buy a pair to get one for myself quickly and I'm in the process of acquiring another charger cradle...

 
Im sure this is not legale but a few of the lads at dragons lair had some licenced radios off ebay for 30-40 quid seemed quite good and where talking with me on my midlands just fine

 
Licenced radios are available, you can buy a licence as a club and Freq's from Ofcom however there are rules and regs to follow. No swearing, correct coms procedures, using over, or, out correctly etc ( please note "over and out" as used in many tv and films is WRONG!!), identifying yourself and who you want to talk to. You can get into a lot of trouble for not using them appropriately or using the licenced radios and non PMR446 freqs. Eg going onto marine channels on a non licenced land station is a big no no.

For your airsoft needs in most situations a PMR446 radio on the licence free power settings should be adequate. Motorola is probably the most widely used, but all PMR446 radios should work with each other no problems. On the PMR446 radios under 500mw you can communicate with the 5W ones however as they have lots more power they drown everything else out if the mic is open.

 
I thought ham radio licences where free any way i want to make the switch away from my questionably modded midlands.

 
chris555 said:
I thought ham radio licences where free any way i want to make the switch away from my questionably modded midlands.
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Unfortunately the licenses are not free, but they are legally allowed to be owned by private citizens. I think the ham licenses are about £80 a year.

 
without taking exams and gaining a ham licence, I believe the only two legal options really available to airsofters are either using PMR446 or buying a PBR licence. The latter is really designed for a site and is usually restricted to a specific location.

Most people use comms to talk to other players in their team and PMR446 is fine for that as you are not normally that far apart.

If I ran a site, I would definitely consider PBR.

 
unless you're part of a regular team who are all going to invest in non-PMR446 radios there's no point getting anything else. A radio that can't talk to anyone else is kinda useless and 99% of airsofters use PMR446 because they're legal, attainable and universally compatible with all other PMR446 radios.

 
The main problem which screws PMR446 is terrain, but as has been noted, team members are usually close together (in relative geographical terms), which means that the only terrain which will shut you down completely is undulating ground and/or large solid walls - which also screw PBR.

 
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