Guide to buying your first airsoft radio.

[Alphoria]

I have now removed my guide. This is because the information provided has not been expressed to me as incorrect. Sorry about that.

 

 

Alphoria.

 

((If a Moderator spots this can you please delete this thread))

Edited January 19, 2015 by Alphoria

[DX115FALCON]

Unsure if this should be posted in this forum, feel free to correct me. I do not make any money from any of the radios specified in the guide, this is just my recommendations.

 

Check out my guide to buying your first airsoft radio:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1odSCU2D15_md8irjdoLu63D0iU933IWFnDi2HjIG_Ag/edit?usp=sharing

 

Many Thanks.

 

 

very good guide. I know that a lot of people may not want to click an external link though. Would it not be a better idea to Copy paste it into a forum post?

[Guest PT247]

aye mate, post it on here. Makes those using phones to read the forum lives a bit easier :-)

[Alphoria]

Post Removed.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Alphoria

[Alphoria]

 

 

very good guide. I know that a lot of people may not want to click an external link though. Would it not be a better idea to Copy paste it into a forum post?

Thanks,

 

I feel posting it direct to the forum reduced the quality.

I will be created more and more guides so watch this space!

 

I have posted it directly here though.

 

-Alphoria.

[Guest PT247]

thanks dude, good guide :-)

[Alphoria]

thanks dude, good guide :-)

No problem, will be updating and posting more shortly!

I am quite new so I don't want to post stuff in the wrong forums, so let me know if this sort of stuff belongs elsewhere.

 

Alphoria

[NickM]

Just to ask as you seem to know your stuff with the guide which is a good one.

 

I thought PMR446 rules mean you can use mobile radios up to 0.5W power rating without a licence. Many of the ones you have listed ie all of the Baofengs are well over that, ie between 5W-2W, that puts them at minimum 4 times over what I believed the legal power output to be and therefore requires a licence for their use. I'm happy to be corrected.

 

I use the Baofeng UV5R but on a set of private frequencies, one of our team applied to OFCOM for this set of frequencies. This is the licence that allows us to use the higher power radios. It has some additional requirements, like the use of correct radio procedures, not swearing etc and being economical with time on the airwaves etc, which in my eyes is a good thing as it improves the quality of communications within game. As it happens I also have a personal VHF and UHF radio operators licence which is separate to this.

[Alphoria]

Just to ask as you seem to know your stuff with the guide which is a good one.

 

I thought PMR446 rules mean you can use mobile radios up to 0.5W power rating without a licence. Many of the ones you have listed ie all of the Baofengs are well over that, ie between 5W-2W, that puts them at minimum 4 times over what I believed the legal power output to be and therefore requires a licence for their use. I'm happy to be corrected.

 

I use the Baofeng UV5R but on a set of private frequencies, one of our team applied to OFCOM for this set of frequencies. This is the licence that allows us to use the higher power radios. It has some additional requirements, like the use of correct radio procedures, not swearing etc and being economical with time on the airwaves etc, which in my eyes is a good thing as it improves the quality of communications within game. As it happens I also have a personal VHF and UHF radio operators licence which is separate to this.

If you use the correct programming software you should be able to change your output power... As I mention I have not tested all of these radios myself so if it doesn't allow you to please let me know.

 

Alphoria.

[Alphoria]

If you use the correct programming software you should be able to change your output power... As I mention I have not tested all of these radios myself so if it doesn't allow you to please let me know.

 

Alphoria.

Apologies! You may be correct, after doing a bit of research the lower output power is 1.7watts! I will keep doing research into this.

The Binatones are still Legal.

I will request this guide to be removed because I now see the information to be incorrect.

[NickM]

No worries Alphoria you can keep the guide almost as is as it really is a good one but perhaps it might be worth adding some info. Perhaps you could have a look for other PMR compatible radios to include as well.

 

Some more milsim orientated sites have already applied for the licence and therefore the Baofengs are legal to use at the higher output on their frequencies. Best to check with your regular sites to see if they have the licence, I know of a couple that do as their marshal frequencies due to better coverage, but they do allow customers to use them as well.

 

Alternatively I believe a licence is £75 for 3 years, if you have a team you could apply as a club and you'll be granted a range of freqs. Simply create the team as a club and that becomes the applicant. Share the cost amongst the team. You get about 8 frequencies assigned.

 

Higher power has a massive bonus in that you have a much better range, with the UV5R and an extended antenna the team have had 4 miles. With almost uninterrupted cover even in dense forest or buildings. But if we operated on the PMR frequencies we would end up drowning out much of the other signals.

[Alphoria]

No worries Alphoria you can keep the guide almost as is as it really is a good one but perhaps it might be worth adding some info. Perhaps you could have a look for other PMR compatible radios to include as well.

 

Some more milsim orientated sites have already applied for the licence and therefore the Baofengs are legal to use at the higher output on their frequencies. Best to check with your regular sites to see if they have the licence, I know of a couple that do as their marshal frequencies due to better coverage, but they do allow customers to use them as well.

 

Alternatively I believe a licence is £75 for 3 years, if you have a team you could apply as a club and you'll be granted a range of freqs. Simply create the team as a club and that becomes the applicant. Share the cost amongst the team. You get about 8 frequencies assigned.

 

Higher power has a massive bonus in that you have a much better range, with the UV5R and an extended antenna the team have had 4 miles. With almost uninterrupted cover even in dense forest or buildings. But if we operated on the PMR frequencies we would end up drowning out much of the other signals.

I currently own a business license so I have never had to worry about PMR446, I just assumed the output power could be 5w. After looking it isn't.