I need Info on Handheld Radio's

I'm looking into buying a set of the hand held walkie talkies,like the Corbra's or Motorola or what ever.
what brands are you Guys(and Gals) using. what kind of features to look for.
I think they offer 2 different ranges i.e. a 2 mile and a believe a 5 mile range unit.
any help would be great Thanks.......Os

I've got a couple Motorola's that I picked up at an Office Depot clearance awhile back that sport a 2 mile range, 14 channels, and a digital tuner. Keep in mind that the 2 mile range is normally good if you are out in a field somewhere with 0 line-of-sight obstructions.

While I have not used them in the wild, I have heard that I wouldn't use them in hunting-type situations unless again there's no obstacles between the two parties.

Crosstalk can be a pain sometimes too, in which case you just tell the person to switch to channel X just as you would on a regular CB radio.

I have both the Cobra 2 channel cheapies ($30 a pair) and a Motorola talkabout 250. Both can use the same headsets, but the funny thing is that the Cobra has better range, at least mine do. They both operate at better than 2 miles by line of sight (3.5 miles in one instance by gps). I use them when hunting coyotes with a partner who is about 100 yds away. Also used them quite successfully chasing elk, and we had good reception at distances up to 1/2 mile in the timber. The Cobras have one annoying feature which is an end of transmission beep that you can't turn off, so if you use those for hunting, get an earpiece. The Motorola 250 can be had at a good discount now, as it is an older model, and it has the subchannels that help to eliminate cross-talk. Scan feature on the Motorola is a nice thing to have as well so you can eavesdrop on what the other guys are doing if you want to get nosey. It helped us to head some elk off at the pass once, but unfortunately there were only spikes and cows.

Hope this helps,

Andy

p.s. The Motorola uses AA batteries, which can be a big savings as costco has 48 packs for cheap. Then you only have to carry one type of battery for GPS, radio, and emergency flashlights.

[ 07-18-2001: Message edited by: Dogfish ]

Hey Os,
Check out Costco in Tumwater.
I just bought a couple Motorola T6210's for $60 each. They have a two mile range, multiple channels and codes. It also has a voice scramble feature so others can't interpret your transmissions.

Most radios with over a two mile distance will require an FCC license.

Gotta agree with Dogfish on this one. The Motorola's have a greater than 2 mile range when it's line of site. Being in the timber doesn't drastically affect them either, as long as your not trying to talk through a hill. They work great for talking to buddies in other boats, and for hunting they are also very useful. Get an earpiece, though......

I used the motorola 250's this spring down at the wind river troll fishery.While I was trolling mag warts,my partner was back at camp which was at another buddies house up in carson off of high bridge road.The distance between the two spots was probly only two miles but then he was up higher then
me.The 250's worked great with good reception
we also used them on the nooch this past winter,I was about one mile down stream from the cross over bridge and my partner was about half way between white bridge and the cross over.The reception was great.Both times
they were my partners radios,I plan on buying
two for myself.They work great for hole hopping rivers with a nother boat or in your case a CAT!!!!!.P.S. Why do you and hey yall
need radios on the rivers,I thought that you could hear the squieeling noise for miles.
Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

Hey Os ~~ Where do you plan on using them?????? I sell a handheld two-way system that I can talk from Medford to Seattle to Spokane and so on.

If you buy the Motorola 250, you can get them on the Walmart website for 39.95 and go to the Motorola website and you can print out a $15 dollar rebate form, so they wind up costing you 24.95! You won't beat that price at Costco or Cabellas. I just did it about 2 weeks ago and you get your radios delivered in about 5 days. For the price, the 250's are the way to go.

Tight lines!!

Thanks for the responses.

For years I've used a regular 40 channel handheld during Hunting season,but I don't like the ease dropping feature We've lost Elk to Yahoos before....find you're own *&#@*&^ Elk

Strike Zone:the reason I want Redneck to have one is so I don't have to look at him for 1# and for 2# I can always turn off the Damn thing when he starts plying his Banjo

Fish'n Mag :we already use Nextel's here at work they work great from Blaine to Eugene and Spokane...along the I-5 corridor thats it!

I diffently want the headsets too. .....Os

[ 07-23-2001: Message edited by: Osprey ]

hey Os


ya gotta check out my radios. we all have our own and they are awsome for hunting and fishing. we have the ear thing and we can shoot our bow with them and it don't get in the way. I have the cherokee. they are the only ones that I could find that are water proof. the rest were only resistant. and as you know if the water can harm them then Murphy will make sure they get lots of it. Mine is the FR-465wp model. I will show you the next time I see you. I always have it in my truck. it has lots of options. It is a 2 mile radio but normally we don't have trouble with that. the 5 mile might be nice but they are bigger and the batteries don't last as long. one more thing don't go with the re-chargeable. every time you charge them you get a little less time untill they are shot. kinda like yer cell phone batteries.
call me and I'll be happy to tell ya more.


dc

Osprey, Your still gonna get the yahoos on the Motorola radios, and there is more of them every year. Had three different hunting parties running three different bunches of Elk at the same time and on the same channel last year. I also had a problem with picking up interference. At one time last year I was supposed to be directed into a herd that was bedded down and all I could pick up was Tacoma Fire Dept and static beacuse of the power lines I was under. Other than that I like them..

Os,
Chech out the, motorola radius P1225

mine have several side bans for each of the 14 channels. their is 400 plus optional channels. you won't have a problem!


dc

Fitter let me know when you can stop by or we can hook up,
I suppose we'll have to change you're moniker to DCRZCATTER thanks again for the ideas "gentelmen" ......Os

I think I like that!!!!! DCRZCATTER, ya that sounds great. now if that dude would just buy the truck that he said he was going to be back for in a week. that was 3 weeks ago!! I am so close to gettting my cat I can taste it!!!!! ya I will stop in and say howdy. I stopped in and looked around the fishing hole below you. the water is low but I figure it won't be long and they will be in.


later,


dc