Walky talky's for star parties etc

[rogerg]

Hi all,

If I want to communicate with a person at an event like a star party, where there is no mobile reception but the person is within 1-2km, what's best?

Is this kind of thing what I'm after?
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=DC1027&form=CAT2&SUBCATID=1048#6

I'm concerned about finding myself talking to a trucker or the emergency services if the device involves UHF like above! no familiar with UHF at all.

Are there simple non-UHF proprietary two-piece device kits which would be better suited?

Thanks,
Roger.

[mithrandir]

Roger, with the new 80 channel UHF CB gear you should have no issues finding a free channel. They use standard frequencies so any brand will talk to any other brand.

Just stay from the emergency 5/35 and other "well known" ones like 39 and 40. http://www.uhfcb.com.au/80-Channel-UHF-Information.php

Pick a free "Simplex" channel since you probably won't have a duplex repeater in the area, and that would get you other traffic. You could have an open access channel and let individuals pick their own private channels.

[Shano592]

Those 0.5W receivers are ok, but I think 1-2km will be pushing it a bit. Closer to 6-800m at best ... less for any trees or hills.

I have this exact item at home, and we use them in the cars when convoying up the coast. When we first bought them, we had a similar distance in mind, but they just didn't have the guts.

We have the 3W version of this item that we use when we are in Perth, and it is significantly more powerful. I can routinely get 2km+, through a hill, a grandstand, several buildings, another hill, another grandstand, plus traffic and other radio interference. Our ones look the same as the 0.5W, but on a larger scale.

These also have signal scramblers built in, which is good when you want to keep your conversations private.

Honestly though, I think the 0.5W ones will be just wasting your money. Look to 3W and above, to be 100% covered.

[acropolite]

You may be able to find something with selective calling, my cheapo doro's WT-86 have that. As for power, 0.5 watt should easily go a few kms with line of sight, mine certainly do.

[PeterM]

Cash Converters have stacks of unidens and you can chop them down in price. I bought a 2 watt Uniden to listen to truckies ch40 when travelling to Leyburn. May have saved me more than I spent...flash for cash.

[Barrykgerdes]

For an old UHF Ham like me they are quite useful and very cheap compared to what we used to pay years ago.

We use them at Wiruna and I have set up two base stations there although they have never been used for what they are capable of. I just give the walkie talkies to the kids when they go off exploring. The range varies but it is good mobile to base about 1 km.

Barry

[rogerg]

Excellent, thanks for the replies everyone :thumbsup:

I'm tempted to go for the 2W or maybe even 5W waterproof Jaycar ones (baed on the potential for use in general hiking/camping) but price starts going up, so might check out Cash Converters as Peter suggested. Haven't been in to a Cash Converters since 1990's when once upon a time all I could afford was old 2nd hand lenses from there!

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=DC1049&form=CAT2&SUBCATID=1048#6

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=DC1074&form=CAT2&SUBCATID=1048#6