syotos
New Member
syotos = see you on the other side
Posts: 64
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Post by syotos on Jul 4, 2012 1:02:44 GMT -5
What do you use and why?
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Post by Crapshoot on Jul 4, 2012 8:06:03 GMT -5
Motorola Talkabouts because they are relatively cheap and they work well.
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Post by Tank on Jul 4, 2012 9:08:12 GMT -5
iCOM IC-F4011. I used Motorola talkabouts in the past, but when I decided to go to OP Northern Light III i decided to take the plunge into more serious radio gear. At this event, the only way you were going to get communication from one end of the AO to the other was with a higher powered radio. The iCOM radios can broadcast at 4 Watts. In comparison, a talkabout is around 1 to 1.5 Watt.
We had also tried business class Motorola radios (GP68), but were not impressed. With the iCOM radios we have actually gotten 3 miles range, in the city, with one of the guys in a car. I honestly can't find a single thing wrong with these radios.
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Post by Da Vinci - Да Винчи on Jul 4, 2012 9:47:56 GMT -5
Motorola Talkabouts because they're cheap, and work comparatively well. I'd love to get an iCOM, but then again I'd love to get a Tokyo Marui blowback AEG or Daytonagun. For now, I don't need any of those, my Talkabout and KWA do fine. For most of the games a handheld radio or "walkie-talkie" should get by just fine, but as Tank said for larger OPs you'd need a higher wattage radio.
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Post by Tank on Jul 4, 2012 9:51:02 GMT -5
A talkabout can get you through any normal game that your going to encounter in Michigan. If you plan to attend a OPLCMSS game you will likely want to step it up.
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syotos
New Member
syotos = see you on the other side
Posts: 64
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Radios!
Jul 5, 2012 20:22:57 GMT -5
Post by syotos on Jul 5, 2012 20:22:57 GMT -5
iCOM IC-F4011. I used Motorola talkabouts in the past, but when I decided to go to OP Northern Light III i decided to take the plunge into more serious radio gear. At this event, the only way you were going to get communication from one end of the AO to the other was with a higher powered radio. The iCOM radios can broadcast at 4 Watts. In comparison, a talkabout is around 1 to 1.5 Watt. We had also tried business class Motorola radios (GP68), but were not impressed. With the iCOM radios we have actually gotten 3 miles range, in the city, with one of the guys in a car. I honestly can't find a single thing wrong with these radios. What iCom do you have, i want to go to OP. irene, everything i see is for people in aviation.
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Radios!
Jul 5, 2012 20:31:35 GMT -5
Post by X on Jul 5, 2012 20:31:35 GMT -5
Question: iCOM IC-F4011. I used Motorola talkabouts in the past, but when I decided to go to OP Northern Light III i decided to take the plunge into more serious radio gear. At this event, the only way you were going to get communication from one end of the AO to the other was with a higher powered radio. The iCOM radios can broadcast at 4 Watts. In comparison, a talkabout is around 1 to 1.5 Watt. We had also tried business class Motorola radios (GP68), but were not impressed. With the iCOM radios we have actually gotten 3 miles range, in the city, with one of the guys in a car. I honestly can't find a single thing wrong with these radios. What iCom do you have, i want to go to OP. irene, everything i see is for people in aviation. Answer: iCOM IC-F4011. I used Motorola talkabouts in the past, but when I decided to go to OP Northern Light III i decided to take the plunge into more serious radio gear. At this event, the only way you were going to get communication from one end of the AO to the other was with a higher powered radio. The iCOM radios can broadcast at 4 Watts. In comparison, a talkabout is around 1 to 1.5 Watt. We had also tried business class Motorola radios (GP68), but were not impressed. With the iCOM radios we have actually gotten 3 miles range, in the city, with one of the guys in a car. I honestly can't find a single thing wrong with these radios. You quoted the answer ;D You can also check out another thread floating around this section where I posted a bunch of info on this radio. I would totally recommend the 4011s for Irene. They worked great for NL3.
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Radios!
Jul 5, 2012 20:54:19 GMT -5
Post by sargottel on Jul 5, 2012 20:54:19 GMT -5
My talkabouts are a decade old and still kicking.
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Post by Knief on Jul 6, 2012 7:16:21 GMT -5
What iCom do you have, i want to go to OP. irene, everything i see is for people in aviation. syotos, Please find your shift key before you post again.
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syotos
New Member
syotos = see you on the other side
Posts: 64
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Radios!
Jul 6, 2012 18:16:34 GMT -5
Post by syotos on Jul 6, 2012 18:16:34 GMT -5
X you were very right, I did't catch that and Knief thank you for pointing that out. Thanks all!
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ctres
New Member
Posts: 955
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Radios!
Jul 7, 2012 20:41:43 GMT -5
Post by ctres on Jul 7, 2012 20:41:43 GMT -5
iCOM IC-F4011. I used Motorola talkabouts in the past, but when I decided to go to OP Northern Light III i decided to take the plunge into more serious radio gear. At this event, the only way you were going to get communication from one end of the AO to the other was with a higher powered radio. The iCOM radios can broadcast at 4 Watts. In comparison, a talkabout is around 1 to 1.5 Watt. We had also tried business class Motorola radios (GP68), but were not impressed. With the iCOM radios we have actually gotten 3 miles range, in the city, with one of the guys in a car. I honestly can't find a single thing wrong with these radios. Can you comment on why you don't like the gp68? I have been considering one and I like the ability to program in the field. The gp68 is cheap and powerful so I would think it gets good range, and from the little bit of research I have done it sound like the reviews are mostly positive. I also happen to need something that can fit in an mbitr shell.
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Post by X on Jul 8, 2012 1:06:05 GMT -5
One word. Wideband. Not compatible with 95% of other radios on the field. Also most are from China and are total junk on the inside. Tank and I had to do a lot of work to get them to a reliable state. There was some very sketchy shit going on inside. If I had to guess, I think they were getting broken units and hacking them back together into a usable state then selling them as 95% new / refurbished. If you pay like $300-$400 for a new model then they're probably ok, but they're still going to be wideband.
They might be good if you want private comms for a small team but that's it.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using ProBoards
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Post by Tank on Jul 8, 2012 8:10:46 GMT -5
I will also add that they don't have the range that the iCOM radios have either. The GP68 range is barely better than the Motorola Talkabouts.
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ctres
New Member
Posts: 955
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Radios!
Jul 8, 2012 13:13:14 GMT -5
Post by ctres on Jul 8, 2012 13:13:14 GMT -5
Okay, thanks for filling me in, I guess I'll look at other options.
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Radios!
Jul 11, 2012 8:10:14 GMT -5
Post by Overkill on Jul 11, 2012 8:10:14 GMT -5
The GP68 (if what I'm seeing internet wise is correct) also requires a HAM license. I don't remember if you need the license for the radio or if you are using certain frequency bands, but once you start messing around with other frequencies outside of the typical "walkie talkie" you become a much larger target by the FCC.
Basically this thing is overkill for most Michigan games.
Also, I would like to point out that this thing can get FAR greater range than any Motorola talk-about. It has removable and replaceable antennas, and can also benefit from the simple addition of a tiger tail, greatly extending the effective range.
As a possible choice other than a Motorola Talk-about, Midland offers some great radios that are very similar in functionality, design, and specification. They are also very similar in price. I would recommend looking into midland radios on amazon. I picked up a few sets for about $40 each (for 2 radios) and they have GMRS, selectable power, all the bells and whistles you will need, and they are also waterproof!
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