Walkie Talkies

[Paul Arden]

Hi many here use VHF radio to communicate while fishing? I’m buying a few top end radios for my fishing here. Waterproof etc.

Was considering a trade account if others are interested.

Cheers, Paul

[Viking Lars]

I once bought a couple of small radios (cheap ones - 30 quid, I think) which we often use when we're in the floattubes/pontoon boats/kayaks on the coast. We often drift far apart and if one comes into fish, it's an easy way to get hold of each other rather than having to dig out a phone on both ends.

Even small, cheap ones have an amazing range over water :-).

[Paul Arden]

The big problem I have where I fish is that there is often land between communications. When I started looking into things I started to hear about the wattage. Both Ronan and Flavio have left walkie talkies with me, that are 0.5W. Put some land between them and they don’t work.

I’ve been looking and talking with these guys https://icomuk.co.uk/IC-M73EURO/Handhel ... rine-Radio - 6W and it will be interesting to test the difference. Waterproof and floating I think are two musts for me.

This is also interesting and very new technology https://icomuk.co.uk/IC-SAT100-Satellite-PTT but the operating costs are quite high. 65USD/month per machine and 1200USD each outlay. However maybe...

The last thing I want to do is lose someone in the jungle. And a satellite walkie talkie is an interesting proposition. If it could be used as a satellite phone as well, which will eventually happen or so I’ve read, or even better if I could get satellite internet included in the package (even at twice the price or more) then I wouldn’t think twice.

Anyway I’ll start with VHF and consider satellite communication later in the year. The idea that you can have walkie talkie communication with someone anywhere in the world - with a second set - via satellite for 65USD/month (per set) is actually quite amazing.

Cheers, Paul

[Viking Lars]

The walkie-talkies look nice and the satelite-option sounds quite amazing. You must send me one so we can have a chat rather than a type on WhatsApp :-).

I can see wattage is a problem with land in between. I don't even know the wattage of mine, but I've had them communicate just fine over 1,5km distance over water :-).

Lars

[Paul Arden]

If I go the satellite option I’ll just have to put my rates up According to Vince it’s probably the best option anyway.

Cheers, Paul

[carlz]

5w minimum, but you might be able to utilize a repeater on your boat that runs 60 or up to 200w, but you start getting into licensing problems. The bigger problem with running at higher power is the power consumption. Transmitting at 5w eats up batteries.

I got my HAM license for the purpose of back-country communication when I lived in the Rockies. The local radio clubs put up repeaters on the mountain tops, so you could get a signal out with 5w walkie talkie as long as you weren't in a steep canyon and the repeaters had ranges of 50 miles.

I would look at what is easy to operate, available, affordable and not going to raise any concerns with the local authorities. 150mhz is going to work better than 460mhz. The longer wave length helps the signal go over hills.

A big antenna at the base station (and some extra power) will help if you are really worried about losing someone. Those little antenna on the walkie talkies are not very efficient.

[Paul Arden]

Thanks Carlz, I think I'm just going to have to try it. The problem I have where I like is that the lake is a labyrinth. I'll probably start with a couple of the IC-M37s. I could put a larger more powerful base station on the mothership, but as I understand it the communication then might be only one-way, and in the least important direction!

Battery life is not such an issue because the boats have large thruster batteries and there are solar panels as well.

Thanks, Paul