best 2 way radio?

[ukBOB]

So many to choose from

What are "the best" 2 way radios. Willing to spend up to £150 or so, only need 2, no license requirements.

Seen a naff £15 for the pair set at dixons, but suspect there must be something far better, more features, longer range etc than the argos offerings.

[KITT]

I asked the same question earlier this week here:

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=141&h=0&t=143123

Went for the T5522's in the end and they've just arrived today so haven't had a chance to use them yet.

[Raify]

Motorola Talkabouts, best by miles. Do a google search for the same, and a web site called Smye-Rumsby is one of the first results. They've got an offer on at £60 for the pair.

[GreigM]

I got these for £45 the other day on BTs advent offers, seem reasonable:
www.shop.bt.com/bin/venda?ex=co_disp-view&invt=ccg109&bsref=btshop

[KITT]

Raify said:

Motorola Talkabouts, best by miles. Do a google search for the same, and a web site called Smye-Rumsby is one of the first results. They've got an offer on at £60 for the pair.

The very company I ordered from. Bare in mind that price is +VAT so they're actually £70 but does include free next day courier delivery

[mybrainhurts]

Raify said:

Motorola Talkabouts, best by miles. Do a google search for the same, and a web site called Smye-Rumsby is one of the first results. They've got an offer on at £60 for the pair.

Motorola has a finger in speed cameras. Don't you dare support them........grrr

[Mr E]

Raify said:

Motorola Talkabouts, best by miles. Do a google search for the same, and a web site called Smye-Rumsby is one of the first results. They've got an offer on at £60 for the pair.

I went to school with Smye-Rumsby junior you know.

[Raify]

mybrainhurts said:

Raify said: Motorola Talkabouts, best by miles. Do a google search for the same, and a web site called Smye-Rumsby is one of the first results. They've got an offer on at £60 for the pair. Motorola has a finger in speed cameras. Don't you dare support them........grrr

A finger eh? I didn't know that. But do you really think that not buying a pair of walkie talkies will make them re-think their whole investment strategy? if that's what 'finger' meant

Besides, the problem is not the companies that make speed cameras, but the government that uses them.

[roop]

All PMR446 radios are restricted to a maximum of 500mW ERP (actual radiated transmission power). Because of this the range is near-as-damn it identical on all. I have 5 pairs of PMR 446 radios, all different brands, some expensive, some cheap, and the performance is almost identical. On a single unit costing £200 vs a pair costing £25 all you'll get is slightly better audio, better quality case and probably a drop-in charger.

If you really want the best, buy Icom, Yaesu (Vertex Standard) or Kenwood and forget the rest. Make sure you get one with the 38 CTSS subcodes.

I can't fault the £25 a pair Telcom jobs I got from Dixons, for the occasional user they are near as doesn't matter as good as my Icoms costing an order of magnitude more.

>> Edited by roop on Friday 17th December 17:54

[ukBOB]

im willing to spend up to £200 for a pair, found a company who will chip a .5 watt and take it up to 5 watt... the radio is too big though, and Im the only one who would be able to transmit that far.

Anyone know of a 5km (as opposed to 3) radio which is chipped or chipable but license free, and small/compact with loads of features?

[dontlift]

Motorola TK3101's if you hunt around and ebay etc you should be able to get a couple of second hand ones for around 200 quid

[roop]

The only licence free PMR service in the UK is PMR446 which has a max EIRP of 500mW. Different manufacturers quote different range and most are a bit close-to-the-wind, but they will all be as good as identical. Range is entirely dependent on the envoronment you are operating the radios in. I've had a perfectly legible conversation over a 15km line-of-sight link using standard PMR 446 radios.

In the US, FRS radios are available with different EIRP (500mW and 2W). Unfortunately FRS radios aren't legal to operate in the UK or Europe.

Modification of PMR446 radios to increase EIRP (radiated power, thus range) immediately renders the unit illegal to operate.

If you want to up output, take an amateur radio exam (easy peasy) and get yourself a 2m handheld, many of which will poke out a healthy 5W EIRP on 144-148MHz.

Roop

ukBOB said:

Anyone know of a 5km (as opposed to 3) radio which is chipped or chipable but license free, and small/compact with loads of features?

[ukBOB]

www.maximonsolutions.com/walkietalkie.html
Was speaking to them over the phone...

Their radios are all .5 watts and 446 compatible, but broken down into two types
1) £40-£100 private and
2) £120-£160 business use

The private ones are a claimed 3km and all the business ones a claimed 5km.

The only thing holding me back from the business radios, is the larger size.

I dont want to regret not buying a radio with slightly better speakers, mic, sound, range... but dont want to be lumbered with something too big either.

I'll be keeping them for donkeys years, so money aside, which would you go for (check the site) the business or personal ones?

[roop]

Have a look at these reviews Rob :

www.446user.co.uk/review_index_all.html

[ukBOB]

roop said:

Have a look at these reviews Rob : www.446user.co.uk/review_index_all.html

Cheers Roop

I ended up picking up the 5522s from Argos this evening