walkie-talkie

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 2:05 pm

Did anyone try walkie-talkie in BRC?
How well did it work?

mikesieben · Post by **mikesieben** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 2:10 pm

It didnt work out very well.

Although I did have walkie phone sex with some chick.

I should mention I am as gay as it gets.

Samsa Bee · Post by **Samsa Bee** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 2:24 pm

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 2:24 pm

:)
What brand did you use?
What exactly was the problem? Bad reception or something else?

mikesieben · Post by **mikesieben** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 2:30 pm

Johnnie wrote::)
What brand did you use?
What exactly was the problem? Bad reception or something else?

Motorola.

We only got reception for about a mile at most, and there was chatter on basically every channel.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 4:22 pm

What type of walkie talkie?
A mile sounds pretty good if there is a lot of interference.

DoriumLux · Post by **DoriumLux** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 4:39 pm

I used one with a twenty-five mile range. It worked just fine.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 5:45 pm

DoriumLux,
What brand / model did you use?

DoriumLux · Post by **DoriumLux** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:32 pm

They were Cobra. Not sure of the model but I think it was the Cobra LI-6700-2WXVP.

The CO · Post by **The CO** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 1:50 pm

Find one with variable power settings (Cobra makes a couple models) and use "high". We were talking to arrivals at gate from 3:00 plaza. And don't bother with one that does not have sub channels. Several recent models also have GMRS frequencies, which almost nobody on playa is using.

mikesieben · Post by **mikesieben** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:34 am

Motorola 25 mile T9580R SAME Two-Way FRS/GMRS Radio

it has subchannels too.

we didnt try too many though, maybe next year.

hookahdude · Post by **hookahdude** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 9:06 pm

It has been three years since this thread was touched which means three years worth or tech advances - hoping to find updated or more recent information.

I am bringing my 16 year old son this year and I want to get a pair or trio of walkies as a just in case type of safeguard. While he is fairly responsible, I am not an idiot...

I am not looking for CHEAP, but I am also not looking to invest in a set of Motorolas.

Any advice would be appreciated - what works for you?

Lassen Forge · Post by **Lassen Forge** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 9:33 pm

Get your Technician Amateur Radio tickets, and get a pair of Yaesu tri (or quad) banders, 5-7 watt range. Used mine for years out there, would never go back to a FRS/GMRS rig... preset your channels, and you can stay in touch easy peasy. I think mine cost something like $279... and you can find them used on occasion.

chris2010 · Post by **chris2010** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 11:11 pm

I had my Cobra with me, I actually met a few people, and found a few places to go using it....

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 3:04 am

Hand held CB radios work quite well also, NOBODY hardly at all is using those out there.

lonestoner916 · Post by **lonestoner916** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 3:20 am

oneeyeddick wrote:Hand held CB radios work quite well also, NOBODY hardly at all is using those out there.

So true! You are way better off going the CB route if you can, otherwise you're facing shoddy reception and getting "stepped on" by emergency services, LEO's, and PG&E...

JStep · Post by **JStep** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 11:39 am

Anyone got any idea of range? I see 4 watt and 7 watt, etc but no idea what the difference is and over what distance I can use them.

hookahdude · Post by **hookahdude** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 12:43 pm

Nice! I have a unit I can toss into my car to use as a base and I know excatly where to get a pair of 3 watt cb handhelds!

dinks · Post by **dinks** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 2:27 pm

Bay Bridge Sue wrote:Get your Technician Amateur Radio tickets, and get a pair of Yaesu tri (or quad) banders, 5-7 watt range. Used mine for years out there, would never go back to a FRS/GMRS rig... preset your channels, and you can stay in touch easy peasy. I think mine cost something like $279... and you can find them used on occasion.

I will 2nd this. But you can find much cheaper handheld radios from off brands for 100 or less that have gotten pretty good reviews.

A CB would be my last choice, FRS/GMRS would be my second choice.

MrMullen · Post by **MrMullen** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 3:12 pm

As stated, been a few years since we touched this subject, so here we go....

There are 51K people out there and a good chunk of them have the same bright idea as you. So that means the freq's are going to be crowded and really crowded on Friday and Saturday. I would get some that have sub-channels (Not really sub-channels, but we'll use that term) so you don't have to listen to other people, of course, they can listen to your conversations. If you can, use CB's (Only Properly) or HAM (Only Properly).

Only get radios you are willing to part with quickly. The Playa is harsh and most of the electronics we pay for are junk. So, junk + Playa = dead junk . Quickly. If these things last all Burningman, make sure to clean them as best you can, remove the batteries and store them for another year.

Only get radios that are 25 miles+. Radios that go "5 miles" or "10 miles" really only go that far under perfect conditions. The Playa ain't the perfect place for radios. 25 Mile radios should make it across the Playa on a clear day and maybe during a dust storm.

Like I said, there are ton of people that want to do the same thing as you. There will be a lot of people talking at some times, and you need to work things out with them so you don't step all over each other. You know, introduce yourself to your neighbors on the Playa and on the Radios.

Risky · Post by **Risky** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 7:33 pm

dinks wrote:
Bay Bridge Sue wrote:Get your Technician Amateur Radio tickets, and get a pair of Yaesu tri (or quad) banders, 5-7 watt range. Used mine for years out there, would never go back to a FRS/GMRS rig... preset your channels, and you can stay in touch easy peasy. I think mine cost something like $279... and you can find them used on occasion.
I will 2nd this. But you can find much cheaper handheld radios from off brands for 100 or less that have gotten pretty good reviews.

A CB would be my last choice, FRS/GMRS would be my second choice.

I will 3rd this.
http://cq-blackrock.org/

teardropper · Post by **teardropper** » Wed May 04, 2011 10:46 pm

I bring them, just never use them.

I forget. And nothing seems that important.

HandJamMasterC · Post by **HandJamMasterC** » Wed May 11, 2011 10:00 am

We use Motorola Talkabout FRS radios for members of our camp to find us coming in ( and for rock climbing ). You have to get the models with subchannels - try climbing a big wall using them in Yosemite without subchannels - too many idiots and 10 year olds. They work fine, but do have a limited range.

grogling · Post by **grogling** » Mon Jun 27, 2011 1:24 pm

Hey everyone...

1. For FRS (family radio service... talkabouts are the same thing), doesn't matter what brand, model, price you pay for them. They ALL only transmit with 0.5 watts of power on the 14 channels. You can completely ignore any of the claims of "22, 25, 40 gazilliion miles" range. It's all marketing crap, and none of the radios can transmit any farther than another brand.

2. The radios that include "extra channels" up to 22-23 or more which give you 2 or more watts of power on those channels (which put them in the GMRS radio band) don't really bother telling you that the "extra" channels require a license to use. Yes, it's illegal to talk on the extra channels. The only unlicensed channels are 1-14 on those radios.

3. "sub-channels" is a misnomer. There are only 14 channels, period. When you set your radio to channel 3, sub-channel 15, you're still talking on channel 3. The code doesn't "eliminate" interference from other stations. The guy down the street from you that's talking on channel 3 code 20 is still on channel 3... the same channel 3 you're using. Not being able to hear him doesn't mean he isn't talking, and that you aren't interfering with his conversations as much as he is with yours.

Like BBSue said, getting your ham license or getting MURS radios (like the link I've provided below) are the only way to get any better range or get away from the masses of thousands that are trying to all cram on the same 14 FRS channels.

If CB radios weren't so bulky I'd actually endorse getting one.

-g-

grogling · Post by **grogling** » Mon Jun 27, 2011 1:26 pm

http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... ps-sellers

Big advantage with these... emergency services monitors channel 5, code 11 on MURS radios. Yes, you can call them for help directly without having to run and find a Ranger or to one of the outposts.

-g-

Playa Hater · Post by **Playa Hater** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 6:48 pm

I found it bad for keeping in contact with my people. But good for playing around on and talking to random people seeing as how there is someone on basically every channel. Can be fun for meeting new people.

Playa Hater · Post by **Playa Hater** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 6:49 pm

I found it bad for keeping in contact with my people. But good for playing around on and talking to random people seeing as how there is someone on basically every channel. Can be fun for meeting new people.

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 7:43 am

http://www.uniformswarehouse.com/prosto ... Categories

These are Chinese knockoffs of the Motorola's we use on film sets. I have never used these radios before, but while this place has some cheap prices on gear, everything electronic I have bought from them over the years has been decent quality. Lightbars, PA and siren systems, etc.

FaeTora · Post by **FaeTora** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 8:58 pm

Johnnie wrote:Did anyone try walkie-talkie in BRC?
How well did it work?

We had them for the road trip up and back from there in case we got to a point where cells didn't work, which happens. But then after we arrived thiese people kept looking for this girl and we kept telling them we could hear them.

Its not for while on the playa. beware: others are listening to your.... Verbal advancements.

Post by **trilobyte** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 12:51 am

That's been my experience as well. The newer/fancier walkie talkie tech is great for caravans of vehicles, since you've got a couple miles' range and a wide enough range of frequencies that you can find something that works for everyone without any chatter. But once in BRC, you face a couple problems. In a city of 50,000 within a couple miles, there's enough signal/noise/chatter that it's tough to actually connect with anyone. The other problem is distraction. Leaving them on all the time would burn through batteries, plus who wants to be that guy/girl with the constantly squawking radio - it'll get turned off, and you'll forget about it. But if you're traveling with multiple vehicles, it's definitely worth having just for the drive.

walkie-talkie

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FRS / Talkabout / etc etc...

MURS Radios...

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