OpticsTalk by SWFA, Inc. Homepage SWFA     SampleList.com
Forum Home Forum Home > Hunting, Fishing & General Outdoors > General Hunting
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - two-way radio recommendations
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Visit the SWFA.com site to check out our current specials.

two-way radio recommendations

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
jonoMT View Drop Down
Optics Master Extraordinaire
Optics Master Extraordinaire
Avatar

Joined: November/13/2008
Location: Montana
Status: Offline
Points: 4853
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonoMT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: two-way radio recommendations
    Posted: December/19/2010 at 10:33
Sometimes when hunting with friends, we'll bring some two-way radios to stay in touch. I absolutely have to stress that they're never used to track animals or guide another hunter. We've just used them to provide a "where-you-at" service, as well as when someone has downed an animal and needs help getting it out, and as a potential emergency device. I used to have a decent set of Motorolas but got trout blood all over one and that pretty much killed it. So I replaced those with some from Radioshack.

As we discovered this season, the Radioshack two-ways just weren't very good. I don't expect any radio to transmit very far, but these were far worse than the old Motorolas. I also hate that if you turn them off, you lose your keypad lock. It's far too easy to switch channels. So, as they say, I need to get a pair...something with the cojones to be useful in most situations out to 1-2 miles. For now, I've narrowed it down to the Motorola MR350 and the Midland GXT1000VP. They're about the same price and same advertised (BS) range. Anyone used them or have other recommendations?
Reaction time is a factor...
Back to Top
tahqua View Drop Down
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Avatar
Have You Driven A Ford Lately?

Joined: March/27/2006
Location: Michigan, USA
Status: Offline
Points: 9042
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tahqua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/19/2010 at 10:55
I have the Motorola radios and they are reliable. I mostly use them for ice fishing to catch reports from fellow http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=38. They are great for anytime someone has information to share. I would trust them for emergency use, too.
I have a tale to share. A friend of mine also has the Motorola two-way radios. He was up in a tree stand on his property when a small buck was near by. He forgot his grunt call and called his son who was in another stand. His son started grunting through the radio and the buck actually started coming into my buddies stand. He left his radio on and after a few moments, "Did it work" came over his radio. Needless to say, the buck high tailed it out of there.
Doug
Back to Top
Dale Clifford View Drop Down
Optics Jedi Knight
Optics Jedi Knight


Joined: July/04/2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 5087
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dale Clifford Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/19/2010 at 18:50
Also use motorola fm's for hunting. Emergency use, to warn when other hunters are in the area for safety reasons, unexpected terrain changes. bad weather etc.
I love little league baseball-- it keeps the kids out of the house
Yogi Bera

Back to Top
tman1965 View Drop Down
Optics Master
Optics Master
Avatar

Joined: July/20/2010
Location: South Georgia
Status: Offline
Points: 1456
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tman1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/19/2010 at 19:41
We use motorola's too. we have tested them out to 3 miles and they worked fine.
Back to Top
pyro6999 View Drop Down
Optics Retard
Optics Retard
Avatar
OT TITAN

Joined: December/22/2006
Location: North Dakota
Status: Offline
Points: 22034
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/19/2010 at 20:55
fire dept. uses motorola and we use them at work too. good stff.
They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead"

343 we will never forget

God Bless Chris Ledoux
"good ride cowboy"
Back to Top
jonoMT View Drop Down
Optics Master Extraordinaire
Optics Master Extraordinaire
Avatar

Joined: November/13/2008
Location: Montana
Status: Offline
Points: 4853
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonoMT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/19/2010 at 21:11
Thanks for the responses. I think that's what I'll go back to. The old Motorolas I had were good out to a mile or more inside a windy river canyon and they were earlier (GMRS-enabled) radios with only a max range of 7 miles. The Radioshacks I have, even with fresh alkaline batteries, hardly worked over half a mile in relatively open terrain...granted, no line of sight, but you figure they should be okay for 1/36th of their advertised 18 mile range.

Edited by jonoMT - December/19/2010 at 21:13
Reaction time is a factor...
Back to Top
mike650 View Drop Down
Optics God
Optics God
Avatar

Joined: May/14/2006
Location: West of Rockies
Status: Offline
Points: 14560
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mike650 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/19/2010 at 21:52
Another vote for Motorola!!

For many reasons (most already mentioned) we're on them a lot while hunting. We use the older basic model with no bells or whistles, their compact and work very well. Both mine are like the one's below but in camo and I'll replace 'em with another set of updated Motorola's someday.




You can spend more and get one with GPS like the Garmin Rino which work's well too. My buddy's friend had a serious snow mobile accident and they called for help, gave 911 emergency the GPS coordinates from the Rino, and a chopper was immediately sent out to retrieve him. The guy owes his life to that radio. Below is the one I have.










Edited by mike650 - December/19/2010 at 21:55
“A hunt based only on trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be.” – Fred Bear
Back to Top
supertool73 View Drop Down
Optics God
Optics God
Avatar
Superstool

Joined: January/03/2008
Status: Offline
Points: 11814
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/19/2010 at 21:59
My dad and I use Standard Horizon.  The ones we have are water proof and you can get nice PPT and ear buds with them.  
Lifetime warranty and excellent customer service don't mean a thing when your gun fails during a zombie attack.

"A Liberal is a person who will give away everything they don't own."
Back to Top
lucytuma View Drop Down
Optics Jedi Knight
Optics Jedi Knight
Avatar

Joined: November/25/2007
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline
Points: 5389
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lucytuma Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/20/2010 at 07:58
I've used a few different brands at work and in the field, I really haven't found one to be better than the other.  It would be interesting to find an article where they were actually tested.
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." - Thomas Jefferson
Back to Top
jonoMT View Drop Down
Optics Master Extraordinaire
Optics Master Extraordinaire
Avatar

Joined: November/13/2008
Location: Montana
Status: Offline
Points: 4853
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonoMT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/20/2010 at 10:08
Those ones Mike has pictured are just about the same model I used to have. The GPS/radio combo isn't a bad idea, but I more often carry a GPS than a radio. It's also sometimes the case that a set of radios will have some features that only work with that brand and model. I had a Garmin 60CSx, which is very similar to the Rhino, but sold it and got a Delorme PN-60, which supports background aerial imagery...nice when you hunt in areas with patches of deadfall/new growth or boulder fields to avoid.

RE: Standard Horizon. I thought VHF radios were only legal for nautical use???
Reaction time is a factor...
Back to Top
Rancid Coolaid View Drop Down
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Avatar

Joined: January/19/2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 9318
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rancid Coolaid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/20/2010 at 10:39
Motorolas here too.
Freedom is something you take.
Respect is something you earn.
Equality is something you whine about not being given.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.01
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.258 seconds.