Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
General => Gear Questions, Information, Reviews and Competitions => Topic started by: KyleL on March 03, 2013
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Do many people carry a two way radio when out hiking, for example, the Mournes?
How likley am I to communicate with someone on a summers evening with a random call from the top of a mountain?
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I used to, but haven't do so lately, occasionally you can here someone, probably climbers.
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http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1320.msg12182#msg12182
You'll like that thread: we've our own Chanel and everything!
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I have the Binatone Action 1000's and always take it with me.
I used to have 2 but went for a dander in the snow about a month back and lost one somewhere up the Glen River route >:(
Always have it turned on / scanning but have yet to pick anyone up.
I once spoke to the wife on it. She was on the dundrum road at the barbican petrol station and I was at the saddle between Donard and Commedagh so line of sight range can be pretty good.
Got them at Argos - second time I went there. The first time I went (Downpatrick) the description was for the 1000's but the box they gave me was 950's. Next time I was in Belfast I called in to argos and got the 1000's.
I like them..
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We used to use them quite a bit. The suffer badly from line of sight but over shorter distances they're pretty cool. Think the furthest we made it was form Hares Gap to Donard. They're certainly useful to help meeting up in more out of the way places and more reliable than mobile phones.
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Ah very good, thanks for the topic link - that's great.
Will maybe invest in a couple when I find some cash lying about.
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Do many people carry a two way radio when out hiking, for example, the Mournes?
How likley am I to communicate with someone on a summers evening with a random call from the top of a mountain?
Always. The amount of solo stuff I do in the Mournes it's only a matter of time before I fall on my head, and anything that increases the odds of making contact is worth a couple of quid. Also very handy for linking up with the Mrs the morning after my overnight.
There are a fair number of people using them, I stick mine on scan and see what I pick up, sometimes climbers giving instructions with the other folks on the same multi-pitch climb, kids in the annalong/donard woods messing around, motorbike instructors talking during a lesson and a lot of farmers use them....oh yea, and I once heard a couple of fellas hunting foxes with dogs out the back of newcastle.
But as RL says it's really only line of sight, and the weather will screw with them as well. So if you get a set go to channel 1 (so many people never change the default channel) and say you are doing a radio check (just so they don't think it's an emergency), that you are on top of X and is anyone receiving?
There are even some folks who head for the hills on the 8th of each month bat 8pm to see who they can hear: link (http://www.transmission1.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=19683)
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I'm a licensed radio ham, and my 2m handheld will also transcieve on Marine channel 16,so in the Mournes I consider it an insurance policy. I'm not licensed to transmit in that band but in an emergency I think the CG/MR would find it better if I was using a signal they could use their direction finding equipment on rather than a dodgy mobile signal.
If in a group, we'll always have PMR446 radios with us for when we're in camp and someone goes to find firewood or something.
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Reviving an old thread here....... just wondering if anyone still uses these radios when out and about, especially in the Mournes. Im out in the Mournes a lot of Sundays, and should also get the odd weekend overnighter during the summer (if it stops raining). I have started taking a radio but haven't really heard much activity.
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I don't take them unless I know someone else is bringing one too. In an emergency I'm not sure that a normal walkie talkie would generally raise anyone randomly who just happened to have one on.
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Never bother with them myself, as per RedLeader unless your in a group then I can't see much point. Unless you shell out some pennies most of them are far to short range and tight banded to be of much use unless you had someone scanning the band for you cries of help. If your in a group of say 4> then sure I can see why having two radios could be a handy thing, but for the most part I just go with a phone as there is almost nowhere in the general north area where you won't get at least the emergency signal.
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Sort of thought that might be the answer :-) I would think the chances of getting anyone on them in an emergency is very slim. Was sort of hoping people might have fired them up just to see if anyone about.... would be interesting if you guys left them on (on channel 6 or whatever channel was mentioned in this old post) when doing overnighters just in case any other NI wilders were out and about and gave a shout out. Not to have a long chat like - just be interesting to find out someone on a different hill or whatever :-)