 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
A newbie to Snowheads, 47 and only just about to go on my 4th ski holiday, late starter which I regret but loving it in equal measure!
My better half and I are at different levels when taking lessons and despite planning to meet up for lunch where poss. and after lessons, we struggle to find each other. It has reached the point where she is saying she may not come next year (we are part of a large group) as she is not seeing much of me. Dangerous position so I want to sort it and last year I saw some with walkie talkies, they were sailors who had some 'proper gear' I was told.
Have looked on here and elsewhere and it seems if you want a 'proper one' you need to get one and then mod it (e.g. Intek MT5050) but I am no great shakes with a soldering iron.
Posts on these things are old, so what is the present day thinking and is there one out there which you can buy over the counter and will do a damn good job, subject to us being on other side of mountain?
Off to the Milky Way btw in January.
Hope you can help,
Cheers, Mark
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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To be honest it takes an awful lot of "hello, where are you?" phone calls before you've spent more than a walkie talkie.
And that was before the EU took action on roaming charges.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Welcome to Snowheads!
There was a fairly recent thread on here about walkie-talkies that is worth searching for. My personal view is that you are far better off with a mobile phone. I'm sure you will carry one anyway. WT's tend not to work on different sides of the mountain. They are yet another bit of kit to learn, charge, and lug around with you. I know that's not the answer you wanted and won't satisfy the 'kit itch' but if I were you, spend the money on private lessons for the two of you together or a new ski jacket for the wife 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Tend to agree with foxtrotzulu, unless you spend a lot of time skiing far enough apart to require a radio, just use a mobile phone. The reception will be clearer, and I guess you've got one already.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I have a couple of Motorola PMR radios which work fine in a short range, but if you have a peak between you, or you're more than a mile apart in the mountains they are all but useless. I tend to use them only when skiing in a group, with one with the leader and one with the back-marker.
The comments about phones are valid, the cost of a few calls is far cheaper than the price of a radio, but that is assuming you can get a signal. Granted, most resorts I've been to that's not a problem, but it would be a real pain in the ass if you eschewed buying a radio in favour of a phone only to find out that there's no, or a poor signal.
Another thing to consider is battery life. For the radio to be useful while skiing it really needs to be clipped onto a rucksack strap or something otherwise it's quite possible you won't hear it through layers of jacket and whatnot. However, doing that also really kills the battery life as they don't like being cold. The alternative is to get a radio that supports a headset, which aren't uncommon, but then you do risk looking like a bit of a plank with a mic boom or throat mic on. Less obvious when wearing a helmet but still obvious.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 31-10-13 15:46; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Anybody tried one of those fancy throat mic thingies?
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Anybody tried one of those fancy throat mic thingies?
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Yes, not very successful - quite muffled. Now use noise cancelling, helmet mounted boom mics. Great for talking on the move, coordinating filming and powder hunting.
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subject to us being on other side of mountain?
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if you mean "despite our being on different sides of the mountain", they won't work. Line of sight only. We usually use mobile phones, sticking to texts as much as possible.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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If we stay with perfectly legal sort of advices, then yes line of sight, not much garbage on frequencies and stuff like this are required. If being a bit less legal doesn't bother you, then there's few options, where line of sight is not required. And considering you probably won't be chatting on radios all day long, I wouldn't worry about this legal part too much 
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A quick text to say which hut/lift you will be at and when works for me with meeting up with friends. Much easier in the digital age.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Motorola T7 very good and I use the PTT throat microphone
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then ski on one leg. Or backwards. Or backwards on one leg.
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You know it makes sense.
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I've found areas of no signal several times with cellphones, hence I now carry walkie talkies when out.
Its more a safety feature than anything else, has helped locate missing party members (me) on occasion..
As always battey life is to be watched, recharge each evening and they tend to last all day.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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The more I think about it, if the overiding goal is to keep the wife happy then forget the WT and throw money at private (joint) lessons, gruesome twosome lunches, and new ski clothes for her.
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