 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I bought a pair of Motorola walkie-talkies when I started skiing with my son, just in case we got separated. I've used them since when out with friends to try to co-ordinate lunch meets etc. but TBH they're pretty crap. They're fine over open ground but don't work well when there's a big mountain in between, which is a regular occurrence in skiing, let's face it.
I take them with me on every trip and they almost always stay in the hotel room.
On the other hand, mobile phones are great; which is just as well as that's what you'll end up using 
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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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Get US frequency ones from fleabay, the range on the UK ones are poo.
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We have a mixture of Motorola, Binatone and some dirt cheap little ones from Tchibo. They all seem to work as well as each other. In general, if you're in the same valley, contact is usually OK over about half the advertised range. If you're in different valleys, you might be lucky but you probably won't be able to contact. We use them for when we get split up on the same run, and sometimes for meeting up at lunch or after skiing, but if you're any distance apart a 'phone is likely to be needed.
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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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dingbat, we have a pair of Motorolas and our view is not as negative as those above. We find them useful particularly when skiing separately to arrange meet-ups or sometime e.g. if someone has fallen higher up to radio down the extent of "injuries" to anxious parent below.
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Agree with Nick L.
I have motorola's and 4 if us used them last year in la Rosiere and they were great. As someone else stated, if you're in seperate valleys, I'm not sure they would be clear, but for what we wanted them for they were superb (getting seperated, meeting for lunch etc etc).
At one point, 2 of us were in the bar listening to the other two having a row at the top of the piste quite a distance away.
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Thanks folks. They sound useful. Will use phones for "inter valley" calls! So basically I shouldn't worry about which ones to get?
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We also have a mixture of motorola and binatone ones, and have found them all fine for what we need. Obviously when you're miles apart or in a completely different valley, you don't get as good a signal, but you are usually aware that someone is trying to call you, so can hop on a lift to get higher if you desparately need to communicate.
They all struggle in bad weather (heavy snow and fog/low cloud) though.
D
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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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I bought ones for £14 from Curry's plus £3 for re-chargeable batteries. The range is only about 3KM tops but they are very handy little gizmos.
Top tip - don't use channels 1 or 8 as everone else seems to be on them.
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The_Hirsty, agreed.
dingbat, forgot to say, the cheaper ones just come with 8 channels. Worth spending a bit more and then each of the eight channels is augmented by a further ?30 scrambles which means that you can usually find a combination which somebody else is not using (and don't use Channel 1, Scramble 1).
We bought a set for my sil and bil for Christmas - and they are now using them when he is out in the garage, gardening etc ("Your tea's ready", "your mother's on the phone" etc.)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Got 2 pairs - a cheapo pair from Lidl which are great, with brilliant range, and a BT pair which are not so good - now kids toys. The ones legal in Europe don't stretch more than about 3 miles, and that ain't far when you are skiing. Charlatanefc might have the right idea - although I believe you would need a license to use them in the EU...
Good thing to have though.
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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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I've got the Oregon ones -- they work pretty well and have a reasonable range.
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Make sure you make up cool callsigns. Nothing is more impressive to your fellow skiier as your chest suddenly crackling into life with "Iceman calling Maverick"... 
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You know it makes sense.
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Costco, sell a pair for £20 + VAT and they work well up to about 5miles in the same valley. It does not matter how much you spend, they are not going to transmit through a mountain. You will save this in roaming mobile bills in no time.
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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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Use your existing cellphones.
Plenty of cheap roaming deals out there. Shop around.
Two-way walkietalkies for anyone over 10 just look sad.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Whitegold wrote: |
Use your existing cellphones.
Plenty of cheap roaming deals out there. Shop around.
Two-way walkietalkies for anyone over 10 just look sad. |
I prefer 2 tin cans and a length of string myself.  failing that Motorola.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Just use your mobile.
You'll then only use it when necessary and will be (90%) sure it will work.
How many mobile minutes can you use for the cost of a 2WR? - especially if it's a company one!
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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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The current ones in ALDI in Ireland are very good. 8km range 44euro for 2 inc batts
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Except, mobiles do not work everywhere so walkie talkies may come in hand. Then there's always the case of your phone running out of battery. Why not have both? 20 quid won't hurt in the long run, if the walkie talkie works, money saved. If not, you have a mobile to fall back on. My brother recently got some cheapo topcom ones and I plan to test them out next time I go skiing.
As for the person who said that anyone over 10 using them looks sad. Who gives a crap what other people think? Are we still that insecure. 
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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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Timmaah, yep - he is!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Picked up the Oregon ones last night. Look very solid indeed. Looking forward to trying them out. Thanks folks.
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What you need is two satellite phones. Just so happens I work in that particular industry, not too expensive honest guv!
Seriously though, I've used Motorola and highly recommend them.
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I don't care if it is sad. I'll be damned if I am ever going to grow up.
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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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And they didn't have the Action Man ones I wanted
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Like had been said. If you get some US spec'd walkie talkies they will be 5 watt in power and have a range up to 26 miles in ideal conditions. With the excange rate they work out about the same price as euro ones.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Be careful that you are not on any channels you shouldn't be though. The last thing you want to do with a more powerful two-way radio is jamming up mountain rescue's frequency.
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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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I'd go with the EU/UK spec ones - messing with unauthorised radio channels is socially unnacceptable.
my tips for 'which to buy' are more on the usability front:
- pick ones with 'easy' to use transmit buttons (neat to leave the unit in a jacket/arm pocket, and not have to get it out to talk into it)
- look for a decent 'button lock' so that no settings change whilst out (nothing so annoying has having a channel change w/o realising it!)
- get ones that come with 'replaceable' batteries - and buy a set of high capacity NiMh rechargeables to go in them (800mAh if AAA, or 1600mAh if AA size), that way they'll last longer between charges
- get ones with a charging unit you can just 'dock' the radios in, and get used to charging them every day.
I usually ride in a pair or a four, we all have radios, and now rely on them for all sorts of comms - it makes getting around, meeting up, spotting good/bad areas etc a lot easier - and for finding each other in the bars etc.
so many people use them now - (although I _would_ take my phone for backup/emergencies, especially if off-piste)
I'd err on the side of cheap/disposable - they'll get cold and snowy....
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Whitegold,
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Two-way walkietalkies for anyone over 10 just look sad.
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Look sad?..Noooo Noooo whatever happened to "are for losers"
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You know it makes sense.
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dingbat, a couple of my guests brought them a few weeks ago, found them totally useless for anything other than eavesdropping on the pisteurs.
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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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if they are for sad people or for losers, or especially if unfashionable, - must get some. To be a winner, happy and fashionable must be a bit pathetic dont you think?
Who cares what people think? Lots obviously, but then whose sad?
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Poster: A snowHead
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dingbat, you can get those uniden ones on Amazon for £46
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Has anyone got any more information on the channels that are legal to use in the UK and Europe?
There seem to be allot of sets available on ebay, Cobra PR950's for example that are from the States and have FRS/GMRS channels for very good prices, but from what I have found on google, these require a license in the States, and I presume are not legal for use over here (or France)?
I bought a set from Argos last year, cheap and cheerful, but with only 8 channels we found them not too much use, too many crossed channels and a very poor range, I seem to remember the best use we got was from chair to chair for telling jokes, and interupting proposals (of the marrige kind, oops).
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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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Moblies are great for tourist skiers, meeting up and organizing bar meets... but ...
Walkie talkies are excellent for quick contact over short distance when people use them correctly.
Several times Last week we used cheap walkie talkies for relaying position and directions on the mountain with others in the group when in view or just out of view.
Being out with people familiar with the off piste in les arcs, this allowed us to get the best from their knowledge of the mountain.
I can never never see how you can use a mobile to phone someone up and say "take the gully to your right, theres some ace powder".
If walkie talkies are for 10 year olds, then the 10 year olds are getting all the best powder 
Tux
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
I can never never see how you can use a mobile to phone someone up and say "take the gully to your right, theres some ace powder".
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1. Dial number
2. Press 'call' button
3. Wait for person at other end to say "Hello"
4. Say "Take the gully to your right, there's some ace powder."
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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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| Lizzard wrote: |
| Quote: |
I can never never see how you can use a mobile to phone someone up and say "take the gully to your right, theres some ace powder".
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1. Dial number
2. Press 'call' button
3. Wait for person at other end to say "Hello"
4. Say "Take the gully to your right, there's some ace powder." |
Might be a boarder thing, but answering a phone whilst traversing a lip in deep snow might be a bit hard.
Tux
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Lizzard, seems to go more like
Person a)
1) take gloves off
2) unzip jacket
3) take helmet off
4) dial number
5) press call button
Person b)
6) Eventually hear ringer
7) Take gloves off
8 ) Unzip jacket
9) Press answer just after the call cut to voice mail
Person a)
10) Leave message on voice mail
Person b)
11) Dial person a)
12) press call button
13) Get busy signal because person a) is still calling your voice mail
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nessy, don't know about any of that - I keep in a leg pocket, hear it quite easily and find that it fits between helmet and head.
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| cinglis wrote: |
Has anyone got any more information on the channels that are legal to use in the UK and Europe?
There seem to be allot of sets available on ebay, Cobra PR950's for example that are from the States and have FRS/GMRS channels for very good prices, but from what I have found on google, these require a license in the States, and I presume are not legal for use over here (or France)?
I bought a set from Argos last year, cheap and cheerful, but with only 8 channels we found them not too much use, too many crossed channels and a very poor range, I seem to remember the best use we got was from chair to chair for telling jokes, and interupting proposals (of the marrige kind, oops). |
http://www.erodocdb.dk/Docs/doc98/official/pdf/ECCDEC0512.PDF
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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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| hamilton wrote: |
I'd go with the EU/UK spec ones - messing with unauthorised radio channels is socially unnacceptable.
my tips for 'which to buy' are more on the usability front:
- pick ones with 'easy' to use transmit buttons (neat to leave the unit in a jacket/arm pocket, and not have to get it out to talk into it)
- look for a decent 'button lock' so that no settings change whilst out (nothing so annoying has having a channel change w/o realising it!)
- get ones that come with 'replaceable' batteries - and buy a set of high capacity NiMh rechargeables to go in them (800mAh if AAA, or 1600mAh if AA size), that way they'll last longer between charges
- get ones with a charging unit you can just 'dock' the radios in, and get used to charging them every day.
I usually ride in a pair or a four, we all have radios, and now rely on them for all sorts of comms - it makes getting around, meeting up, spotting good/bad areas etc a lot easier - and for finding each other in the bars etc.
so many people use them now - (although I _would_ take my phone for backup/emergencies, especially if off-piste)
I'd err on the side of cheap/disposable - they'll get cold and snowy.... |
Hi guys,
I've used 2 way radios for a few trips now and best advice I can give (along with Hamilton's advice) is definitely don't buy radios that only have 8 channels, one reason it'll be going off all the time and second, this causes to the batteries to run down a lot quicker as well.
Last year there was quite a big group of us and we all had various makes of radios and they all seem to be pretty much the same, except one person had a cheap pair with only 8 channels, so we choose one of the main channels and it was a nightmare, it was going off all the time especially around lunchtime. We ended up changing our to one of the codes and we were transmitting on our own pretty much after that. Though it did mean the person with the cheap ones had to go out and buy another pair.
I've bought a pair of Motorola TLKR T5's for this season, haven't tried them yet, but they look pretty cool, it's the loop aerial I like - easy to attach to a rucksack etc. I wouldn't bother with the T3's, they only have the 8 channels http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/10101/11125/Motorola-TLKR-range-walkie-talkie.phtml You can find them online for around £45 - £50.
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FAQ
