 Poster: A snowHead
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They are really useful for arranging meet ups for drinks/lunch/ etc.........
Bought a decent quality motorola pair & they have an amazing range.. well worth having.
Mitch
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Useful for working out where people are in a crowded "front de neige" area - as it's usually quite flat and I'm quite short, so struggle to see over all the heads. Texts are good for communicating static plans such a lunch, but not so good for a where shall we meet when converging from different directions as that is more likely to evolve depending on progress (lift queues/holds) or weather conditions. Texts have an annoying habit of arriving late when really needed - usually half an hour after sending just after I've got on the wrong chairlift for that plan!
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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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Use em all the time when skiing in group. They have their limits obviously but pretty handy for rendezvous. Shouting isnt going to work over any kind of distance. I actually havent seen many others use em at all. in fact last year I got quite a few comments from people who wished they had them - so there!
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Very useful. never ski without it even it is just between the wife and I.
Once the wife wanted a rest in Bourg St Maurice and I could just about talk to her in anywhere in Les Arc unless blocked by a fat mountain.
One time when she was tired in Ski Welt I escorted her down to Soll and then I skied back to Ellmau. We could talk to each other between Ellmau and Soll and that was 6 miles apart. I drove to Soll to collect her.
When skiing we turn the set off but switch it on as soon as we get separated.
The talkie talkie will be mightly useful if several cars are travelling as they bound to separted by traffic from time to time.
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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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Useful for finding dropping points as steep terrain often rolls away (into cliffs etc) and you have no clue where you are or where you line starts. Also useful in the same situations for filming. I.e. Rolling. 3..2..1..
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Mine justified their entire existance once on an off-piste day. Me and a mate had gone on a long (2hr) hike to a peak, intending to ride the big face below. A 2nd mate, less inclined to increasing his potential energy, was going to do a few piste runs, then cut across from the top of the ski area to meet us half-way down.
We reached the top in thick fog, couldn't see a thing. Waited for 15 minutes, no change. Got on the radio to mate #2 to say "sorry mate, not going to happen, we can't see a thing, coming back down the way we came up".
He replies "I'd hang on just a minute if I were you... I can see the whole face from here and you guys on the peak are just covered by the last wee bit of cloud, it's about to clear right up."
Sure enough, 5 minutes later, blue skies, perfect conditions, probably the best run of my life. Perhaps symbolicly, I forgot to zip my pocket up and the radio fell out on the way down, never to be seen again, its purpose in life achieved.
North-east face of the Grand Mont above Areches Beaufort by the way. 2ft of fresh. Epic. I clipped a rock on the way down too and (eventually) wrote off a nearly-new snowboard so the descent probably cost me the best part of £500 in board/radio alone. Still worth it.
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I like using them, but Mrs JB doesn't (even though she bought them as a present).
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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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BMF_Skier, I am intending to get a pair of radios with throat mics and earpieces. Researching on the interweb there seems to be all sorts of compatibility issues between radios types and plugs etc.
It would be useful if you could say what radios, mics and earpieces you have. Not worried about the pre faffing as the snowboarding body armour takes time to put on anyway!
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cad99uk, We have Motorola TLKR-77's and for the kids TLKR-T5's. We used the throat mics and earpieces for the TLKR-77's No experience of cross brand use though.
Worth shopping around and avoid S&R they were more expensive.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I bought Motorola ones from S & R, but did internet search first, found a shop in Brighton doing a really cheap price, printed it out, took it to my local S & R and they price matched it. Simples. 
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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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Use them sparingly on the slopes, mainly on getting split up from the group.
Quite amusing on the long road trip through France. Message to car in front: "Uh guys, didn't you have a roof box on when we left Calais?".
"Uh, why?"
"Oh, no reason"
etc etc
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Tried using them on a uni trip a few years back,
worked great for keeping in touch with others for the five minutes until the first one broke (with the rest of them breaking before the day was up) Never bothered replacing them as a mobile managed pretty much the same job.
Do remember being stuck in a lift on a trip up to Edinburgh and being given one of the hostel's radios so that we could contact them in a problem.
Needless to say at 3am, and slightly under the influence, 'Broadsword calling Danny boy" seemed the most amusing thing ever, though strangely enough I dont think the poor manager with the other radio thought so...
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You know it makes sense.
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BMF_Skier, Thanks for the info. Will have a look at those later.
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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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BMF_Skier, Your radios look just the job. I was thinking of trying to use a separate PTT inside a glove so they could be used on the move (snowboarding). Do you know if an additional PTT (other than the one on the radio) is possible with that model?
Otherwise how did you find the VOX when you did use the throat mics. Were you able to adjust it so that it would not 'lift' due to background noise, heavy breathing etc.
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Poster: A snowHead
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cad99uk, We tried VOX but it was far better using PTT.
Positioning the PTT button was the difficulty. I had the button on the backpack harness with the handset inside the backpack. It was then a case of stop, press, speak; rather than talk on the move. Hope this helps.
Not sure if you can have 2 PTTs.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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BMF_Skier, Thanks for the rely. Did the PTT button that you put on your backpack comes as part of the throat mic / earpiece assembly or did you get that separately?
I had assumed that there was always a PTT on the body of the radio in addition to the one on your backpack.
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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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cad99uk, It was part of the mic\ earpiece assembly cable. There is a PTT on the radio as well. The cable allows this to be extended.
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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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BMF_Skier, OK thanks for that. I will will go and buy a pair. Thanks for your help.
Over and out
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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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Walkietalkies are for losers.
They are used by people who hang keybunches on their trouserloops.
Even their name sounds rubbish.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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BMF_Skier, I bought a pair of Motorola TLK T7 radios with Cooltalk Voicebox throat microphones. The mics came with a PTT as you described.
Purchased from Ligo Electronics.
Just tried them out on the mountain bikes this afternoon and was very impressed.
So if anybody is looking for a plug n play solution I would recommend them too.
Thanks for the info.
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What do you get if you cross a centipede with a parrot?
...
a walkie talkie ...
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Even their name sounds rubbish
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better in French? talkie-walkie.
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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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Never use them now. Not after an incident in La Ros a few years ago.
I had a Motorola clipped to the strap on my camelbak - easy to locate and use. I was in a queue for a button lift for tghe first lift up of the day, so it was reasonably busy and the lifties were assisting everyone to keep things flowing smoothly.
So, as I approached the load on point and reached behind to grab the next button, this femail liftie thought it would be fun to grab the walkie talkie and start amusingly saying hello to anyone that may have been on the same channel - probably quite a large audience, from experience!
Well, the lady now has me grabbbed by my Motorola and the strap it's attached to. I, totally distracted and on button autopilot, thrust the button between my legs whilst looking bemusedly at the head of the liftie now only inches from my chest. And........launch, my lower half is propelled up the lift while the lower half is in the arms of a very embarrassed female lift attendant.
Carnage - skis everywhere, poles everywhere, the blue sky matched by some pretty colourful language from me, tittering in the gathered crowd and a very apologetic lift op.
Never bothered with one after that 
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Chasseur, maybe it was the Lynx effect. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Long, long ago I took a pair to Austria skiing.
All day long we were listening to inane chatter - almost exclusively in English! The one time when I got separated from the group and could have done with being able to find out where they were, the other radio was still on the dressing table in the chalet.
I never bothered taking them after that. We just make a point of having a clear objective before we set off each time.
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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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Wonderful for filming ski DVDs...
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My Mum insists on having hers on VOX. I can handle hearing the sound of skis on snow, but the continuous BEEP BEEP of the thing drives me mad. I'd turn it off but worry that if I do, that's when she'll need to call me for help!
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You know it makes sense.
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Used em for years. Mine are a little doctored and can transmit a little (10x) more powerfully than they are supposed to so have a 20 mile range and go around the mountain. The secret is to get good ones that can talk on the sub carriers and hunt for the empty channels. Cheap sets with 6-8 full channels are useless, pay the extra for units with sub channels, Also make sure the radio is around the back of you away from your beeper
Throat mikes seem to pick up too much noise and VOX is useless when your breathing hard
I use a lapel mike (PTT) with a large button so I can squeeze it with gloves and the speakers in my Giro helmet. Works very well. Most of my group are ambulance crew so we all know how to use radios and to keep chat down
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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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It's so 90s! Everyone has mobile phones now!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Yes, mobile phones that have NO reception half way up a mountain and cost a small fortune on Roaming plans while you abroad, plus you can talk to 4 groups at once
Walkie is free, but range limited on standard power units (line of sight), but using CB rather than PMR gives you large range. Using modded PMR units gives you huge range
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| madmole wrote: |
Yes, mobile phones that have NO reception half way up a mountain and cost a small fortune on Roaming plans while you abroad, plus you can talk to 4 groups at once
Walkie is free, but range limited on standard power units (line of sight), but using CB rather than PMR gives you large range. Using modded PMR units gives you huge range |
Interesting. We ue Cobra PMR's how do you mod them to get more range any info greatfully rx'd
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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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Only certain high end models can be done, like the Inteks. They can also have extra channels turned on. Not exactly legal in some countries but perfectly legal in others. Drawback is they are a bit larger than the chep PMR's and of course the extra power means more current drain. My inteks only go 5 days between charges with 24x7 standby and 2 hours a day transmit  , Oh and being pro units they have scrambling and ring tones etc
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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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I bet everyone whose got hem has had this.
There I am in the goldola in Alpe d'Huez minding my own business ahead of my group when in over the walkie talkie comes: "hello big boy it's your big gay lover here, you got your ears on ?". I tried to ignore it and pretend it wasn't me but just kept getting more of the same until it was pretty obvious it was me.
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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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FAQ
