 Poster: A snowHead
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I got walkie talkies for my birthday on Monday. I plan to use them when I go skiing in just over a week now (8 days and counting! Who else has them and are they good when sking? Mine have 6km range but what conditions would block transmission?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Peter Ross, they are good and useful for arranging lunch, or getting your beer order in. Obstacles such as mountains greatly reduce their range, as do many smaller objects. I have managed to use mine between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, when one group were in the restaurant on top of one mountain, and the other group were sitting down to eat at the top of the other mountain.
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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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There are already a few threads on this subject. I find that they work surprisingly well in the mountains. I haven't tried using one in 'Faraday cage' lift such as a gondola or cable car; they might well not work.
You look a bit of a prat using one on the piste, but less of a prat than using a mobile.
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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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Oh, depending on the model, you can get "hands free" and "voice activated" ear/mike pieces. DON'T use the "voice activated" when skiing, as wind noise will frequently switch it on! (but having the ear piece does make it easier to use if you don't want to have to take your hat/helmet off to talk.
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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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The best thing is that you can leave your mobile switched off and so not be contactable by work. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Well I'll give them a proper test next week, I think they could be useful for saving on roaming when I get lost in airports if nothing else!
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Peter Ross, I imagine that use of a walkie talkie in the airport will lead to your instant arrest and permanent detention by Charles Clarke. I wouldn't bank on being able to take them in your hand luggage, although I've never tried.
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richmond, Do you reckon? In the airport is where I normally get lost so would be handy to have them then!
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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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Walkie talkies are fine to take on as hand luggage, well at least they didn't stop me last week !!!
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No idea, but it wouldn't surprise me. Can't you tie yourself to a travelling companion, or would they then get lost as well?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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He's even worse than me for wandering off!!!
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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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richmond, in the prat stakes, I think you look less of a prat on a mobile phone than on a radio. The radio just looks like you've too much money to blow on gizmo's.
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marc gledhill, well, it's a matter of opinion, of course, and you're going to look like a prat either way, but a mobe makes you (you in general, not you personally) look like a prat anywhere, especially in the great outdoors and very especially at the side of a piste. WTs are pretty cheap these days, anyway.
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You know it makes sense.
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richmond, yeah of course, and I agree with you. But I do use mine (phone) to meet up with the family, or other members of the group, after the lifts shut or at lunch.
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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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marc gledhill, and on the cost front, my recent phone bill for two weeks in France was about £100. Okay, that wasn't all piste-piste, but the walkie talkies would have been far less than the call/text charges.
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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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marc gledhill, there might be snowHeads who work for the Inland Revenue.
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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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marc gledhill, there might be snowHeads who work for the Inland Revenue (I'm sure that you declare this benefit, but just in case ...).
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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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richmond, Peter Ross, I've regularly taken them as hand luggage - not used them in the airport though. However, I've given up on them altogether this year. You get random jabberings at inconvenient times, and fortunately the kids are old enough to look out for themselves now (with the mobiles reserved for dire emergencies).
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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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marc gledhill, there might be snowHeads who work for the Inland Revenue (I'm sure that you declare this benefit, but just in case ...).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We have always used our walkie Talkies, car to car drivng to and from the Alps but this year we found interference from other channels and users was far worse than in previous years, presumably as their use becomes more popular the situation will only worsen.
We dont use them on the piste due tio the prat factor and inconsistent range. (cant they hear us, maybe their out of range, which bar are they in, maybe their ignoring us!)
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Peter Ross, I used them skiing last year in Les Arcs. I could talk to my wife in our apartment at 1800 from the top of the lowest lifts above 1800. They saved us a small fortune and were more convenient than mobiles. I've taken them in both hand and packed luggage without problem - just make sure they are properly turned off/batteries removed to prevent inadvertant activation. I've also used them elsewhere on holiday, in big shopping centres when the group's split up, when travelling in cars in convoy etc. Very useful.
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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 always find them tremendously useful as we travel in a big group and have a remarkable ability to lose each other on even just simple runs. Also very useful for spotting jumps etc. 1st person goes down checks entry, landing and that everything is clear and then everybody else gest to enjoy the jump. I also heard somebody that used the ear phone to give one to one coaching without having to get too clo9se or shout at the person he was teaching. all seem very senbile and I've never had any trouble with people using the same band width either.
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| richmond wrote: |
| marc gledhill, well, it's a matter of opinion, of course, and you're going to look like a prat either way, but a mobe makes you (you in general, not you personally) look like a prat anywhere, especially in the great outdoors and very especially at the side of a piste. WTs are pretty cheap these days, anyway. |
We recently skied with guides who were equiped with mobiles and WT/radios. Mobiles for coordination and WT for safety.
I presume that they must have been sensible prats. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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woolders, that's the point though. They need to carry them, so they're not made to look like prats. We don't, so we do. 
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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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For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to make it clear that I don't mind looking like a prat (just as well, since I wear a helmet), but I draw the line at a mobe.
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Someone brought them on a ski holiday this January. Turned out very useful. The guide could ski the next pitch ahead and radio back instructions and dangers from below. Also, since we were tree-skiing a lot due to high avalanche danger we often got separated and could use them to reunite.
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Sun 27-02-05 13:29; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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Can't use my company mobile on the slopes for fear of unemployment! So after loosing Deb for a couple of hours above Courchevel in January I've just bought a pair of BT Freeway Pro's to take to La Rosiere in a couple of weeks. They have all the features, are only slightly heavier/bulkier than my mobile & cost £50 including earpieces - about the same as my mate's mobile bill during the week in Courchevel.
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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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I wear my walkie talkie clipped to the outside of my back-pack harness, and loads of times people have asked me questions assuming that I'm part of the resort staff or something official. I also carry a mobile phone with me in case of emergencies, and as a back up if the radio doesn't work. I guess I must look like a prat as well. 
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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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snowskisnow, if I'm being honest, then I have to admit I'm a bit all the gear, got no idea!
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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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Does anyone know of a set that has a PTT button on either an in-line or extension or any lead, so that you don't actually have to touch the main unit to talk? As Wear The Fox Hat says, the VOX function isn't very useful because of wind noise.
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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 use the motorola T5533 with handfree voice activation. Keep the mouth piece tucked inside the ski jacket so that wind noise doesn't activate it but I'm afraid that constant screaming whilst heading downhill can't stop it.
Main point is thoght that they have a limited range ( approx 3 km ) and frequently big mountains tend to get into the line of site.
However I have used them for sometime now as they are cheaper than a mobile and if used sensiby are a big help in pin pointing your ski companions.
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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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Standard European PMR (Personal Mobile Radio or walkie talki to you) has a 2 mile range. The longest range I managed was leaving Mrs Saikee in Soll when I skied to Ellmau to pick up the car. Ellmau is about 5 miles from Soll, both in Ski Welt of Austria.
The range is for a sign to sign straight line transmission and receiption. The Faraday cage must have an effect but I have never experienced a problem with it in the Gondolas which are majority shielded by aluminium or fibre glass. In fact while I was in PG's flat in Bourg , France Jan 2005 I tried it inisde the lift and had perfect conversation with Mrs. Saikee in the flat. In that trip I used an American set which is good for a 5 miles range. Mrs. Saikee was taking a rest day in PG's flat in Bourg but she was in contact with me while I was skiing in most part of Les Arcs. My PMR covered Arc 1600, Arc 1800 and part of Vallandry. The signal was cut off over the mountain on the other side in Arc 2000.
Transmission as an arc over an obstacle like a mountain is possible but at a considerably reduced strength. For example Mrs. Saikee was again taking a rest day reading newpaper inside the car in the car park when I skied Nevis Range today. I could call her anywhere within the resort. I lost the contact at the highest point of the Summit Button lift but the signal was perfect again at the bottom of the same lift.
PMR can be arranged for a group of skiers, say 6 or 10, on the same frequency and has its own advantage. One for each child and the parents can instantly know where they are and in which slope.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| saikee wrote: |
| One for each child and the parents can instantly know where they are and in which slope. |
Hmm, I've found that radio contact doesn't always guarantee that. 
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me and the mrs usually carry PMR's as we already owned a set for other reasons. However, we generally leave them switched off and only switch them on after we loose each other on the piste. I managed to loose her in Soll recently and without the radios it would have been a nightmare trying to find each other.
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The semi-professional tyre PMR is pretty good for the whole day skiing with a rechargeable battery, costing about £90 a pair and complete with charger. We have them switched on when starting skiing and put back on overnight charging everyday. The better ones come with a volume turning knob too. Cheaper ones may be 1/2 or 1/3 price but the reception can be interfered easily. Had tried a few variations and settled for the Motorola because the reception does worth the extra.
PMR is sold as a toy sometimes comes as a watch and other things to satisfy the kids. If one doesn't want to use a skiing resort to ditch the partner buy a proper PMR.
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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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| slikedges wrote: |
| Does anyone know of a set that has a PTT button on either an in-line or extension or any lead, so that you don't actually have to touch the main unit to talk? As Wear The Fox Hat says, the VOX function isn't very useful because of wind noise. |
You can buy PTT headsets which will fit most (all?) WTs for not too much. I spent a fortune on VOX headsets and wish that I hadn't bothered. In practice, since we only use them in wither an 'emergency' ("Where the bloody hell are you? You were supposed to be here half an hour ago." type emergencies mainly), I don't use a head set.
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| slikedges wrote: |
| Does anyone know of a set that has a PTT button on either an in-line or extension or any lead, so that you don't actually have to touch the main unit to talk? As Wear The Fox Hat says, the VOX function isn't very useful because of wind noise. |
You can buy PTT headsets which will fit most (all?) WTs for not too much. I spent a fortune on VOX headsets and wish that I hadn't bothered. In practice, since we only use them in an 'emergency' ("Where the bloody hell are you? You were supposed to be here half an hour ago." type emergencies mainly), I don't use a head set.
Hmm, I don't know what's happened here. I don't seem to be able to delete this duplicate post.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Mon 28-02-05 11:58; edited 1 time in total
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FAQ
my monthly bills about £20.
Been there,done it,I bear the mental scars...........and I now have radio's!!
Left me trapped with the kids for over 2hrs 
She still cant explain it,however,obviously,it was my fault 