Buying a race radio

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lupacexi
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Aug 06, 2017 6:54 pm

by lupacexi

I've signed up to the Tortour in a 2-by team for next year and was thinking about a race radio to be able to communicate during the race. No idea where to start looking - can someone recommend a model and make?

Thanks and best

by Weenie


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tmr5555
Posts: 356
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 12:13 am

by tmr5555

You could install "zello" on your iphone/android. It's a push to talk app.
Works a charm, as long as thee is coverage, and I bet it would fare better than two walkies attempting to talk to each other.

jever98
Posts: 1175
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2009 12:02 pm
Location: Seattle

by jever98

@lupacexi: are you racing 2017 or 2018? I am doing this year's edition in a 2x team.

I got Baofeng 888s 2x and Xwell X3 2x. The Xwell is smaller but has worse quality. The Baofeng is quite chunky and difficult to charge on 12V.

PM me after the race - maybe I will sell the stuff if I no longer need it.
----
No longer in the industry

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ms6073
Posts: 4290
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2004 8:24 pm
Location: Houston, Texas

by ms6073

Probably way over the budget, but I would think something like the Eartec Simultalk 24G-4 (SLT24G4CYB) with microphone/earbud setups like what is used by world tour riders would work well.
- Michael
"People should stop expecting normal from me... seriously, we all know it's never going to happen"

eppo
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Aug 10, 2017 8:32 am

by eppo

tmr5555 wrote:You could install "zello" on your iphone/android. It's a push to talk app.
Works a charm, as long as thee is coverage, and I bet it would fare better than two walkies attempting to talk to each other.


Recently tried Zello for another sport, works really well.
You could also try the discord app if you need a continuous communication channel, it only uses data/transmits if it detects a voice as far as I understood.

This way you're not limited to the range of the radio, but you do depend on cell coverage.

n1ey
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2012 11:53 am

by n1ey

Bizarrely, you can not use 420-500mhz radios near me with much success. The .MIL is actually recording all of those frequencies and watching for interference. One of the repeaters is now orientated on a beam directed northwardly. It is more than 60miles north of the .MIL site.

They use it for RADAR. I remember the article about Lance using a 2M Alinco radio. It is small. The BaoFengs don't transmit well. They are satisfactory as scanners but general experience does not suggest their use.

Bill de N1EY

by Weenie


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