Today, hunters and fishermen use a variety of types of equipment for communication in the forest or in a pond. If the mobile phone, due to the great distance from the transmission tower, stops catching the signal, other devices will help. A walkie-talkie for hunting or fishing will allow you to contact each member of the group at any time. In order not to get lost among the many options for such a technique, you should familiarize yourself with the main points that are worth paying attention to. It will be easy to choose the best walkie-talkie for hunting in the forest or for fishing in a pond.
General characteristics
A walkie talkie is a technique that can transmit a signal at certain frequencies. With its help, you can navigate the terrain. Using radio waves, the device binds all members of the group, preventing them from getting lost in the forest wilds. For fishermen, it will provide an opportunity to find out where the best nibble takes place.
The success of the entire enterprise sometimes depends on the quality of this device. Therefore, it is so important to choose a suitable instance of the radio for hunting. To communicate with your group, you only need to tune the device to the correct frequency, and you can safely go in search of your big prey.
With sufficient power and a wide range of frequencies, a walkie-talkie for hunting will allow you to contact not only with your team, but also with the huntsman, if necessary.
Frequency range
There are several common broadcast ranges that walkie-talkies can use for hunting and fishing.
- HF It operates at a frequency of 0.1-28 MHz. It is also called corporate or amateur.
- SB. This is a civilian 11-meter range of 26-30 MHz.
- LB. Service six-meter frequency 30-50 MHz.
- VHF. The two-meter range is 136-174 MHz, which includes amateur, marine and official varieties of it.
- UHF. 420-470 MHz - the seventy-meter frequency includes service and amateur varieties.
Power
A good walkie-talkie should work in a wide range of frequencies. However, this is not the only criterion. The power of the walkie-talkie is no less important for hunting. This indicator will determine whether all members of the group can communicate with each other in difficult terrain.
If there are many lowlands, ravines in the forest, or hunting occurs in a swampy area, the power of the walkie-talkie should be large. Otherwise, the signal quality will be poor, and sometimes it will not work at all to contact your comrades.
Powerful portable (portable) radios for hunting should have a frequency indicator of at least 5 watts. Most often, for such purposes, equipment that operates in the UHF band (400-470 MHz) is used. A portable walkie-talkie for hunting can, with a sufficiently small size, achieve the maximum signal range even with poor cross-country ability in forest conditions.
However, it is still not recommended to purchase devices with higher power. Increased radiation greatly affects the retina, which can lead to visual impairment and other health problems.
Signal Range
The range of the signal of the walkie-talkie for hunting, according to expert reviews, depends on the characteristics of the terrain and its relief. In addition to these factors, other conditions also matter. With a power of 6 watts in a coniferous forest, the signal range will be about 7-10 km. However, the most difficult for its passage is the area with deciduous trees. Here, the maximum signal range is 7 km.
The presence of hills, uneven terrain also affects the operation of the device. If two hunters in a ravine have to get in touch, it will be very difficult for them to hear each other's voices. Even with high power walkie-talkie. But on the surface of the hill, everything looks quite the opposite. Here the signal can have a range of up to 30 km.
If one hunter is in a ravine, and the second on a hill, then communication can be established for 10 km. If the power of the walkie-talkie is less, then the area of distribution of its signal is also significantly reduced.
Working conditions
In addition to the features listed above, a walkie-talkie for hunting in the forest should take into account a number of other factors that may be present during the event.
The device must be resistant to weather changes. Even in cold weather, extreme heat or heavy rain, the device must fulfill its functions in full. For fishermen, such a property of the walkie-talkie, as waterproof, is not even discussed. This is a prerequisite for a communication device.
Lovers of ducks should also prefer models of walkie-talkies that have protection against moisture. Therefore, choosing a device for communication on hunting or fishing, you should not save on quality. Maybe this technique will be more expensive, but it will not fail after the first trip to the forest or to the water body.
Additional devices
In order not to encounter annoying nuisance when a rapidly discharging battery causes a lack of signal, portable walkie-talkies must have a high-quality battery for hunting. After all, sometimes you have to work for a long time without the ability to recharge it.
To keep the hunter's hands free, there are walkie-talkie models with accessories such as a headset, headphones, laryngophone, etc. It is also considered a good sign if the equipment has a high-quality mount, case and clips. This will minimize the risk of losing the appliance while hiking in the forest. It should also be noted that devices with adjustable sound volume and having warning signals are very popular. It could be a duck quack. Such equipment allows you not to frighten away the game with a sharp sound.
How to choose a walkie-talkie
Among the existing variety of equipment for communication in the wild can be confused. To understand how to choose a walkie-talkie for hunting, you should evaluate your weapon. These two essential attributes of having a good time on the hunt should be chosen together.
For expensive weapons, you must purchase an expensive walkie-talkie. For example, the best quality copies of a communication device made by Japanese companies are best purchased if there is a smoothbore foreign gun. This is also true for a rifled carbine with an optical sight (also of foreign manufacture).
If the weapon is not very expensive, then the walkie-talkie can be selected for him a little easier. However, one should not forget to take into account the type of terrain.
Expert Reviews
According to expert reviews, walkie-talkies intended for hunting or fishing have distinctive features. For wild conditions, cheaper types of equipment designed for other purposes will not work. These are special walkie-talkies for hunting. Expert reviews posted in various sources indicate the need to purchase devices that operate at the frequency of UHF (144 MHz) or VHF (420 MHz).
This is a professional equipment for which you will need to draw up certain documents. However, this will not allow other people present in the forest or in the pond to listen to the group’s signals.
Experts highlight such high-quality models of devices: Vertex (VX-150V; VX-160V; VX-417V); Kenwood (TK-2206; TK-270); Icom (F-3G; F-16); Motorola (CP-040; CP-140; GP-320; GP-340); Alinco DJ-195.
Consumer Reviews
Users also note that the main qualities of a good walkie-talkie are reliability and long signal range. To get an idea of which communication equipment is better, you should read the reviews of hunters and fishermen. According to them, the best walkie-talkie in terms of reliability is the Yaesu VX 6R. It costs a little more than its counterparts, but this price fully justifies itself.
If hunting is carried out in a driven way with numbers, when the game is expected for a long time, communication delay should not occur. In this case, experienced users note Kenwood's reliable walkie-talkies.
It should also be noted that experienced fishermen recommend not to be seduced by the low price of low-power devices. Even when contacting a group in a pond, powerful models of equipment should be taken. Otherwise, due to the bends and turns of the river, the signal may be much worse than expected.
According to customer reviews, Midland GXT 900 LPD radios have good moisture protection.
Price policy
All walkie-talkies for hunting and fishing can be divided into relatively cheap, medium and expensive. Among the economical options, it should be noted Motorola XTR446, T5500 devices, and Chinese devices Vector, Roger, Optim. Now their cost is about 4-5 thousand rubles. These are “disposable” walkie-talkies, which in case of breakage can no longer be repaired. They differ in small power. Chinese walkie-talkies are fully consistent with the price / quality ratio.
The average cost are the models of the manufacturer Kenwood and Yaesu. Their cost reaches 12-15 thousand rubles. These are powerful enough walkie-talkies with good signal range. However, do not select too high a power. This can negatively affect your health.
The high-price category of equipment is represented by such models of communication equipment as the GARMIN Rino 530 and ICOM IC E90. Their cost reaches 15-19 thousand rubles. These are the most high-quality devices. The first of the presented devices even has a GPS navigation device and can show the location of the same devices on a location map.
Paperwork
When using frequencies such as UHF or VHF, the law requires a number of documents. Each hunter who purchases a device with this range must obtain a permit to occupy the specified communication channels. Morflot and army units use the UHF and VHF frequencies for messaging. Therefore, each walkie talkie operating in this range is recorded by the relevant authorities.
If the huntsman or the representatives of the fish surveillance hear extraneous signals, they have the right to hold the violator accountable.
Being in a forest or in a pond where there are a large number of hunters or fishermen, communication at UHF and VHF frequencies gives privileges. The free range is filled with many extraneous callsigns and signals. To avoid accidentally eavesdropping on a hunter’s communication with a member of his group, it is more correct to communicate at a wide frequency. Having found a profitable place for hunting or fishing, calling your friends here, you can not be afraid that strangers will come to this place.
Having familiarized yourself with the principle of operation and the arrangement of equipment such as a walkie-talkie for hunting or fishing, you can choose the best option. This will allow you to spend the day off as productively as possible. Rest will leave a lot of positive impressions.