REQ: a civilian channeled radio with a 10 mile radius

[FozzieBear]

does anyone know a good cheap radio, on civilian channels that has a 10 mile radius and 2 pin headset connectors and all that, but preferably cheaper the better lol.

[oldsoak]

Are you talking amateur radio or cb ?

[FozzieBear]

uhm CB would be preferable but anything that doesnt involve hiring out military channels, these are for ACF exercises.

[oldsoak]

I dont think you'll get it cheaply unless you go vehicle mounted. A walkie talkie is going to be limited by antenna and power, so I'm not convinced you'll get 10k never mind 10 miles, plus I think you need a CB licence ( unless its the new personal radios in which case its quite limiting on range ).

[FozzieBear]

well a 10 mile range is only a guide could you give me some examples? its for my OC anyway so im sure he knows the limitations, but basically hes going to try and get 2 big CB's for HQ and the like and about 6 smaller radios for the squads, anyway i know its not gonna be THAT cheap but im thinking its gotta atleast be under 50 quid a radio.

[oldsoak]

Eek !
your best bet is to talk to theses guys www.wsplc.com
Uk based and they supply the UK Amateur radio bods. Explain to them what you require, and they should be able to advise.

[FozzieBear]

thanks for the help mate ive emailed them and asked them about it, much appreiciated oldsoak.

[Silent 6]

Any good hiking/camping/hunting store will have FRS radios that are now capable of 18mile range depending upon the terrain.

[oldsoak]

This is the UK fella, - we're a little behind the US on things like that. Heck we only got CB in the 80's - thirty years behind everyone else.

[LtVacan]

Any good hiking/camping/hunting store will have FRS radios that are now capable of 18mile range depending upon the terrain.


FRS does not come close to 18 mile range under any conditions. You MIGHT get 2 miles in ideal conditions.

[ßå$tĮТHÏ¿ð]

You might want to consider VHF radios, but they are still fairly weak in distance depending on terrain. Plenty of times transmissions went un-hear except for the radio chirp after when in deep thick forest valleys, so its best to transmit messages when ontop of a hill or at elevation for best reception when possible.

[22.5degrees]

I think Silent was referring to GMRS which can and does achieve 10 mile plus range. Terrain dependent of course. The FRS are useful for short range "squad" type activites. I have a pair of the Motorola FR50 FRS radio's. The first FRS to hit the market. I managed a near 5km range with radio's spec'd at 3 km. terrain was flat and almost line of sight.

22.5

[Straker]

I might be stating the obvious here but... There was certainly 3 or 4 years ago an ACF signals coures run out of the Royal School of Signals for both Cadets and AI's (open to CCF as well randomly).

The course taught the use of Clansmen and with it now going out of service in the regular forces is any being made avaliable for cadet units. Certainly some counties used to hold a stock centrally as did several of the larger CCF contingents.

If you've already tried this route and failed my apologies.

[FozzieBear]

I might be stating the obvious here but... There was certainly 3 or 4 years ago an ACF signals coures run out of the Royal School of Signals for both Cadets and AI's (open to CCF as well randomly).

The course taught the use of Clansmen and with it now going out of service in the regular forces is any being made avaliable for cadet units. Certainly some counties used to hold a stock centrally as did several of the larger CCF contingents.

If you've already tried this route and failed my apologies.

as i said there is a problem when using clansman radios you have to hire out and pay for the frequencies on training areas, which my OC does not want to do, there are still signals courses but they are run inside barracks areas not on training areas certainly not in the field, clansman would be an option if you didnt have to hire out the channels.

[Straker]

Sorry, my reading skills need improvement, its been a long day. Are the military channels not already restricted? Who does the payment go to?

(Sorry just curious here).

[FozzieBear]

Sorry, my reading skills need improvement, its been a long day. Are the military channels not already restricted? Who does the payment go to?

(Sorry just curious here).

i havent got a clue to be honest my OC knows all the ins and outs i just said id have a look at some radios for him he just said when you hire out a set of clansmans you have to hire out the frequencies with em.

[oldsoak]

i havent got a clue to be honest my OC knows all the ins and outs i just said id have a look at some radios for him he just said when you hire out a set of clansmans you have to hire out the frequencies with em.

You have to get a set of frequencies off the Royal Signals bods - basically they allocate you a set of freqs for the ex to make sure you dont end up trashing someone elses net. You dont pay, as this is an army thing. Its the sort of thing you'd organise through your affiliated unit.

Come to think of it, I'd advise doing it that way. The boss needs to talk to your affiliated unit to see if he can scrounge a couple of 349's and 351's . He then needs to see if he get a set of frequencies off them that he can use - they'll either dothat for him or point him in the right direction. He then needs to get the bods trained on useing it ( 5 minutes if that ) and away yer go.

[FozzieBear]

You have to get a set of frequencies off the Royal Signals bods - basically they allocate you a set of freqs for the ex to make sure you dont end up trashing someone elses net. You dont pay, as this is an army thing. Its the sort of thing you'd organise through your affiliated unit.

Come to think of it, I'd advise doing it that way. The boss needs to talk to your affiliated unit to see if he can scrounge a couple of 349's and 351's . He then needs to see if he get a set of frequencies off them that he can use - they'll either dothat for him or point him in the right direction. He then needs to get the bods trained on useing it ( 5 minutes if that ) and away yer go.

yeah hes gonna get the training sorted on radio chatter and the like, but we are affiliated to a grenadier guards capbadge so basically we get **** all from them because they are so small already, if we were a RLC or signals unit we might have a bit more luck on that front.

[oldsoak]

yeah hes gonna get the training sorted on radio chatter and the like, but we are affiliated to a grenadier guards capbadge so basically we get **** all from them because they are so small already, if we were a RLC or signals unit we might have a bit more luck on that front.

oops, forgot about VP !
The boss needs to spread the net a bit wider maybe. He needs to either pass it up chain of command or ring round other ACF units.

[FozzieBear]

oops, forgot about VP !
The boss needs to spread the net a bit wider maybe. He needs to either pass it up chain of command or ring round other ACF units.

yeah well tomorrow ill have a good chat to him about it and qoute a few prices for civvy radios and see if he can get on to our sector HQ to maybe get some radios from them because they have a bit more sway with these matters.

[Straker]

Seriously has your boss taken this to the county level at all? I'm pretty sure the great metropolis will have some sets centrally stored or at least avalaible. Do you have any contacts with local TA units that might loan some sets (and some nice people to teach VP and useage for that matter)?

[FozzieBear]

Seriously has your boss taken this to the county level at all? I'm pretty sure the great metropolis will have some sets centrally stored or at least avalaible. Do you have any contacts with local TA units that might loan some sets (and some nice people to teach VP and useage for that matter)?

you'd be surprised how terrible funding is within the london area, it all goes out to surrounding areas like kent and surrey, i think there might be some clansmans available as another regiment was using them for a field exercise featured in a paper not too long ago, its just orginising it is impossible but ill have a talk to my OC.

[Royal]

You need to speak to the Yeoman of Signals for the regional Brigade where you are located. He's the man that will allocate VHF/HF frequencies, and should also be able to point you in the direction of some Clansman gear.

[FozzieBear]

You need to speak to the Yeoman of Signals for the regional Brigade where you are located. He's the man that will allocate VHF/HF frequencies, and should also be able to point you in the direction of some Clansman gear.

yeah ive already got it sorted, our sector HQ has got clansman on tap, so i think we are going to go down that route, my OC just wanted to do it inhouse so it would be easier, as sometimes HQ can be a bit **** and send all the right stuff, but without any batteries! or something stupid like that lol.