radio's (good or bad)

[jones4ms]

for all
wondering which options would be nice to have, and which are an absolute must when it comes to airsoft comm.
and some ideas on what everyone uses?



thx in advance

[jones4ms]

i just found the other post

but still interested in the type everyone uses

[Firebert]

I have an Alinco Dj-596t.  I have id modified so I can TX and RX all the frequencies.  I have it programed for all the FRS channels and can work with the Motorola's that lots of people use.  Its similar to the Icoms that a lot of AA guys use but its dual band VHF and UHF.

[deathbydanish]

I just bought an Icom F4S, a definite upgrade from the plain jane Motorolla Talkabouts I had before. A friend lent me an extra Icom for last year's Lion Claws and was very impressed with the range and longevity. IF you got the money, then I highly recommend it.

[Firebert]

The biggest reason you will see a large increase in range over the FRS radios is that they are limited to .5 watts.  The Icoms are not FRS radios and are not bound to that requirement.  However, having said that when you transmit on FRS frequencies you are still bound to that requirement.  Only problem is most of them don't transmit under 2-3 watts on low power and 3-5+ on high.  You do have to be careful around FRS radios or you can blast them and cause damage if they are really close.  Another major advantage over the FRS radios is you can program them to receive any frequencies even the FRS "codes" which are actually just tone and squelch codes.  So someone might think they are being clever and using a difference code and you'll still hear every word.  

[jones4ms]

thnx guys!!!  

just out of curiosity where is a good place to check them out here localy. i live on the west side, i tried apollo on northern and 43rd but not much in store mostly order only. i used to have a relm along time ago, i liked it alot. But everyone pretty much uses the GMRS freq's right? (i.e green,red,etc)

[Firebert]

Green and the other DOT frequencies are not GMRS.  They are business class which have their own restrictions.  GMRS is a high power version of FRS but requires a license to use where as FRS is free.  So far all the games I have been to here in AZ use FRS.  You could use Green but then you need a radio that will work with it and your FRS and GMRS radios will not.  Also don't confuse these with mariene channels.  Some places try to sell them as land based or "hunting" radios but if caught you can get a ticket for using them.

[jones4ms]

thank you i will look into it.

[Airsofter1]

Radios are good.

Any FRS/GMRS radio that you can get commercially would work well enough for airsoft.  It is also the standard format for radio use at every game that I know of.  Some teams may use something off the FRS/GMRS range, but they will most likely still need a radio on those frequencies just to talk to everyone else.
IMO Icom F4s is one of the best radios for my uses, but it is expensive and also a bit much for most airsofters out there.
Any radio you buy at Frys Electronics will work good enough for all of us airsofters.

One of the first things you should look at when buying your first radio is what kind of accessory jack it has.  Find out what kind of accessories (headsets n' stuff) you want to use with it, then get a radio with that type of accessory jack.  This usually isn't a big problem though as most headsets are made with several different plug types.

Make sure you know how to use your radio long before you bring it to the field.  This is one of the biggest problems with radio users.  TURN OFF YOUR VOX - and know how to keep it off.  The intentional or unintentional use of VOX will bring the wrath of every player down on you in the staging area.  Just be sure to familiarize yourself with all the functions of your radio otherwise you will find yourself dealing with more problems than playing airsoft.

And remember, listening is the important part.  Once you master that, then you can start to talk.

[TimW]

Another major advantage over the FRS radios is you can program them to receive any frequencies even the FRS "codes" which are actually just tone and squelch codes.  So someone might think they are being clever and using a difference code and you'll still hear every word.  

You can do that with any FRS radio by setting the PL "Privacy Code" to zero.  All the privacy code does is prevent you from hearing other people who might be on the same channel.  WIth the PL tone set to "0", it doesn't filter out the other signals.

[oldgamefreak]

If I get an ICOM from someone other than Red dog what info do I need to tell them for programming?

[Firebert]

You will need to check the model of the Icom.  By default they only transmit on certain frequencies.  They need to be modified to transmit on the FRS or GMRS frequencies.  You can check out Mods.dk on instructions to do that.  Its not recommended for most people to attempt but if you want to look it up.  I use Alinco radios due to the ease of modifying them.

[Vince]

If I get an ICOM from someone other than Red dog what info do I need to tell them for programming?

I would just get the radio from Red Dog.

As Firebert said, there's multiple frequency ranges of F4S, some have a different crystal and aren't in the same spectrum as the FRS/GMRS bands...and the proprietor, Tom Ohlsson, will program it with whatever you need (there's a specific program he does for AA people), and you'll be good to go.

Too many variables. Unless you're getting the radio for like $50...it's not worth the hassle.

[TimW]

The F4 series is the UHF radio that is, generally, in the GMRS and FRS frequency range, however there are UHF low (403-430mhz) and UHF high (430-470-ish), however it's unusual for a "civilian" to have UHF low since there are few, if any, frequencies to legally transmit on.  FRS, GMRS and ham radio's 70cm band are in the UHF high range

The F3 series is VHF (130-ish to 175-ish), and the ham radio 2m band and MURS (public radios service) are in this range.

[Vince]

The F4 series is the UHF radio that is, generally, in the GMRS and FRS frequency range, however there are UHF low (403-430mhz) and UHF high (430-470-ish), however it's unusual for a "civilian" to have UHF low since there are few, if any, frequencies to legally transmit on.  FRS, GMRS and ham radio's 70cm band are in the UHF high range

The F3 series is VHF (130-ish to 175-ish), and the ham radio 2m band and MURS (public radios service) are in this range.

I only mention that because I know it has happened to many users on this board, that is, getting an F4/S and having it be in that strange, gaff frequency range.

Thanks for the additional insight though, I didn't know the proper nouns and numbers.