[TowerTalk] Fwd: 3-way handheld comm recommendation for tower work

[Dave Sublette]

I use a pair of Bao Feng radios on 440 MHz.  I’m not sure you want vox.  Sometimes the “technical language” has to be used in order to get things to work properly.  We picked a simplex frequency off the beaten path and keep the radios on low power. The ten minute ID requirement is easy to forget, but at low power and away from everything, it probably won’t be  noticed.

When the tower is up, it is fun to tune to a distant repeater and check in, casually remarking that you are on a handheld.  Of course you don’t mention that you are at the top a 100 foot tower, or what ever.  You get some really amusing remarks that way.

73,

K4TO
> On Oct 15, 2017, at 11:41 AM, Patrick <patrick_g at windstream.net> wrote:
> 
> Baofeng hand held radios come with earphone/mike and operate 2m and 440MHz simplex or split and also cover the marine band, all NOAA WX chans, GMRS, FRS, etc. They even cover your music and news needs by covering the FM broadcast  as well.  Roughly $40 from Amazon.  I have several UV-5R (one per vehicle)  A lot of radio for $40.
> 
> Patrick
> 
> 
> On 10/15/2017 10:23 AM, Hans Hammarquist via TowerTalk wrote:
>>  Just any handheld can operate simple. That way you are all on the same frequency and can talk to each other. Yoy want something cheap, buy a set of FRS radios. they work on UHF, cost around $30 - 40. You can find them at Walmarts etc. You can add a head-set and most of them have VOX built in, and nobody needs a license to operate them.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Good luck with your tower project, de,
>> 
>> 
>> Hans - N2JFS
>> 
>>  
>>  
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Jeff <keepwalking188 at ac0c.com>
>> To: towertalk <towertalk at contesting.com>
>> Sent: Sun, 15 Oct 2017 3:55
>> Subject: [TowerTalk] 3-way handheld comm recommendation for tower work
>> 
>> I’m looking for a recommendation on some sort of small radio that could be used when we have guys up on the tower.  The catch is I would like to find something that would have a shared frequency so we could have a 3+ radios on the same frequency.
>> 
>> Cell phones with bluetooth would be ideal but that’s out because the local cell phone service for the guys on the ground is spotty which is really too bad because that would be a perfect solution.  Something like 2m would work ok but that’s not duplex and would require PTT activation with a hand that is not necessary going to be free to push the button.
>> 
>> I’m a HF guy and really don’t know anything about hand-held solutions but I would guess there is a cheap silver-bullet for this task.  Just have zero idea of what it would be.
>> 
>> 73/jeff/ac0c
>> www.ac0c.com
>> alpha-charlie-zero-charlie
>> 
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