Communications suggestions

[VA7POR]

Originally Posted by Ricochet

That could be, but it does work.

Unless you have a radio which doesnt recognize CTCSS, then they can hear you. Something easily doable with the more advanced radios like the Baofeng but not with the blisterpack GMRS radios.

As the most common radios used are amateur radios for most airsofters, it is important that you know that none of them are capable of any kind of encrypted transmission. In order to be accepted for use in Canada they have to be in line with Industry Canada standards which means all amateur transmissions must be 'in the clear'.

[WPJ]

CTCSS and DCS inly control your squelch. If you all have it set you only hear the transmissions that have the same code as you, by having the same code your squelch opens up. However if you have a radio which you can turn off the code you will hear all transmissions including those which are being transmitted with a CTCSS or DCS code enabled. Thus includes the cheap blister pack radios you just set the code to 0.

With CTCSS or DCS you only control the squelch and you are not encrypting anything.

[Schock]

I ordered up a pair of Baofeng UV-82 radios for my son and I, in anticipation of the next scenario event coming up, Operation Panzerfaust, coming up at the end of October.
I chose the UV-82 because of the dual PTT feature which allows you to monitor and transmit on two different frequencies easily, which seems to me to be a pretty useful to maintain comms at the squad level and command level.
I understand there is some setup involved once I get the radios, such as programming the channels. What channels should I have programmed in order to be best prepared for an event? Are there particular frequencies that admins tend to favor? How do other people have their radios set up?

[Ricochet]

Program in the standard 22 FRS/GMRS channels, otherwise you need a radio license and pay per channel, per radio. Not that many do, but the public channels work fine, most people have them and you can't get in trouble for using them.

FRS/GMRS
01 462.5625
02 462.5875
03 462.6125
04 462.6375
05 462.6625
06 462.6875
07 462.7125
08 467.5625
09 467.5875
10 467.6125
11 467.6375
12 467.6625
13 467.6875
14 467.7125
15 462.5500
16 462.5750
17 462.6000
18 462.6250
19 462.6500
20 462.6750
21 462.7000
22 462.7250

[Ricochet]

For headsets check out Norquip in Burnaby (they won't program your radios without a license), but they do have affordable/quality headsets. Ask for Andrew, tell him Lindsay sent you. I recommend the Pryme surveillance earpiece with 2-wire PTT, and yes get the little moulded earpieces, it's worth the few extra dollars. Hell, Andrew might even throw them in if you buy two. Your Boafengs should be dual-pin Kenwood.

[Azathoth]

I would add that it is very useful to program in the environment Canada frequencies for weather whatever that is in your area.

A couple of times I've sat watching the weather start to go bad at a game and switched to my weather frequency and decided to stop and get better clothes or gear for the changing conditions or just leave.

[Schock]

We got the radios today, and yeah the included earpiece is a bit tinny,and not terribly comfortable, but damn, some of those Pryme units cost more than the radios!

[Ricochet]

Yeah, the Baofeng's are quite affordable compared to some of their competitors, but they aren't the best ones ones on the market, though better than adequate. Those headsets though are the low-cost/affordable ones. Some of the Pryme headsets should be affordable. Maybe for Christmas.

[Schock]

For the price the Baofeng seem really well built. The volume pot feels tight and smooth. The housing is good high density plastic and the buttons feel pretty good. Apparently an antenna upgrade is cheap and improves range and reception quit a bit, but we tested them when my son was delivering papers and they were loud and clear with me in the house and him a couple of km away in hilly terrain. Definitely a huge upgrade over our blister pack radios!

[ProDoyle]

Ok, so I just got the Baofeng UV-82 and I would love to find a good tutorial for setting it up for common airsoft use. Does anyone have a tutorial or instructions that they have found to be good? I'm attending Higher-Ed later this month and I am trying to be as ready as possible so that I'm not bugging folks when I get there to take me by the hand and get me set up...

Thanks

[Ricochet]

I bought a high gain with mine years ago and it did help, though it isn't necessary. Mind you I've played on some huge fields. But at $10 or so, who cares really. Spare batteries aren't a bad idea either.

[St. Ides]

Your gonna wanna program the channels in the radio to the frequencies Ricochet was so kind to post earlier in this post. They can also be found in this wicked "Radios and you" thread here on the forum. A simple how to add/delete channel can be found here

I would ignore a lot of the info this kid is giving, just use the video to figure out how to delete a channel, and how to enter a channel, don't worry about the ctcss settings for now, learn about those settings later and decide if you wanna go that route....just focus on how to use functions 27 and 28 in the menu so you can program the channels listed above

[ProDoyle]

Thank you! That video did not come up in any of my searches... I kept getting folks who were more concerned with the frequencies than the actual programming!
(and about 20 minutes later... programming is done! Just the basics mind you but thank you again for the video and link to ASC page!)