Walkie Talkies [Archive] - Mike Holt's Forum

tkb

12-01-2005, 07:13 PM

We are doing a job in a large warehouse.

We have Nextels Direct Connect, it doesn't work.
We have Nextels Direct Talk, it doesn't work.

We need some good walkie talkies.
I'm thinking UHF 4 watt. Kenwood 4 channel.

What do you guys use and what do you think about the Kenwood 4 watt UHF radios?

jbwhite

12-01-2005, 07:24 PM

the best i have found were motorolla. but when there is alot of building arround you, they dont even work all that well. They make a very expensive system, that is suppoes to fix that problem. I have never worked for anyone who was willing to buy them.

macmikeman

12-01-2005, 08:36 PM

Tkb, if you are just pulling wire and need to signal the other party I have used small foghorns for that when we also could not get radio's to work right in the enviroment. We were pulling fiber optics through underground vaults at the time. Blasting horn bursts through the underground ductlines worked great. You can get them from marine hardware stores.

celtic

12-01-2005, 08:50 PM

Either Motorola walkies or basically any Verizon cell phone ~ in my area, Verizon's signal is pretty good.

speedypetey

12-01-2005, 09:00 PM

Kenwood or Motorola is a ground up or down type issue.
I prefer Kenwood since Motorola is totalitarian and programming software is almost impossible for a non-dealer to get and prohibitively expensive. If you don't mind having to go to a radio shop to have them serviced or re-programmed then either is fine.
I prefer Kenwood. Icom and Yeasu/Standard are very good brands as well.

Don't forget, whatever you do do it legally. Get a business band license. Do NOT use GMRS radios for regular business use. FRS is legal for a business but they are limited to .5 watts. Also a straight FRS radio is next to impossible to find. Most are now FRS/GMRS.
GMRS requires a license but the license covers the licensees whole family. They are not legal for business use. I have quite a few GMRS radios and a pair of Moto Spirit Pro radios programmed to a GMRS frequency. These can be field programmed but are only one channel.
It is sad to say that a large percentage of folks totally ignore the license issue and simply pirate them. I hear illegal banter all the time with no ID'ing or call signs.

Might I suggest checking out this site for excellent radio advice: Popular Wireless Magazine (http://www.popularwireless.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro&BypassCookie=true)

mdshunk

12-01-2005, 09:22 PM

When our two-way's don't work in a certain building, we just call each other on our cell phones.

mdshunk

12-01-2005, 09:25 PM

Originally posted by speedypetey:
It is sad to say that ... I hear illegal banter all the time...First amendment, baby!

speedypetey

12-01-2005, 09:33 PM

Not on an FCC regulated frequency.
I somewhat agree that the air and radio waves are free territory, but without some regulation there would simply be anarchy.
Imagine if radio pirates decided to take over the frequency that your local FD or PD was on. Same scenario, smaller scale.
Besides, I tend to not be a rule breaker. Other than maybe going 2 or 3 miles over the speed limit. :o

[ December 01, 2005, 08:33 PM: Message edited by: speedypetey ]

electricmanscott

12-01-2005, 09:36 PM

Originally posted by tkb:
We have Nextels Direct Connect, it doesn't work.
We have Nextels Direct Talk, it doesn't work.
This makes me smile more than you will ever know.

Yeah Nextel! :roll:

peter d

12-01-2005, 09:40 PM

I find a telegraph set works well, and when that fails, I break out the steel cans and string.

tshea

12-01-2005, 09:43 PM

Try Motorola FRS radios. They are cheap but effective. Good for up to 2 miles. (Don't believe it) I picked up 8 on ebay for $15/ea a couple yrs ago. We now have the Nextel.

davedottcom

12-01-2005, 10:05 PM

Originally posted by electricmanscott:
This makes me smile more than you will ever know.

Yeah Nextel! :roll: Lol!
The three most annoying sounds in the world are:
 A baby crying A dog Barking That stupid Nextel Walkie Talkie beep!:mad:

electricmanscott

12-01-2005, 10:37 PM

Originally posted by davedottcom:
The three most annoying sounds in the world are:
 A baby crying A dog Barking That stupid Nextel Walkie Talkie beep!
:mad: I would like to add the moron from Nextel that calls EVERY month to tell me about their "For this month only specials" that are the same each month.

hbiss

12-02-2005, 12:28 AM

Anybody ever figure out exactly what that beep means? Given that there are two tones and they can occur many seconds after you press the PTT and nothing happens.

-Hal

davedottcom

12-02-2005, 01:17 AM

Originally posted by hbiss:
Anybody ever figure out exactly what that beep means?

-HalIt's a warning signal to all people withen 100 yards.
BeepBleep!
Warning!
You are about to hear another electronically-distorted, annoying, robotic sounding voice transmitted at high decibels. BeepBleep! you have no way to escape the soundwaves... BeepBleep! you can pretend it doesn't bother you but we all know it does! BeepBleep! Sure we could just talk like normal phones but why should we? BeepBleep! For We are Nextel! BeepBleep! You WILL listen in our conversations no matter how intrusive and rude it isBeepBleep! As soon as we figure out how to make this thing louder we will! BeepBleep! You have been warned! BeepBleep! If you don't like it go BeepBleep! yourself!

Sorry guys, I know probably about 75% of you guys have them things...but, Damn...can you turn them down a little or better yet, a lot!?! :D

George Stolz

12-02-2005, 01:36 AM

I have one, and I hate the stupid thing.

I think Nextel should change their slogan to "Nextel - Get Things Done. Eventually."

The BeepBeep ain't bad. It's the "booooooo Bop" that really aggravates me. Nothing like a phone that costs twice as much that doesn't have voicemail. :D

I like the radio function when it works, but I'm used to it.

BeepBleep! You WILL listen in our conversations no matter how intrusive and rude it isBeepBleep! As soon as we figure out how to make this thing louder we will! BeepBleep!Now, to be fair, they do have a handy little button to turn the public speaker off, and hold it like a normal cellphone, but using the PTT button. As long as the conversation flows smoothly, it's peachy. But the second the guy on the other end pauses to think or scratch his nose, and then start talking again, you get a full volume BeepBleep! right in the ear. It's great. :D

Speaking of phones, what do you think of customers calling a half hour before bedtime to ask why a switched outlet doesn't work when the switch is off? With that, I'm off to bed.

12-02-2005, 09:04 AM

Originally posted by electricmanscott:
Originally posted by davedottcom:
The three most annoying sounds in the world are:
 A baby crying A dog Barking That stupid Nextel Walkie Talkie beep!

:mad: I would like to add the moron from Nextel that calls EVERY month to tell me about their "For this month only specials" that are the same each month. ThaT must be a regional thing.
I've never had one of those calls.

I did have a customer call last night at 10:30 to tell me that her phone jack in the master bedroom wasn't working. There's about 15 others throughout the house.

macmikeman

12-02-2005, 01:08 PM

Its nice to find out that I am not the only person who cannot stand that stupid beep on the job all day. Once I came pretty close to throwing some boneheaded tile setters phone over into the next yard when he refused to turn it off.

Flyersfan

12-02-2005, 02:53 PM

Ty,
The master bedroom phone wasn't working at 10:30 at night and you didn't go check it out??? What's up with that?????

iwire

12-02-2005, 03:14 PM

Originally posted by tkb:
We are doing a job in a large warehouse.

We have Nextels Direct Connect, it doesn't work.
We have Nextels Direct Talk, it doesn't work.

We need some good walkie talkies.
TKB you might laugh but try set of 'family radios' that can be found at Target, Walmart etc.

Target sells a set of three Unidens with chargers for about $50.00 and they work pretty good. If they get lost, stolen or broken your not out any major cash.

jwelectric

12-02-2005, 03:36 PM

I have read a lot of good suggestion in this thread but it has been my experiences that the old can and string is the best in the world for communicating for about 10 feet in a quite room.
:)

allenwayne

12-02-2005, 05:12 PM

I just got off ebay a cd rom and a patch cord nextel to usb port,10,000 ring tones /8,000 wallpaper pics or load your own
Pretty good deal .05 auction $2.99 delivery :D haven`t goten through the ring tones but the scoobby dooby do is a great laugh and so is the three stooges :D

12-02-2005, 06:24 PM

Originally posted by Flyersfan:
Ty,
The master bedroom phone wasn't working at 10:30 at night and you didn't go check it out??? What's up with that????? She said it could wait a day. I was actually on another job, checking it out at the time.

12-02-2005, 06:37 PM

Hey Flyersfan,
Where in Middlesex County are you??

kelley

12-03-2005, 02:52 PM

We just switched to Nextel from Verizon which had the 2 way feature. the Nextel 2 way is far superior. 9 times out of 10 the Verizon 2 way would not work. The Nextel is about 4 out of 10.We are much happier with the Nextel.

Kelley

Jhr

12-03-2005, 04:53 PM

So I'm not alone in this world :cool: :cool: .

[ December 03, 2005, 03:56 PM: Message edited by: Jhr ]

bobbyho

12-03-2005, 07:40 PM

Before I got rid of Nextel I discovered a trick. If you carry a notebook,you can write a note,use good electrical tape and fasten it to your phone and then chuck it as hard as you can. I got pretty good at skipping them,even across ponds. Thank goodness for Verizon.

tshea

12-03-2005, 11:29 PM

I like Nextel. I have pretty good success with the two-way. Most of the other trades I work with also have Nextel so we can talk to each other. Family members in Hawaii and South Carolina have it also and it works fine.
Only when the guys are in a basement or heavy metal building does it seem to fail.

I hate that sound beep BWAWP User not available.

tkb

12-04-2005, 04:31 PM

The Nextel direct connect works most of the time in eastern MA. When that doesn't work within a building we use Nextel's direct talk.

I also dislike Nextel for voice quality and wish Verison had a good two way radio on their phones.
Most contractors that we work with have Nextel so that's what we use to keep in contact with them.

This time the phones stop working when go past the loading dock so we switch to direct talk.

The building is so large and has so many obstacles the direct talk won't work the length of the building.

We now have a couple of Motorola AXU4100 2 way radios.
These work crystal clear everywhere with no delay.
I know they aren't the cheapest raidos, but they are very powerful. 4 watt UHF 10 channel.

Problem solved.