Advice needed please

[MechanicalAnimal]

P.S. I like my bike-to-bike set-up (Autocom as it happens).

John.....while you're at it mate........what set-up might that be?


in particular tell me 'bout your transciever.....

kenwood TK 3101 or other?
12Vpowered of batteries?

thanks in advance........

 

[MechanicalAnimal]

i'm now more confused than i was before............

janie.....give us some idea of what you expect.....

for instance....what range do you want to communicate within? 200 metres or do you wanna be able to have the message "wrong left, tosser" to be heard up to 2 miles away?

or perhaps you have a max.budget? can you charge batteries on your campsite or don't you camp so you can charge @ home?...or do you roam the backroads where there only number "220" is at the far end of your speedometer.
(we use 220volts.....UK is 110V?)

give us guidelines, you should be able to determine some with help from the previous posts in your topic cause i've already read some sound advices here.

Dutch greetings

Maarten

 

[beemerboy9]

John.....while you're at it mate........what set-up might that be?


in particular tell me 'bout your transciever.....

kenwood TK 3101 or other?
12Vpowered of batteries?

thanks in advance........

My set up is an Autocom Super-Pro Avi, which is the only model in the current range to have a metal casing that also acts as a heat sink when bike-powering my 6-yr old ICOM F4 (equivalent to a Kenwood TK3201) - I have never battery-powered the radio. Bike-powering is convenient because there is only one lead to connect, saved £30 on a battery pack, and helps with interference. I'm also using a push-to-talk button so that rider-to-pillion speech is not commicated to the rest of the group. Range is good - 2 miles on the flat but much less in the hills.

 

[oblertone]

I'm surprised ...

... no-one has mentioned Intaride as they do have a range of solutions to the Bike-to-Bike dilemma, UK based (Midlands) and are very good to deal with. I used just their radios with a PTT to start with, then upgraded to their wired system (RP1) and am considering the wireless kit they now do. Cheaper than Autocom and very good aftersales service.

 

[Bert]

I'm surprised

No one's mentioned the Yaesu VX-7R submersible
25 miles + range ...

 

[GSrich]

maybe because they would need a license to be used within the UK by law, also with a 25 mile range are you actually riding with friends!!!! Or do they smell so much you need that distance between them lol.

 

[MechanicalAnimal]

My set up is an Autocom Super-Pro Avi, which is the only model in the current range to have a metal casing that also acts as a heat sink when bike-powering my 6-yr old ICOM F4 (equivalent to a Kenwood TK3201) - I have never battery-powered the radio. Bike-powering is convenient because there is only one lead to connect, saved £30 on a battery pack, and helps with interference. I'm also using a push-to-talk button so that rider-to-pillion speech is not commicated to the rest of the group. Range is good - 2 miles on the flat but much less in the hills.

ah thanks....you have the expensive way of bike-powering your radio....

i myself have bought myself a watertight 12V ciggie plug thingy

and offcourse a fuseholder for a 2amp fuse

maybe because they would need a license to be used within the UK by law,

as in the rest of europe.......PMR regulations are the same in Europe innit?
8 channels with the possibility of CTDSS (or something that looks like that abbreviation) for a total off 64 subchannels.....

butttttt.......there is always a buttttttt......i am going to buy a kenwood TH-K4E which is a 5 watt radio and also needs a license....however i take my chance with that.

http://www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk/products/comms/amateur/vhf_uhf/TH-K4E/details/

simply because you are on you way on a bike.....so in the highly unlikely event that some granny suddenly listens to a couple of beemerriding nutcases in stead of her local "how to make a delicious applepie"afternoon BBC4 radioshow you are 120 miles away before she picks up the phone and calls the authorities.

offcourse there is the possibility that some PC knows what he is doing and sees your cord hanging from your helmet and decide to have a check.......but that possibily is waayyy smaller than a licensefree radio with a illegal external antenna çause THAT is a major give-away.

 

[Bert]

no licence needed

maybe because they would need a license to be used within the UK by law, also with a 25 mile range are you actually riding with friends!!!! Or do they smell so much you need that distance between them lol.

....as I do not use them in the UK
and as for smelling bad....... well, let's just say that on occasions....there is the sweet essence of girafe that wofts into the air!

and as for riding with friends.... yes but not the bunched up, wheel to wheel way some do on these congested-and-about-to-be-charged-mile-per-mile-way. I like the open spaces. These units give some flexibility and will also tell you if the other unit is in range or not amongst a host of other useful facilities.
My 2 p's worth -
BTW...do you carry a phone? I wonder what the range is on one of them?

 

[sparkplug]

... no-one has mentioned Intaride as they do have a range of solutions to the Bike-to-Bike dilemma, UK based (Midlands) and are very good to deal with. I used just their radios with a PTT to start with, then upgraded to their wired system (RP1) and am considering the wireless kit they now do. Cheaper than Autocom and very good aftersales service.

The A80 is a really good radio - legal for UK use but a simple key sequence unlocks it to extend the range if you are travelling abroad. Same key sequence makes it UK legal again when you come back. Can be bike or battery powered. Small and lightweight military spec radio. I've been very pleased with mine and a very good price too.

As for the standard intaride PTT hopeless for me the switch was just too big and clumsy on the handlebar - the pro PTT is good though...

That said the VOX works really well so you don't have to use the PTT at all.

 

[Bert]

YO Fil

buongiorno il mio amico
allora è per quando questa pizza? e potrai fare i miei orecchi così allo stesso tempo se vuoi!
a presto spero
ciao motard

 

[roddy]

The A80 radio what make is that ?,

cheers Roddy
PS Sorry for hijacking the thread Janie

 

[Janie]

its ok decided we are goin to use...2 tin can's and a bit of rope...........lol