alloy

Looking to get a pair of walkie talkies....need a reasonable range ideally 10km.....any suggestions on brand/model or where to buy for best price?

GC8

Even a well set up CB doesnt reliably work over six miles; and thats a full power set with a properly installed aerial..... It may work over a far longer distance of course, but I wouldnt ever rely on it. With that in mind I doubt that youre going to find a licence exempt hand help product that you can use.

alloy

Fair play, any suggestions on the next best alternative then without having to get a licence?

what would scooby do

Mobile phones

alloy

Too laggy for what we need.....unlock phone, find number, call, wait for answer.....need press a button and instant broadcast to several cars!!

what would scooby do

You not heard of push to talk ?

GlesgaKiss

Rendezvous at the strippers, over.

alloy

Yeh that needs 3G coverage though? Just some decent walkie talkies is all i am after

Leslie

Not easy to be able to cover such distances without relay stations. Even if you gained a radio amateur license, direct comms at that range all at ground level would be unreliable to say the least.

It might work on 80 metres 3.5-3.8 Mhz but you would need a dedicated trasnmitter, not a mobile one, and each car would need good aerials.

The only other way is on 2 metres around 145 Mhz and using a local repeater station, except that the repeater would be also in use by other amateurs who are not associated with what you are doing.

Not an easy problem to overcome.

Les

GC8

You could illegally use marine band radios, but CB would be your best bet; especially if you have line of sight with everyone.

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

I use a pair of Binatone Action 950's which are great. Rated at up to 10km, which you may get with line of sight, but I generally use them in hilly or woodland areas.
Very highly rated by the radio geeks and regarded as one of the best licence-free handsets.

EddScott

You have to have the ones like the Combine in Half Life 2. Where they make a little noise before you speak.

One of the local restaurants uses them and it always makes me chuckle.

Probably only cool if you play computer games and a bit of a geek.

jono300

iTrader: (8)

Rated at up to 10kms but a real day to day range off around a mile, sometimes less !! come on mate they use 500mw off power on uhf with a couple off turns off copper wire enclosed in a rubber casing as an aerial 10 kms is just not going to happen unless you are perched on a mountain !!

saying that yep am aware under certain conditions several hundred miles will be possible but thats down to atmospheric conditions and in no way dependable.

ideal for very local communications but hardly worth advising the op as a possible solution.

DJ Dunk

iTrader: (5)

Actually, mountains are exactly where I do use them

It's pretty obvious that 10km range will only be achieved in perfect conditions (they do, I have done) and I never claimed that they'd always reach this distance.

The OP asked for walkie talkies with up to 10km range, so yes, they are a cheap, licence-free solution which fit the bill and I have experience of using. So I think they are worth advising. What do you recommend?

Leslie

The CB frequency would not provide reliable communication at ground level at those ranges. You would need a very good aerial at the tranmitter end, something like a 26 foot 5/8 wave antenna as well as a dedicated antenna on each car, and even then you could not rely on it. This is the 27 Mhz band and the 934 Mhz would not reach those ranges either. The power output allowed is pretty low.

Les

JDM_Stig

iTrader: (3)

if your after just transmitting from 1 point to many receivers you could be naughty and strap a linear amp(Burner) to the CB so you can transmit over a greater distance.

jono300

iTrader: (8)

No probs mate know what you are saying but having been a licenced radio amateur for comming on 25+ years now I like to think I am slighty clued up on the workings off 500mw uhf licence free radios and again real operating distances are around half a mile to a mile in built up areas, whatever it says on the packaging regards 10kms + forgett it for a reliable source off a communication link over this distance !!
they are licence free 500mw radios for a reason mate- they are very short range with a power output that wont upset anyone !!

also used from within a car you could well see this 1 mile range reduced, but at the risk off repeating myself they are superb for what they are low cost, licence fee communication,

unless the op is perched up a mountain and the guys he is contacting are also on a mountainside then anything over this is not going to be reliable but again yes totally agrea with you and proved on various youtube videos that 500 mw off power at the right height can go a lot further than you think !!

what would I recommend ?? as has been said its a bit off a difficult one, personally think 4 watt mobile cb radios with decent aerials will provide reliable communication over this distance. failing that as has also been suggested mobile phones are a good bet these days !!