Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

    My hunting partners and I also carry cb's. Mine is a radio shack which
    is "just ok". When I buy my new one it will be a maxon but only the
    hand held cb type. I ordered the head-set type for use on my motorcyle,
    I found that 1/4 mile x-mitting distance was tops and it picked up way
    too much road noise. Before I returned them I tried them in the field
    and was really disappointed with them there too. I've found the rubber
    duckie antenna's limit distance but if one of you has the extend type
    antenna I haven't found communicating distance to be an issue in the
    woods though I'd guess we usually don't hunt much more than a couple of
    miles apart. I would think the hand mike would come in handy if you
    were able to keep the cb in a back pack and use it from there. We
    usually keep our radios off unless we hear a shot or at every half hour
    interval to save on battery life I don't know if the hand mike has an
    on/off switch though if not you'd still have to dig in the back-pack.
    
    Don

    
    The Maxon radios only have a range of half a mile line of sight.  Get
    into the woods and drop into a low spot or valley and the range is
    dramatically decreased.  They are pretty good if you are real close,
    and the VOX (voice activated) feature is pretty handy.
    
    I have the GE hand held CB too.  Throw it in my day pack just in case,
    has channel 9.
    
    -Kendall

    
    Just a FYI, I think this type of thing is illegal in NH.
    
    --Bob
    

                      <<< Note 818.3 by CHRLIE::HUSTON >>>
                              -< illegal in NH? >-

    
    >Just a FYI, I think this type of thing is illegal in NH.
>    
>    --Bob
    
    Bob, I just flipped thru the regulations and I couldn't find any
    reference to using walkie-talkies.
    
    Mark.

    
    Mark,
    
    Oh well, I thought I remembered reading it in some regs, maybe MA, or
    maybe my memory is going at an early age from staring at this stupid
    TV screen all day type weird looking lines of letters and symbols :-)
    
    Just thought I would bring it up in case I was right.
    
    --Bob
    

    I know it is illegal in the state of Georgia.
    
    Bob 1
    

    I think it is also illegal in Maine...
    
    I'll have to read the regs tonight....
    
    
    I know it is illegal to spot from an aircraft, and radio to the ground
    the location of the animal.
    
    Jim
    

    I think the reason that the maxon head-set type are only line of sight
    is because THEY are FM frequency but the regular handheld CB is just as
    effective as any other CB radio, maybe a little more seeing as they are
    advertised as 5 watts (receiving power) and again it will matter if you
    have a rubber duckie antenna or extendable type.
    
    Don

    
    British CB is *all* FM, and it isn't limited to line-of-sight (range is
    limited but that is due to power and antenna restrictions that are much
    tighter than 'stateside).
    
    /. Ian .\

	I had better look out now, I am getting into something
	I know very little about, but maybe I can learn something?

	I was under the impression that FM = UHF, and that
	- as far as I understand it - is more or less line of
	sight comm's only. Ever tried listening to your car radio
	while driving in a hilly area? I believe there is some
	reception capability out of line of sight, but the
	quality sure drops fast.

	On the idea of hunting and CB's: good idea. Would be
	nice if one could count on comm's distances of 5 - 10
	klicks. But maybe I am asking too much? Problem: yet
	another gadget... goes in the possibles bag...

							- Mike

    
    re .10 Mike -
    
    FM stands for Frequency Modulation, band width.  UHF stands for Ultra
    High Frequency they, FM and UHF are different.  FM from a radio station
    wouldn't be considered line of sight do to the fact the transmitting tower
    is very high and they are cranking anywhere from 5K watts on up, whereas 
    the Maxon walkie talkie has a small antenae and a couple of watts of
    power.
    
    The CB's have more power and much larger antenae's enabling them much
    better reception, besides they have 40 channels whereas the walkie
    talkies have between 1-5.
    
    Hope this helps.
    
    -Kendall  

    
    Thanx, Kendall  -  maybe I got just a little wiser. 


						- Mike

    
    We use CB's, but only in the rigs.  They're great if you're planning
    on hunting a canyon and want coordinate people and timing.  I can't
    think of how you would use one in the woods without it being a real
    nuisance.  
    
    What if someone called you while you were sneaking through the woods?
    You would shut it off then, right?  Of course so would your partner.
    So it appears you would spend all your time walking around with
    CB's that were turned off.
    
    I spent time with people who hunted with voice-activated ones that
    fit on your head with a mouthpiece.  Their feelings were it wasn't
    worth the effort.  They were always hanging up on something, they
    were uncomfortable as the day wore on and the noise in your ears
    was a constant irritant.
    
    In my experience, carrying radios around all day is kind of like
    hunting horseback - it ain't all it's cut out to be.
    
    
    Ken

    	My hunting buddies and I have used walkie-talkies for years.  We
    don't keep them on but stay in touch periodically - we might agree to
    touch base on the hour or half-hour depending on our plan of attack.
    But the biggest advantage in my opinion is that you all can stay in
    the hunt.  When a shot is fired:
    		-you can find out your friend needs help with the drag
    		-that he missed and suspects the beast is heading here
    		 or there
    		-that he's lost (heaven forbid - he'll never live it down)
    		 and needs some reference points
    
    	I'd never go back to hunting without them.
    
    Andy
    
    	I use 2 old Radio Shack units.  They're heavier than the new ones -
    metal vs. plastic - but much more compact - only 1 watt

    re.7
    I was getting my car fixed once on Pearl St. when the mechanic, who was
    in the National Guard, talked about how he and a partner spotted and
    shot a deer in the northeast kingdom using a National Guard helicopter. 
    !!!
    

We have also used walkie-talkies for years. Another advantage is when
you are confused (not LOST fer sure), you get to talk to someone who
can straighten you out.
Here in the Great-White-North for moose
hunting any member of the party can shoot an adult for another member,
the trick is not to shoot more moose than tags, so instant
communication is absolutely required (we separate & execute plan A,
then get together via the radios, then plan B, C, D...). If you all
stick together then it's not a problem.

 mark

    I guess when we used them we weren't organized enough.  It just
    seemed that someone was always talking at the wrong time.  It also
    appeared that the radios were controlling the hunt more than anything
    else.  You seemed to spend most of your time worrying where you
    were supposed to be at the next radio check than actually hunting.
    
    As far as shooting shooting to match tags, that's a real plus for
    the radios.  But, trying to talk a guy in with a radio when he's
    lost isn't as easy as it sounds.  You end up asking "Where are you?"
    a lot of times.  I  tried it once and the guy and I could never
    agree on a common reference point that was visible  to both of us.
    I knew where I had let him off and with a little bit of reasoning
    got him back to the road.  Unfortunately, a couple of miles further
    away than he wanted, but he got to sleep in a warm bed that night.
    
    So, after further thought and reading your responses, maybe the
    subject should be revisited.
    
    
    Ken

    From what I understand, walkie talkies are allowed on a hunt here
    in Colo. but you are not allowed to convey messages as to animal
    movements and other things like that. Its basically the same as
    someone flying around telling you were the animals are by radio.
    
    JC