Walkie-talkies for skiing

When skiing in the mountains, there is one issue that is often overlooked, although it has a very high importance - communication. It doesn't matter if you freeride or just ride the family in the mountains, the option to shout with your voice stops working completely. Cellular communication is also not an option, ... although, let's understand the issue in detail.

When skiing in the mountains in the open spaces and with varied terrain, it somehow constantly turns out that you find yourself in a situation where you not only do not hear your fellow travelers on skiing, but also do not see them and even cannot always accurately guess the direction of their possible movement and the place of their possible appearance in the visibility zone. And, even if you see them, it is not the fact that they see you too, and not the fact that you will be able to attract their attention. What to do?

Communication. There is always a cell phone. But, in practice, it is not at all convenient. When riding, they try to hide it deeper and when riding, you simply cannot hear it .... And the signal level in the mountains is not always good. Well, about the cost, especially abroad, and there is nothing to say. In sum, there are significantly more minuses than pluses, and therefore it is not worth considering cellular communication.

Walkie-talkies. Yes. Radios are much better and more convenient. Both the direct instant connection, and the absence of communication fees and ... There are many advantages, but you need to be able to choose them: there are many options, there are many standards, a lot of parameters and the choice is again a problem. Over the course of a long time of personal riding, we managed to personally use walkie-talkies of the main types and types and now we can analyze the pros and cons of each type and understand who and what is more suitable. Let's do so, especially since there are only three main types. You can find out more about walkie-talkies and much more at https://lookforword.net

"Radio nanny" - PMR or LPD with subcodes.

The most common type of radio. Very cheap, very simple and very small walkie-talkies enticing buyers with the loudness of characteristics and declared parameters. 8 channels with a bunch of subcodes, how can you resist and not buy? In fact, everything is not as rosy as you want. The transmitter is weak enough and the range is quite short. At the same time, in the presence of obstacles, the signal goes out and the walkie-talkie stops receiving the signal at all. That is, nothing is heard at all. But, the main problem is not the range, but the occupancy of the channels. There are almost no free frequencies, in reality the abundance of subcodes does not solve the problem of free frequency. Walkie-talkies are cheap and are bought by all and sundry. All channels and subcodes in reality in a saturated environment are busy and they are constantly talking. The biggest evil is "radio nannies" who work at the same frequencies and as soon as the child starts making sounds in all the radio there is a broadcast that clogs all communication. The advantages include low cost, an abundance of design options and the availability of various kinds of accessories. But in the end, we have a cheap device that works exactly for what is paid for it and no more.

PMR

The radios are similar to the previous ones, but with a more powerful transmitter and without subcodes. They cope better with interference and can speak more effectively. But they are also more expensive. In addition to the cost, they have larger dimensions and weight. There are also fewer accessories for them.

Frequency

Walkie-talkies with an adjustable broadcast frequency. Of the advantages, it can be noted that the frequency range at which they can operate is greater and there are a lot of free frequencies. The call quality is very decent. The range is quite large and can be increased by replacing the antenna.There are a lot of replaceable accessories ranging from headphones and microphones to huge batteries that are enough for a week of work. Small size and rugged design (most models). The disadvantages include only the cost and the need to delve into the issue of choosing a frequency. They are quite expensive and it makes sense to use Chinese copies of branded walkie-talkies. Also, you can easily get hooked on a forbidden frequency and get it in the neck for it, but in reality, everything is simpler: they just tell you that the frequency is reserved and recommend to release it. These walkie-talkies can be easily tuned to the frequency of the previous types of walkie-talkies and you can work in a group with people who have simple non-frequency walkie-talkies. To do this, just tune your radio to the frequency of the selected LPD433 or PMR channel.

Total

Before buying a walkie-talkie, you need to determine what exactly you want from the walkie-talkie and what is the value of communication. If your maximum is stupid communication with zero value in the style of "Masha, we are now riding the lift up, and then we will go down the slope" - the first option will be the best solution for you. If you don't hear something because of the addition, then it's not difficult to repeat. There is no point in overpaying in this case. If conversations on the radio are valuable to you and you plan to coordinate and synchronize actions on the radio and it is important for you to hear and be heard right away, then your option is the last one. If you expect to call the rescuers by radio, then only the third option will suit you. The second option has nothing to do with active skiing. We could not find a common language with them, they are not convenient for skiers and do not have significant advantages.

But, the most important point when choosing a walkie-talkie, which many forget about, is the connection with the people with whom you will ride. If you want to hear others and be heard, then you should definitely choose the same type of radio. Before buying, find out which radios are used by those with whom you ride. Or, if you are just planning a purchase, make your choice together. Keep in mind that frequency radios of different models may have different frequency ranges, they overlap in many ways, but Chinese radios have a wider operating frequency range and branded counterparts may not fall into it.

In choosing a walkie-talkie, first of all, determine the type of walkie-talkie you need and then select the model inside the selected type. And the choice will be greatly simplified. Keep in mind that the walkie-talkie will freeze when skiing and the battery life will decrease. The difficult mountainous terrain significantly reduces the reception range and no "creeping signals" helps. The radio regularly gets wet and clogged with snow. The radio is constantly falling and must be strong. Choose a walkie-talkie so that its parameters are twice as much as your ideas about the conditions of its use. That's all. Take care of yourself.