two way radios

[gurt]

has anyone took a two way radio onboard a ship and if so which ones work best.

[fldogmassage]

We always take them and they work great. I do not know the brand, we have had diferent ones and they are all fantastic.

[PennyAgain]

You really need to do a lot of research. In some countries the use of 2 way radios is illegal.

[chipmaster]

You really need to do a lot of research. In some countries the use of 2 way radios is illegal.

 

Two way radio's aren't illegal, it just that the band used in the US are not allowed in many other countries, being reserved for other ussage. If the poster is buying one in Europe and using in Europe they may be okay, or vice versa buying in US and using in US specific ports.

 

I thought they would be valuable but range can be limited by the amount of metal in the ships. Up top I think they work well but if you are in the bowls of the ship on one end and the other party is on the other corner probably won't get much but static.

[cb at sea]

You really won't need them as much as you may think.....out of all the space on the ship, only about 1/3 is "public" areas....and by making a "loose" plan for the day (I'll be at the pool until noon, then in the casino til 3.... that sort of thing), it's easy to find the rest of your party. A note in the cabin works wonders, too!

[BallFour4]

has anyone took a two way radio onboard a ship and if so which ones work best.

Two types of radios are out there FMRS and GMRS. Most are a combination of both.

 

I gave up on FMRS after one try several years ago. The 1/2 watt power output did not cover it on the size ship we were on.

 

The next cruise we took 4 of the GMRS radios. I purchased Motorola 5000 series ones, and got the US license prior to cruising. They worked great. I did use the upper channels and sub-codes to reduce the amount of others potentially on the same channel. Sometime on the first day we'd scan for channels not in use and lock in on those.

 

On subsequent cruises for the next several years we have carried the radios with great success. As our daughter grew up the chance she'd carry one went to zero but we found many uses for them. After a morning run the I would scope out a place for my wife and I for the day and she'd call me after her shower.

 

We did find that keeping them on vibrate worked best, and with cargo shorts they would fit in a pocket.

 

I really chuckle at the two most common responses you and others will get on this topic.

 

One is the interference with other communication aboard and in ports. Well... the cruise lines sell the full 5 watt power GMRS/FMRS radios aboard the ship in the gift shops.

 

Also, if you read the frequency spectrum for UHF you will see the 16 channels dedicated to GMRS radios. That'd be and international agreement as well. Manufacturers of public communication equipment know these, and with sales of the units not limited to domestic transactions they select a frequency set around the channels. Even then I listen in prior to initiation of a conversation in port.

 

Second, the noise complaints that disrupt the ambiance of the cruise. In 33 years of cruising I have found a few places with real quiet.

 

Most, if not all the public areas in major market cruises are bombarded with announcements for bingo, daily specials, art auction, spa, etc.

 

Scan for others on the channels and use them to enhance your cruise. Tell the person next to you screaming at the hairy chest contest that the occasional conversation with your family cannot possibly be disrupting her cultural event.

 

See you at sea...

 

 

.

 

[blindrid]

You really won't need them as much as you may think.....out of all the space on the ship, only about 1/3 is "public" areas....and by making a "loose" plan for the day (I'll be at the pool until noon, then in the casino til 3.... that sort of thing), it's easy to find the rest of your party. A note in the cabin works wonders, too!

 

Agree totally with CB. One thing I hate on a cruise is someone next to me at the pool yelling into their radio.

 

We've had some pretty large groups and we have yet to lose anyone. It's real simple as we are all creatures of habit. They figured our real quick, if we are at sea, I'd be at the buffet at 8 for b'fast, 10 at pool with beer until about 3, nap in cabin, about 7 raedy for cocktail hour in one of our cabins, 8'ish dinner, casino from about 10-3. They could always find me.

 

It's real simple, you tell someone you hitting the pool.

[Almost Packed]

take your walkie talkies if you want them...

 

don't worry about the other people saying things on these boards as some do. i have heard women laugh like animals who bother me more than a mom checking in on her kids on a walkie talkie or a drunk singing.

 

yes of course be respectful of other people, don't shout in the dining room. if you are outside, shout all you want...outside=outside voice inside = inside voice. Barney the dinosaur taught us all this lol....

 

have fun, and do what you want...we are taking ours to keep up with our party....

[NJGem]

We have radios that were given to us as a freebie by a local store. They wouldn't work on QM2, but every other ship no problem. However, we keep our usage to a minimum - and turn them off when we are together. I carry a radio at work, so I do not want to listen to silly chatter while on vacation. We actually have found them to be even more useful when in port. In St. Thomas I wanted to go on the Sky Ride, my husband did not. He stayed in Havensight and we were able to meet when I came off the Sky Ride. When we use our radios, we are able to convey the info we need with minimum words and yes, I have also been annoyed by inconsiderate radio usage by fellow passengers.

[Donder1]

Just be sure if you use radios or walkie talkies, be discreet. Many people find them more annoying than cell phones. To hear folks yelling into them and squawking noises some of these make is enough to drive you nuts. Really takes away from the relaxation of a cruise.

[Colorado Kat]

I'll second the suggestion that they work better on port days, on land. We had dinner companions that tried the radios for their 13 year old son. Besides the fact that the metal ships interfere with reception, he seemed to quite often "forget" to take them when he was having fun, and then they eventually stopped working since they "accidentally" got "dropped". Try to anticipate if they will be useful before purchasing.;)

 

But for adults, give them a try.

 

Kathy