portable radios

[sodennis]

Most efficient radios to use on board

[Mary229]

If you are at sea you will need WiFi and iheart, Pandora or other app.  Apple Music does have radio capability on your phone.   Always with headphones, your neighbors don’t want to hear your sounds 

 

for walk-in talkie capabilities most of the lines have an app for communication 

Edited June 17, 2021 by Mary229

[sodennis]

2 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

If you are at sea you will need WiFi and iheart, Pandora or other app.  Apple Music does have radio capability on your phone.   Always with headphones, your neighbors don’t want to hear your sounds 

 

for walk-in talkie capabilities most of the lines have an app for communication 

Thanks, I'll look on the cruise line website - - don't want to carry a cell phone.

[LHT28]

DH  takes his  SW radio  when we cruise   with Headphone  but usually only uses it  when sitting by the pool or on the balcony

it is about 4 x 8"

DH says  not many SW stations around when at sea

Best maybe is to download  music to your phone or tablet 

Unless you get free WiFi onboard   it can be costly to just listen you music stations

 

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, sodennis said:

Most efficient radios to use on board

 

This will depend on whether you are looking to receive signals or communicate throughout the ship.

 

For receiving signals, the best option is a shortwave radio, which has signals skipped around the world. However, signals are impacted by the atmosphere, so our Radio Officers would recommend the best frequency bands to use.

 

When I was deep sea, we could pick up many stations, especially BBC World Service, however, I recall reading that SW service is being reduced in many parts of the World.

 

For communicating, the portable UHF Tx/Rx walkie talkies are virtually useless, unless you have access to the ship's repeater, or are in visual contact. When I worked, my portable radio had higher power than consumer models and without using the ship's repeater, was at best unreliable through more than 2 bulkheads.

[Flatbush Flyer]

24 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

This will depend on whether you are looking to receive signals or communicate throughout the ship.

 

For receiving signals, the best option is a shortwave radio, which has signals skipped around the world. However, signals are impacted by the atmosphere, so our Radio Officers would recommend the best frequency bands to use.

 

When I was deep sea, we could pick up many stations, especially BBC World Service, however, I recall reading that SW service is being reduced in many parts of the World.

 

For communicating, the portable UHF Tx/Rx walkie talkies are virtually useless, unless you have access to the ship's repeater, or are in visual contact. When I worked, my portable radio had higher power than consumer models and without using the ship's repeater, was at best unreliable through more than 2 bulkheads.

I know it’s not your intention but, please don’t even hint at walkie talkies be they cheap UHF or  marine VHF or ANYTHING that offers two way communication. The last thing any reasonable person enjoying a cruise wants is someone pretending they’re a Verizon commercial: “Can you hear me now?”

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

I know it’s not your intention but, please don’t even hint at walkie talkies be they cheap UHF or  marine VHF or ANYTHING that offers two way communication. The last thing any reasonable person enjoying a cruise wants is someone pretending they’re a Verizon commercial: “Can you hear me now?”

 

So true.

 

If the OP is considering a communications radio, hopefully they read the virtually useless, unless in line of sight. Some on here swear they had them work, but 40 years experience with very expensive dual band marine VHF/UHF tend to prove they don't work, unless you have access to the repeater system.

[Crew News]

The walls of the ship and superstructure of a ship are metal which makes consumer-grade radios very inefficient unless you are in line of sight.  If the latter is the case, just walk over to the person. 

 

It has been reported here on CC that some countries do not permit walkie talkies.  An errant transmission within their territorial waters may see you arrested for violating local laws.

 

Use post-it notes on your door to let everyone in your party know where you can be found.

[Flatbush Flyer]

13 minutes ago, Crew News said:

The walls of the ship and superstructure of a ship are metal which makes consumer-grade radios very inefficient unless you are in line of sight.  If the latter is the case, just walk over to the person. 

 

It has been reported here on CC that some countries do not permit walkie talkies.  An errant transmission within their territorial waters may see you arrested for violating local laws.

 

Use post-it notes on your door to let everyone in your party know where you can be found.

There is one way to assure a problem-free experience with walkie talkies on a cruise ship. It involves “orienting” them correctly once onboard.

 

1. Make sure the walkie talkies are fully powered.

2. Locate opposite outdoor locations with a clear view of both the horizon and each other’s walkie talkie. The most ideal spots are along opposite railings on higher decks.

3. Turn the walkie talkies on. Then hold them at arm’s length over the water beyond the rail so that there are no metal or other obstructions immediately adjacent to the walkie talkies (including over and under them).

4. Press the transmit button three times quickly while still holding the walkie talkies  over the water. It is important that both walkie talkies’ button push happens at the same time. 
5. Immediately following the third button push, drop the walkie talkies into the water.

6. You (and everyone around you) will now have a problem-free walkie talkie cruise ship experience.

 

[MCC retired]

6 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

There is one way to assure a problem-free experience with walkie talkies on a cruise ship. It involves “orienting” them correctly once onboard.

 

1. Make sure the walkie talkies are fully powered.

2. Locate opposite outdoor locations with a clear view of both the horizon and each other’s walkie talkie. The most ideal spots are along opposite railings on higher decks.

3. Turn the walkie talkies on. Then hold them at arm’s length over the water beyond the rail so that there are no metal or other obstructions immediately adjacent to the walkie talkies (including over and under them).

4. Press the transmit button three times quickly while still holding the walkie talkies  over the water. It is important that both walkie talkies’ button push happens at the same time. 
5. Immediately following the third button push, drop the walkie talkies into the water.

6. You (and everyone around you) will now have a problem-free walkie talkie cruise ship experience.

 

Great advice !

[EatonDoolittle]

I detest threads that begin with "back in the old days", or similar lament, but when I read "radio" in the title, I remembered how we used to bring a small transistor radio to pick up local island stations, music, and news. 

 

It was a fun way to spend some time on the balcony while in Caribbean ports. 

Are those scratchy sounding little radios even still around? 

Edited June 18, 2021 by EatonDoolittle

[Flatbush Flyer]

39 minutes ago, EatonDoolittle said:

I detest threads that begin with "back in the old days", or similar lament, but when I read "radio" in the title, I remembered how we used to bring a small transistor radio to pick up local island stations, music, and news. 

 

It was a fun way to spend some time on the balcony while in Caribbean ports. 

Are those scratchy sounding little radios even still around? 

 

[navybankerteacher]

53 minutes ago, EatonDoolittle said:

I detest threads that begin with "back in the old days", or similar lament, but when I read "radio" in the title, I remembered how we used to bring a small transistor radio to pick up local island stations, music, and news. 

 

It was a fun way to spend some time on the balcony while in Caribbean ports. 

Are those scratchy sounding little radios even still around? 

They are - this is what I shave to every morning-

[Mary229]

😀You know you can go to Walmart and get a very cheap unlocked smartphone and use it for WiFi only. No scratchy sound and no searching and searching.  And you can listen to those quaint Caribbean radio stations today. 

Edited June 18, 2021 by Mary229

[mom says]

20 hours ago, sodennis said:

Thanks, I'll look on the cruise line website - - don't want to carry a cell phone.

You don't want to carry a phone, but you'll carry a radio? Alrighty then.  Best of luck with that.

[Flatbush Flyer]

23 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

😀You know you can go to Walmart and get a very cheap unlocked smartphone and use it for WiFi only. No scratchy sound and no searching and searching.  And you can listen to those quaint Caribbean radio stations today. 

As two-way wifi communication on a cruise ship, remember that most cruise ships charge $ for more than 1 complimentary wifi account. And you’d require two accounts no matter what device you’re using.

[Mary229]

10 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

As two-way wifi communication on a cruise ship, remember that most cruise ships charge $ for more than 1 complimentary wifi account. And you’d require two accounts no matter what device you’re using.

Some cruise line apps have chat capability. HAL’s does and this does not require paid WiFi.  I agree with others, just like aircraft, I don’t think traditional walk-ie talkies are allowed as they may interfere with navigation.   But I was offering the suggestion for radio capability with a radio app

Edited June 18, 2021 by Mary229

[MBP&O2/O]

I believe that some companies may ban the use of walkie-talkies on the basis that they could interfere with their own systems … something to bear in mind.

[Heidi13]

8 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

I believe that some companies may ban the use of walkie-talkies on the basis that they could interfere with their own systems … something to bear in mind.

 

It would be nice if cruise lines ban the use of walkie talkies, especially if using the marine band VHF channels. If they were UHF and had the same frequency as the ship, they wouldn't interefere with the repeater system.

 

All our radios were toned, so when keying the Tx button, before transmitting they emitted a tone that activated the receivers on the repeater system. Non-ship radios that had no tone, or even an incorrect tone, couldn't access the repeater. Our radios also had a toned Rx, so unless we received the tone from the repeater, or another ship's radio, our receiver didn't open.

 

Therefore, if a pax had our frequency, yes they could block the primary channel (frequency), but we never heard it on our radios and we switched to a secondary channel.

[crazyank]

On 6/18/2021 at 7:44 AM, Flatbush Flyer said:

There is one way to assure a problem-free experience with walkie talkies on a cruise ship. It involves “orienting” them correctly once onboard.

 

1. Make sure the walkie talkies are fully powered.

2. Locate opposite outdoor locations with a clear view of both the horizon and each other’s walkie talkie. The most ideal spots are along opposite railings on higher decks.

3. Turn the walkie talkies on. Then hold them at arm’s length over the water beyond the rail so that there are no metal or other obstructions immediately adjacent to the walkie talkies (including over and under them).

4. Press the transmit button three times quickly while still holding the walkie talkies  over the water. It is important that both walkie talkies’ button push happens at the same time. 
5. Immediately following the third button push, drop the walkie talkies into the water.

6. You (and everyone around you) will now have a problem-free walkie talkie cruise ship experience.

 

Best idea I've seen so far for dealing with walkie talkies.

[CruiserBruce]

On 6/17/2021 at 3:26 PM, sodennis said:

Most efficient radios to use on board

Is Cruise Critic charging per word in a post again? 😁

[MBP&O2/O]

“

It would be nice if cruise lines ban the use of walkie talkies, especially if using the marine band VHF channels. If they were UHF and had the same frequency as the ship, they wouldn't interefere with the repeater system.

 

All our radios were toned, so when keying the Tx button, before transmitting they emitted a tone that activated the receivers on the repeater system. Non-ship radios that had no tone, or even an incorrect tone, couldn't access the repeater. Our radios also had a toned Rx, so unless we received the tone from the repeater, or another ship's radio, our receiver didn't open.”

 

You know that and I know that .. but corporate speak regarding ‘technical issues’ covers a multitude of sins 😁

[Ashland]

Please don't play loud music on your balcony.....some of us would rather hear the ocean as it rolls by.

Actually don't play it in public spaces either. We were enjoying the quiet of the Viking Crown Lounge once until someone cranked up their iPhone and started blasting their preferred music.  

[getting older slowly]

Ahhh  the adage silence is golden.....

 

Have experienced true silence a few time in outback Australia,, with no wind ..  you hear nothing

 and after a little while what you hear is your heart beating... quite something while standing there looking over a stony desert  

[Flatbush Flyer]

11 hours ago, getting older slowly said:

Ahhh  the adage silence is golden.....

 

Have experienced true silence a few time in outback Australia,, with no wind ..  you hear nothing

 and after a little while what you hear is your heart beating... quite something while standing there looking over a stony desert  

OR.....  what you hear is your tinnitus. As I always say to young folks: “Don’t get old.”