Walkie talkie

[bbd1234]

What kind of Walkie talkies do you guys and girls use on your hunt when you spot and stalk

[rph]

I have been using a Garmin Rino 650. I have not been very impressed with its radio capabilities though. There are times that it works perfect but then there are times that I can't seem to make a connection with the other people I'm communicating with. I know distance and the type of terrain your in plays a part in the reception, but there have been times where I can see my hunting partner and can't communicate with him because the radio won't work. I don't know if I just haven't figured out the right settings/channels to use or what, but it has been inconsistent at best. When it is working, it is awesome to be able to see where your hunting party is on the GPS screen.

 

I'd love to hear other peoples experience with their Rhino's and if they are working like they should. Maybe mine is just a lemon.

[rcdinaz]

I have been using various Rino's for years, since the first little yellow 110's. The ability to see others especially your kids is invaluable. That being said I agree you can get a $59 Motorola or cobra that will be a much better radio as far as range. All of them are still pretty limited if you are behind a hill or in a canyon without something close to line of site to the other party. You can improve the Rino by using the high freq which requires an operator license.

 

I am slowly making the change to just using a smartphone with GPS apps wherever I can get away with it.

[Coach]

^{I like the idea of the Rhino, but I agree with the guys above for range. I've seen them in action during a stalk and they can be awesome, but I've also seen much cheaper radios get far more range.}

 

^{I had some older Cobra radios that I loved, but the newer ones not so much. I was never a fan of older Motorola radios, but I recently bought a 3-pack of the Motorola MT352 TPR in 35 mile range, and they have been way better than my old Cobras. The 35 Mile Range is complete BS, of course, like all the range ratings - it's strictly line-of-sight, perfect conditions, etc. They do perform way better at longer ranges in uneven country or separated by a few miles when driving in the mountains than any radio I've had before. And for $120 for 3 on Amazon, they don't break the bank either.}

[Shedhunteraz]

I have been using a Garmin Rino 650. I have not been very impressed with its radio capabilities though. There are times that it works perfect but then there are times that I can't seem to make a connection with the other people I'm communicating with. I know distance and the type of terrain your in plays a part in the reception, but there have been times where I can see my hunting partner and can't communicate with him because the radio won't work. I don't know if I just haven't figured out the right settings/channels to use or what, but it has been inconsistent at best. When it is working, it is awesome to be able to see where your hunting party is on the GPS screen.

 

I'd love to hear other peoples experience with their Rhino's and if they are working like they should. Maybe mine is just a lemon.

Use an off channel and a mid sub channel. Make sure your using the 5w setting. I can get ours to work 5 to 10 miles away. Has a hard time when we are deep in a canyon. Have the headsets to and seem to have no issues walking guys in on a stalk.

[rph]

Shedhunteraz - I'm glad to hear you have had good luck using your Rino. That gives me hope that I just need to spend more time trying to dial in the right channel and subchannel (we do use the 5w setting). I've only had mine for a year and I used it on my last elk hunt with so so results. I probably just need more time using it to get it all figured out. Hopefully I can get it working great before my elk hunt this year! Thanks for the info.