UHF RADIO'S

[barebow]

Just wondering do any of you carry hand held UHF handsets whilst you are hunting.

I bought two from Supa Cheap yesterday for $40 and intend to use them as a check in device whilst hunting.

[Puk]

I go to a mate's place hunting wabbits, and they have two hand-helds as well as the ones in the vehicles/house.

We take the hand-helds with us, and it is good to know in brown snake country etc. that you can get help or just find each other by virtue of the UHF. Mind you, it's a bit of a pain when you are about to draw on that unsuspecting furball and you both jump when the UHF crackles on your belt. :evil:

The price of technology, hey?

Puk 8)

[Sparra]

I have a couple I use with ear pieces...If I don't use the ear pieces when they turn on they make a hell of a racket and with the on/off button on the front they quite often turn themselves on..They are good if 2 people are hunting fairly close to each other but in really hilly country they lose contact quickly.I still have one with me even by myself just as a saftey thing...
Regards...Sparra

[adam]

I have one to contact land owner if needed, just keep it tucked away in my pack, also good if your hunting with a mate and split up etc.

Sounds like you got a bargain mate.

Adam

[barebow]

Thanks for your replies.I am glad I bought them now,only intend to use them when we are split up and call each other on each hour.

Yes Adam, Karen and I have been looking for a couple of radio's for awhile as sometimes the old bones need a rest when hunting and is good to be able to call her either at camp or the vehicle to say how long I will be.

These one's normally sell for $69.99 each so we hope we have got a bargain.I intend to get some rechargeable batteries this week and get them functional.We are planning a two week camping,hunting trip out west to Eromanga in the middle of winter.

[jindydiver]

I have used the UHF radios for almost 15 years now and wont go hunting without one. I used to do a lot of solo bushwalks and when you are on your own for over a week it is good to have regular check in times so people know you are safe. Same when hunting. If I break a leg or cut myself, or get snake bit, I can call and hopefully I can arrange something that might save my skin.

I used to lug around a sizable GME unit that is 5 watts (I still have a pair of them here) but now I have a 2 watt model that is smaller than a cigarette packet and lighter too.

[Luke]

A UHF is invaluable! I hunt with mine turned on ALL the time. I payed $20 odd to get a speaker/microphone that I can tuck under the strap of my pack.

I leave the unit in my pack (lock the buttons) and have it turned down, because the mic/speaker is right near my head it can be quite and I'll still hear it.

I find them VERY useful for communicating, sure beats all the movement that hand signals require...IMO movement will give you up well before and far more easily than sound.

I use mine for letting my hunting buddy know of any sign I've seen...any thing I might hear or game that I can see and he cant.

Also VERY useful for guiding your mate to an animal when he has a 'blind' approach (maybe a pig down or under a steep creek bank that he can't see from his vantage point)...

Basically they are one of the most useful pieces of kit and have made the biggest change (for the better) to the way I approach and undertake my hunting.

Luke :D

[aussiehunter]

i also found them to be one very essential piece of equip,much simliar to luke,i carry a good quality gme 5 watts which can also run on 1 watt..personnaly ive had the cheap ones,they will go ok in the right country, but i prefer to hav that 5 watts behind me when needed..
also essential as i also hunt alot on my own is a good gps,a personal epirb,and even a sat phone..plus first aid ..

never had an emergency ,hope i never need to use em either...
safe hunting.. :D

[jindydiver]

Just a word of caution guys. For anybody that lives in Vic' and wants to hunt sambar, the use of a UHF in the way Luke was describing (which is fine where he is) is illegal.
You can use them for safety and for calling your mates after you down one, but using one as an aid to hunting is out.

[Luke]

There you go...learnt my one new thing for the day :shock:

Luke :D

[Dale Furze]

I use a Uniden UH044 2 watt unit to comunicate with my hunting mates, I carry it all the time in my pack. Like Pat, I also carry an EPIRB, I do a lot of remote area hunting by myself and the $390 cost of this equipment is a small price to pay when I think MY life is priceless!

[jay]

Me and my brother bought a Pair of 'walkie talkies' I had a 30 buck pair in the past but there rubbish, We got a 1.5 Kw one, its Basic compared to some modles out there but for 180 for the two we got ones with rechargable batts charger dock,and it has tones of features, one witch i love, you can use the mic and headphone to talk directly into it, having the unit strapped to your belt, so you can be hands free and also the option for PUSH TO TALK with the mic/headset, bloddy nice, you can whisper into it and it will recieve clear as day, we havnt field tested them yet but we got a few blocks down the road and still had full signal.

[maxy]

Yeah the radio's are a great idea for both safety and as a hunting aid, all my mates carry one, makes things so much easier. We have a system whereby we leave them on and about mid volume in our pockets and when one bloke wants to talk to another he gives 3 or 4 sharp hits on the button and this makes a fuzzy noise on the other end and then the other bloke turns it up and talks (hope that makes sense!!), hasnt spooked any game yet. Of course if your 20 metres from that 200 point stag it gets turned off!!

Maxy