JARACAL

Please tell me what 2 way radio you use, and which one not to buy. I have had a few and not one ever really worked worth a R1000

I would suggest VHF.

You technically need a license, LCCSA membership is R200/year and it includes your VHF licence.
Will give you access to 9 ORRA channels and LCCSA Channel

Depending on how you want to use the radios you have a few options:

Handhelds (5watt)
Find a local guy who sells/rents/installs radio's and buy some 2nd hand kenwood/motorola handhelds
Otherwise look at kirisun / hytera / Bosvark

Vehicle to vehicle handhelds are not ideal, they end up in the centre console and range is impacted greatly
Get some magnetic antenna's and boom mic's, you won't be sorry, good range while driving
If you hand a friend a handheld for driving in a group, they WILL forget to switch it off and it will be dead the next morning.(my pet hate)

For a beter range and semi-permanent installation look at a RTS DV-2135s mini mobile (15watt) powered from the lighter socket in the vehicle and ou can use it with a magnetic antenna or put the antenna cable through the firewall and use a bonnet mount bracket with 1/4 wave antenna
with mag mount antenna it's still portable

best performance will be a 25watt mobile unit like a 25 watt ICOM IC-F5022 powered straight from the battery and a body mounted 5/8wave antenna

for odd weekend trips I would start with 3 or 4 handhelds, and a couple of boom mics and mag mount antennas
great for hunting trip as well

I have a few 2nd hand Kirisuns that cost me only R700 each, RTS mini with bonnet mount in my wife's vehicle and a ICOM in my cruiser




Used to have my antenna on a bracket but I ended up mounting it through the body
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CiabbrBr ... dzNHh2Z3ps

Have a look here…

https://www.vratvark.co.za/

Range, Rule of thumb is 1 watt = 1 km

I am sorry to have posted unclearly, I mean a hand held that will actually work in the bush. Thank you for your input Dumbluck (very interesting name choice - )

Hoe ver wil jy praat? We run about 38 radios at work daily and have used allot of different once but for general use these cheapies are solid

https://www.takealot.com/4-pack-combo-t ... ID90143947

A month ago I bought 8 packs on special for R1200

Capt. Yoda wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2024 6:35 pm Hoe ver wil jy praat? We run about 38 radios at work daily and have used allot of different once but for general use these cheapies are solid

https://www.takealot.com/4-pack-combo-t ... ID90143947

A month ago I bought 8 packs on special for R1200

jip,niks beat Baofeng met value for money nie

They are cheap, but technically illegal to use without a license. They are also not ICASA aproved. They would fail if ever tested by ICASA.

Rather get second-hand Motorola.

Capt. Yoda wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2024 6:35 pm Hoe ver wil jy praat? We run about 38 radios at work daily and have used allot of different once but for general use these cheapies are solid

https://www.takealot.com/4-pack-combo-t ... ID90143947

A month ago I bought 8 packs on special for R1200

Ek het self so 6 pack gekoop R899. Kry sonder line of sight maar in oop areas so +-4km, in die berge so +-1.5km, nog nie line of sight getoets nie. Ons gebruik ook Burg B radio’s in ons boerdery, met n goeie repeater praat ons so +-80km.

Baofeng werk baie goed teen n baie goeie prys, ek sal nie sommer iets anders koop nie, nie in dieselfde prysklas nie.

JohanvB wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2024 5:27 pm Have a look here…

https://www.vratvark.co.za/

Range, Rule of thumb is 1 watt = 1 km

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this looks very good, and I have heard good of them, question though, is this a Vratvark radio or are they branded other make ? Does Vratvark make this radio or is it a import that has bee named this for this company and something else, say Cobra for Cobra ??

johans wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2024 7:09 pm

Capt. Yoda wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2024 6:35 pm Hoe ver wil jy praat? We run about 38 radios at work daily and have used allot of different once but for general use these cheapies are solid

https://www.takealot.com/4-pack-combo-t ... ID90143947

A month ago I bought 8 packs on special for R1200

jip,niks beat Baofeng met value for money nie

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.....................I hear you, but will I not just be back in that buy twice situation ? I need to be able to communicate across a 1000 hectare farm kind of thing. I also do not wish to buy what I already have and want to better - are these any better than other R6 -R900 radios ?
I think this is the real question to be asked " when I buy a R1900 radio am I going to say, that this is definitely worth it"

Danie01 wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2024 7:31 pm Baofeng werk baie goed teen n baie goeie prys, ek sal nie sommer iets anders koop nie, nie in dieselfde prysklas nie.

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En as jy nie te veel worry tussen so 1500 - 1900 per radio, is that kinda money that kind of better ? Is a R1500 radio worth it better than the R800 for 4 radio's better ?

treeman wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2024 7:39 pm

JohanvB wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2024 5:27 pm Have a look here…

https://www.vratvark.co.za/

Range, Rule of thumb is 1 watt = 1 km

***************************
this looks very good, and I have heard good of them, question though, is this a Vratvark radio or are they branded other make ? Does Vratvark make this radio or is it a import that has bee named this for this company and something else, say Cobra for Cobra ??

Kindly contact Dale,
(072) 211-8993, he will have the answers you need.

treeman wrote:

Danie01 wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2024 7:31 pm Baofeng werk baie goed teen n baie goeie prys, ek sal nie sommer iets anders koop nie, nie in dieselfde prysklas nie.

*********************************
En as jy nie te veel worry tussen so 1500 - 1900 per radio, is that kinda money that kind of better ? Is a R1500 radio worth it better than the R800 for 4 radio's better ?

Ons het al zartek en vratvark gebruik, ook vir op die plaas en kan nie sleg praat van vratvark nie, maar vir n derde of selfs nog goedkoper doen die baofeng presies dieselfde. Die baofeng is nie so gebou soos die vratvark nie, maar doen die werk en volgens my vang hulle niks slegter op nie.

Ons het seker al 16 van die radios gekoop en almal het gewerk. Daar het al n charger gebreek en twee of drie se antennas het afgebreek, maar die radios werk nogsteeds. Onthou die werkers gaan hulle gebruik en laat val en rof werk met hulle, sal nie die duurste radio vir hulle wil gee nie.

Die batterye hou ook goed, kon nognie fout daar vind nie.

Nee ek glo nie die R1500 plus radios is beter as die baofeng nie, dalk net meer duursaam, sterker gebou.

Dankie Danie01 jy het baie geantwoord

treeman wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2024 6:19 pm I am sorry to have posted unclearly, I mean a hand held that will actually work in the bush. Thank you for your input Dumbluck (very interesting name choice - )

I went VHF to be able to talk to everyone else in the 4x4 / offroad community as this is the standard.

I must say, at R150 a radio those Baofeng UHF's are a great deal, I'm very tempted to get a 4 pack and do some testing comparing them to my VHF handhelds.

In the past I had a few Bosvark UHF (licence free) radios and they performed well, I got great range with the magnetic mount antennas on the vehicle roofs.
I also went on a hunt where the farmer had Bosvark UHF's with longer antennas (40cm) and that also improved the range compared to my standard antenna's

Dumbluck is my old online poker name

Moenie hierdie goed koop nie

https://www.takealot.com/10km-motorola- ... ID46859534

Hulle sukkel om verder as 1km op te vang en die klank is baie swak omdat hulle waterdig is.

EK het HYT en Kenwood radio's en albei stel my teleur.

My pel het sy Zartek radio's saam gebring na my plaas in Namibië en ek was geskok toe ek oor 8km met hom gepraat kry!!!! Hulle is ook baie goedkoper as my Motorolas

Sovêr ek weet, mag radios nie sterker wees as 0.5W om license-free op die PMR kanale te mag werk nie. Motorola as 'n maatskapy probeer gewoonlik om nie iets onwettig to doen nie.

Vir 0.5W om 10km vêr te werk moet alles presies reg wees. Soos van een koppie tot die volgende een in droë lug waar altwee mekaar kan sien.

Ek neem aan jou pel se Zartek radios was bietjie sterker as 0.5W...

treeman wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2024 4:17 pm Please tell me what 2 way radio you use, and which one not to buy. I have had a few and not one ever really worked worth a R1000

The big question is still what do you want to use it for. I am/was a Radio amateur where our radios on the specific frequencies could talk through repeaters theoretically from Pta to Cape Town. Also HF from Kgalakgadi to Mosselbay and Pta.

As said about LC Club, part of the club and using that frequency depends on handheld and base/vehicle mounted. Vehicle is much futher.

For just short distances something the Zartek et al will work, but very restricted.

I wish to use it for hunting - we often 4-5 km apart with no cell reception. Also away from 220 volt power for times .

treeman wrote:I wish to use it for hunting - we often 4-5 km apart with no cell reception. Also away from 220 volt power for times .

For reception in the bush and uneven terrain VHF(136-17mhz) will work better than UHF(445mhz), UHF works better in urban areas.

As previously mentionend, the licence free models are all 0.5watt

Normal handheld Kirisun/Kenwood/Motorola etc radios you from radio dealers are 5watt.

Buy from a reputable dealer such as Repcom in Klerksdorp. I have Baofeng as well as Kirisun models and the Kirisun is a different animal. Working a farm you need tough radios that are repairable/serviceable.

Upper Class radios
Kirisun, Kenwood, HYT, Hytera, Motorola etc
Midrange(still very good)
RTS, Vratvark

Lower range(hobby spec)
Baofeng, Zartek

The antenna also gets trimmed according to your frequency(yes even the handheld ones) that makes the a lot more effective.

Battery life also very important out in the bush.


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JF123 wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2024 12:35 pm Sovêr ek weet, mag radios nie sterker wees as 0.5W om license-free op die PMR kanale te mag werk nie. Motorola as 'n maatskapy probeer gewoonlik om nie iets onwettig to doen nie.

Vir 0.5W om 10km vêr te werk moet alles presies reg wees. Soos van een koppie tot die volgende een in droë lug waar altwee mekaar kan sien.

Ek neem aan jou pel se Zartek radios was bietjie sterker as 0.5W...

Albei radio's is getoets op my plaas in Namibia wat line of sight en droë lug perfek is.

Maaaar ek stem die Cape union Mart Zartek's het my geskok oor hoe goed hulle werk. Hulle prys is ook reg.

Ek het nou gaan meet afstand was 9.83km.

We generally hunt or venture to Drakensberg, Kouga Mts - Witteberg if we in the mountains, all rolling hills and smallish mountains. If we not in the mountains it will be karoo type bos and Addo bush, all velt is basically a 10 ft high canopy with large space between - like you see in Addo or even Kruger Park
Do you still say UHF is best ?
I do have a VHF licence.
I believe I will buy Hytera brand, seem to be higher rated by folk in mining forestry

treeman wrote:We generally hunt or venture to Drakensberg, Kouga Mts - Witteberg if we in the mountains, all rolling hills and smallish mountains. If we not in the mountains it will be karoo type bos and Addo bush, all velt is basically a 10 ft high canopy with large space between - like you see in Addo or even Kruger Park
Do you still say UHF is best ?
I do have a VHF licence.
I believe I will buy Hytera brand, seem to be higher rated by folk in mining forestry

VHF


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Yep, VHF goes further. If possible sit up a repeater system.