General Forums >> Gear and Equipment >> Need some advice......PLEASE!!
Need some advice......PLEASE!!
|
Posted 2 months ago Well, since im new 2 the fire service, im n the process of orderin me a handheld radio. Was just wantin any1 or every1's opinion on the kind i should b lookin at. I think i know i have 2 have a VHF, but im pretty much clueless after that. So, some advice on some goods 1's, and also, the kind ya'll think i shouldn't get..................Thank ya!! |
|
| Posted 2 months ago hey SummerB, RKnott here, I like motorola thats my personal radio , I'm issued a kenwood , I like it also but i have never had any problems with my motorola except when I drop'd it i had to get the speaker fix . well thats my thought . hope it helps. |
|
|
| Posted 2 months ago Thanks, n is there any certain features i need 2 have with the 1 i get? Should it b waterproof? Etc? |
|
| Posted 2 months ago Make sure any hand held radio is intrinsically safe. "All that is necessary for evil to truimph is for good men to do nothing" - Edmund Burke |
|
| Posted 2 months ago I've got a motortola HT 1000 and I think its the best radio i've ever had. Alot of other people around here have gone to kenwoods. |
|
| Posted 2 months ago I like the HT 1000, but I currently have a yaesu vhf/uhf for personal use and I love it. This way I can at least listen upbefore I get to the station. What does your dept use? Price and programming are factors to consider. |
|
| Posted 2 months ago from my experience you cant go wrong with motorola but as someone said make sure its intrinsically safe |
|
| Posted 2 months ago I'm curious as to why you need a radio if you are new? If your department wants you to have a radio, won't they issue you one? I understand that not all departments have funds to give everyone a radio. Usually only the officers or medical first responders would have a radio to go direct on a scene. This discussion has come up in the past by someone who was looking to instigate an uproar. I'm not saying you are, nor am I trying to be condescending. My suggestion would be that you ask your chief what kind of radio you should get, and your chief can even help you find the right people to program it. Since store bought radios are not programed to your local radio settings. Are you sure your department is using VHF (144Mhz) and not 800Mhz or even UHF(440Mhz)? All these questions can be answered by your chief or dispatch center. Then you could shop for the right radio. Some times eBay has portable radios for sale at reasonable prices. Good luck. |
|
| Posted 2 months ago I would tend to agree with talking to your Chief before you commit. I have seen in the past firefighters who would abuse the privledge of having and using a radio. Another question for you is how much do you want to spend?? Motorolas are nice, but they are not cheap. If you do decide to get one then check out e-bay. They always got good deals. |
|
| Posted 2 months ago Ditto. You need to get permission from your Chief, and for that matter, they should provide it when they do want you to have one. Jeff Draper
|
|
| Posted 2 months ago I have to agree. Your dept should provide you with a radio. Sometimes you have to wait till you have so many hours and that you go through training about using radios. I had to be 20 hr cert and go through a radio class before I could get mine. But they did give me a pager before I got my first radio. I was in a hurry to get my fiirst radio but now that I have one, i'm scared to use it. I hate getting on there, I'm afraid I might use the wrong 10 code or say something wrong. Plus the chief hates it when we get on the radios. "Hell, these are Marines. Men like them held Guadalcanal and took Iwo Jima. Bagdad ain't shit." "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem." United States Marine Corps |
|
| Posted 2 months ago Ya don't need one |
|
|
| Posted 2 months ago Well, i do think my dept issues radios, but they dont have any extra at this time. Also, firefighting is wat im gonna b doin, so would like 2 have my own personal 1, in case i was 2 mess it up some way(Def good at messin things up). N if it was such a big deal with the chief that i needed 2 get a certain kind or wait till he wanted me 2 get 1, wouldnt he have talked that through with me already? Cause he aint. N the whole me abusing the privilege a of radio, i def wouldnt, just would use it 4 pages n wen im on scene 2 talk bac n forth with my partners. Also, i thought The VHF was 4 firefighting n the UHF was 4 Law Enforcement. The reason i say that is because my boyfriend has 1 he used n Law Enforcement n i was askin some of my buddies at diff depts if they thought i could just use that 1, but they said it was prob a UHF, n that i would have 2 have a VHF. They said i should get a Kenwood, but i want 1 thats gonna last. So id want somethin prob no more that $300. Think i could get a decent 1 round that price range?? By the way, Wat is the difference between a VHF n a UHF? |
|
|
| Posted 2 months ago My advice is to get a pager first. I have an HT 1200 by Motorola and it's great. But it also means I have a 2 inch leash! If you get one you may be well put to use, once you get all of your training. Now the issue is, you can't just roll out and get one. You need to make sure it's compatible with what your dept. has. Emtjad (?) is correct. Store bought radios are not automatically programmed. You have to think about what kind of programming you want, which agencies you want on it or if you can get their frequencies. Most decent radios are not going to be cheap. At all. I f you don't have the same things programmed on yours that your dept. has, your radio will be useless. You absolutely need to talk to your chief first. He may not be talking to you yet because he wants you to focus on your training first. Not what everybody else is doing on a fireground. I think it's terrific that you are so excited and want to jump in. Just do it feet first, not head first! Good luck! :) |
|
|
| Posted 2 months ago K, so guess every1 is gettin at.............talk 2 the chief 1st? I knew i could find the best advice here, so that's y i asked. Thanks every1!!! |
|
| Posted 2 months ago
Once upon a time when I was young...I worked as a Communications Technician. I sold and serviced two-way communications equipment to Police, Fire, and Industry. After reading the numerous posts here I thought I might add a bit of information. An Intrinsically safe radio is a protection technique for safe operation of radio equipment in explosive atmospheres. Most often it is the battery itself that makes the radio intrinsically safe. However very few Fire Departments or even Refineries use this type of radio as it is a lot more expensive than standard radios. Relm makes a hand-held radio with a scan feature to monitor other department and jurisdictions that is also a pager too. It can operate as a pager either carried or while it is in the charger. It retails for around $199. Today’s radios are very sophisticated pieces of equipment. I have one that will not only transmit and receive radio traffic, but also has the ability to page out other units too. I can even set off the Storm Sirens in my city with it! It is also way too complicated to use on the fire scene. Too many buttons and whistles!! In my turn-out gear I carry a very basic hand-held that allows me to safely communicate with the Firefighters on scene, headquarters/dispatch, our mutual aid departments, and all apparatus and fire companies involved. It is also durable and can handle the bumps and tumbles portable radios get at a fire. Before you make a purchase visit with your department officers, check with communications professionals in your area, and get exactly what you need in a radio. Maybe even visit the local Amateur Radio Club who operates in your area. They are a fantastic source of communications information and will know virtually all the frequencies in use in your area. They are also very helpful with classes and will assist you in selecting and learning to use your new radio. It may even stir your interest in becoming an Amateur radio Operator too! They will gladly help you with the training involved. The world of radio communications is changing dramatically and rapidly. Shop wisely!! Take care and Be safe!!!
Eddie D. Howard
|
|
|
| Posted 2 months ago SummerB_1415 says ...
VHF stands for Very High Frequency and is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High Frequency HF range are between 3 and 30 MHz, and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra High Frequency (UHF) range from 300 MHz and 3 GHz (3,000 MHz). In the VHF and UHF bands there are frequencies for police, fire, public service, business, industry, aircraft, transportation, city, county, state, federal, public, private, and other services. TV Channels 2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13 are VHF and all Channels from 13 to 83 are UHF. VHF is the most common and widely used band. Commonly the effective range a radio will work in this band is about 100 miles depending on the application. UHF effective range is much shorter around 35 to 50 miles, but the band is less crowded and easier to get frequency coordination for an FCC license. The effective range of a hand-held radio is usually between 1 mile and 5 miles with the aid of a repeater system. Again I hope this is some help to you. Take Care and Be Safe!!!
Eddie D. Howard
|