Tidbit: Walkie-Talkies [GMRS Radios] for casual comms

This is one of a series of brief, no nonsense posts that we call a Tidbit:

noun; small and [possibly] particularly interesting items of gossip or information...

The purpose is to share succinct posts about lessons learned, or things we use or do that work [or don't...] that are common to many of us boaters. 

This post is also worthy for listing in our Stuff we have and use sidebar —>

The goal is to garner feedback from those of you having first-hand experience with a better approach/ solution/ product...  

We never assume what we are sharing is the ideal or only; it just seems to best suit our needs [and/or habits and/or budget] from our experiences thus far...

Sometimes these Tidbits originate from a topic of discussion on one of the forums we participate in, and this happens to be one: Link to original post [27-Mar-2024]

Since we encounter this question on occasion, it made sense to post a more detailed response for future reference.

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Many users [ourselves included] use hand held Marine VHF radios to maintain comms when some or all crew are off the mother ship [on land or other watercraft] in remote areas.

Sometimes these are not appropriate- especially if you need to issue radios to several different guests off exploring in different directions since other vessels in the area might also hear the conversations [and we might occupy marine channels those actually boating need to use…]

Therefore, we have always keep a few [5; lost 1 over the years] cheaper, general use GMRS radios onboard for years for the same purpose. 

They work great. 

And once [so far…] on a remote kayaking trip, these radios were of great assistance during an emergency when one of 3 of kayakers [each with their own GMRS Radio] broke their wrist [during inclement weather; e.g., It was a dark and stormy night…] because of a fall on ice while hiking alone. 

There are several Walkie-Talkie radio types available, and are well described on this forum post.

Note: Last I knew [in the US anyway] technically you need an FCC license to use the high power GMRS channels, but that may have changed.

We issue them to guests whenever they are venturing off the boat [e.g., kayaking, SUP, dinghy, or hiking on land- remote or in a town.]

For safety, we do also issue those off on their own waterborne adventures from the mothership Marine VHF radios [and PLBs] for emergency use. [e.g., As we tell visitors ‘In case the mothership is struck by a meteor while you are away…’]

Coordination with users who may not be used to using radios:

About 15 years ago, we color coded ours with a wrap of different colored electrical tape on each antenna [useful when wanting to hail someone anonymously; original tape is still going strong…]

Photo taken Mar-2024; Taped applied ~ 2008?

We have fun making up bogus call signs:  [Sounds cool and officious; Less prone to interruptions by other radio users not in your group in crowded locations- like big cities- where we would likely be using cell phones anyway…]

Charley-Alpha-Kilo-Oscar, this is Charley-Alpha-Kilo-Bravo 

[Candy-Ass Kayaker Orange (antenna tape), this is … Blue…]

For distance use when separated, our protocol is to start/ hail first on a specified low power channel (e.g., GMRS 13; 1 watt- for better battery life) then, if unsuccessful raising the other party(ies), switch to a specified high power channel (e.g., GMRS 14; 5 watts?) and try again… [This works best with a comms schedule- e.g., everyone check in every 30 mins.]

Battery considerations: 

We prefer electronics that can use the Panasonic Eneloop rechargeable batteries [AAA, AA] we standardized on almost 20 years ago [still rate among the best for low self-discharge rates; e.g., long shelf life once charged.] This is so we can issue spare batteries for the GMRS issued to those traveling a distance from the boat [just in case… There aren’t any charging stations handy when traveling by kayak, sup, or hiking in remote locations…]

Sidebar: Radios are half - duplex [only one can speak- or more accurately, be heard- at a time, and then you have to release the PTT button to listen… If you want to…] Even if VOX [voice activation] is used. This is very adequate for most of our use cases, and what VHF radio users are used to. [This paradigm is also perfect for certain couples; some have even confided they found that judicious use of their personal volume control very satisfying…]

But for ‘real time’ comms on the boat [volume up; e.g., anchoring, hauling anchor, mooring, etc.- especially in sporty conditions] we prefer full-duplex headsets [you can still hear the other person if you are talking- like a phone; no PTT (push-to-talk) button.]. Nothing missed that way…

We do recognize that some relationships claim to attribute their longevity to only one member being able to [or being the only one to ever] speak [be heard?] at a time [half-duplex; the other party remaining silent until the speaker is finished- reportedly sometimes for long periods thereafter- or has released the button on the radio in our case…] 

But there are situations when the ability to interrupt is necessary [if not sometimes risky…] hence our preference for full-duplex headsets for real-time comms during boat maneuvers… [Always with carefully modulated volume— of one’s own voice of course. After all, they didn’t nickname these headsets ‘Marriage Savers’ arbitrarily…]

  

Please share your experiences, choices, and recommendations. We learn something new every day…