Walkie Talkies

[Allyt]

Hi

I am trying to understand the options available to me in Thailand of communicating with my passenger whilst riding my motorbike.

I have been looking at various models of 2 way radio (Cobra, Midland etc) on ebay but after reading about frequencies, licenses & other issues relating to radio use here on Thai Visa, I wonder if this option is feasible.

If anyone can give me a few pointers regarding use of these and maybe recommendations of models it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Ally

[highonthai]

Go with a chatter box system

http://www.chatterboxusa.com/

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

I've been trying to get info on the legality of 11m CB units in Thailand for AGES yet never found something detailed - all i got is some mentioning that devices being used in the internationally standardized CB Band are license- and registration free if they have no more than 0.5 Watts output. Yet it was not specified what type of modulation and what "channels" to use.

Best bet for you to have free communication is to get a "thai standard" CB walkie talkie - they are usually red and have 80 FM channels, the frequency range is 245 MHz. You can find them in places like MBK or Panthip, make sure to go for a legal one (red, 245 MHz!) as they sell all sorts of walkie-talkies and many are rather suspicious.

Best regards.....

Thanh

[Allyt]

2 good responses, thanks

Ally

[Allyt]

Like this you mean ?

http://www.wellform.co.th/th7/th7.html

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

Yup, exactly like that one. That price is also fairly average, you get cheaper ones (cheapest i've seen was 1,699) and more expensive ones (those that look like 2m HAM devices), most expensive hand-held i've seen was 7,500 Baht. Depending on what you want to use them for, you can go for the cheapest one (usually just 1 Watt or less than that) or, if you want to use it for longer distances and maybe add an external antenna (which is legal!) you may go for a more expensive one which has detachable antenna and up to 5 Watts (legal limit for hand-held ones). Have a look at these sites:

http://www.rast.or.th/tares.html

http://www.walkie-talkie.net/ (again, RED = CB)

Best regards.....

Thanh

[Allyt]

Brilliant, I think you just saved me wasting a lot of time and money.

Thanks

Ally

[astral]

Brilliant, I think you just saved me wasting a lot of time and money.

Thanks

Ally

And arrest, if you are caught using illegal models without an appropriate licence.

Even if you are a licensed Amateur, the radio itself needs an approval mark before being used in Thailand.

[Allyt]

Ok guys, I have my 2 little red rx/tx radios and I must say that wellform.co.th did a great deal for me. Each set was 2,999 & 450 for mic & ear with PTT velcro button, all carefully packaged and delivered by cheap as chips EMS. Brilliant English service by email & phone too.

Can you assist me to understand the frequency issues that I might trip into.

For instance, is there any kind of unwritten agreement ( stop laughing ok... I am British!) somewhere about any particular channels being dedicated for one reason or another, rescue etc?

Thanks

Ally

[Richard-BKK]

We bought walkie-talkies from MBK, the range is about 40km, with some simple adjustments you can use Nokia style smalltalk headsets to talk. It is not the best option, but with a total cost of 4000bht it is okay.

The legal issue, after trying to find out what can and what cannot, I give up and start using it. Never had anybody complaining...

[Thanh-BKK]

We bought walkie-talkies from MBK, the range is about 40km, with some simple adjustments you can use Nokia style smalltalk headsets to talk. It is not the best option, but with a total cost of 4000bht it is okay.

The legal issue, after trying to find out what can and what cannot, I give up and start using it. Never had anybody complaining...

Hi

Do you know what frequency those run on? Look in the back there must be a sticker somewhere (likely in the battery compartment). Because 40 km's range is not bad for a walkie-talkie, even my 2m HAM doesn't go that far without at least a 1/4 wave antenna.

Be careful when using them, because not only are they most likely illegal (not on either CB or HAM frequency) but may also be outright dangerous - imagine the headline:

"Plane crashed in Bangkok. Pilot's last words: There's someone chatting with his wife on the emergency band!!"

I myself have some walkie talkies that aren't exactly legal here, too - but at least i can't harm anyone with them. One is my old 400 channel CB (11 meters CB that is), AM/FM/USB/LSB with max output of 6 watts SSB.... and i own a couple of 2m HAM ones that i bought at Ban Laem for 1,500 Baht each. They have a range from 130 to 170 MHz and i use them only to listen in on 2m HAM traffic (144 to 146), no harm done. I know i'd need a license to operate those but at least they are not dangerous and as long as i don't SEND...... the 11m i have no idea about it's legality here and wish to find out, but no info anywhere.

Best regards.....

Thanh

[Meridian007]

What about FRS? I brought a couple of FRS radios from Canada, but I'm not sure if the default frequency is a legal one here. I know that it uses UHF and FM, from 462-467Mhz. Should I stop using them? I never hear anyone else on the higher channels (I know the lower 462 channels are usually used by govt/industry so I don't use them). I brought them to use in the outback when rock climbing because of their handsfree ability.

[elkangorito]

My comments in blue.

Hi

I am trying to understand the options available to me in Thailand of communicating with my passenger whilst riding my motorbike.

I have been looking at various models of 2 way radio (Cobra, Midland etc) on ebay but after reading about frequencies, licenses & other issues relating to radio use here on Thai Visa, I wonder if this option is feasible.

If anyone can give me a few pointers regarding use of these and maybe recommendations of models it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Ally

Hi

Do you know what frequency those run on? Look in the back there must be a sticker somewhere (likely in the battery compartment). Because 40 km's range is not bad for a walkie-talkie, even my 2m HAM doesn't go that far without at least a 1/4 wave antenna.

40kms is not a "bad range"...it is almost a world record for "line of sight" communication over general terrain. Using portable units on a motorcycle would greatly reduce this range. The best I have ever achieved over 11 Metres (HF - fixed location with a half wave antenna, A3E at 5 Watts) is about 60kms with a very poor signal strength & almost zero readability. 2 Metres (VHF) cannot get near these results unless "line of site" & transmitter output power is at issue.

Be careful when using them, because not only are they most likely illegal (not on either CB or HAM frequency) but may also be outright dangerous - imagine the headline:

"Plane crashed in Bangkok. Pilot's last words: There's someone chatting with his wife on the emergency band!!"

What a load of <deleted>! Assuming that the transmitter output power does not exceed 5 Watts & they are being used on a moving motorcycle, this is a "few & far between" situation". If the units used are HF (3 to 30 MHz), then no problem since aircraft mainly use VHF/UHF for general communication. If they are VHF, it is almost an impossible situation that you propose.

I myself have some walkie talkies that aren't exactly legal here, too - but at least i can't harm anyone with them. One is my old 400 channel CB (11 meters CB that is), AM/FM/USB/LSB with max output of 6 watts SSB.... and i own a couple of 2m HAM ones that i bought at Ban Laem for 1,500 Baht each. They have a range from 130 to 170 MHz and i use them only to listen in on 2m HAM traffic (144 to 146), no harm done. I know i'd need a license to operate those but at least they are not dangerous and as long as i don't SEND...... the 11m i have no idea about it's legality here and wish to find out, but no info anywhere.

Best regards.....

Thanh

Besides using radio frequency (RF) communication, have you considered the type of communication used by aircraft pilots? Basically, headphone/microphone sets are used, which are interfaced by a simple amplifier. This may prove to be about the same price as transmitters but much less problematic.

Also, be aware that if you choose to use "walkie talkies" with telescopic antennas & you operate these things with the antennas NOT extended, the life of the transmitter will be reduced (high amount of reflected power due to bad VSWR).

Edited February 29, 2008 by elkangorito

[Thanh-BKK]

What a load of <deleted>! Assuming that the transmitter output power does not exceed 5 Watts & they are being used on a moving motorcycle, this is a "few & far between" situation". If the units used are HF (3 to 30 MHz), then no problem since aircraft mainly use VHF/UHF for general communication. If they are VHF, it is almost an impossible situation that you propose.

Now THAT is <deleted>!

Or why do you THINK that type of Walkie-Talkie is illegal?? If an aircraft communicates with the tower on, say, 165 and i have an illegal Walkie Talkie that goes on that frequency and i have no idea it's the emergency band or whatever plus i have the squelch shut because my QSO partner sits on the bike behind mine, when i press the PTT blasting out five Watts i may well overpower an aircraft that is further away from said tower than myself! At least i make it's signal become garbled.

And wonder not i have seen Walkie Talkies that go virtually everywhere, even own a couple of them (130 to 170 full RTX!)

And in Germany i did cover distances of 50 km's + with a 2m HAM walkie talkie to a similar device, him using a 1/4 wave stick-on and me using a 1/2 wave dipole (aluminium tube on wood holder) on a 3m "Mast". Frequency = 149 MHz. My largest distance with both partners using the factory "rubber tail" was still a cool 30 km's so such distances are sure realistic on 2m (VHF). I am talking hilly terrain!

Best regards......

Thanh

[monty]

If an aircraft communicates with the tower on, say, 165 and i have an illegal Walkie Talkie that goes on that frequency and i have no idea it's the emergency band or whatever plus i have the squelch shut because my QSO partner sits on the bike behind mine, when i press the PTT blasting out five Watts i may well overpower an aircraft that is further away from said tower than myself! At least i make it's signal become garbled.

Now that is not correct either!

Aeronautical frequencies are the same the world over, and simply no commercially available transmitter will transmit on frequencies between 108 MHz and 130 MHz.

You really do need to buy an aviation transceiver to be able to transmit at frequencies used by airplanes!

FYI, the frequencies used by airplanes start just above the FM radio band at 108 Mhz where the first 10 Mhz (till 117.950 Mhz) are only used for navigation aids and not for voice communications.

Communications run from 118 Mhz till 136.975 Mhz, with 121.500 Mhz being the emergency frequency!

There is indeed a small overlap as some transceivers can transmit in the 130 to 140 Mhz band, but this definitely does not cover the emergency frequency!

The only way you can interfere with aviation communication is when you would have an illegally modified transmitter allowing to transmit on the aviation band (or of course a legal aviation transmitter), or when you would have for example a 149 Mhz transmitter and put a low quality 100 Watt booster behind it...

Most aviation band transmitters put out 10 Watt or less with 5-7 watt being the norm...

[billd766]

If an aircraft communicates with the tower on, say, 165 and i have an illegal Walkie Talkie that goes on that frequency and i have no idea it's the emergency band or whatever plus i have the squelch shut because my QSO partner sits on the bike behind mine, when i press the PTT blasting out five Watts i may well overpower an aircraft that is further away from said tower than myself! At least i make it's signal become garbled.

Now that is not correct either!

Aeronautical frequencies are the same the world over, and simply no commercially available transmitter will transmit on frequencies between 108 MHz and 130 MHz.

You really do need to buy an aviation transceiver to be able to transmit at frequencies used by airplanes!

FYI, the frequencies used by airplanes start just above the FM radio band at 108 Mhz where the first 10 Mhz (till 117.950 Mhz) are only used for navigation aids and not for voice communications.

Communications run from 118 Mhz till 136.975 Mhz, with 121.500 Mhz being the emergency frequency!

There is indeed a small overlap as some transceivers can transmit in the 130 to 140 Mhz band, but this definitely does not cover the emergency frequency!

The only way you can interfere with aviation communication is when you would have an illegally modified transmitter allowing to transmit on the aviation band (or of course a legal aviation transmitter), or when you would have for example a 149 Mhz transmitter and put a low quality 100 Watt booster behind it...

Most aviation band transmitters put out 10 Watt or less with 5-7 watt being the norm...

And the UHF aircraft emergency frequency is 243 Mhz.

If I remember back from the stone ages the HF emergency was 2182Khz.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hello

This is why i stayed a bit vague on the frequencies - as i didn't have a clue where the pilots actually talk to the tower But i still guess you'll het Walkie Talkies here that send on such frequencies... .as i've already held the weirdest ones in my hands. And mine, from 130 to 170, are already more or less "standard" (the one i used in Germany to frequent the three "freenet" channels in the 149 range was a regular Albrecht 2m HAM (144-146) which, upon keying a simple combination, also opened to 130-170).

Now just a little programming change and it could well go lower? As i've done myself on a number of 11m CB units where usually changing a few solder points enabled the device to change from 40 channels FM to 240 or more channels all-mode (a Stabo became a true-frequency device that went from 24.000 to 32.000 MHz, remember that was an ordinary CB before!) Or, finding a real pilot's one on the flea market? (as happened in Germany - a guy was sold a pair of GENUINE police radios as "CB" on such flea market, he happily used them - and, disrupting the real police communication, was hunted down like a mass murderer!) Joe user has likely no idea and as long as what he speaks int one is received on the second he'll use them.

As back to topic, the safest in Thailand is to go for the normal, legal, red CB ones - no hassle, no problems

Best regards.....

Thanh

[Newguy70]

Hi Guys,

I Know it's an old thread, however most of the research looks to of been done prior. However I am wondering if anyone knows of any recent news regarding law/regulation here in Thailand.

And are the only ones that are still legal to use the Red ones ie Midland TH7, Icom, Standard etc. ?

Any help regarding this would be greatly appreciated. As a bunch of us are looking to use these on biking trips here in Thailand

Other options I have looked into are the Sena's, any feedback would be great regarding these. However from what I have read they seem to fall apart, and at that price, that's scary.

Have read into the scala's however they are very pricey and do not cover the distance that the Midland & Icom do

Thnx guys

Jay