walkie talkies

[WS_Jack_III]

Has anybody used them at the festival?

Managed to get hold of some but wondering if they'll be a waste of time. Do you just get lots of cross chatter?

[jonny2mad]

I've only used portable radios when working there not sure what the point would be for a member of the public as its just another thing to carry,

if it was something that could do the same freq as the radios the security or stewards use, I dont know but imagine they wouldnt really want you to bring one on site

[WS_Jack_III]

Was hoping to use them to stay in touch with my Brother. Turn em on at certain times so we can find out where to go if we wanna meet up.

[Mark E. Spliff]

I've taken them to a few festivals including Glastonbury. They worked surprisingly well. We did a few experiments to see over what distance they'd work, and I got all the way back to our workers campsite (beyond Dairy, by the main fence) whilst still speaking to my mate John in the Pyramid field.

You do often get other people on channels, but it didn't stop us from talking to each other and you have quite a lot of channels to choose from so you can always move to an empty one.

I guess the only reason people don't use them more is that mobile phones make them a bit redundant.

Edited April 23, 2014 by Mark E. Spliff

[WS_Jack_III]

I've taken them to a few festivals including Glastonbury. They worked surprisingly well. We did a few experiments to see over what distance they'd work, and I got all the way back to our workers campsite (beyond Dairy, by the main fence) whilst still speaking to my mate John in the Pyramid field.

You do often get other people on channels, but it didn't stop us from talking to each other and you have quite a lot of channels to choose from so you can always move to an empty one.

I guess the only reason people don't use them more is that mobile phones make them a bit redundant.

[Mark E. Spliff]

If you're going to do it, you'll need to attach them to your shoulder, so you'll have a chance of hearing your mates calling you above the racket.

And yes, there's always something comical about being forced to talk one at a time and say 'over' when you're off your face.

[mungo57]

I might have to steal some radios from work now for Glasto that sounds like a giggle.

'Chris to Tony: you receiving, over?'

'send over'

'How smashed are you, over?'

'Well seeing as though you are standing next to me in the field I would say less than you, over'

Endless possibilities!

[stardustjunkie]

I can imagine you would pick up security etc, which they might not be best pleased about. Especially if they can pick you up!

This reminds me of when we had to have baby monitors, my brother was going to bed but all we could hear on the monitor was someone else's house. The kids were having a bath and it was only when they started saying the kids names that we realised it was our family friends who lived about 5 roads away. Very bizarre!

[jonny2mad]

if you get searched on the gates, or are seen talking on the radio while there are reports of people using a radio to cut into secruity or stewarding channels, my guess is they would take the radio off you and could throw you off site .

I cant remember what it says whether they are prohibited items on the website, but those security and other channels are not a game peoples lives do actually depend on them,

You do now and then get people who are issued with radios who get bored and think its funny to play around with them, when your trying to report a fire or someone needing urgent medical support its not actually that funny .

This has actually happened to me in the past, as I say its extra stuff to carry mobiles work better I personally wouldnt bother taking them .

I'd take a old nokia phone and a charger maybe a spare battery and just send texts. Normally with portable radios you need a base station to charge the damn things or spare batterys, they are heavy and the battery life if you have them switched on all the time to hear the other person isnt that great, we normally have to send out fresh batterys during shifts to people whose radios are starting to bleep

I carry about a radio for a large part of the time I'm on site its a awkward heavy thing, my old nokia is tiny the battery lasts far better on my nokia days as opposed to a several hours

[Mark E. Spliff]

Some types of radios are highly-regulated. E.g. I've got a marine VHF operator's certificate, but if I use it on land, I could technically get done - although I doubt there's anyone actually enforcing this.

I suspect the OP is talking about the sort of radios you can buy from Argos for £20 a pair. These are effectively toys and there is no restriction on when and where you can use them. You might hear some 'official' sounding transmissions over them, but that will just be some non-essential workers (e.g. catering businesses) who didn't want to shell out on a more expensive system.

Security (and other festival officials such as the bar operators) will use their own network of UHF radios - i.e. a base station which is paired-up to a number of handsets. It shouldn't suffer from interference from 'Argos' walkie-talkies. You can freely buy that type of system off ebay without a special license, but they're quite pricey.

[WS_Jack_III]

Some types of radios are highly-regulated. E.g. I've got a marine VHF operator's certificate, but if I use it on land, I could technically get done - although I doubt there's anyone actually enforcing this.

I suspect the OP is talking about the sort of radios you can buy from Argos for £20 a pair. These are effectively toys and there is no restriction on when and where you can use them. You might hear some 'official' sounding transmissions over them, but that will just be some non-essential workers (e.g. catering businesses) who didn't want to shell out on a more expensive system.

Security (and other festival officials such as the bar operators) will use their own network of UHF radios - i.e. a base station which is paired-up to a number of handsets. It shouldn't suffer from interference from 'Argos' walkie-talkies. You can freely buy that type of system off ebay without a special license, but they're quite pricey.

[bsolxiv]

Just turn them off during the performances.

[WS_Jack_III]

Just turn them off during the performances.

[Bisque]

I've got a VHF licence & some off the back of a lorry radios for marine use that would easily work over the whole site.

I don't seem how they'd been better than an old Nokia & some spare batteries off eBay though.

[maninkilt]

I recently got a " 20 quid argos " type set, the type described as toys and to me that is just what they are, just for a bit of fun. They are very light, use AA batteries and are a laugh, no more.

[Mark E. Spliff]

I've got a VHF licence & some off the back of a lorry radios for marine use that would easily work over the whole site.

I don't seem how they'd been better than an old Nokia & some spare batteries off eBay though.

[glenman]

a fella on the bus last year was able to use a walkie talkie to talk to a friend already on site,not sure how practical they are but they would defiantly add some comical value to the weekend!

[guypjfreak]

there great but if your abit prone to paranoia like me itll do your head in cos they keep going shatikatak shhhhhhahhk ttttt ect you get the drift .lol

[eoJ]

Was doing a browse on ebay today for some, spotted this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/I22-New-Pair-Midland-LXT550-22-Channels-2-Way-Radio-Walkie-Talkie-Up-To-24-Miles-/350918789309

4W output (can be changed to 1W to save power) and apparently 24 mile range. Can anyone experienced with radios/walkie talkies give any reason why these might be a bad idea? (other than the reasons that'd apply to all walkie talkies) One potential issue is the 22 channels, which could be a problem? And if not, are there any others with a similar radius that aren't too dear (don't mind paying up to £25 a handset, although I don't want to pay extra for fancy features I won't use) - will probably be getting 3-4 so everyone can have one, to make it easy to split up if we want.

[glasto-worker]

I can imagine you would pick up security etc, which they might not be best pleased about. Especially if they can pick you up!

[pie_and_a_pint]

You can't text from a walkie talkie, which means you're immediately at a disadvantage in noisy areas where even if you can't hear a conversation or phone call you can at least read a text message.

[snoopyhill]

Walkie Talkies turned up in the post today now looking forward to hearing my (teenage) children blowing raspberries and laughing.

[PaulieV]

A friend bought some pretty high powered ones one year. They were, as everyone said, a laugh for the first day but they soon run out of juice and unless you're staying in a campervan they're more of a faff to charge than just getting a cheap old nokia phone for 9.99 that'll last you the whole festival without charging.

I used them at Glasto and at Coachella and in the end gave up and resorted to mobile phones, you at least have chance of hearing (or feeling) a mobile ring and the days of waiting 20 minutes for a call to connect or text to go through in Glasto are long gone.