Radio Help

[GhostWolf]

Ok i'm looking to put together my first radio set-up and I have never ever done this before. I want to use one of the Dummy PRC's but the one which takes another radio inside of it and will connect the aerial and line in lead. What type of radios work inside these dummy PRC's? What PTT would work with them and what sort of headset with boom mike would I be able to connect to the PTT. Any help with this would be much appreciated.

[Andrew March]

Re: Radio Help

They're not really worth it to be honest, the only radios that fit inside tend to be of the smaller crappier persuasion. Invest in a decent radio setup, there are plenty of threads regarding which ones to go for or if you must own a PRC style radio then get a united star one or a triumph indiustries one. They are essentially copies of the real thing but bear in mind you will need an amateur radio license from OFCOM if your radio exceeds the power output limit under PMR446 regulations.

Radio brands that perform well include:

Icom
Motorola's XTN series
Kenwood protalk series

PTT's for all of them are widely available

[Rich83]

Re: Radio Help

As far as I am aware, you buy the dummy radio to fit your walky - so you buy a Motorola compatible one and then plug your walky inside, and your headset on the outside. There are lots of ways to do this but what I recomend you do for cheap ease and quality connections is by an MBTIR case (I assume that's what you are after) and then simply drill a hole where your PTT and headset down lead should fit into the top of the radio and just thread it through that hole... Basically, buy your walky and the relevant PTT/headset combo and put it in the box.

Get a decent radio. Everyone has their favourites but you can't go wrong with a Motorola talkabout (£20 new!) as they are cheap as chips and compatible with everyone elses PMR446 radios, which is the UK standard public frequency. You could buy a more expensive Moto XTN but to get you started you don't need to. Then buy an Element or Z Tactical PTT which is compatible with your radio. On the end of the PTT you will have a big hole for a military standard phono jack - you can then plug into it pretty much any Chinese made headset like the bowman, comtac etc. When you sell or upgrade your radio, you may be able to keep the PTT to use with your new radio but you will defo be able to keep your headset so buy a quality headset that you want. The Comtacs are the most expensive but I find the Bowman is really comfy for wearing with goggles or glasses and stuff.