Two Way Radios = No way

[charlie11364]

Ham radio?

10 miles isn't a problem if everyone has their ham ticket (and yeah, my ham HT will be on my belt)

 

[Robo]

Ham radio?

10 miles isn't a problem if everyone has their ham ticket (and yeah, my ham HT will be on my belt)

CQ. CQ.

See if you can get a QSL card from WDW!!

 

[Goofy Rulz]

We used 2-ways back in March. Initially, we had a lot of interference and heard everyone else's conversations and couldn't get through to our party. Once we changed the channel & frequency they worked just fine. We never had any problems or interrupts. Our radios cost $25; not too expensive.

 

[Woodge]

Being from the UK (actually based in India) cell phones are not really an option unless you can buy a cheap SIM card. Is that possible ? or am I going to have to risk the FCC and buy some 2-ways. Thx. Woodge

 

[erikthewise]

We used to use 2-ways but this year used cell phones. They would have worked better if I could convince DW to leave hers on. She only turns it on when SHE wants to make a call!

 

[mickeyluv]

I hold my wife's hand a lot. We don't get too seperated that way.

That is so sweet! My DH must read this!!

 

[charlie11364]

CQ. CQ.

See if you can get a QSL card from WDW!!

What, the DEARS club? I'm fairly sure I can arrange that I'm a BEARS member

73 de KG2V

 

[LordAthens]

Being from the UK (actually based in India) cell phones are not really an option unless you can buy a cheap SIM card. Is that possible ? or am I going to have to risk the FCC and buy some 2-ways. Thx. Woodge

Getting a SIM short-term in the states is close to impossible. Any provider that uses GSM (Cingular and T-Mobile are the only US Nationwide carriers that fully use GSM) is going to require a credit check and an at-least 1 year contract. Additionally, like everything else (electric, NTSC, etc), we don't use the same GSM frequencies that the rest of the world uses, so your current phones would need to be quad band GSM to actually work on our networks.

If you have a quad band handset, your carrier over there may actually allow you to roam onto a US network here. I'm sure it's not cheap, but they may very well allow it.

Simply put, I'd invest in some radio's

 

[mickeyminnie]

I have a motorola sport set about a year and an half old, I don't think the cell phones will work in mexico so was wondering about the radios

 

[jme829]

We took them one time. We were in Frontierland near Splash Mtn and turned them on to "synchronize" the channels or whatever. The first thing I heard (in WDW no less) was ..."get off my channel b**ch". So we turned them off and have never used them again. We use our cells now. DH travels for business so he has a nationwide plan. Works much better for us and no one can call us names..LOL

 

[erikthewise]

Getting a SIM short-term in the states is close to impossible. Any provider that uses GSM (Cingular and T-Mobile are the only US Nationwide carriers that fully use GSM) is going to require a credit check and an at-least 1 year contract. Additionally, like everything else (electric, NTSC, etc), we don't use the same GSM frequencies that the rest of the world uses, so your current phones would need to be quad band GSM to actually work on our networks.

If you have a quad band handset, your carrier over there may actually allow you to roam onto a US network here. I'm sure it's not cheap, but they may very well allow it.

Simply put, I'd invest in some radio's

While your first sentence is likely true, it's not true that you need a contract to get a GSM phone. Nevertheless your advice for overseas visitors seems sound.

Cingular markets and sells pay-as-you-go GSM phones; we have two of them. Of course you don't get the phone free, but once you've got your phone for $70-$80, which includes $10 into your account, you don't have to put another dollar in if you don't wish to. You can get a plan with $1 a day flat-fee and in-network minutes free. This is a reasonable if somewhat pricey option for overseas visitors who absolutely want to use a cell phone rather than radios and aren't bothered by the expense.

But you may need to go to a Cingular store to do this or buy online from Cingular site -- third party resellers seem only interested in selling contracts. And I'm not sure if they would sell to overseas address.

 

[Woodge]

Looks like 2-ways is the way to go then. Thanks for your help.

 

[LordAthens]

While your first sentence is likely true, it's not true that you need a contract to get a GSM phone. Nevertheless your advice for overseas visitors seems sound.

Cingular markets and sells pay-as-you-go GSM phones; we have two of them. Of course you don't get the phone free, but once you've got your phone for $70-$80, which includes $10 into your account, you don't have to put another dollar in if you don't wish to. You can get a plan with $1 a day flat-fee and in-network minutes free. This is a reasonable if somewhat pricey option for overseas visitors who absolutely want to use a cell phone rather than radios and aren't bothered by the expense.

But you may need to go to a Cingular store to do this or buy online from Cingular site -- third party resellers seem only interested in selling contracts. And I'm not sure if they would sell to overseas address.

You are certainly correct on the Go phone (I sell those too ). I was referring actually to get a SIM card for his oversea's phone, he's going to have to sign a contract. I usually don't recommend pre-paid as there is more information that you really have to know and listen to and the cost compared to 2ways in this situation is going to be easily twice as much in hardware, plus of course the daily cost per phone (granted, we're only talking $2\day, but still). Additionally, the Go phones are worthless outside of the states as they aren't Quad band. With the 2-ways, they can be used anywhere.

I suppose either way would work. I'm still a firm believer in 2way. With the proper equipment and the proper knowledge (IE, read the instructions), you have a significant leg up on the probably 95% of people in Disney that haven't changed their channels from the default and are talking over each other all day. Additionally you aren't reliant upon a cell tower, so god forbid another hurricane roles through, the 2-ways will still work.

73's - Brandon