Walkie Talkies?

[baby_belle]

Hi everyone

I seem to remember reading on here a while ago about someone using walkie talkies in the park rather than using mobile phones.

Just wondering if this works well when you are split up and if anyone has used them, can they recommend any particular ones?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

 

[PJackson]

Watching this with interest as we have some radio type ones but I don't think they work too far apart really...

 

[karenmoloney]

We had some one year & they weren't great. They didn't work if one of us were inside & the range wasn't too far. We didn't bother with them again. But ours weren't very expensive, so maybe that makes a difference.

 

[Tillybud]

what a fab idea. I just received my mobile phone bill this week and the call charges I incurred whilst ringing my 'lost' husband are shocking .... think I made 13 calls to him as he kind of wandered off as well as sending a few photo messages home and my bill was about £25 - £30 more than what it usually is, shocking !! Thinking about investing in some payg sim cards for a french network to make it cheaper next time or I'll be investing in a wrist restraint for hubby ... he's worse than the kids !!!

 

[EuropaParkFan]

Hello,

Just a little warning concerning walkie talkies......

Different Countries use different frequencies and channels.

The proper type of walkie talkies for France + all of EU is called PMR 446.

France + EU = PMR446 = 446Mhz (8 channels)
USA + Canada = FRS + GMRS = 462,467Mhz (22 channels)
USA = MURS = 154Mhz (4 more channels)
Australia UHF CB = 477Mhz (40 channels)

There is no problem with anyone using the PMR446 in France including Americans and Canadians, you just have to buy a pair in Europe, and only use them in Europe. If you already live in the UK or Europe, you probably already have the correct PMR446.

The PMR446, AUS UHF, FRS, and GMRS are all UHF and have a slightly smaller range than the MURS which is VHF and over 1 watt in power. Generally, FRS PMR can cover only 1/2 of a disney park in range. Only the MURS or even stronger commercial radios can cover an entire park (but not certified in Europe for personal use)

If you want to be a bit crazy, you can have absolute privacy by using the FRS/GMRS in France, and the PMR in USA, since no one else is using those channels. Don't get caught doing this. Imagine if the 462Mhz band is the police band in France for example. You would be transmitting all over the police network while chatting with your family on the walkies.

Play it safe and only use PMR446 in Paris Disneyland. You can find them on european and UK ebay.

EuropaParkFan

 

[cap'njack.]

What a good idea, we already have some for when we go snowboarding but I'd never thought of taking them to DLRP with me!

 

[sjaakie]

Hello,

Just a little warning concerning walkie talkies......

Different Countries use different frequencies and channels.

The proper type of walkie talkies for France + all of EU is called PMR 446.

France + EU = PMR446 = 446Mhz (8 channels)
USA + Canada = FRS + GMRS = 462,467Mhz (22 channels)
USA = MURS = 154Mhz (4 more channels)
Australia UHF CB = 477Mhz (40 channels)

There is no problem with anyone using the PMR446 in France including Americans and Canadians, you just have to buy a pair in Europe, and only use them in Europe. If you already live in the UK or Europe, you probably already have the correct PMR446.

The PMR446, AUS UHF, FRS, and GMRS are all UHF and have a slightly smaller range than the MURS which is VHF and over 1 watt in power. Generally, FRS PMR can cover only 1/2 of a disney park in range. Only the MURS or even stronger commercial radios can cover an entire park (but not certified in Europe for personal use)

If you want to be a bit crazy, you can have absolute privacy by using the FRS/GMRS in France, and the PMR in USA, since no one else is using those channels. Don't get caught doing this. Imagine if the 462Mhz band is the police band in France for example. You would be transmitting all over the police network while chatting with your family on the walkies.

Play it safe and only use PMR446 in Paris Disneyland. You can find them on european and UK ebay.

EuropaParkFan

I will put this very polity but could it be that you are mistaking about the frequency"s?

A Walkie Talkie has international standards .
We use them professionally ant the reach is many miles.
I just took the papers belonging to the walkie talkie and read that they are usable over the whole world.

In Europe you are allowd to chit chat on channel 77,15 and 17.
The rest of the channels is reserved for police,bridges,locks,harbor security,tug boats customs and other officials
We have far more than 8 channels. I think so plus minus 30 channels maybe even more.
The control about abusing the other channels is strong and it will cost you a few hundred Euro's if you get cough.

We payed this once Never again.
Not trying to flame you but what do you think?

BTW The cheap W&T work so bad we just threw them away.
It was a waist of money. I better could have used this money for buying chocolate.

 

[EuropaParkFan]

Hello,

Well at least we agree on the penalties.... Walkie Talkies do not have International standards though. But at least USA, Canada agree to share walkie Talkie channels and Europe and UK share walkie talkie channels. This makes it semi universal. By the way, I am a licenced amateur radio operator myself, so I know what I am talking about here. I know most of the band plans for most of the countries. PMR446 is the only licence free, legal radio band for walkie talkies in europe. There is certainly the CB band, but this does not work on handheld mobile phone size devices.

You can certainly buy those Chinese UHF and VHF 2 way radios on ebay that have all the channels (like 1000), at a maximum of 5 watts, they will knock the socks off of any legal walkie talkie AND cover both Paris Disneyland Parks with no problem, actually can probably cover half of WDW LOL .... but this is still not legal in either Europe or North America unless you are a licenced amateur radio operator. If you were able to talk on unauthorized frequencies enough to get into a little trouble, you probably had one of these radios. But from a non legal standpoint, they are absolutely the BEST! With the unlimited channel chinese models, you can even program only the PMR 446 for Europe, and then only program the FRS, GMRS for USA, for example, on the same radio. As long as you STAY on those channels, no one will ever know. The advantage here is that you have 5 full watts of power instead of the usual 1/2 watt on the department store models. Still an unnecessary risk to take.... If you purchase the 446 PMR, you cannot possibly get into any trouble or be warned to stay off other channels.

 

[stargatebarbie]

WAY!!!! too techincal ,I stick with
''meet by the giant beanstalk if you get lost''

 

[Cyrano]

WAY!!!! too techincal ,I stick with
''meet by the giant beanstalk if you get lost''

 

[sjaakie]

Hello,

. but this is still not legal in either Europe or North America unless you are a licenced amateur radio operator.

Yes we are but we better stop and get back on topic.

Sorry folks

 

[baby_belle]

Thanks to everyone for the information - I wasn't expecting it to be quite so technical.

Not quite sure what to do now and certainly don't want to get into any trouble for using the wrong frequencies or anything. Maybe we will just have to make sure we don't get lost LOL.

Thanks again to you all.

 

[ukstitch]

personally I prefer arranged meeting times or text messages. I have the added bonus that my text messages come out of my monthly allowance, even when in France (although it costs me 4 text messages from my allowance for every 1 I send while in France).

The issue with the walkie talkies that I see is that if they can not cover the whole of the park (as seems to be suggested above), then you could still run into problems if you move out of range some how. That's not a problem with mobiles

 

[Torchy]

Walkie talkies are a waste of time unless you want to spend a lot of money.

A french payg (basic) phone with SIM will cost you about E35 with E5.00 credit, 10 sms and 10 mms. OrangeFR is the most popular with tourists as their shops are everywhere. They sell E5.00 top-up cards in the majority of tabacs and supermarkets.

If your handset is unlocked (costs a tenner here in UK if not) you just need the SIM (E15.00 with E5.00 credit ) and E5.00 top-ups.

You can buy phones SIMs and topups at Val D'Europe in the supermarket, thats where we got ours.

 

[sleepysox]

Baby Belle,

I was the one who mentioned using walkie talkies in a thread about useful things to bring to Disney. I actually found our walkie talkies to be invaluable. I got them cheaply from ebay and they worked fine. We used them to sort out meet up times etc and were useful when my mil got lost!!!

One day we heard french people talking on our wave length (or whatever it's called), but that wasn't a problem, as we just waited until they had stopped transmitting.

Ours covered the whole of the park.

We're definitely going to use them again this time.

HTH

Sleepy

 

[baby_belle]

Hi Sleepy,

Thank you so much, I knew I remembered someone talking about them. Do you know what brand your walkie talkies are at all?

 

[sleepysox]

They are BT ones- they were about £50- £60 for 4. We've recently moved house, and I haven't unpacked them but I know I got them from ebay.

HTH

Sleepy