Re: [Paddlewise] walkie talkies

Marcia Tauber wrote:

> My husband and I paddle frequently in local lagoons and bays.  I tend
> to meander along the shore examining  the flora and fauna, he likes
> to get a move on.  We try to stay in touch via   walkie talkie.  We
> have yet to find one with a battery that lasted more than four or
> five hours.  Any suggestions?

In a similar situation (spousal preferences, different types of
boats, a good foot plus in height difference (long arms go fast you
know :-) ), we've had good luck with Motorola T6320s, with the NiMH
batteries.  Of course having an extra set of batteries doesn't hurt
either.

Given the rebate Motorola was running until the end of the summer,
plus the discounts Amazon.com was offering at the time, I saved a god
$100+ over normal street prices on these units.  I'm happy with them.

There are plenty of good waterproof cases on the market, both bags and
boxes, that they're really quite suitable for kayak use.

And Mary Z responded:

> You could get a VHF unit that will have a longer range and be fully water
> proof, it will cost considerablely more. I like my Standard Horizon.  I am
> not sure they like social discussions on VHF so a 2 way may be the way to
> go.

This is absolutely not what VHF marine radios are meant for, and
represents a decidedly non-kosher practice on the water (at least
according to my (non-kayak) boating training.  Barring someone far
more knowledgeable than I, all I can offer is a big "Don't even think
about it!"

-.- jwd
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