Walkie Talkies

Anyone have any recommended settings for Motorola Talkabouts?

Will be on the Harmony of Seas next month.

Here we go again. Haven't had one of these threads in at least a week. Typical 1st time post.

My suggestion which I am sure will be echoed by everyone else who responds is LEAVE THEM HOME!!!!

DON

Anyone have any recommended settings for Motorola Talkabouts?

 

Will be on the Harmony of Seas next month.

Best "setting" is on the rail so they'll fall overboard.

Hi,

I would suggest that you post this on the "Roll Call" of your sailing so that your fellow sailors can berate you as well.

They don't work due to many reasons but mostly because you are in a metal box!

Pete

To be fair as you are a new poster, I will explain the comments you are likely to receive as this is a well discussed topic on CC. Most walkie talkies have serious limitations on how well they will work on board, so their value in terms of communicating is limited. Most people also feel that they really aren't necessary as there are many easy ways to communicate on board and keeping track of each other is not a difficult thing to do. But the biggest objection by many is that they are a nuisance to other passengers in their use with what typically is louder than normal talking and the "chirping" each time each party says a sentence.

As a one time user ourselves early in our cruising career I have to say I agree with all of the objections and will be one to suggest rethinking the need to bring them on board.

Enjoy your cruise.

One other thing to add for consideration is that certain countries that may be ports of call on your itinerary (and I don't know which ones) restrict personal walkie talkie use as they may interfere with their police and other official frequencies.

Anyone have any recommended settings for Motorola Talkabouts?

Will be on the Harmony of Seas next month.

yes.

in the OFF position.

Anyone have any recommended settings for Motorola Talkabouts?

Will be on the Harmony of Seas next month.

You will find conflicting reports here on CC on the usability of consumer hand held radios. Some will report they work fine, some cannot talk to someone more than one deck away, and less than half a ship length. It all depends on the conditions at the exact time of use (weather, atmospherics, distance, closed doors between, steel decks between, etc, etc), and you may not get consistent results from one day on the same ship to the next.

Typical consumer radios, operating on the FRS/GMRS wavelengths are not the proper wavelengths for steel penetration, and the Motorola units you are talking about are low power as well. I would not expect good, consistent results. If you want to see what works on ships, you need to look at what the crew use: 5 watt UHF radios operating well below the 462Mhz bottom of the FRS/GMRS channels, or VHF radios, and the ship will also have repeater antenna placed throughout the ship tuned for their channels. These radios run well over $400 each.

Helloo????

Anyone have any recommended settings for Motorola Talkabouts?

Will be on the Harmony of Seas next month.

Yes!

Turn them to the 'OFF' setting.

Remove the batteries ( in case the batteries develop a leak).

Set them on the floor of the closet.

Yes!

Turn them to the 'OFF' setting.

Remove the batteries ( in case the batteries develop a leak).

Set them on the floor of the closet.

Would that be the front hall closet or the linen closet?

Thanks OP.

I can scratch that off my rough draft packing list!

I made a packing list 9 months out.

It's getting shorter each week of reading CC 🛳🗑🗑🗑🎉

Like anything thing in life somethings look good on paper.

Would that be the front hall closet or the linen closet?

Shewt, ah'd even go with the Water Closet.

Realistically.... anyplace but in someone's hand.

Thanks OP.

I can scratch that off my rough draft packing list!

I made a packing list 9 months out.

It's getting shorter each week of reading CC 🛳🗑🗑🗑🎉

Like anything thing in life somethings look good on paper.

Take half of the stuff that you think you'll need.

Except money.

Take twice as much of that stuff.

And, never, ever use a debit card for the onboard account.

The Recommended Setting for your Walkie Talkie is Always Off onboard any cruise ship where there are other paying guests sharing your space.

I kinda feel bad for the op. People were getting kind of snarky, when they were asking what they believed to be an honest question.

I kinda feel bad for the op. People were getting kind of snarky, when they were asking what they believed to be an honest question.

Newbies get such bad advice from travel articles wriiten by people who had never sailed. I think all cruise travel writers should be required to list all their cruises after their name.

You will find conflicting reports here on CC on the usability of consumer hand held radios. Some will report they work fine, some cannot talk to someone more than one deck away, and less than half a ship length. It all depends on the conditions at the exact time of use (weather, atmospherics, distance, closed doors between, steel decks between, etc, etc), and you may not get consistent results from one day on the same ship to the next.

 

Typical consumer radios, operating on the FRS/GMRS wavelengths are not the proper wavelengths for steel penetration, and the Motorola units you are talking about are low power as well. I would not expect good, consistent results. If you want to see what works on ships, you need to look at what the crew use: 5 watt UHF radios operating well below the 462Mhz bottom of the FRS/GMRS channels, or VHF radios, and the ship will also have repeater antenna placed throughout the ship tuned for their channels. These radios run well over $400 each.

OP, this is this guy whose opinion is ALWAYS to be considered.

On a ship as large as the Harmony the walkie talkies are next to useless, not to mention irritating to others (as well-documented in earlier responses) when they do work. You are far better off using the Royal iQ app on your phones. Still can be irritating to others, but if used politely and quietly it is far more efficient. $7.95

I kinda feel bad for the op. People were getting kind of snarky, when they were asking what they believed to be an honest question.

Me too.

Interestingly enough, the OP is a veteran member of this community for 7 1/2 years. :p Not a newbie, but maybe a novice cruiser? In any event, this has been discussed many times, and inevitably the answer is always "Please don't use them on board.". :)

You will find conflicting reports here on CC on the usability of consumer hand held radios. Some will report they work fine, some cannot talk to someone more than one deck away, and less than half a ship length. It all depends on the conditions at the exact time of use (weather, atmospherics, distance, closed doors between, steel decks between, etc, etc), and you may not get consistent results from one day on the same ship to the next.

 

Typical consumer radios, operating on the FRS/GMRS wavelengths are not the proper wavelengths for steel penetration, and the Motorola units you are talking about are low power as well. I would not expect good, consistent results. If you want to see what works on ships, you need to look at what the crew use: 5 watt UHF radios operating well below the 462Mhz bottom of the FRS/GMRS channels, or VHF radios, and the ship will also have repeater antenna placed throughout the ship tuned for their channels. These radios run well over $400 each.

You beat me to it, chief! ;)

Here's some better solutions:

1. Have those in your party (your significant other, kids, family and friends on the same cruise) talk every night about the next day's activities when you get the daily newsletter (usually is placed in your cabin during turndown service)

2. Set up a meeting place if you want to go to dinner together (this is resolved if you have traditional dining)

3. leave notes for each other (this is what my hubby, teen and I used on our last cruise very successfully)

4. use the courtesy phones around the ship to call someone's cabin to leave a message (but the callee needs to check the phone in person)

5. Just let the fellow people in your party do their own thing and don't worry about being joined at the hip