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Hi! I was a program director over this past summer at a camp in PA. After working for a summer at camp I realized that my facility needs to purchase or rent two-way radios. I have a pretty wooded camp and our cabins are in the middle of the hill and the pool is at the bottom of the hill. The lodge and access road sit on top of the hill. So I am hoping for suggestions on if there is a great company out there, what radios to buy/rent etc.
Thanks!

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We have been using a variety of Motarola radios for the past 9 years. They are a couple hundred a peice, but they are great radios. The ones that we use are high enough in the range that we have to have an FCC license for them.

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I found that the best price and selection can be found at DogByte Computer . They stock Motorola Portable Business Two-Way Radios and accessories.

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Hi there,

We have been using radios for about 10 years. The ones that have always lasted the best are the name brand ones in the $250 range. The only problem is that one drop in a puddle, or one dishonest person and they your $250 investment is history. We purchase the good ones for core staff and Radio Shacks little walk abouts (two for $90) for the counselors. We find they make it about three years at the most. Just a both kinds say the work for miles and at the most we can get just to the front of our property about 1800 feet! Pine trees, buildings, and hills are their worst enemies! And don't believe the ones that say waterproof, we called the company and they defined waterproof as splash able from three sides! We always purchase extra batteries for every one and put the chargers in the counselors rooms because most need to be charged every night, especially as they get older. We get the service agreements with them just because they cover a new battery every year! They don't tell you that... you just have to go in at the end of your year and tell them they all are weak and they can trade them in for you. The batteries only last a year or two at the most.

PS Many have a little sound that goes after each person talks, we call it the "dwidle diep" sound! It can drive you crazy and there is a way to turn it off if you check your manual or go online to their site.

Hope this helps!

Jill Laidlaw, YWCA Camp Cavell

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I've used three radio types at camps (CB, the newer open-frequency that you get at camping stores and UHF/VHF). When folks speak of Motorola etc. they're usually talking VHF/UHF. These frequencies require an FCC lisence (a process that includes going through a radio coordinator to make sure you don't overlap in use with some other company; a common problem in more urban areas). You can get both hand-held radios and base stations in these frequencies. Base stations can have much greater power, especially when matched with a more powerful antanae. If your site is really hilly, large and wooded you can also install repeaters to stretch your reach further though I've never seen this myself. Setting up decent base units in the office & manager's house with smaller base units in other key spots such as staff lounge, kitchen, nurse's station, etc and hand held units for key staff and remote program areas can be incredibly reassuring, though will cost a fair amount. JAN Communication in NJ deals with multiple companies and I think runs a summer camp rental program (800-444-7233).
Hope this helps;
Phill

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we currently have Motorola TalkAbouts
they seem to only be good in certain environments
and we cannot reach all areas of our camp with them (which is a problem, since the whole idea of radios is to be able to communicate with remote camp activities!)

anyone have good suggestions on makes/models/etc for good QUALITY radios?? particularly ones that maintain clarity over varied terrain...

??


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