radios used on logging roads

[bchunter181]

hi just wondering what kind if any radios some of you guys may use while your on the logging roads.i wanna get one i cant decide between handheld(has lower range) or get one that has magnetic antenna and plugs into cigarette lighter.just wonder what some of you guys may have and recommend or what doesn't work well thanks.

[heybert]

Used a Beofang 5 watt handheld before. Worked well.

[ian745]

i used a pretty standard kenwood truck mounted one, i used to have the magnet mount, but switched to hard mount as got sick of bushes knocking it off and running the cable out a window or door, cost me $300 for the radio and $200 for install and antenna , and then if i recall they put about 10 channels on it for free, then i brought a list of channels in and they charged me about $50 to add 15 more i think,

i`ll have to take a look but i know i had to get written permission from a few logging companies to have access to their channels, which they gave as they want everyone to be safe in the bush, just had to sign the company radio use forms saying i wouldnt screw around on the air on their channels or anything like that,

i just listen anyways, only ever talked once when i was on a road that had a few must call corners

[mike31154]

Handheld should be fine as the protocol is to call every even km on the way, every odd on the way down. In most cases the range of a handheld will do. Line of sight is key, major obstacles like mountains will cause sketchy Tx/Rx regardless of how much power the radio has. The first year I went up an FSR in the winter a logging truck almost took me out. I had been calling as required but apparently "Sharky" didn't hear me. He came around a switchback & I had to take the snowbank to avoid becoming his hood ornament. I got out ok, but it was a reminder that even with a radio, caution & a little luck can save your bacon. Also be aware of the licensing requirements for VHF transceivers. I know many use them unlicensed but it is unlawful. The Industry Canada site has all the info, it's about $45 a year to maintain a license, small price to pay to stay legal when you consider the amount of money we spend on hunting as a whole.

My initial purchase was an 8 channel Kenwood that needs to be taken back to the vendor to be reprogrammed. I found 8 channels on a non user programmable radio were not near enough for the number of different FSRs I frequent. I use the radio on backcountry ski touring trips as well. I have since acquired a couple of Baofengs which have tons of channels and are programmable. They also feature an FM radio for tunes and can be used on the GMRS short range bands which don't require a license.

I got a patch cable & the software to program the Kenwood. Bit of a pain since the cable is RS232 standard so I need to use a Windows XP laptop to do the dirty deed, but taking it back to the vendor would cost $35 a pop not to mention the downtime. There is an RS232 to USB driver for Windows 10 but I can't seem to get that to work consistently. Programming radios in the field is bending the rules of Industry Canada but at the end of the day, when it comes to safety, I'll do what I need to do.

An advantage of the handheld is portability.

[708]

For the most part I find a 5 watt handheld VHF radio is more versatile than a base set mounted in your truck. About $350 for a light and waterproof Icom. These guys will ship it programmed with all the new road channels.

https://www.freewaycom.ca/collection...iant=796640581

https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gs...g/sf11127.html

[canadiancon]

Handheld should be fine as the protocol is to call every even km on the way, every odd on the way down. In most cases the range of a handheld will do. Line of sight is key, major obstacles like mountains will cause sketchy Tx/Rx regardless of how much power the radio has. The first year I went up an FSR in the winter a logging truck almost took me out. I had been calling as required but apparently "Sharky" didn't hear me. He came around a switchback & I had to take the snowbank to avoid becoming his hood ornament. I got out ok, but it was a reminder that even with a radio, caution & a little luck can save your bacon. Also be aware of the licensing requirements for VHF transceivers. I know many use them unlicensed but it is unlawful. The Industry Canada site has all the info, it's about $45 a year to maintain a license, small price to pay to stay legal when you consider the amount of money we spend on hunting as a whole.

My initial purchase was an 8 channel Kenwood that needs to be taken back to the vendor to be reprogrammed. I found 8 channels on a non user programmable radio were not near enough for the number of different FSRs I frequent. I use the radio on backcountry ski touring trips as well. I have since acquired a couple of Baofengs which have tons of channels and are programmable. They also feature an FM radio for tunes and can be used on the GMRS short range bands which don't require a license.

I got a patch cable & the software to program the Kenwood. Bit of a pain since the cable is RS232 standard so I need to use a Windows XP laptop to do the dirty deed, but taking it back to the vendor would cost $35 a pop not to mention the downtime. There is an RS232 to USB driver for Windows 10 but I can't seem to get that to work consistently. Programming radios in the field is bending the rules of Industry Canada but at the end of the day, when it comes to safety, I'll do what I need to do.

An advantage of the handheld is portability.

The protocol is different on every road, it’s best to read the sign before starting up the road.

[mike31154]

Several years ago Industry Canada initiated a policy to standardize FSR protocols & frequencies, but yes, reading the sign on entry is definitely a wise move.

[BromBones]

Both my trucks have ICom IC-F5021 radios mounted in them. Not cheap but they work great, plenty of range for roads in rough terrain.

My handhelds are made by Baofeng, I bought a pair for around $200 and program them myself with whatever channels I want. Software is free and you can get channel frequencies online. They work fine, get a lot of abuse bouncing around in my boat, vehicles, backpack, quad, etc. No issues in a couple years.

Handhelds are generally OK if you just want to be able to monitor a logging road channel and call your km when other vehicles are close by. The nice thing is you can buy them in pairs and use them for walkie talkies, and you can also get an adapter to use them with a roof mounted antenna in your vehicle which bumps up the range by quite a bit. So a little more versatile. Usually they're 5-6 watts output, good to transmit 3 to 4 miles - more or less - depending on the terrain. They'll receive from a further distance when the signal is coming from a trucker or another vehicle with a 50 watt mobile radio like the ICom I mentioned above.

[kootenaihunter]

Anybody have more details on the Baofeng models used?

I'm more looking for something to just monitor, would prefer not to transmit, but the option would be nice.

[ian745]

Anybody have more details on the Baofeng models used?

I'm more looking for something to just monitor, would prefer not to transmit, but the option would be nice.

i know a few guys in my hunting group that use them to monitor the road channels, seem to work ok, range isnt that great, but its on the north island so not the best for line of sight, but you can hear them when they are nice and close, with enough to get out of the way, i know, the area we hunt, the truck drivers appreciate the fact we listen and take actions to get out of the way and let them keep working with little to no impact, , all in the interest of safety,