Vehicle Comms and Safety

[Crazy Feldgendarme]

Quite right Hauser, i Believe they came mob handed and raided 3 or 4 around great wyrley and Walsall a few weeks back and took everything. They used three Direction finding vans and a lot of guys plus police. This is why i suggested PMR as a better option but i forgot about the licence free band, these little handhelds are cheap and cheerfull and should do the job jou want. You can get sets from your local Maplins however they are not compatable with any of the radios you are suggesting since these work on UHF (around 462 mhz as i recall).

The idea is sound but common sense says keep it legal, its up to you of course BUT illegal radio broadcast from one of your WW2 vehicles would be treated the same as from a car and the DTI can confiscate it just the same, personally i wouldnt chance it.

Dave G4YEZ

[Gott Mit Uns]

From people who claim to advocate formalisation and legality within our hobby, Im suprised to see such a laissez faire attitude towards this issue. I didnt realise that such a presdigous and wealthy event such as W&P had to play fast and loose when it came to using coms? The way I see it, we can do things the legal and easy way, or we can do things the illegal and potentialy awkward way. And as for Clansman only being used by cadets - thats rubbish. Its still in use by the armed forces because there arent enough Bowman sets to go around. Although by the end of this year that should be sorted. Im a trained RA signaller in Clansman and everything that Crazy-Feldgendarme has said is true. In-fact its why I brought up the licensing comment. Did you also know that your vehicle sets pump out radiation that is harmful to within 3 meters of the arial? Is that covered in your TPPLI? (- Just asking).
You'l also find that whilst you cant pickup the transmission 10km away, someone 100km away from you can actually pick it up better. Why? Because clansman transmissions refract off the earths atmosphere. And trust me - GCHQ are going balls-deep with everything due to the Olympics.

Coms: its a great idea but why on earth use an out-dated and expensivo system such as clansman when you can use PMR446 which has free licenscing and works on UHF frequency too?

EDITED TO ADD: The motorola XTN sets also have an attatchment for a bluetooth or wired headset.

[Crazy Feldgendarme]

And dont forget that although VHF is generally line of sight if you are in and aircraft that line of sight may be up to 250 miles i concur with Gott Mit Uns here personaly i would go PMR446, cheap, legal and readily available. As well as GCHQ during the Olympic period the DTI will be out in force with all there detector vans togeather with many other monitoring stations all looking out for potential terrorists using radio to organise.
As i said though its up to you, you have the facts and several opinions at the end of the day it aint for me to say dont do it, so make up your own mind but be prepared for the consequencies if you DO get caught.

[Hauser]

Two Excellent posts from Dave and Gott Mit Uns,


MOD kit looks cool and sexy, but in the wrong hands ????? That is a good point from Gott Mit Uns, that your public liability is blown, lets hope there ain't an accident that can be pinned down to using none type approved radio kit (say running some poor bugger over ) As Dave and Gott Mit Uns have said, get some PMR kit ! and be legal

[ssparatrooper]

were dont use 353s only 349s and 351s, we dont use hf320s either and if you can hear my 351s 250 miles away you can come round and **** my wife, i was a platoon radio operator in 3 para and there is no way 351s would go that far, it seems this is a slight knee jerk reaction reference what might be done on a very small sale to improve safety at events.

Why dont we use two baker lite cups with string in between? or do they give out to much radiation? or asbestos? or flags with different symbols on maybe? or would a semaphore licence be needed? maybe we could speak German?

How do we stand if the bloke that brings it is a serving warrant officer in the army? its signed out of the stores and he lets us use it at an event with the army's permission?

ill get you butler!

[Franz repper]

also know that your vehicle sets pump out radiation that is harmful to within 3 meters of the arial?

If your a trained signals man you will know its antenna I got so busted on my B2 for not calling it a Antenna

[Hauser]

Here we go ... you can buy and use just what you want on the radio front, ( its like you can buy a car ? ...but you still need a license to use it ) but i am at a loss why you want to use MOD kit ?? let's not stop at using them for re-enacting, bugger it ! lets fit army kit in our cars, homes, lets just use what we want eh ?

Better, smaller, slicker, longer lasting, AND CHEAPER, kit is on the shelf ready to buy and use, giving rock solid field comms ideal for a show !

If the person in question is a MOD dit.... yup there is a slim chance he could ask to use a few sets and get the green light, more likely he's gonna get a Pi*s off, you need express permission from the Secretary of state to use none type approved radio kit, that's why Hams / radio Dits, and not infantry, know about hot ends on wips, MUF on the day and Radiation ( they go to school ) PMR kit requires no skill or real safety issues to use ... stick your batts in dial up your selected channel, and away you go ! its easy, but most of all you stop 100% legal, and don't invalidate you PLI. .....

forgot to say.... you can fit them inside fieldphones, torn radios, tank comms etc, and then you are all singing off the same "hymn sheet" for sure!

[ssparatrooper]

because i know how to use it, test it, fix it, charge it, it works and its soldier proof

[Hauser]

Ive just got a biff chit ! im off for counciling Lads

[Franz repper]

because i know how to use it, test it, fix it, charge it, it works and its soldier proof

Some people over look the fact that there was different grades in signals training

[Hauser]

100% right Franz on that one.......... identifying a duff handset, or something simple is hardly like setting up the Mod dev or alignment of the oscillator, in a slit trench up to your balls in sh*t shivering your ass off.... Send it back down the line to Racal, MEL and Plessey's trained guy's let them have the ball ache ! also how many times have you humped a shagged radio for bleedin miles just to power up and F*ck all !! if you had not signed for it you feel like throwing it in the hedge

[Gott Mit Uns]

were dont use 353s only 349s and 351s, we dont use hf320s either and if you can hear my 351s 250 miles away you can come round and **** my wife, i was a platoon radio operator in 3 para and there is no way 351s would go that far, it seems this is a slight knee jerk reaction reference what might be done on a very small sale to improve safety at events.

Why dont we use two baker lite cups with string in between? or do they give out to much radiation? or asbestos? or flags with different symbols on maybe? or would a semaphore licence be needed? maybe we could speak German?

How do we stand if the bloke that brings it is a serving warrant officer in the army? its signed out of the stores and he lets us use it at an event with the army's permission?

ill get you butler!

Dude, signals are what I do - I may not be 3 para but that doesnt mean Im talking out of my arse . If you've got a serving WO bringing the kit in and he has permission to use a set frequency, then fairy-muff - otherwise its gonna be best to use the PMR446 stuff. In-fact, for low level coms like for that of which you require, the MOD actually uses the motorola sets, as they are far easier for someone with no sigs training to use and they get better coverage. Their also squaddie proof, you dont end up talking to Moscow but not to your mucker 2km away, and dont emit weirdass levels of radiation.

And apologies to Franz - was thinking of 2 meter whip antenna - but always end up calling it an arial because its so cute and tiny.

[Gott Mit Uns]

100% right Franz on that one.......... identifying a duff handset, or something simple is hardly like setting up the Mod dev or alignment of the oscillator, in a slit trench up to your balls in sh*t shivering your ass off.... Send it back down the line to Racal, MEL and Plessey's trained guy's let them have the ball ache ! also how many times have you humped a shagged radio for bleedin miles just to power up and F*ck all !! if you had not signed for it you feel like throwing it in the hedge

Hah! Winner post.

[Crazy Feldgendarme]

The question was asked about the law which ive answered Now ive said all im going to say if you go ahead with this you are illegal (with the possible exception of the scenario you mentioned KK about the serving member of the forces) and risk if caught a large fine, prison and having your vehicles confiscated now this means nothing to me since im not breaking the law and im sure you will plough ahead and do what you want anyway. I have given you the legal posistion and myself and others have given you legal alternatives.

Its a bloody great idea, just needs to be legal.
Hopefully you will not be caught (very slight possibility i believe at any time other than the olympics weeks).

Have fun and im sure the battles will be safer with this in place

[Hauser]

Also not forgetting any show organizer, allowing the use of none type approved coms at his event also leaves himself up for prosecution as well.

Dave's summed it up more eloquently than i ever could ! and Gott Mit Uns has even told you the model to buy !!

And the moral of this post ? don't invest hard earned cash into kit that your always looking over your shoulder and never going to be able to use without worry............ get the PMR stuff !