Best civilian LOS radios to use w/ headsets

[TehLlama]

I'm looking for something with dual-use capability, for use in open cockpit vehicles (sandrails), and to include in my bug-out kit, since I figure that's the one skillset I can be unparalleled at in a SHTF instance.
Portable, battery powered (with the ability to power from cigarette lighter) preferred, if I'm stuck shelling out huge cash to run a custom TCI adaptor I'm okay with that.

I can use virtually every radio system the military can find me, so I don't need intro on basics of radio operation or building antennae. 60 hours a week is fine, thanks... linguist skills be damned.


Wider the range the better - I'll happily fork over more if it means flexibility to run maritime, 2m, 70cm (beyond just FRS/GMRS), dunno if 10m is in the realm of posibility for COTS stuff. If they're able to run standard FRS(even if I'm hand-jamming freqs), as well as tone based that would be preferred.
I'm not wild about being stuck only in 2m and 70cm, but can live with it, as long as I'm bumping a 5 W to reach a few miles in NFS.

I'm really not a fan of the iCom logic layout (seriously hate certain models of theirs), but I'm not unwilling to do it.


I'm partial to BNC attachments, but it's not like relying on an SMA port is the end of the world - I've just broken enough of the latter to last me a lifetime.


I'll probably update this post as I research more (literally just started), but if somebody has already gone through this themselves, I'd be extremely grateful.

[MistWolf]

2m handhelds offer plenty of versatility and portability. You are already aware that the antenna is the foundation for any station. Build an "arrow" directional antenna and you'll have plenty of range. Heck, from the peak of Coronado Bridge in San Diego, I was able to hit the main 2 meter repeater up in Los Angeles with my Radio Shack 2m handheld and a mag mount antenna on the trunk of my Mustang. That was with the whatever output handhelds are limited to (7 watts, I think?)

2m is also the most popular of Ham bands and has the most repeaters. It's also less likely to get lost bouncing around structures in an urban environment. This bans also carries well using simplex. When running the trails, communications between 4x4s was always better using 2m simplex than 11m CB. Use of local repeaters was always better than both. 10m is better for skywave propagation than line of sight.

The "arrow" antenna is a directional antenna optimized to match your radio. The original was made from aluminum arrow shafts and inserts so it could be broken down and stored in a backpack. Pull it out, assemble, aim and go!

With the higher freqs, you can increase your range by moon bounce- that is, bouncing your signal off the moon. Other tricks are bouncing signals off large aircraft and knife edging signals over ridges and mountain tops.

For Ham gear, Yeasu & Kenwood were good options last time I looked.

Hmm, I have to get new gear and get my Ham station running again, especially when I get a replacement Jeep & start exploring the the outdoor places again. I'll need to start seeing what kind of gear they have now for myself!

This is KD6IJG

[TehLlama]

I've been looking more at the Kenwood, and especially Yaesu offerings. I'm impressed, but I'm not seeing anybody that makes adaptors for those headsets (to use tactical/driving mic/earpro systems)

That 11m capability was specifically if I was somewhere mountainous, so I could have a go at making a NVIS dipole to handle that (used to doing that here on Oahu for most HF stuff), but 2m was my primary goal too.

Is there something I'm just not getting for attaching handheld units to tactical headsets?

[MistWolf]

I think what you're looking for is a VOX (voice activated) type microphone/headset

PS- 11m is CB. I used it as an example because I've used CB but not 10m

[Sgt5811]

I'm pretty sure TCI can help you out. Give them a call.

[QuietShootr]

I'm pretty sure TCI can help you out. Give them a call.

They can. A few random notes:

10/11m won't work for NVIS. The FoF2 for NVIS rarely goes above 8 MHz.

You want to choose a rugged handheld that is water resistant, has a LOCKING mic connector, and is able to be opened up to transmit across a wide range of VHF-UHF freqs. The Yaesu VX-7R is probably the best answer for what you're asking. It also adds 6m capability, so at least you have a possibility of some OTH communications if the atmosphere allows.

[GTifosi]

While not directly relevant to the radiosets themselves might I suggest that if you're (1) going with some form of headset and (2) planning on using them in an open vehicle, do yourself a favor and get throat mics not boom mics.

Nothing more annoying that hearing all the background noise twice, once through your ears and again through whomevers radio transmission, or listening to someone breathe over a voice activated job, plus wind noise. Or, having to retransmit because someone couldn't understand the original message due to said extra noises. (SHTF use: you prolly aren't interested in upping the odds of being triangulated because you have to be up on the air more to retransmit are you?)

Throats generally require a button to activate (downside, but options include 'on mic', 'remote' and occasionally even both, so a button on the steering wheel or on a weapon wouldn't be out of the question) but are sometimes available with a 'whisper' mode (upside) that is light years beyond what a boom mic would be capable of for covering the potential need to communicate w/o being heard by anyone but the recipient. Literally a whisper soft in the throat without even opening your lips is all that's needed in the good models.

Every transmission is crisp, clear and made up of nothing but the voice of the person transmitting. (side note: depending on how well you can control your throat muscles, you can do a rockin' Darth Vader voice without the breathing noise)
No rushing wind, screaming in the background, engine noise, mouth breathing, knocking your teeth on the boom, or smelling your own rancid breath all day long on the mic or in the filter foam on it.

Fits under a full face helment too.

There's a reason the Germans and Soviets among others used, and still do to this day, such systems in thier armored vehicles.

Or you can get boom mics and put a tennis ball sized lump of foam over it to try and accomplish the same kind of damping but never quite getting there.

[QuietShootr]

I forgot to add: you're going to spend at least as much on the headset as you did on the radio, as long as you're buying high-grade stuff and not Chinese ebay shit.

[TehLlama]

I've already got some Peltors, and I'm planning on working around those, though throat mic might be far more practical in a sandrail than I realized, especially with an adequate VoX setting; thanks for that note.

QS - probably hasn't been a true NVIS shot, just dumb luck with a dipole an diffracting around mountains, but CB band can have decent enough reach for my uses, but primary application for this would be LOS, and all within the 2m/1.25m/70cm.

My question at this point is how to run something like a Yaesu in an armor suite or desert vehicle off TCI connectors to use a tactical headset.

[John W]

Looking at the VX-7r as well. Shock proof, chemical proof, water proof..air proof, whats not to like. They are around $400 or so, not cheap by any means. Be sure to note the ventilator at the bottom..it helps release pressure built up inside the radio when you change altitudes. Pay attention because the increase in pressure and lack of equalizing reduces the effectiveness of the radio if you don't release pressure build up.