Latest posts for the topic "Anyone use walkie talkies?"

Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:52:37 GMT

Right - I'm gonna fess up :shock:

My name is Allie and I'm an overprotective parent :oops:

I've told you before that myself, OH and 8yr old daughter have been on 3 ski hols so far. Before this year, we were never able to ski together as a family because we spent all our time having lessons and were too nervous to ski without an instructor.
This year, we made loads of progress ( :mrgreen: Red ski school, Niederau) and were able to ski together a few times after class - though still only on nursery slopes.
Anyway, my daughter skis much faster than us and was at the bottom of the slope way before us. This made me a bit nervous, although she was in my line of sight the whole time. But it got me thinking, if we manage to do some easy cruisy greens next year, we might need to communicate with daughter, if only to say Please Wait For Us! I don't like the idea that we might lose sight of her or not know exactly where she is ( :roll: overprotective, I know).

Then I had a brainwave - we could get a set of walkie talkies, then we could communicate!
Does anyone think this is a totally mad idea?

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:56:15 GMT

we take them every year. saves a fortune of mobile phone bills. Loads of folk use them and you do tend to pick up other people trying to get in touch with each other. But I think it would work for your situation just fine. Only thing is they can be a bit heavy and more bulky than mobile phones, but it works really well

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:58:50 GMT

I think it's a very good idea. Some friends of mine do this when they're ski-ing. Of course, if there's a decent signal you could use a mobile, but I suppose it would be expensive.

Hello Allie, I am Ally too, but I spell mine differently.

Ally

Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:59:18 GMT

acarr wrote:Right - I'm gonna fess up :shock:

My name is Allie and I'm an overprotective parent :oops:

I've told you before that myself, OH and 8yr old daughter have been on 3 ski hols so far. Before this year, we were never able to ski together as a family because we spent all our time having lessons and were too nervous to ski without an instructor.
This year, we made loads of progress ( :mrgreen: Red ski school, Niederau) and were able to ski together a few times after class - though still only on nursery slopes.
Anyway, my daughter skis much faster than us and was at the bottom of the slope way before us. This made me a bit nervous, although she was in my line of sight the whole time. But it got me thinking, if we manage to do some easy cruisy greens next year, we might need to communicate with daughter, if only to say Please Wait For Us! I don't like the idea that we might lose sight of her or not know exactly where she is ( :roll: overprotective, I know).

Then I had a brainwave - we could get a set of walkie talkies, then we could communicate!
Does anyone think this is a totally mad idea?

I have a set that we use they have a six kilometer range, you do sometimes pick up quite a few other user's, where they come into their own is between two cars on the journey no need to keep in touch by costly text or phone call just use the walkie talkies :wink:

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:00:02 GMT

Yeah and walkie talkies seem quite reasonably priced, and you can get little hands free kits.

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:00:06 GMT

Can use walkie talkies, have done, good idea if your daughter is happy with it. Cheap ones do the job. I would keep putting your daughter in lessons, (lessons or not) she will improve now at a much faster rate than you and you are just going to end up having her wait for you longer! Your alternative is to go an extra skiing holiday a year over what she has in an attempt to keep up :wink:

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:02:55 GMT

Pablo,
Don't I know it! My daughter overtook me after one ski holiday, and now she's miles better than me.

Allie - this is why my daughter and I ski in lessons morning and afternoon. I just can't keep up with her, and she gets very frustrated (and abusive!) waiting for me. She can go as fast as she likes in her own lesson, and I can plod along in mine.

Ally

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:04:47 GMT

Pabs - if you saw us, you'd realise we'd need more than one year to do that :lol:
We all intend to keep taking lessons, but there's always some time at the end of the day to do a few solo runs.

And hello to Ally!

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:05:01 GMT

Pablo Escobar wrote:Can use walkie talkies, have done, good idea if your daughter is happy with it. Cheap ones do the job. I would keep putting your daughter in lessons, (lessons or not) she will improve now at a much faster rate than you and you are just going to end up having her wait for you longer! Your alternative is to go an extra skiing holiday a year over what she has in an attempt to keep up :wink:

I brought mine from ebay cost around GBP25, just be careful you really want the ones with the higher range like I said before mine are 6k's, some of the cheaper ones are a lot less :wink:

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:05:05 GMT

Thanks for that Ally, that's what I was getting at :-) Us kidz are just too fast :wink:

I don't know, ours are pretty cheap Binatone ones?! They are seriously good. Maybe we lucked out.

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:06:02 GMT

acarr wrote:Yeah and walkie talkies seem quite reasonably priced, and you can get little hands free kits.

That sounds really good. Mine are ancient, but might think about investing in some hands free ones for next season.

Don't even try to keep up. When they learn at a young age like that, you will never ever be as good as they eventually are............IMO :( but true

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:08:33 GMT

You are so right, Eljay. I just love seeing the little ones having their lessons. They look so cute!

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:35:43 GMT

acarr wrote:You are so right, Eljay. I just love seeing the little ones having their lessons. They look so cute!

Cute and fearless. My kids learned to ski at 7 and 8 years old. They are now 24 and 25 years old and although my daughter had not been skiing for 7 years, she came with me this year and it was as though she had never missed a year. I on the other hand have skied every one of those 7 years and she is MUCH better than me! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:41:30 GMT

What I really enjoy not only seeing Little W improving her skiing year on year but the passion and enthusiasm she has for it, I am actually dumb founded at the enjoyment she shows, I do hope it lasts :wink:

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:47:16 GMT

Well,
I am not totally chucking in the towel on this. Maybe my daughter will get interested in boys on motorbikes, or something, and while she's chasing them I can carry on ski-ing (and get better than her :lol:.

But in a couple of years I will need to find someone to ski with, I think, because even if she does carry on ski-ing it will probably be with new friends from Uni, and I'm sure she won't want her slow old mother tagging along.

Do they do groups for us parents to join up with after our kids have flown the nest?

Ally

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:59:45 GMT

I can admit, that I will never be as good as she is, and she was more than happy to come along with her Mammy...............we had a blast. In fact I'm still recovering :P

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:01:51 GMT

We could start a group for skiing empty-nesters :P

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:02:50 GMT

Eljay,
I'll just have to hope then, that maybe my daughter won't totally reject me, and will be happy for us to go on a ski holiday together, like yours did, even when she's grown up.

Ally

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:03:55 GMT

AllyG wrote:Eljay,
I'll just have to hope then, that maybe my daughter won't totally reject me, and will be happy for us to go on a ski holiday together, like yours did, even when she's grown up.

Ally

If you're paying................she'll be there :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:04:51 GMT

Allie,
What a good idea!

Ally

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:05:35 GMT

I went on a skiing holiday a couple years ago just with my dad. Pretty good but by the end of the week we nearly killed each other.

Allow me to volunteer to provide lessons/general guiding on whatever holiday your organise for yourselves as long as I get to go for free :twisted:

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:11:04 GMT

Pablo Escobar wrote:

Allow me to volunteer to provide lessons/general guiding on whatever holiday your organise for yourselves as long as I get to go for free :twisted:

Freeloading and pimping in the same sentence. Pretty neat Pabs :lol: :lol:

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:12:38 GMT

Lolz, you have no idea how much I need to ski and I just can't get going, I will try anything, ANYTHING I TELL YOU.

Seriously though, it is killing me. I am watching CLAIM for the 500th time and want to weep.

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:15:47 GMT

Pablo Escobar wrote:Lolz, you have no idea how much I need to ski and I just can't get going, I will try anything, ANYTHING I TELL YOU.

Seriously though, it is killing me. I am watching CLAIM for the 500th time and want to weep.

You are closer to viable skiing terrain than most of us. Get some touring kit, and get up there!

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:18:45 GMT

bandit wrote:

Pablo Escobar wrote:Lolz, you have no idea how much I need to ski and I just can't get going, I will try anything, ANYTHING I TELL YOU.

Seriously though, it is killing me. I am watching CLAIM for the 500th time and want to weep.

You are closer to viable skiing terrain than most of us. Get some touring kit, and get up there!

I have been trying to justify it and find a good deal.. I should have straight up bought the K2 stuff when it was on offer on Sport-Conrad, I am regretting I didn't. It is a big outlay for me especially because I will need a beeper too and almost definitely a partner.. there isn't enough snow left on the more local hills now either.

Groan.

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:23:46 GMT

Pablo,
I think you might have to wait a bit for all our kids to leave home. I have lost one already, but my next one doesn't leave for another 2 years. I don't know about everyone else.

And I don't think you'd like to share a small French apartment with my daughter and me. She leaves her clothes all over the place and is really messy, and apparently I snore. My husband just prods me when I do it at home, but it seems I do it on holiday as well. You would have to bring ear plugs.

Ally

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 22:15:32 GMT

Leaving home makes no difference. Without my son (34) I would never have started skiing. As a retirement 'present' he and 14 of his thirtysomething mates invited me on a catered chalet trip to La Plagne, and I have joined them for two further trips since. Still spending my pension lump sum and just the two of us are off for a second trip this season. If dad pays the 'kiddies' will follow.

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 22:52:49 GMT

Thank you very much Brandyaitch,
that's most encouraging. Your son obviously still thinks a lot of you. You must have been a great Mum.

Ally

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 22:55:00 GMT

Back on walkie talkies, I saw more people using them this year, and I reckon they are a good shout. I rack up a horrific mobile bill when we go skiing, and walkie talkies seem a sensible alternative. Can you get more than a pair, ie 3 or 4 handsets, and what about battery life? Rechargables?
What would one need to look for when buying?

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:03:52 GMT

We have a set of four, bought from Argos a couple of years ago. About GBP90 but some much cheaper on ebay at the moment. Hubby bought them as he used to do a bit of off roading with the Surf and they just used them to keep in touch. Never thought about taking them skiing. They are re-chargable all from a central charging unit.

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:28:23 GMT

Hi

We used walkie talkies this year when we were in Niederau and they worked a treat. I think they were GBP30 for 2.

Me and hubby have mobile contracts on "3" network. In Austria you are on what is known as 3 like home and what it means is that you can use your free mins to make voice calls and send texts free to another mobile or landline. just like you would use it if you were at home. Within my GBP20 contract to 3 I get 75 free voice calls and 300 mins and texts plus 3000 free 3 to 3 calls.

I got my mother a pay as you go 3 mobile which was free as I used the local freecycle site :wink: and then I topped the phone up with a tenner just so I could use my free 3000 3 to 3 voice and video calls and texts. by the way I only ever managed to video call her for about 3 seconds halfway down red 24 lol but I could ring her basically for free anytime I wanted (she was in the UK by the way). It also meant I cuold ring hubby as he was in ski school and all this being free. I am not sure if you can do this if you were on pay as you go or whether it only works on contract phones but i was chuffed to bits the fact I could use my mobiile like i could at home. It meant my nephew could use my mobile to ring his mother without me panicking how much it was going to cost me. The good bit too means it doesnt cost the other person to recive the call as it is just like you being in the UK. HOpe I have explained this ok, I think I drifted off somewhere and have waffled a bit lol.

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 01:28:33 GMT

We always use our walkie talkies :thumbup:

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:56:30 GMT

Tony_H wrote:Back on walkie talkies, I saw more people using them this year, and I reckon they are a good shout. I rack up a horrific mobile bill when we go skiing, and walkie talkies seem a sensible alternative. Can you get more than a pair, ie 3 or 4 handsets, and what about battery life? Rechargables?
What would one need to look for when buying?

I have a charger with mine and the charge lasts all day, had them for four years now :wink:

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:25:16 GMT

I use them, have some, Motorola with a charger base, very easy to use, with digital channel codes, so I don't get to listen to folks endlessly saying "Roger" and "Over".

Who is this Roger bloke anyway? :D

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:58:23 GMT

maybe he knows Ken up in Scotland

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:45:13 GMT

We always take ours with us.

In an ideal world you could keep sight of your partner all of the time, but this is not realistic if your ahead of them. Radios are realy useful when you are skiing in a pair and the last person crashes. When I have been waiting too long at the bottom of the lift it is comforting to hear my GF's voice to confirm that she is OK.

Make sure you try to get a set that operate over 10k, otherwise you might find that they don't work when you realy need them to. Remember that reception is curtailed in the mountains.

Re:Anyone use walkie talkies?

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:46:38 GMT

Steve is right ,get a pair with long range. They do cut out once in a while.Oh and a hint...put it on a really high channel..or else you will have about 10 other people constantly ringing you.

Great for finding my husband and son..who are always leaving me behind while they ski the crazy stuff :roll: