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Ok guys, I'll stick my neck out and say I don't get the "radio" part of the MV hobby. A buddy just bought and early Hummer with like 5 types of radios and stuff, taking up a lot of room. Don't you need someone on the other end of the radio to talk to??? Can't see Uncle Sam handing out radios that are still operable. So other than bragging rights, what is the point? No offense to anyone....just wondering.
I think that the demilled stuff is OK for civilian use, but I think there aren't a huge amount of other folks on the other end to talk to.
I'm sure some others will chime in, but yes, they are used in a hobby form now and you do need another mil radio owner to talk to.
I know nothing about them, what kind of range do you get once Unc. Sam does his thing?
If it's de-milled like some other things, it will come in four pieces and run over by a tank. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by halftrack78
Why do people want to put an M16 (AR15) and a helmet in their MV? Or a case of C-rats or MREs? Or a chemical detector kit? It is all part of the military and was something used in many a MV. Most of the radios are VHF low 30-60 Mhz and get about a 10-15 mile range give or take. Yes you need someone with another mil radio to talk to on the other end...and technically you should have some sort of license to use it either a generl moble radio license or a Ham radio license.
Here are a few examples:
We had 9 or so M715's at the 2006 FE. Some of us had CB radios, some of us had FRMS hand held radios and some of us had cell phones. Some of us had all 3. Others had none. There were times when I was talking to Doug on the cb while relaying something to Will on the cell phone who was telling Chris something on the hand held FRMS. Besides having to wire in a bunch of stuff and carry extra stuff. Military radios in the trucks would have been a big help. Plus, they look "right" for the vehicle.
My M35A2 is loud. Any M35 is loud for that matter. Hearing protection is needed just to start the darn thing much less drive it down the road. I use my aviation intercom in the truck to protect my ears and talk to passengers. I have wired in a FRMS radio to the intercom so that I can hear what is coming in on the radio over the intercom. I haven't figured out how to make it so I can talk through the intercom over the radio yet. I just hold the radio up to my mouth and talk that way. What I need is a military intercom system. If I go to that much trouble, I might as well go ahead and install a military radio as well. Or at least wire in a cell phone and a FRMS radio to the system.
Between Sermis, Kwai, Pistolnut, Agengr, Boxcar and a few others, we have been driving our trucks to a common point from different starting locations or in convoy several times now. We have either used FRMS radios and hoped for contact or cell phones. The cell phone method is to call when you are stopped, leave a voice mail with your location. Then check the phone when you stop again and listen to the voice mail the others have left you with their locations since a phone cannot be heard to ring in those trucks. Even if you did hear the phone, talking on it is impossible.
Now, for about $120 I can by a converter to adapt the cell phone to my aviation intercom. A new aviation intercom with cheapo head sets and an adaptor already in it is about $200. So, it isn't really worth it for me to buy the adaptor. I might as well start over. Either way, going the aviation route still leaves you with a 12 v thing with lots of wires sitting loose inside your truck for all to steal, step on, drop out the window or door or to tangle up in your shifter and break.
Shopping on E-Bay, swap meets or where ever can get you all the parts for a military intercom and a radio for a bit more money, but then it looks right, is water proof, is bolted in and runs off vehicle power. I carry several spare batteries with me.