From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl)
Subject: Two-way radios on the slopes
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 04:18:43 GMT
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix, NYC
Keywords: radio


I wonder whether any readers would like to share comments about the use
of two-way radios on the ski slopes.  I find them to be very handy.
Examples:  
        
        You and a friend are skiing down and will have to decide which
lift to ski to because there is a branch in the trail.  Without 
two-way radios, the conversation would have to take place motionless at
the branch.  This means that whoever gets to the branch first has to wait
around for the other skier.  On average, the ratio of ski time to waiting
time is degraded.  But if you use two-way radios, then you can confer on 
such questions while both skiers are moving.  The ratio of ski time to 
waiting time is enhanced.
 
        Two couples are at the resort, and they stop for lunch.  After
lunch, one couple would like to go back on the slopes while the other 
would like to rest a few more minutes.  Without radios, you are faced
with two choices -- (1) all four skiers wait until everybody is ready
to go, or (2) you give up on ever rejoining until the end of the day
during "apres ski" activity.  But if you use radios, you can rejoin
conveniently with ski runs coordinated to meet somewhere with no idle 
time.
 
Members of your skiing party get on the lift, but not on the same chair.
Those without radios will have to wait until they get to the top to have
a discussion about which direction to ski (unless they happen to have
planned ahead and worked this out while in the lift line).  Those with
radios can conduct the discussion while on the chairs and ski right off
immediately after disembarking from the chair.
 
        What kind of radio to use?
 
        One very convenient radio is the 49-MHz radio that uses
cordless phone and baby monitor frequencies.  Brand names include Radio 
Shack and Maxon.  One model has five channels and a really handy 
combination earphone and microphone in one unit.  It hears what you 
are saying by bone conduction.  This kind of microphone is immune to 
wind noise.  The drawbacks are that the channels are heavily used by
other skiers and by baby monitors and cordless phones, and that the 
RF output is quite low so the range is very limited -- a few hundred feet.
One cannot be heard from one lift line over to the next one, let alone
from one side of the resort to the other.
 
        Another choice, for those holding a general mobile radio 
service license, is a walkie-talkie such as the Motorola Radius P-10.
This radio has better distance coverage -- between any two line-of-
sight locations at the resort but still not between points on opposite
sides of a mountain.  But I have not seen any radios for that service
that have the desirable one-piece microphone/earphone.  There can
still be problems with channel clogging due to other skiers, etc.
 
        Another choice, for those holding an amateur radio license of
technician level or higher, is to use a VHF or UHF handy-talkie.
These radios offer very good line-of-sight coverage, and in a resort
equipped with a top-of-the-mountain repeater (there is one at Vail,
for example) two skiers can talk to each other even if they are on
opposite sides of the mountain.  I have not seen any one-piece 
microphone/earphones to fit the handy-talkies but am thinking of 
building some.
 
Any comments, suggestions, or other experiences to share in this area?
 
Carl Oppedahl        AA2KW
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY  10112-0228