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Beartooth

beartooth.com

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Re: Beartooth

#101

Post by oasisbob »

adekok wrote: post #38
baldfat wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it replaces walkie talkies in rural areas you only need your friends to have them. I know in the Adirondack Mountains in NY has very spotty signal and would be great with a few friends. Currently we use walkie talkies that have a 23 mile range. They cost as a pair $43 on Amazon ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001UE6MIO/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_d... ) and they are single purpose and really don't need to worry about batte…

Hmm... $43 for a 23 mile range, or $249 for a 2 mile range. Sometimes improved technology isn't the right solution.

Don't forget about the $65 licensing fee to operate the GMRS radios legally, which can only be used by the applicant and their immediate family:

https://www.fcc.gov/general/general-mobile-radio-service-gmr...

Re: Beartooth

#102

Post by sgarman »

ianburrell wrote: post #20

goTenna, gotenna.com, is an existing device that does the same thing. Interesting that both goTenna and Beartooth are only sold as pairs.

I don't think it's interesting. The product would have no use if there was not another person to chat with. Until there is mass adoption the only way to sell is in pairs.

Re: Beartooth

#103

Post by v1k1n »

LeoPanthera wrote: post #64
throwaway21816 wrote: post #21

Or you could buy a $20 baofeng and just yell "WHERE YOU AT?" via FRS

Using a Baofeng radio on the FRS band is illegal. Transmission on the FRS band is limited to 500 milliwatts using FCC-approved devices only. Baofeng radios are not approved and can transmit at up to 5 watts. However, if you get an Amateur Radio license, you can transmit in the 2 meter and 70cm bands at full power, legally, using your Baofeng radio. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-meter_band https://en.wikipedia.org/w…

Yes, it's illegal. So is going 5 mph over the speed limit.

Re: Beartooth

#104

Post by nxzero »

Fact is that most people going into the wildness are dependent on the park to make sure they won't get lost. Learning how to not get lost and how to figure out where you are takes effort, time, and experience; I've seen people with the right tools and knowledge panic and disregard all logic when they realize they're lost. Smart phones, setup correctly on the other hand take zero time to learn to use, and are very very good at showing people where they are regardless of panic. I personally wish more people knew how to use a smart phone in the wild, more so than anything else; in part, because knowing this and using the phone in a blind drop test would help them value spending the time to learn more ways of staying found.

Re: Beartooth

#105

Post by baldfat »

harlanlewis wrote: post #100
baldfat wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

two-way walkie talkies I would have said two-meters if I meant those. My dad has been a ham since the 1960s. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001UE6MIO/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_d...

I'm not sure I follow. The model you linked is an FRS/GMRS two-way radio (aka walkie talkie), a perfect example of what I described (it's all right there in the product title). I think we're still talking about the same thing, although I did mislabel it as 'commerical' when I meant 'consumer' radio :) Agreed, they're great.

two-meter to me means HAM spectrum that requires a license to operate and they tend to have a much higher output.

Walkie Talkie is consumer and no license.

The commercial FRS/GMRS ones requires a $90 annual license.

Re: Beartooth

#106

Post by LeoPanthera »

v1k1n wrote: post #103
LeoPanthera wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Using a Baofeng radio on the FRS band is illegal. Transmission on the FRS band is limited to 500 milliwatts using FCC-approved devices only. Baofeng radios are not approved and can transmit at up to 5 watts. However, if you get an Amateur Radio license, you can transmit in the 2 meter and 70cm bands at full power, legally, using your Baofeng radio. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-meter_band https://en.wikipedia.org/w…

Yes, it's illegal. So is going 5 mph over the speed limit.

It's illegal for a good reason. You may prevent emergency communication with others using licensed equipment. Incorrect use of the radio can also cause interference outside of the FRS band entirely. (Particularly with the Baofengs, which have poor/no output filtering and often cause "splatter" tens of kilohertz off the frequency you think you are transmitting on.)

Re: Beartooth

#107

Post by baldfat »

oasisbob wrote: post #101
adekok wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hmm... $43 for a 23 mile range, or $249 for a 2 mile range. Sometimes improved technology isn't the right solution.

Don't forget about the $65 licensing fee to operate the GMRS radios legally, which can only be used by the applicant and their immediate family: https://www.fcc.gov/general/general-mobile-radio-service-gmr...

FRS = free the GMRS is not on by default and has to be programmed into the unit.

Re: Beartooth

#108

Post by 0xffff2 »

yuvalkarmi wrote: post #32
csomar wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think 2 miles is a good travel distance. (or maybe it is from a technical perspective but not from a practical one). That would assume lots of users which I feel can be problematic with a $399 price range and big form factor.

With enough users on the network, wouldn't you be able to fairly easily extend the range by using idle beartooths as relay devices / amplifiers? Similar to how packets travel through the Internet.

That's not at all similar to how packets travel through the internet. Mesh networking is a very complex arena that deals with many issues that don't have known good solutions.

Re: Beartooth

#109

Post by Zancarius »

tjohns wrote: post #43
jdietrich wrote: post #30

As with any smartphone product being marketed for use in wilderness environments, a note of caution is necessary. Rescue services have seen an increasing number of life-threatening situations caused by the unwise use of smartphones. Phones aren't sufficiently rugged and often lack user-replaceable batteries, so cannot be relied upon as a navigation tool or as a means of emergency communication. If you're considering…

+1 on everything you just said. A dedicated radio (FRS, GMRS, MURS, or amateur VHF) -- along with GPS and other survival gear -- is essential in the backcountry. Carry a cell phone, but don't rely on it. I see folks doing that far too often. That said: Having just done some research on distress beacons, I just want to point out that there's some better options than SPOT beacons out there. The problem with SPOT is tha…

Your comment reminded me of a video I saw on Youtube which highlights the utility of having a reliable beacon for rescue services to track your location:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTiGU5TiYCE

They were flying a Cessna 170B into a remote part of Alaska in August 1989 when they encountered an engine failure. They survived, and the plane was recovered shortly thereafter (performing an engine swap in the field no less!), but I think it illustrates pretty well the sorts of circumstances where you want something reliable for search and rescue teams to follow. (The video and its description are light on details regarding the type of device used.)

Re: Beartooth

#110

Post by lepht »

baldfat wrote: post #57
nmcfarl wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t know about the 2 mi range - but the 23 mi range is in best possible conditions, line of sight from mountain top to valley. Those same walkie talkies advertise a 1 mi range in a "Neighborhood"

They are much farther then line of sight. I certainly get two miles in heavy forests and other side of hill. These work great for groups hiking and climbing. http://www.buytwowayradios.com/blog/2006/07/the_truth_about_...

From your link:

> The range that a two-way radio advertises is the range that the radio should get in "ideal" conditions. Ideal conditions are line of sight, such as from a mountaintop to a valley below -- no interference at all.

> So what type of range can you expect from your radio? Usually half a mile up to two miles

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