Contributors to this thread:
Anyone have one of these....curious as to how well the two way radio works in hilly terrain. May be others that work better just like the thought of carrying one unit that can do multiple tasks.
It works fairly well, not the best but I like the other features on it, only issue I had was the battery, rechargeable one. Garmin gave me a new one.
I think the radio is about as good as the Motorolas I've had in the past. None of them are very good in less than line of sight. Where they REALLY shine is when another member in your group has a rino as well. You can see their position on your GPS when they transmit. Send each other waypoints, even text back and forth.
Radio can be set for two different watt outputs, I forget which channels support that higher output. The lower output you don't need a license for.... I think the higher wattage you are technically supposed to get a license.
For the NSA record and others that may be watching here.... I only use the lower one.... heheheheh....
Thanks for the info. Sounds like a good set up....especially if I drop the wife off on a decent spot and still hunt on my own. She gets antsy when its get dark and I'm not back to pick her up.
use the rechargeable, you get the full 5 watts w/ it and only 2-1/2 wats on regular battereries. TD is dead-on about the benies. lovin Rino's!!
I have one and it works really well while hunting in groups here in PA. I'm not 100% sure if I am going to take it elk hunting this year or just my old etrex. The rhinos are a bit bulky compared to the etrex and I only have the rechargeable battery pack.
When we are driving for deer or bear with 10-15 guys and constant radio chatter, I would estimate I use about 75% of the battery in a full day. If you were only using it for GPS and emergency radio(or limited chatter) I would think you could get at least 2-3 days out of a charge. I may have to test this out this week and report back. You can get a replacement battery pack that runs on AA'S but I know that the rhinos chew those batteries up quick, expecially when using the radio often.
I agree with all said so far. They are great GPS's and all you have to do is key the mic and your wife will know where you are. Vice versa. Hit "go to" and it will take you right to her. You will use that feature a lot and it makes you feel much safer when separated. I have one and my daughter has one. The rechargeable battery pack lasts a long time and you should also get the AA battery pack for a back up. I've never had to use AA's in mine.
Thanks for the feedback guys. Got one ordered from Midway USA for $369. Anyone know of a cheaper source? Got to save my egg money to get another before October.
I bought mine I think it was 600 bucks 2 years ago. I got the 650 t. Don't know if that's your model but for that price I would of jumped on that price. Dave
have the 655t and love it! Works great when you have multiple people you hunt with, or around, and can easily identify where they are.
Just picked up my second one so I'm set now. Cabela's has them on sale for $329 right now.
I agree with everyone's thoughts above. They work great, especially when your partners have them too and you can see each other on the map. It's all about line of sight for communication, they work as well as other radios. With clear line of sight you can hear someone 5 miles away, with a hill in between 300 yards is tough.
I do the same as JSW, I keep the AA battery pack with me as a backup but haven't needed it in 10 years. I usually get 2 days out of a charge while elk hunting.
The 5 watt channels are the lower ones, I think 1-5 or 1-7. The higher channels only transmit at 0.5 watts. You do technically need a license from the FCC to transmit on the 5 watt channels though.
