KAYAK DIVERS > GEAR > COMMUNICATION > PMR RADIO

Euro PMR446 (European Private Mobile Radio 446MHz) two-way radios have kayak to kayak range of around 3km, further to higher ground on shore, and we've had over 10km line of sight. You can spend anything from £30 to £340 for a pair. The cheapest ones are rubbish and the expensive ones are really good. Quite good ones that will actually be useful and work start at around £60 for a pair. All Euro 446 PMR radios are compatible with each other. Apart from build and audio quality one of the primary things to consider is battery type. If the radio uses a bespoke rechargeable battery how easy will it be to charge when you're away on a trip? Radio's that use standard AA or AAA alkaline batteries are often more practical. We've Used:- Entel HT446: These are top of the heap. They weren't cheap but they are excellent. Basically what you get is a professional grade radio, with the sort of build and audio quality you'd expect, which will also survive the odd dunking. It's effectively Entel's waterproof Marine VHF with PMR446 UHF internals. They use Lithium-Ion batteries providing a full 24 hour duty cycle on a single charge. The intelligent charger takes around 3.5 hours for a full charge and comes with adapters for 240Vac UK mains or 12Vdc vehicle supplies. There is not option to use AA's but this isn't really an issue on trips due to the battery performance and the ability to charge from a vehicle supply. GOOD: Professional build quality and audio. Good battery life. BAD: Nothing. REMEMBER: These radios are submersible but they don't float! Use a lanyard. The Entel HT446 Submersible. Enlarge Icom IC-466S: A compact "consumer" radio but with a build and audio quality to rival it's "professional" counterparts. A rechargeable kit was available but we opted to stick with AA's for convenience. They have a transponder system which continually shows if the other one is in range. GOOD: Professional build quality and audio. Fold away antenna. BAD: They don't make them anymore. REMEMBER: The new version isn't a patch on the old. The Icom IC-446S. Enlarge Motorola T6222: These are a compact radio with reasonably good build quality and audio, best used with AA batteries. These are ideal for use in waterproof cases as all functions are controlled via the front keypad. The PTT button is also on the front which at first seems weird but works really well. GOOD: Good build quality, reasonably good audio and ergonomic buttons that work well through water resistant cases. BAD: They don't make them anymore. REMEMBER: Most of Motorola's better end consumer PMR's seem to be pretty good. The Motorola T6222. Enlarge Also of note is Motorola's new TLKR T5. This looks like it could be good for use in waterproof cases as all functions are controlled via the front keypad (with the PTT on the side) and there's no protruding antenna. We get Motorola stuff to test so we'll give these a go in the near future. Suppliers: www.hitchnhike.co.uk