Battery Saving Tips
If you are away from the mains electricity supply for any time you may need to make your batteries last longer.

Turn the radio off until you need it. If you are in a split party then arrange radio contact for a particular hour or on the hour every hour. Most digital watches have that annoying 'Beep on the Hour' facility which could be used as a useful reminder.

The radio consumes many times more power when transmitting, so keep transmissions short and precise, don't chat. It's good radio procedure anyway as it allows others to use the channel.

Lost Communications Plan

There are many factors, which could prevent radio communication, user-error, out of range or flat batteries.

What are you going to do if you loose radio contact?.

Make a plan for 'Lost Communications' and stick to it. As you build up experience you will be able to predict good and bad radio spots. Arrange communications around these.

Prearrange meeting points, times and alternate plans in case of total communications failure.

Continued...

1. Check all the radios are communicating before parting company.
2. Ensure everyone knows your Channel and Tone and how the radio works.
3. Agree default meeting points and times.
4. Agree a 'Plan B' if communication fails
5. Ensure everyone knows the 'Lost Communications Plan'

Maximizing Range
This is the real art of using two-way radio. Knowing where communications can be established and where they are impossible is the key to success.

Learning this skill is not very difficult but can only be acquired with experience. You need to build a 3D model of the terrain in your head and know where you and the other party are as well as obstructions in between.

Read about radio-range first then get out into the terrain in which you will be using them and practice.

The key points are:

• Higher the better
• Aerial in the open
• Speak clearly across the mic.