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 Things to do and need for a better Prowler Event
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| Author | Topic: Things to do and need for a better Prowler Event |
Gary C        POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie Personal ScrapBook From:San Diego Area |
posted 10-15-2000 02:10 AM
    
Please fill your gas tank the night before. Family radios aren't really necessary but help a lot to keep everyone in close contact. Most people have them and love them. If you don't have one at least bring three AA batteries to put in the borrowed radio. The Motorola SLK 280 seems to work the best, they are the most expensive but way better than the ones for 20 bucks a piece. About 60 to 90 bucks for the SLK 280's. We have a lot of fun with these on the road. The radios help in many ways. If you catch a red light you can still stay in contact with the group pulling away from you. When the last car in the group pulls away from the car or cars stuck at the light, slow up a little so the car at the light can still see you. Do the same if the last car makes a turn to show the car which is catching up where the turn is. Run with your lights off, if you have a major problem turn your lights on. Make sure if you have to make a panic stop, make sure Mike K. is not behind you. If the whole group stops at a stop light and you are with a large group of Prowlers make sure the leader and everyone else gets away from the light quickly but safely so everyone behind you can make it through. Sometimes you have to make a rest stop(George) inform someone in front of you or behind you, you need to take a quick 10 100, this is where the radios work the best. These are just some of my suggestions to make an event run like a fine watch. If someone else has something to add, feel free. ------------------ [This message has been edited by Gary C (edited 10-15-2000).] |
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Gary C POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie Personal ScrapBook From:San Diego Area |
posted 10-15-2000 02:36 AM
http://www.jd-electronics.com/Talkabout/slk.html Do not get the 289, more money for a function that will not work with the top down, VOX. These are cheapest I have seen . Also I have the mike/speaker which works even better, you can clip the mike/speaker to your lapel and not hold the radio all the time. [This message has been edited by Gary C (edited 10-15-2000).] [This message has been edited by Gary C (edited 10-22-2000).] |
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Quicksilver Prowler Junkie Personal ScrapBook From:san diego, ca |
posted 10-15-2000 12:48 PM
I think I found the best deal out there, Get ahold of Georges and borrow his for about three months  Quicksilver  [This message has been edited by Quicksilver (edited 10-15-2000).] |
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paulr unregistered Personal ScrapBook Admin Use |
posted 10-15-2000 12:57 PM
Also the Motorola TA250 are excellent and about $70.00 , the earbud inline mike is also available for it at about $10.00 It is also good to establish a leader and a cleanup driver. this makes lane changes and turns easier to follow. 
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Marc-Colo-99 POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Aurora, Colorado |
posted 10-17-2000 06:31 PM
Listen to Gary on the advantage of radios. While cruising the Colorado Rockies on a beautiful day with Gary and about a dozen other Prowlers he suddenly pulled over in the middle of nowhere (he said something about looking for roadkill) and when I called him on the radio to see if he was okay he said he would catch-up. I figured he just wanted to test that suspension on some nice mountain curves. Anyway when he caught up he had a smile on his face and somehow looked lighter. Gary C. Luv ya man. MRCATU |
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Gary C POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie Personal ScrapBook From:San Diego Area |
posted 10-18-2000 12:17 AM
Good to see you posting again man. Andrew is coming and YOU? To GC?????????????? |
direwolf32 Prowler Enthusiast From:Chickasha, Ok, USA |
posted 10-18-2000 02:23 AM
You guys make me SICK! Doing all this stuff i would LOVE to do but CANT do cause i dont have a prowler!  ! ! ! ! ------------------ |
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PhxSuncat unregistered Admin Use |
posted 10-19-2000 09:48 AM
Gary, thanks for posting the information I asked you for three weeks ago via email! I know you are very busy every day - right. |
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Gary C POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie Personal ScrapBook From:San Diego Area |
posted 10-19-2000 10:58 AM
Thanks Larry. Yes you pushed me to it and we all thank you, know you look like the #$%&!. Thanks again. |
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PhxSuncat unregistered Personal ScrapBook Admin Use |
posted 10-19-2000 04:37 PM
Gary - Question? The speaker/mic you show in your post says you don't have to hold the radio to talk. Understand, but it looks like in picture that you have to hold the mic and push to talk? How would this be better, except for afew ounces less to hold? Don't know Jack! Going to buy next week,need info soon. Thanks, Larry S. |
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Gary C POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie Personal ScrapBook From:San Diego Area |
posted 10-19-2000 06:52 PM
Click on the link and surf around, the VOX will not work with the top down. The one pictured is the one for my model SLK280, you have to key the mic to talk and release to listen. Check out that site , I would have saved 30 bucks for one radio and mic if I went with those people. |
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GPS John POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Illinois |
posted 10-20-2000 01:01 AM
Larry, You may want to consider using an ear bud speaker. I use an early model TalkAbout"Plus" with the ear bud. With the top up or down, the transmissions come through very clearly... no more repeating of messages because you missed the first transmission. The ear bud is very light and the speaker wire doesn't get in the way. When you want to talk, use the radio in the same way with or without the ear bud. Just speak into the radio as normal. An added bonus with the ear bud - my batteries seem to last longer than that of other's not using a smaller external speaker. I've noticed I can usually go a full weekend without changing the batteries while most people have to put new ones in by noon Sunday. I'd stay away from headsets and the collar mounted mic with ear bud. These usually have VOX capability, and believe me, from those with this setup, all you'll hear is them asking the question "Am I on Vox? Am I on Vox?" - and of course NOBODY can answer them because they ARE on VOX and are always transmitting and preventing anyone from getting a message back to them. (Trust me - it happens on every cruise with a certain un-named party in the Viper Club -wink-) These accessories are nice, but not for a car. The standard ear bud is just a small speaker that sits on the ear (right or left, it doesn't matter, your choice) Hope this helps... JohnS |
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PhxSuncat unregistered Admin Use |
posted 10-21-2000 01:17 AM
John and Gary - Thanks for the info, went shopping today for radio. Many brands and BS to wade thru. Are the NiCad rechargeable units worth the extra $$$? See no need for weather channel or am/fm units, I'll have Gary's chatter to listen to! |
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Gary C POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie Personal ScrapBook From:San Diego Area |
posted 10-21-2000 01:39 AM
I bought the Nicads recharger deal and you will be lucky if they last a day, the reg. Batteries last one person all through the Woodward deal. If the Nicads go dead then you have to have the other package that carrys the reg. batteries and change everything out. 40 bucks for the nicads is expensive and you are better off to to buy bulk of the alk. Reg. batterys. Does any one want to buy my NiCads, they S$ck? The more you talk the faster the batterys will discharge. If you just listen they are supposed to last up to 30 hours, for the Alk. reg. batterys. On the SLK280's they have a timer to shut off the radio after one hour. Hope this helps. |
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GPS John POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Illinois |
posted 10-21-2000 02:32 PM
Larry and everyone else: The MOST important feature to look for in the "Family Radio Band" radios is the 38 "coded" or sub-channels. So you'll be getting the standard 14 channels WITH 38 coded "sub-channels" ... If the radio package doesn't mention the 38 sub-channels, sometimes called privacy channels, it probably doesn't have them. ((Ask me how I know this!)) Do NOT waste your money on the cheaper units where you can get two radios for $50 or similar deals... it's a waste of money. This will limit and bring down the Motorola radio users by forcing all radios to be on the Channel Number selected at code "Zero". For a tour like GC, this isn't a big problem, but for an event like Woodward where alot of family channel radios are used - not just by us, but by ALOT of other people too - the cheaper radios effectively reduce communications because they will pick up ANY broadcast on that channel - coded or not. What this means is this: suppose a group is using channel 5-15 on the Motorola radios... The cheaper radios on Channel 5 will pick up the transmissions - but the cheaper ones can only broadcast on 5-"0" back to the Motorolas. So, anyone on 5-"whatever" comes through and your party has to be on 5-"0" to hear you. Radio traffic can get very busy without the coded sub-channels. This is not to say the coded sub-channels solve all the communication problems, but it does eliminate most of them. The accessories are just that - accessories. I like using the ear bud since I get a better reception quality. Gary likes the remote mic/speaker. The foundation of having a good radio to communicate with is essential though. If that radio has scan functions (why scan when we have a pre-designated channel to use?) or AM/FM radio functions, these may come in handy at times, but I doubt they would be all that useful. ((Just my opinion)) Battery consumption is another issue to consider. Personally, I carry extra batteries "just in case" since the alk. regular batteries last two days at best. Gary knows more about the limitations of the nicads. For me, the regular batteries work the best as far as ease of use, portability and availability. One thing to consider if you find a radio that can be plugged in to the car while you are driving is that this type of set-up will save on battery usage, but will also involve one more wire to contend with when you are DRIVING... which for me is a big hassle. I'll stick with the regular battery set-up. I suppose the last element to consider is the radio's colour scheme. Fashion has it's purpose, since you can get all different colours now, even camouflage. Mine is a "camo" since I bought it at a farm store when they first came out and they didn't have different colours yet. (I guess the farmers didn't want to find it if they dropped it in a field somewhere?) So, after all this, just be sure the radio you eventually get has the 14 channels and 38 sub-codes per channel. You can add to your system later after trying other peoples accessories to see what works best for you. JohnS [This message has been edited by JohnS (edited 10-21-2000).] |
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GPS John POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Illinois |
posted 10-21-2000 02:34 PM
One other thing I forgot to mention, but has been talked about already : STAY AWAY FROM THE V-O-X FEATURE !!! You'll be glad you did! (so will everyone else!) JohnS |
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PhxSuncat unregistered Admin Use |
posted 10-21-2000 02:46 PM
John, OK - the 38 sub channel is the way to go. Looking at speaker/mic like Gary's and the ear bud/in line mic that says VOX and hands free. Stay away from ear bud/in-line VOX unit? Others say it works? |
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paulr unregistered Admin Use |
posted 10-21-2000 02:52 PM
Larry- The EarBud comes both ways, VOX or regular. The Voice actvated will pick up all the car noice and other chatter. The regular earbud with inline mic will work fine. I have extras if you need! |
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GPS John POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Illinois |
posted 10-21-2000 03:06 PM
Larry, The "ear bud" I use is just an ear piece - it doesn't have a mic on it. When I talk, I have to raise the radio and speak into it. I have an extra one I will bring if anyone wants to try it. I think it was $10. |
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direwolf32 Prowler Enthusiast From:Chickasha, Ok, USA |
posted 10-21-2000 03:56 PM
Has anyone ever located the rare breed of Awesome,Fun Loving, Kidlike adults? If not, I HAVE! Mixed emotions here. Soon I will sort them out and sell them for a $1 a piece ------------------ |
He is a very good driver. 
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