MtB Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 There is a couple on the towpath opposite me right now using a walkie talkie radio to obviously communicate with the skipper of a boat some way away. They are telling him there is a boat coming up the lock and to hurry up if they want to take advantage of it being set in their favour. Now there is nothing wrong with doing this at all, logically. So why do I find it so irrationally IRRITATING!!!!! P.S. forgot to say, I've seen loads of boaters using walkie talkie radios this summer. It seems to have exploded in popularity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 (edited) As lots of boaters, as you have recently pointed out, now have mobile phones, why would they need walkie-talkies as well? The former can be irritating, for example when a user appears intent upon letting the whole shop know what he's just discovered in aisle 8, or when one yells to the whole carriage that the train is just pulling in to Victoria Wood station. They're a facet of modern life which used to irritate me, but these days I've developed some immunity. Edited August 22, 2021 by Athy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmr Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 It makes total sense, better than making silly hand signals, and constant walking backwards and forwards to see if there is a mooring spot just round the next bend etc etc, but I just can't bring myself do it. Use mobile phones when we really need to, 'spose we could always keep saying "over" to pretend we have radios😀 On the bendy Oxford summit Gillie walked a couple of hundred yards ahead with the dog and gave me a hand signal for approaching boats, really useful as the low water made things quite tricky at times.. There was a good thread on here a while ago when a norty poster asked for recommendations for the best two way radios for a single handed boater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted August 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 1 minute ago, Athy said: As lots of boaters, as you have recently pointed out, now have mobile phones, why would they need walkie-talkies as well? The former can be irritating, for example when a user appears intent upon letting the whole shop know what he's just discovered in aisle 8. You can ask them, as they'll be passing you in about 20 mins! (Assuming you're on ya boat) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 (edited) 2 minutes ago, MtB said: You can ask them, as they'll be passing you in about 20 mins! (Assuming you're on ya boat) No, we're back in our house in Upwell, so they'll need to crack on. It's 94 miles away by road, and a whole lot further by water. Edited August 22, 2021 by Athy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rasputin Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 We use them a lot, Mrs Rass is often inside while moving and we use them to communicate, I try not to use them when other people are in earshot, as our conversations are generally rude and colourful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted August 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 1 minute ago, Athy said: No, we're back in our house in Upwell, so they'll need to crack on. They've already been doing a fair bit of 'crackling on'... and off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicknorman Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 Walkie talkies mostly are for people who have no idea what they’re doing. Every iota of progressing along the canal has to be extensively discussed. just very occasionally Jeff and I need to communicate out of earshot/visual range, in which case we use phones. I can’t see why anyone would need an additional device. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Stilllearning Posted August 22, 2021 Popular Post Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 Most useful between Trevor and Llangollen I believe? 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob-M Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 We have done walkie talkies, they've been on the drawer for a few years now. Not found a need for them as we don't tend to find the need to explain every detail to each other about whether there are boats going up\down when waiting at a lock which is what we tend to see lots of people using them for. I often think if the chap sat at the stern waiting on a lock mooring got off his ass and walked up to the lock he would be able to see for himself what is going on rather than having his wife describing every last detail to him over the walkie talkie. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hudds Lad Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 (edited) We used ours when based at Overwater and doing the Llangollen, for everywhere else we have our own hand signals to alert whoever is steering as to whats happening. Did pass a couple at Hillmorton going down using them. He couldn’t tell what she was saying and after about five goes seemingly gave up trying to reply, she was only about two boat lengths away as well. They are great for listening to local taxi firms, and other boaters shouting at each other too Edited August 22, 2021 by Hudds Lad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil2 Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 54 minutes ago, MtB said: There is a couple on the towpath opposite me right now using a walkie talkie radio to obviously communicate with the skipper of a boat some way away. They are telling him there is a boat coming up the lock and to hurry up if they want to take advantage of it being set in their favour. Now there is nothing wrong with doing this at all, logically. So why do I find it so irrationally IRRITATING!!!!! P.S. forgot to say, I've seen loads of boaters using walkie talkie radios this summer. It seems to have exploded in popularity. I find it irritating too, but I don't think it's irrational. Say you're at a lock and someone rolls up with w/t saying don't fill the lock there's a boat heading this way... What are you supposed to do? The boat must be some distance away but yet you feel it would be wrong to get on with your passage. Before modern technology you would have just cracked on, assuming you can't see another boat approaching. So you wait, it's probably the right thing to do, but it's still frustrating. In the context of the canals it just feels wrong to me, it's one of the many ways in which boaters risk destroying the aspects of waterway life that attracted them in the first place. The canals used to be one of the few environments where it was still ok to be a reactionary. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tree monkey Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 1 hour ago, MtB said: There is a couple on the towpath opposite me right now using a walkie talkie radio to obviously communicate with the skipper of a boat some way away. They are telling him there is a boat coming up the lock and to hurry up if they want to take advantage of it being set in their favour. Now there is nothing wrong with doing this at all, logically. So why do I find it so irrationally IRRITATING!!!!! P.S. forgot to say, I've seen loads of boaters using walkie talkie radios this summer. It seems to have exploded in popularity. I can see the need but I tend to agree, it's a bit like people walking along listening to music on their phone via the speaker not headphones, theres a certain lack of respect for others in it, as though I want to hear your music or conversation. I'm sure though that theres plenty of people who use them without sharing their conversations with everyone nearby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Vagabond Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 8 minutes ago, Neil2 said: I find it irritating too, but I don't think it's irrational. Say you're at a lock and someone rolls up with w/t saying don't fill the lock there's a boat heading this way... What are you supposed to do? The boat must be some distance away but yet you feel it would be wrong to get on with your passage. Before modern technology you would have just cracked on, assuming you can't see another boat approaching. So you wait, it's probably the right thing to do, but it's still frustrating. In the context of the canals it just feels wrong to me, it's one of the many ways in which boaters risk destroying the aspects of waterway life that attracted them in the first place. The canals used to be one of the few environments where it was still ok to be a reactionary. On the other hand we also frequently use radios and and an example would be that as I've left a lock and passed under the bridge directly below the lock (out of sight of OH) I see a boat approaching the lock so tell her not to bother shutting the lock gates as there is a boat coming. I suppose that it would be 'better' to leave her to shut the gates so the approaching boat then has something to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 3 hours ago, rasputin said: We use them a lot, Mrs Rass is often inside while moving and we use them to communicate, I try not to use them when other people are in earshot, as our conversations are generally rude and colourful And what channel do you use? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo47 Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 Walkie-talkies can be used in places where there is no mobile coverage. There are plenty of places with poor to non-existent mobile coverage. We have virtually no mobile coverage indoors, and we are in a built-up area. In addition, for users like ourselves that are on PAYG rather than on a contract (not much point having a contract when we have no signal indoors), calls can be relatively expensive if you need to make lots. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenA Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 5 minutes ago, Ronaldo47 said: Walkie-talkies can be used in places where there is no mobile coverage. There are plenty of places with poor to non-existent mobile coverage. We have virtually no mobile coverage indoors, and we are in a built-up area. In addition, for users like ourselves that are on PAYG rather than on a contract (not much point having a contract when we have no signal indoors), calls can be relatively expensive if you need to make lots. Also if you drop / break / lose a walkie talkie it's not the end of the earth. When I'm boating (especially when working locks) the phone stays safe on the boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rasputin Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 18 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said: And what channel do you use? At the moment I think it is 8.22, Why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 Mrs Midnight and I use two tin cans with string stretched between them. We find them a bit tricky unless on the Stratford where the lock bridges have a gap. You have to be very careful on lift bridges it's easy to get pulled into the canal, but they are cheap. 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Vagabond Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said: And what channel do you use? How do you find out what channel you are on? Mine is just numbered 1 - 8 unlike my Marine Channel radio. I don't think that there is any correlation between them (channel 8 on the cheap walkie talkie certainly isn't Channel 8 Marine Band). I have on occasion found the Marine band radio useful when calling up West Stockwith lock and Preston Lock as just a couple of examples. As far as I'm concerned the cheap radio is just a 'tool' like any other, sometimes useful, sometimes not. Being irritated at people's use of them as the OP seems to be, for me, is a bit like being irritated when people use a mole grip instead of a spanner, i.e. not really any of my business Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post MtB Posted August 22, 2021 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 9 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said: Being irritated at people's use of them as the OP seems to be, for me, is a bit like being irritated when people use a mole grip instead of a spanner, YES!!!!! That too!!!!!!!!! 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 5 hours ago, MtB said: There is a couple on the towpath opposite me right now using a walkie talkie radio to obviously communicate with the skipper of a boat some way away. They are telling him there is a boat coming up the lock and to hurry up if they want to take advantage of it being set in their favour. Now there is nothing wrong with doing this at all, logically. So why do I find it so irrationally IRRITATING!!!!! P.S. forgot to say, I've seen loads of boaters using walkie talkie radios this summer. It seems to have exploded in popularity. I agree, I look at people talking into them and wonder Why?. I thought boating was all about relaxing not tearing from point A to poin B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted August 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 (edited) The only legitimate use I've ever found for Mole grips is holding stuff together correctly when welding..... Edited August 22, 2021 by MtB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Vagabond Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 24 minutes ago, Slim said: I agree, I look at people talking into them and wonder Why?. I thought boating was all about relaxing not tearing from point A to poin B Is that a case of "...not tearing from Point A to Point B...."? or is it a case of not wasting a lockful of water by turning it with an approaching boat?? I've been known to wait 10 minutes or more for an approaching boat to come into a lock rather than waste a lockful, I'm in no rush. If a queue was forming that would be a different matter, but if it is just me, then where is a problem in waiting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rasputin Posted August 22, 2021 Report Share Posted August 22, 2021 50 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said: How do you find out what channel you are on? Mine is just numbered 1 - 8 unlike my Marine Channel radio. I don't think that there is any correlation between them (channel 8 on the cheap walkie talkie certainly isn't Channel 8 Marine Band). On some radios there are several "sub channels" so I am on channel 8 sub channel 22 , extremely unlikely to find anybody else on it given the range. when just using the 1-8 you often pick up other peoples conversations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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