Communications

I agree that the cheap ones work, but they are not very secure. We have proved that time and again. the big one are pricey but no one can scan the channels and listen in. It is just a thought, so I threw it out there.

Understood boss...just thinking for most players radios it wouldn't matter if they were secure...having a few secure intermixed with unsecure ones would protect most information as they'd only be hearing half the conversation...and having everyone listening on $10 or $20 radios is better in my opinion then 1/4 of the team on $50 or $100 radios.

Maybe break the team down into 'squads' that work primarily together...squad leaders have the secure more powerful radios that can keep in contact between squads and individual members have the smaller/cheaper ones to keep in contact when they get seperated or eliminated.

Excellent point Doc.

I would love a LAW!

I've been trying to push radios on the team for a year now! It maybe hard to get everyone to wear one, but I still believe the team needs them! I've got two, one with throat mic and ear piece.

LegoNinja wrote:

I would love a LAW!

I've been trying to push radios on the team for a year now! It maybe hard to get everyone to wear one, but I still believe the team needs them! I've got two, one with throat mic and ear piece.

I usually wear 2 radios, both have throat mikes. One secure line and one gmrs radio. Comms definately help.

You could be my next Hero OB!!

LegoNinja wrote:

You could be my next Hero OB!!

I like this guy, he has such low expectations.


now lets go build something nasty that will cause fear and terror out on the field.

LegoNinja wrote:

You could be my next Hero OB!!

Old Balls is a hero...

saharajunkee wrote:

LegoNinja wrote:

You could be my next Hero OB!!

Old Balls is a hero...

Dont be hatin on me there Scuba Steve. You know you are my hero, Im just trying to be like you. I just wanted to be someones hero. Now that you have made me feel bad, I am gonna forget about it.

Old Balls wrote:

saharajunkee wrote:

LegoNinja wrote:

You could be my next Hero OB!!

Old Balls is a hero...

Dont be hatin on me there Scuba Steve. You know you are my hero, Im just trying to be like you. I just wanted to be someones hero. Now that you have made me feel bad, I am gonna forget about it.

LOL.. step off lego.. ob is my hero..

saharajunkee wrote:

Old Balls wrote:

saharajunkee wrote:

LegoNinja wrote:

You could be my next Hero OB!!

Old Balls is a hero...

Dont be hatin on me there Scuba Steve. You know you are my hero, Im just trying to be like you. I just wanted to be someones hero. Now that you have made me feel bad, I am gonna forget about it.

LOL.. step off lego.. ob is my hero..

I am just way too emotional to post right now, I just need to gather myself together.

wait I thought OB was Waffles Hero, now i'm confused..but good news the poster of Merilu that I ordered got here today (he's my HERO!) ok anyway..there is no chance that I can afford to buy some high dollar "secure" radio. But we could do as a team is when the maps are posted on the internet (like they always are before PBC) We print them out...and re-label everything ourselves. We simply label each area with a letter or a number..so when we say we are heading to Bravo on our radios only we know where we are headed. All we would need is someone to take charge of doing that for the games..the problem with that is unless our general is one of us...it would cause some problems communicating with him (although Generals usually dispatch a mission to a team, and that's it) The primary thing is we could communicate with each other fairly securely.

the only problem i have with changing a map, and we have done that before, is if you do not know where you are and you find a place on the map called "hank Hill" but on your new map only says "a" you can get lost real quick.

i would love to see everyone on the team get a good radio, but i know that is probably not going to happen, but if we can get more than 50% of the team to have them and use them, that will be a start!

OB and I discussed this and its rather easy. We need to have as many secure radios as people can afford. THEN everybody else has unsecure radios. Break them down into squads...shrub has one, merilu, ob, and sahara say.

Each person get assigned to one of their squads. You use the unsecure radio to reach your squad leader, find out their location, and respond with a 'roger' or 'moving there now' etc. The people with the unsecure radios just have to remember not to be blabbing game information over the unsecures. People on the secures can send vital information.

If you get eliminated and cannot reach your squad then contact any of us and use a relay method to communicate or wait until one of the members with a secure radio returns.

This should cut down the waiting time tremendously AND secure our communications AND allow people to get back into the game quickly after elimination.

Doc had a great idea when we talked. And I can see it working out real well. For anyone interestedin getting a secure radio search for Motorola xv1100 on e-bay. they had a bunch missing battery and cover for battery. I took the rechargeable batteries out of mine and use 4 aa bats. We have 4 radios as of now, any more we can get will only make this thing better.

i'm not sure i have enough brain power to run around with two radios in my ear. but i always bring my radios to games and depending on how long the game is or if i can recharge them at night. i usally have one to loan.

it is easy, whenever you get a call you can tell by which ear, which radio. I keep gmrs in left and big one in right. or you can just go with one. By doing it this way I know either out team or our side.

So one problem here... maybe you've addressed it and i've missed it.. but the squad leader with the secure radio is taken out... and now it's just the squad... they can't really radio secure info to another squad to relay the message because that would defeat the purpose of having secured radios... And the squad still has to communicate...because life does go on without the squad leader.... so how does comms continue?

Also, the idea about numbering the map or using code words i believe works ok, but you have to maintain the "original" names on the map as well.. just for the very reason that Logo mentioned in his post. Of course the pitfall here is making sure nobody drops their map for the opponents..

If we practice just being vague on the radios, that can be just as affective as "secured" channels.. IMO

Squad radio is reassigned to someone still alive and switched with standard radio from regular member. This keep the squad radio alive until the last person is killed...if you meet up with the main squad leader you hand off again.

It is kind of a pain but its the only real solution that I can see to not having everyone buy an expensive radio...although OB had talked about getting sets of them on Ebay for fairly cheap.

Ideal is everybody has them...less then ideal something like above.

just like Doc says, pass the radio. But the rest of the team should have the little radios, in the end everyone should have a radio. Regardless of size or frequency. I have 3 gmrs radios. you can buy them for 30-40 bucks for a pair. we just need as many radios as possible. The more we have the more we can do. And junkee you know I will preach about comms.

IMO... I think it's a great concept, more so if all have em. It looks GREAT on paper.. Just judging on the last game, there were a couple breakdown on communications...and it had nothing to do with the radios we were using. In fact the general/XO of the game returned the secure radio back to OB that Saturday night.

Now maybe the concept here wasn't applied correctly during the game...I don't know... .i just didn't witness a value add... issues appeared to be more related to either the general switching channels on the radio...or the people you're trying to get in touch with were back at the camp.. bs-ing not getting back on the field to regroup..

OB, don't get me wrong.. not dissing your comms preaching... i think there is potential to make it work, but i'm saying there are other things (non-hardware related) that can be addressed to better our comms on the field.. (maybe in tandem?) One of which is our butts being out on the field when we need to be out there. Don't misunderstand.. not saying we need to be "Thumper-Humping" the field every minute... just saying that we should coordinate our "long breaks" with the group...otherwise, get to the camp and "refuel", then get back out there. again...IMO.

I actually think Sahara has a point here. We need radios, but we need to cut down on the off-field time. I admit I don't like to roll out by myself, but I feel like I'm cheating myself to pay all that money & spend all of that time traveling, and then spend a hour per trip off the field for no particular reason. Unless it changes, I'm just gonna roll out on my own so I get my moneys worth....but I don't think we want to get a rep of a half & half team (play half the time, rest half the time). But I realize everyone's got to do it the way they enjoy it.

ace007 wrote:

I actually think Sahara has a point here. We need radios, but we need to cut down on the off-field time. I admit I don't like to roll out by myself, but I feel like I'm cheating myself to pay all that money & spend all of that time traveling, and then spend a hour per trip off the field for no particular reason. Unless it changes, I'm just gonna roll out on my own so I get my moneys worth....but I don't think we want to get a rep of a half & half team (play half the time, rest half the time). But I realize everyone's got to do it the way they enjoy it.

Well ... not saying you should just run out there and fight the game alone....

i'm saying we've got to find more efficient ways to regroup...and spend less time bs-ing back at the camp is all. Try to coordinate the longer breaks... The key here is trying to get in touch with the team out on the field and regroup.. If it's a mission card based game, wait at the base for the next mission card...and run it to your team.. stuff like that..

I agree with you. I'm just saying that, absent that happening, I feel like I'd be happier rolling alone than waiting and waiting.

The whole point is that you should not be rolling alone you are on a team you need to find that team. If you have a radio you should be able to get in contact with someone on that team & regroup with them. That way we are in force and not out doing or own thing. We have seen time & time again & it is proven that if we roll in numbers we are a dominating force, individually we are just a thorn. Remember there are no I's in team...