billlynes

Has anyone tried using the Nextel Walkie-Talkies for in car communication?

They claim a 6 mile range without cell service.

BL

Larry Herman

LOL, they don't even have a 6 mile range WITH cell service! Worst investment we ever made. Can't wait to get back to Verizon. I don't know how that would work, as mine don't do anything without service.

APKhaos

Hopefully, Matt or Jerome will see this thread. They both work for Sprint, and I know they have access to remarkably accurate coverage maps which will tell you just where the coverage is or is not at a given track. I know Jerome has used his PTT phone for car to pit comms. Its no substitute for UHF radio, but may be better than nothing at all.

jerome951

Sprint-Nextel has a relatively new feature called DirectTalk. It works via direct handset-to-handset communications, like a true walkie talkie and does not have to be within the coverage of the cellular network. I understand the range is realistically 3-4 miles but depends greatly on the terrain and I would assume needs line-of-sight to operate effectively. The convenience is that this functionality is built into a few handsets, combining a cell phone with an off-network walkie-talkie. More information here:
http://www.nextel.com/en/services/wa...fnetwork.shtml

If you run at a track that has good Nextel cellular coverage (we're working on it), you could use Direct Connect (the ubiquitous Nextel "walkie-talkie" feature). You would need an earpiece with the direct connect button and either press it or modify it to wire a button to your steering wheel.

I tried using my Nextel phone as car-to-crew communication at Summit Point last year and it worked, but not well. Definitely not as good as a true racing radio. The equipment just isn't designed to operate in a noisy environment of a race car and I had trouble hearing my crew and being heard as well.

You could likely rig up any cell phone and place a call to your crew (or have them call you) assuming you have coverage. You may have to work on muffling the ambient noise to make it effective.

Nordschleife

one of my mates, driving in the VLN ,has a series of preprogrammed SMS messages which he selects and sends to the pits, as radio comms are so difficult at the Nürburgring because of the distances and the hoops you have to jump therough for radio licences.
The scope for errors is great, and can lead to unintended humerous moments, like arriving in the pits expecting fuel after you have sent a run out of fuel message.......

R+C

Larry Herman

Why does the phrase "Chinese fire drill" come to mind?

M758

If you need radios on the cheap. Get those Motorola FRS or GMRS radios. You can get a set for $50 or so and have a very basic radio. I have used a set-up like this for many years and it has always worked better than not having anything. Cetainly not as good a proper radio set-up, but I can't complain for 5 to 10% of the cost.

Matt Marks

Billy,

If you know what tracks you're going to be at, I can get detailed cell and direct connect coverage maps that will give you coverage information on a turn by turn basis. Can't publish them, but I can (for example) tell you that at summit point you will have coverage from Turn 5 all the way around to Turn 2, and lose coverage in the chute.

However, as Jerome points out, the the Direct Talk function does not depend on having cellular service. Also, as it is not in the GPRS spectrum (like the ubiquitious cheapie "family talk" motorola walkie talkies) it's not subject to most of the interference issues and cross talk issues that can plague the walkie talkies at large events where everyone seems to have one. Also, the Direct Talk is reasonably secure. I would recommend following the link that Jerome posted for more detailed info, as I'm not in sales - just a computer weenie.

disclaimer - Sprint (formerly nextel - gone but not forgotten) employee

Matt Marks

Joe,

You posted as I was writing this. Agreed that any radio is better than none. Of course, the other next best thing would be to figure out what channel your closest compitor is using and tune a scanner to that channel. hehe

Nordschleife

Matt
One of my ideas is to use VoIP over UMTS upgraded links for data, video and voice comms (with driver TPR monitoring). The telcos always bring in extra cells for race meetings, and they then take responsibility for the dead spots..... you don't need special licenses, just multiplex several mobiles to get the bandwidth required

Matt Marks

Nordschleife,

That is so far over my head as to be unintelligible. However, suffice it to say that you guys on the continent are so far ahead of the U.S. in mobile technology that we may as well be running on steam engines.

If you are looking for some contacts here that may be doing some kind of similar work, I can get you in contact with a couple of listers who are (last I heard) heavily into signals work. Shoot me a PM if you want.

Matt

Larry Herman

Jeez, now you have to become a telecommunications expert just race a car!

Matt Marks

Larry,

You mean you don't have a GPS based data-acquisition system? you need to get with the times! lol

Nordschleife

Matt
I have been talking to a guy from NASA (Aimes), but we decided that space was a much more benign environment than a race car!
Larry
all this monitoring begins to make sense when you are racing for 24 Hours, complete waste of time (but not interest) for short races.

R+C
PS you may have noticed that the MNOs love sponsoring racing - Telefonica, O2, T-Mobile, Vodafone are all in F1, and then doesn't Nextel lend its name to some formation driving team competition?

cdbtx

Push to talk handsets use the same cell coverage/spectrum as the cell phone. It's nothing more than a novelty.. let's see... take our advanced technology and make it simplex system and make it sound like a Walkie talkie.. and it sold... what's next? A dodge challenger?

UHF... the only way to go

Full time phone guy.. part time wannabe racer.... With UHF radios!


Chuck