subject: Waterproof Walkie Talkies Are A Must For The Outdoorsmen [print this page] Do you love the outdoors and playing on the water in streams, lakes and rivers? Do you like to kayak, canoe or boat and want to keep in touch with others when you are not near any cell towers? Have you ever tried those hard plastic waterproof cases for electronics and realized that they will keep your electronic items protected, but how are you supposed to use them if you end up in the water? What you need is a waterproof walkie talkie to communicate with others in your party without having to take them out of their protective case and run the risk of dropping them in the water.
Due to the sensitive nature of most electronic devices they need to be kept away from moisture that can corrode their circuit boards and play havoc with the batteries as well. If you are a water guide for rafting, kayaking, canoeing or boating you should consider investing in a waterproof walkie talkie. As expected, due to the additional case insulation and sealing necessary to be categorized as water proof rather than water resistant a waterproof walkie talkie will be much more expensive than a standard model.
You can buy a pair of opening price point FRS radios with a charger for less than thirty dollars at your local discount store, but you will not be able to find a waterproof walkie talkie unless you go online or to a specialty outdoor outfitter. There are several models by a company called Icom that start at over three hundred dollars for the radio only - charger not included. It is rated IP-X7 (JIS 7) for waterproofing. In other words it can be submerged in water for up to a half hour with no leakage in the case.
It has a 5W power output rating and comes with a two step energy saver for longer battery life. The Li ion battery is standard and it comes with an AA insert for normal alkaline batteries. It conforms to Mil Spec 810 C, D, E as well. With one hundred twenty eight channels on VHF and PC programmable this rugged work horse is great for police and fire fighters any where.
Icom offers the F50 with various feature upgrades including enhanced audio, voice recording and a scrambler feature, a rapid charger or a ten hour charger and a vibrate feature. These features will add up to an additional hundred dollars to the price.
