Radios?

[xRAZERx]

My last couple of trips out I've been flying solo and checking out new sites, not really known anyone before hand.

 

Now I always take my radio with me and when gievn the team frequency I've tuned my radio in but nobody seems to want to communicate and when you shout up for something you get ignored.

 

Things would have gone much smoother had people used their radios properly.

 

Another thing I found was the fact I knew nobody made it hard to communicate with them because I didn't know what to call them or the fact they don't know me seems to make them want to not respond at all.

 

Is this as wide spread at all skirmish sites? Are radios used effectivly in airsoft or are they just another fashion accessory?

[cpaxton]

My last couple of trips out I've been flying solo and checking out new sites, not really known anyone before hand.

 

Now I always take my radio with me and when gievn the team frequency I've tuned my radio in but nobody seems to want to communicate and when you shout up for something you get ignored.

 

Things would have gone much smoother had people used their radios properly.

 

Another thing I found was the fact I knew nobody made it hard to communicate with them because I didn't know what to call them or the fact they don't know me seems to make them want to not respond at all.

 

Is this as wide spread at all skirmish sites? Are radios used effectivly in airsoft or are they just another fashion accessory?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I personally thing they take the game a little too far. But they can be great fun if used correctly. It just depends on your style of play, if you play milsim then they can be good. But if you just skirmish for a laught they migh be a little over the top.

[Eddie182]

Never really seen the point of them TBH. no one at any site I've played at seems to use them properly.

 

When i go and skirmish with a group of mates we just use our own frequency. When I go to games on my own, I just don't bother with comms.

[schneiderboy]

Use it only with good Teammembers, its very good for tactical use in CQB, but never use it with noobs or newbies, we have 2 radios, and for get into a house is it perfect, evenly CQB

[Pegasus 1]

Would agree with the comments above: they are effective (and sometimes the crucial element in winning a game or scenario) but only when orchestrated properly.

 

This means having an overall commander or some sort of net call signs or names put in place before the event. Otherwise, it simply descends into almost a 'chat channel'...

[Skarclaw]

At the site I go, they work quite well, recently we used them to coordinate the location of a landy convoy, good fun indeed.

[Crazy_Harry]

I'm yet to see them used effectively in any situation other than in a tight team of regulars, or in real emergencies, like someone getting hurt.

 

other than that, they're not much use really- certainly no use that can't be bettered by either using handsignals or yelling

 

I personally feel an effective chain of command is far more important than radio ops, unless its a large site, and someone is prepared to play radio man for the day. This way, you have a person you can report to, and who can, witht the help of a team leader/tactician direct everyone around the place to hotspots.

 

If you aren't going to be doing this, then they don't have a lot of practical purpose- it just degenerates into chatting or people yelling "contact!" but not knowing where they are or anyone else knowing who they can send to back them up.

 

I like to carry one at large sites that I'm unfamiliar with (for fear of getting lost or stuck out in the middle of nowhere while a major firefirght is going on somewhere out of earshot), but I normally just have it on to listen to, on the off chance that anything comprehensible and worthwhile might get annouced, rather than the usual "tango, tango, I've got a bogey on my six!" and other bizarreness.

[ColDaz]

In theory, they should be very handy, used for directing people to hotspots, manouvers to take the objective, calling for a medic when they may be out of earshot and such.

 

I have never seen them used like that though, and have never personally found the need to use them.

[Soloman]

If you are playing a long game over a large amount of land, which people can easily get lost in, they are useful.

[Chris P]

I use one all the time. When its quiet it is usualy just to contact the safe zone etc.

 

When I play with the regulars the radio becomes a great tool. We have a few sneaky chaps that usualy relay positions back to the main force.

[outlaw]

Well this is an odd thread to read. The last game i was at radio communication was absolutly critical in getting the victory. At any given point i knew where friendlys and hostiles. It was the first time we really relied on radios in a game and it went sooo much better because of it.

 

Now my above example was perfection, every other game i have gone to was full of call beeps cut off transmisisions and worthless chatter. half the time i would see a group moving towards me radio them asking if there friendlys radio them again. doing the thunder flash thing shooting at them and hearing 'were on your side jerks!' yelled at me.

 

 

Usualy we assign a game channel for refs and game information but nobody ever uses that either. 'is the game still on or are we alone out here over' silence....

 

its a hard thing to pick sides on i love radios when used properly and when not i despise them

[Marlowe]

Radios are used extensively at LFU during the larger games, due to the nature of the site. When you have a vast industrial site with multiple fire-teams on both side, they're invaluable for updating teams on objectives etc. Unfortunately they don't really get used beyond that, as you can guarantee that on a team of 60 players, at least one will have their mike set to VOX...

[Pablo]

I've only used them in a skirmish once, and I found that most small groups tended to want to talk to each other, rather than using a frequency for the whole team. As a result, I was only talking to my son. Came in handy in the longer games though, as we were doing forward recon in seperate zones (unfortunately with a passive team who camped for an hour doing nothing). After a while we started taking the enemy out for fun, and we just kept radioing in our kill score until I got taken out by a sniper (I still suspect it was my lad who shot me though).

[Machineabuse]

Like is most aspects of airsoft, people buy things because they believe that it will give them an edge but no one bothers training with them. Unless you and your buddy's have communication procedures worked out they're about as good as bricks.

 

Like those who buy scopes but don't bother about finding out what eye relief or scope shadowing means and blame their misses on the equipment.

[executor252]

my friends and I use radios extremely effectively to start games over long distances (as opposed to yelling). Other than that, radios are only good for giving away my position so I usually turn mine off unless we are part of a LARGE team on a large field that has multiple groups moving around all chattering back and forth. With tons of people its a good way to avoid being shot up by teammates as you come around a corner etc...

[doc_newstead]

I can't really add anything here, other than to say that as mentioned above, radios only really work if you & the others issued with them have a system for them.

 

The one time I used them, I spent more time fiddling around with the radio than keeping an eye on the game, which is obviously a bad thing. However, I was playing as a pair, and they were quite handy for keeping location etc.

 

I dunno, we've all bought them now, so I could try using them again, but for a big, big team game, I can imagine them being a real pain in the *albatross*, and just turning mine off.

[Lance Jackass]

Hand signals am teh bestest. You should be pretty close to your own team guys anyway.

[screamin_weasel]

radios ###### me off to the max.

 

unless you are working with people who are trained enough to use them properly, speak into them properly, and explain clearly, they suck. unfotunately, my team doesn't quite have the radio qualities to make it work.

 

there are occassions when they are invaluable, and times when we just walk about doing wookie calls down them. in fact i think thats what i used them most for.

 

to be honest, unless i think it is highly vital, i dont bother any more. i just stick close to epople who have them. the amount of times they beep, cutt off early, ring, play "we wish you a merry xmas" or whatever, i just binned the idea.

 

but wookie calls are good.

[phishphansj3151]

I love radios, I usually use them every game. Mainly used in large ops with about 70 people so the teams usually split up and they're a great way to communicate withought giving away posistions. However these are used by the team Im on who all know eachother, and eachothers strengths and weaknesses.

[Taclightmike]

Radios are the only way you can communciate on a large field effectivly. Without radios, erveryone at the fields I play at, would be shooting eachother, not knowing what team a certina person would be on.

[The Waco Kid]

Much the same experience really. I don't often bother using radios tactically unless I'm playing as part of a largish team who are already quite coordinated. For an unfamiliar group they just complicate matters.

Occasionally I take a couple of radios if I'm on a solo day out if there are going to be players there that I know will use them effectively.

However, they are pretty essential for a decent Scout/Sniper who's prepared to lay up & call in targets rather than just try to ambush people without support. That's about the only time they come in useful for a solo player or buddy pair, but again you've go to ensure there is someone on the other end who is a bit switched on.

[Intimidator]

The last event I went to if you had a radio u were a squad leader or a medic... It helped a great deal

[Vostok]

I use a radio when I can, but I have to borrow one from someone as I haven't bought one yet.

I find there fun to use, but that frikken beeping noise they make before someone speaks is really stupid, I'll be sneaking up behind someone when this loud beep happens and give me away then I get lit up.

Which is why a headset is a necessity.

[Ghost_Rider]

Or learning how to turn them to 'silent' mode.

[Vostok]

Or learning how to turn them to 'silent' mode. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

ditto to that.

I had no clue the radios I've used had that feature.