This article started out as a straightforward review of a series of hand held radios. As I was writing the "meat" of this article I started to really think about the times that I have been in the woods with other people and we have been without a reliable form of two way communications. I realized that there have been quite a few times when I have been separated from the other person or from the group in general. I have been lucky. I have never been injured in the woods nor has anyone that I have been with. I have had close calls. I have nearly fallen out of tree stands, slid down steep embankments and tripped over objects to include my own feet. I have never become lost in the woods, though I will admit to taking the "scenic route" once or twice. That may not always be the case. Being able to communicate with your hunting or hiking partners is essential if you become separated, accidentally or on purpose. I would imagine that being lost could be a pretty scary experience for some and being injured and alone would be pretty scary for most of us. Do yourselves a favor, get and use two-way communications. I am officially done rambling, at least for now.

The FR-465 Portable Family Radios by Cherokee Electronics, incorporates a lot of very popular features into a very small package. Aside from weighing only 8 oz. and being less than 4 inches tall and 2 ¼ inches wide, the FR-465 has 14 channels with 47 privacy codes. The privacy codes really come into play in areas were heavy radio congestion is possible, like in a mall. Recently, I have seen more and more kids and parents, on the ski slopes, with little hand held radios. Using a privacy code will keep you from calling the wrong kids for lunch.

I am always a little leery about the range of a radio. The manufacturers will give you an "up to" range, which usually means you will be lucky to get half of that. We went hard on these radios from the start. We kept one of them inside of the building while the other was put into a vehicle. We started taking when the vehicle was about ¼ mile away. Communications were crystal clear to just beyond the 2-mile mark and didn't really break up until the 2-½ mile mark. This was done in a pretty residential area and fairly hilly, I would imagine that on flat open terrain, the range would have been a little greater.

The radio features a LCD screen, which is very easy to read in both daylight and low light levels and also an " incoming call " ringer alert. Using the ringer alert in conjunction with the automatic power save circuitry means that you can keep the radio on all the time with out worrying about your batteries being drained when there is no communication or having to shut off the radio and missing a message. Another great feature is the "Lockout" , which allows the settings of the radio to be locked, so that they can not be accidentally changed.

This "mini" radio boasts a full 0.5 watts of output, which is the maximum allowed by the FCC for this frequency range. The radio itself is operates on 5 " AAA" batteries, Alkaline, Ni-cad or Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeable. The radios are available in two colors, Dark Forest Green or Sport Yellow.

I must admit that I was extremely surprise by the power and function of these radios and can recommend them whole heatedly to any hunter, hiker, skier or parent. To see the entire line of radios that Cherokee Electronics has to offer or to get more information on this model, visit their web site at www.wirelessmarketing.com.

By: Ron England