Two way radio recommendation

[James]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I guess I hadn't really thought about the Rhino because I already have a GPS, but that may be the best way to go.  Having the GPS and radio in one sure would be nice, next time I am at the sporting good store I will check them out.

How is the battery life on them? How many days can you hunt on a charge?

Are they waterproof enough survive hunting/fishing in the rainforest and the occastional drop into a pool of water?

[deltaops]

Same Batteries will last me a year, just depends on the use really. Last year 2012 I changed them out once. When I went out in 2013 I replaced the batteries just to have fresh ones in. When ever I store my GPS after I am done for a few days, I will remove the batteries. I use the kirkland brand and they last me for a while.

I always keep spare batteries with me just in case though.

My GPS has been soaked from poring down rain and never had an issue with it. I have not really dunked mine in any water or at any depths and I really do not want to test it out. 

I have a clip on mine and also attach a lanyard to it so I do not drop it.

[Jingles]

Again thanks for the replies Currently have a GPS and a pair of the Motorola's so looking to condense to one unit Sounds like the rhino is the way to go

[BuckHunter23]

You'll only pickup other users outside of your party if they happen on the same channel as you.  Most of the channels have a ton of sub-channels available, so the likelihood you would pickup anyone else is pretty slim.  Of course, if you use an easy one like Ch.1 Sub 23 you might be more likely to hear others.  I only picked up others because I was bored on the top of a ridge and scanned all the channels    Happened to pick up a few hunters on the other side of the freeway, about 15 miles away.  It was actually good entertainment to hear what other hunters were up to.

Anyhow, hope you got the info you were looking for.  Rinos are a great all-in-one options.  Deciding which one to get depends on how many bells and whistles you want/need.

[salmonchaser]

You asked about battery life. With. The 530 and 655 rechargeable batteries we get about 2 days of hunting. Depends on how much talking etc. You can improve on the battery life by reducing how often your unit updates with the satellite. I take a battery pack and extra batteries with me on pack in trips, otherwise simply plug it into the power port when I get back to the truck. The only place I've ever been disappointed with the communication system was very near an Alaska air base. Probably just radio interferences. The GPS worked fine.
When I'm not worried about talking to someone or simply want to check where I am relative to camp in case the guide gets lost, I just turn it on a couple of times during the day and have had the battery last the entire trip. We tend to spread o it quite a bit in a very deep canyon during elk season. With the Garmin it is very easy to figure out how to best get organized to get an elk out.

[Doc Sauce]

I used a Garmin Rino this year.   The only thing I did not like was the reception.  They worked great if I was on top of a hill, but even just a little below the hill top, and it was hit or miss.  By the time I got to be about 75 to 100 feet below the top, there was nothing at all.  The guys I was talking to were only about .3 to .7 miles away.

I would love to have a HAM radio with the GPS functions of the Rino... if only that existed.