Paintball Radios & Communications

I. The Right Equipment

By JOracle
March 9, 2005
www.specialopspaintball.com

A coordinated team royally kicks butt on a random bunch of guys with guns – Napoleon, MacArthur and Lao Tzu would all agree. So would the groups who got it handed to them all last summer as the SpecialOps team scrimmaged against walk-on teams of three to five times their numbers.

Probably the single greatest factor in the ability of a coordinated team to stomp the hell out of walk-on players is the religious use of radio communications. When a team can work as one body (http://www.specialopspaintball.com/articles/team_specops.asp) and apply the perfect amount of force at the weakest point, they can smash the opposition even though all other factors are against them.

If you've ever tried it you know: using radios is much harder than you would think at first. Once you've overcome the substantial technical challenges of radio use, you still have to work out your radio protocol. It's pretty hard to describe a tactical situation over a radio in a way that will make sense to the guys on the other end of the call.

To begin your mastery of radio use, you must start with the right equipment.

Radios

There's really little discussion on the matter: the line of Motorola Talkabouts fits perfectly into the gear kit of your average paintball player. The basics Talkabout has good reach – even though it reaches its advertised distances only in perfect conditions. If you'll be playing on a flat, small-ish playing field, then stick with the economy 2-way variety. If you'll be on larger, hilly fields, or if you're a Commander and you can't leave anything to chance, upgrade to a 7-mile radio or a 12-mile radio. Our field tests show that the larger radio decreases the
chance of transmission problems significantly.

Expensive "Rhino" style radios with GPS and whatnot, aren't really necessary for paintball play – unless you're really, really serious about map and compass work. Regardless of the size Motorola you'll be using, you need to turn off the call chime. Motorolas come set to transmit a chime each time you call from your radio. This function was not added with the paintball player in mind since it blasts a loud sound that can be heard half-way across the field. Turn the radio off, hold down the "plus" button and turn the radio back on with the plus button depressed to get rid of the chime.

For paintball team play, the VOX (Voice Activation) feature is

useless. When your team starts to run around the field, the airwaves will fill with the infuriating sound of your teammates' heavy breathing and it will lock down the communication line so none of your team can effectively communicate.

Most Motorolas now come with a privacy code in addition to the channel code. The privacy function blocks other transmissions on your channel that are not authorized by you. This privacy feature is insanely useful on the scenario or recball field because there is so much other radio traffic nearby. Nothing is worse than having some stranger talk over your channel. The privacy function is set at the same time you set your team's channel. You discipline yourself, when using the privacy function, to hold down the call button for a moment before speaking. Since the privacy function first transmits a short, silent signal before you speak, it will cut off your first syllable if you don't wait a moment.

Headsets

It doesn't make sense to have your radio squawking in the middle of a game, so you'll want to pick up some form of headset to go with your radios. There are three basic options:

Fire Fox Throat Mics. These are a favorite among paintball players. We too use them extensively. However, they're not perfect. Some don't transmit and must be returned. Others break over time. Many work like they're supposed to and never fail. We've found that, if we glue the transmit button onto the throat microphone, the transmission quality is much better. In this way, when you go to speak, you also press your throat which enhances the mic's contact with your larynx. When using this modification and technique be sure not to press too firmly on your throat as you will kill the resonation from your voice box and garble your transmission.
Motorola Ear Buds. If you're a Unit or a Squad Commander and you need all your communication to be crystal-clear, we suggest the Motorola ear bud. We wire ours into our masks permanently and zip-tie the microphone onto the bottom front edge of the mask. One ear bud goes into an ear and the other gets tied up and out of the way. When you need to talk, you simply toggle the button under the front lip and talk. This system never fails, but you must put the bud into your ear each time you put your mask on. Also, you lose some hearing out of one of your ears. For a Commander, it's well worth the tradeoff.
JT built-in headphones. We tested these extensively and found that there were several major drawbacks to the JT system. The headsets are set into the mask but they can still be heard from outside. Also, they were difficult to wire and the microphone setup wasn't the best. Ultimately, we pulled them from our line because the Foxfire and the Motorola are so much better.

Pouches and Vests

When you use a radio, you can use the PTT (Push To Talk) button on the radio unit itself or you can use a headset that comes with one. Both the Fire Fox and the Motorola offered by SpecialOps have the remote PTT button. If you don't have a PTT button on your headphones, you'll be reaching for the radio all the time. If you carry the radio high on your shoulder, it makes it easy to toggle the call button. Even if you have an in-line PTT button on your headphones, you will be reaching for your radio often to adjust the volume. Also consider the headset wires that will reach from the radio to your mask. If you carry your radio on your belt or in your pocket, these wires will lead to no small amount of snagging and swearing.

In any case, you'll be most comfortable carrying your

radio in a high pocket on a scenario-style paintball vest. From there, you can toggle your radio, mess with the volume and keep the wires out-of-the-way.

Also, if you wire your headset into your mask permanently, as many do, you will need a hook on your vest to hang your mask between games. Otherwise, your mask will dangle from your delicate radio wires when not in use. Most every scenario vest comes with a mask attachment point and that makes it much more convenient when you're hanging out between games.

Radios are one of the biggest reasons why woodsball™ players should use vests instead of pod belts. Trying to work a radio that's stuffed in a pocket is a giant pain and will lead to you abandoning the use of your radio.

Batteries and Rechargeables

Simply put, rechargeable batteries suck. They last a fraction of the time of disposable batteries, it's easy to forget to recharge them and it's a pain to switch over to disposable batteries while you're on the field. Even if you're the type that has excellent discipline in regards to keeping your rechargeables (we suck at it) juiced up then we STILL recommend you have back up disposables handy in your utility pouch or gear bag.

It's best to use high-quality disposable batteries. They last a really long time and you can carry a couple of spares in your paintball vest.

Since team play is such a big part of becoming an advanced woodsball™ player, expert radio use is critical. Nothing feels as cool as when your team cuts the opposition to ribbons, even when horribly outnumbered. The key to pulling it off is a good command structure and the radio communications to back it up.