I use these walkies -> https://www.amazon.it/gp...05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

with these headsets -> https://www.amazon.it/gp...07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I was using Boafeng but they are very bad with a lot of interference.... Replaced with these and works nice!

I use the Retevis twice a week @ -5 C° and works nice for the price.

I know what you mean when you say Kenwood... All my amateur radio equipments are from Kenwood but the price is completely different ;-)

Have you looked into using wifi based systems and cheap Android handsets. No specific recommendations, but something I mean to look into.

We use this handsets: http://www.446shop.com/Product/Pro811.Html

These are digital pmr radios, and compatible with the Mototrbo Tier I&II systems. No inteference, noise, fadeing, etc. Same coverage like the Kenwood analog PMR radios. The voice is clear but it's not the cheapest radio. We are like this, and we use this headsets in noisy enviroments (like music festivals):

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272041752075?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

So far so good, I recommend this radios. :)

There is a small delay, but it's only 200-250ms, this is acceptable for me. Of coruse if you use a repeater station, the delay can be more.

The ones i posted a few posts up are perfect for that. Also the mics are very good. We do many dance events, and even when close to the dj monitors or to the big speaker stacks, they pick up very well. The headsets dampen the sound, so in loud enviroments they're perfect.

Here the link to the aliexpress shop where we bought them: goo.gl/Kp2xHQ

We also used them once as intercom, but they're not really good. We have headsets with some PTT button which you can wear around your finger, but that's not really convenient neither.

As for other radio communication: I don't think it's really good. If you listen to our intercom during a big broadcast, there's a lot of talking going on, and this is essential communication. You need full duplex for the cameramen, in order to talk back. Things like: i'm gonna change a battery, or 'my cable is stuck', are really important. PTT doesn't work for the cutters, neither for the cameramen, since they're mostly too busy. Also radio quality is never really clear, and leads to many misunderstandings, which cause the production to have stupid mistakes.

We also started with 0 euro on our bank account, so I understand the idea of 'going cheap'. That's why we bought those baofengs too in the first place. I think they were a good way to start out, but I'm glad we never went for solutions that were 'a little bit better then baofeng, but still bad' as a go in between. This would have cost a lot of money for things you will replace anyway in the end.

If you have a growing production, better keep it to the baofengs, and save up for a real intercom. On ebay you can have a 2 channel base station for 700 euro or less. Then you can build on with that and do it properly.