Ref radios yesterday - what a load of *$#%!!

athtrasna

Anyone at the match have issues with the ref radios yesterday? It's a while since I was at an international here, last time the ref radio was basically a cardboard box with an earpiece and a dial and it worked perfectly.

Yesterday's was a much more modern looking thing, with a fancy lanyard emblazened with the HP logo. But did it work? About 30 mins of the game! It didn't start working til about 12 mins in then mine was ok for the first half, OH's stopped working after about 20 mins. After half time I was treated to the deaths notices from a local radio station - ....then to Glasnevin crematorium, no flowers please...was really no explanation as to what had happened in the far corner of the pitch!! Gave up after that.

For €10 each they were rubbish!! The announcer was at great pains to announce before the game that "independent contractors" were selling ref radios in the ground ie the IRFU are not responsible for these. Who was?

I like to have a ref mic/radio where possible because when you're in the stands and the action is on the other side of the field, not every decision is clear or makes sense. Well actually there are always decisions that don't make sense but I like to at least have an idea what planet the ref is on when the decisions are made!

Kwekubo

Next time just bring a standard FM radio with you (use the one on your phone, perhaps) and tune up/down until you find the frequency.

juvenal

The reflink frequency in Croke Park is 96.0FM, and you can pick it up on any FM radio.

dave13

just on this, can you also do this at the RDS? Is there a specific frequency?

Truck

Yea mate those radios were useless !
Mine kept picking up some classic music radio station :mad:

The performance made up for everything !

juvenal

Ares wrote: »

just on this, can you also do this at the RDS? Is there a specific frequency?

AFAIK it's 96.0FM in the RDS, and 96.8FM in Thomond.

Usually an auto scan will not pick up the channel, you'll have to manually tune into these frequencies. Otherwise you should have no problems, just perhaps a slight bit of static occasionally.

Truck wrote: »

Yea mate those radios were useless !

Mine kept picking up some classic music radio station

The performance made up for everything !

That'd be Lyric FM

Kwekubo

Ares wrote: »

just on this, can you also do this at the RDS? Is there a specific frequency?

Don't think so (not with an FM radio anyway), as far as I know the officials use the equivalent of walkie-talkies at the RDS.

athtrasna

juvenal wrote: »

The reflink frequency in Croke Park is 96.0FM, and you can pick it up on any FM radio.

This is very useful info although God knows when I'll get tickets for 6 Nations homes games again, the downturn in the economy played a big part this time!

Any idea about away games, will be in Murrayfield next month, should I just bring the headset for my phone?

Kwekubo

athtrasna wrote: »

Any idea about away games, will be in Murrayfield next month, should I just bring the headset for my phone?

Check the BCI's website for Irish frequencies, don't know about the UK.

beglee

My mate brought the one he bought at the New Zealand game last November, worked perfectly all game. I had my MP3 player which picks up radio with me, but it was dead as i forgot to charge it, D'OH

Sundy

I was able to lsiten to local radio all game! So Im calling the IRFU tomorrow and demanding a refund. Its a product sold at an IRFU event with an IRFU logo on it. They shouldnt endorse faulty products or allow them to be sold at games.

If i dont get any satisfaction then my mates and i are going to group together and head for the small claims court.

delta_bravo

I was working at croker on Saturday (not selling radios ) but there were several people looking for refunds for these products.

Riskymove

I have a reflink I bought a few years ago and I bring it to every game so no probs.

sounds like the new ones were tuned wrong!!

Utopia Parkway

Mine was useless as well. You would hear the odd word during the first 25 minutes but then it just gave up the ghost entirely and was dead silent after that.

Webbs

Can be summed up by

N.O Roll away Green, Hands off Ireland (repeat several times).
Blows whistle holding on blue penalty Ireland

N.O. Hands off Blue - blows, penalty Ireland hands in ruck


you wouldnt have needed anymore

Trojan

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/sixnations/2009/0209/ref_radios.html

The IRFU has announced that supporters who purchased malfunctioning 'ref radios' at the Ireland v France match on Saturday can either get a full refund or exchange their radios for new ones at the England match on 28 February.

I'm surprised that people waste good money on these (and programmes).

Crash

I wasted good money on these twice - both times, they worked perfectly.

Unfortunately, both times, the referee and two touch judges all spoke french. After that I get angry every time I see em :P

TarfHead

..can either get a full refund or exchange their radios for new ones at the England match on 28 February

And if you don't have a ticket for that match ?

Robin Williams has a line along the lines of "Cocaine is God's way of saying you're making too much money". Ditto, paying for RefLink is one way of knowing you have more cash than sense.

Serenity Now!

TarfHead wrote: »

And if you don't have a ticket for that match ?

See here: http://www.irishrugby.ie/283_16015.php

athtrasna

Glad to see I wasn't alone. 2 radios going back in tomorrow's post!

athtrasna

Anyone get their refunds? Just occurred to me today that I didn't get mine?

athtrasna

Anyone?

athtrasna

Emailed IRFU and refund arrived yesterday. If you haven't had yours yet then drop them a line.