In additional to Care Bears comment on getting disqualified etc, in speedball etc communicating is best handled by calling out what is relevant
In the woods comms can be beneficial (but can be distracting and you must not rely on them in case you lose comms)
If you have plenty funds and want private comms you can go for a licenced radio system
But for the majority to for a PMR446 system. This is a frequency that does not require a licence and you can communicate with others on your side if you wish no matter what makes/models are in use.
You spend as much or as little as you like. Cheap & nasty radios won't be a lot of use but can be used, there are sometimes good cheap ones about as well
PMR 446 has 8 channels, but these are added to by using sub-frequencies
Some cheap ones only have the 8 channels and cannot access the sub-frequencies so avoid them
The next thing to consider is batteries. Unless you have a quality one with a long life battery then the batteries will not last a days play unless you only listen
A dedicated chargeable battery will be most efficient, but if you can put in normal AA or AAA batteries then you can be sure you can keep comms going all day or all weekend
Range is pretty much the same for PMR. The frequency is licence free because of the limited range, but its plenty for paintball. Realy cheap ones may have less range due to a cheap aerial
For headsets & mikes you obviously need a radio with sockets, just get one with the right connectors
Radios will come with VOX. Turn it off - its useful when you need to be hands free, but never transmits the first thing you say while it activates so needs a disciplined comms protocol. More importantly VOX is evil in paintball - it transmits when it hears a noise, so you block the channel with heavy breathing and shooting. A good throat mike may resolve that, but these are more trouble then their worth
Any branded radio will do you well, I find the Motorola xtnid ideal. (These go for about £40/£50 second hand)
This is a PMR radio with professional features. Instead of selecting the channel/sub frequency you pre-program them to a dial. EG if you were at a game relaying between your team, a 'command chain' and possibly other teams on your side you would use multiple channels which would usually be awkward and find yourself wanting multiple handsets. With the xtnid just program them to 1,2,3 etc and switch between them
If you get multiple xtnids then you can add a programming cable and software then programme them all in seconds
The xtnid does not accept standard batteries when the main goes flat, but have a professional battery which will last all day so you should not need them
