Brutforce BFR 001 Review: An essential tool for us automotive journos
Communication is key and that is especially true for us automotive journalists as we travel the length and breadth of the country. The stunning imagery that you see on these pages is only possible with a great deal of planning and coordination between the photographer and the writer. Often, the photographers find themselves perched on top of hills or hidden in the bushes to find that elusive perfect click. There is a gadget that has been particularly helpful on shoots over the past few months – specifically the BrutForce BFR 001.
The BrutForce BFR 001 is a sturdy product and feels built to last. Ensconced in a hard polycarbonate shell, the Walkie Talkie is fairly compact and weighs just 266gm making it very portable. It can be operated between -25 and +55 degree Celsius temperature and is fairly straightforward to use. The buttons are very tactile allowing you to use the Walkie Talkie even when not looking at it – very important when acting as a traffic spotter on our shoots
The option to use any one of 16 channels makes it easy to avoid interference from other people communicating using a Walkie Talkie nearby. The volume dial gets a number of levels and at its highest it is very loud and is often very useful while coordinating in crowded or loud places. It gets an in built low battery alert but with a solid 2200mAh battery, we never managed to run out of charge even on day-long shoots. Another alert that is particularly useful is the one that is sounded when you are stepping out of range. It is a critical feature and has often stopped us from getting lost while on a shoot.
The BrutForce BFR 001 is light, versatile, sturdy and extremely functional. Over the past few months, we have taken it to some demanding locations and it has always done remarkably well, even outperforming a number of Walkie Talkies that we have used before when it comes to battery capacity and range. For anyone looking at a Walkie Talkie, the BrutForce BFR 001 comes across as a great option and should definitely be part of your kit if you find yourself travelling for adventure.
