Walkie Talkies

When anyone mentions Walkie Talkies it usually congers up the image of playing with your friends as a young child or the legendary bad guy in a film trying to track down the hero in some destitute scrap yard or boat ruin. Walkie Talkies however have got a much wider use. Developed in World War II for use by the military there use eventually spread to public safety, commercial and jobsite work. Today of course they are widely used across the public, commercial and private sector.

The Walkie Talkie is a hand held portable two way radio receiver which is usually has a push to talk switch which starts transmission. A typical Walkie Talkie handset is a single unit which resembles a telephone handset with an antenna sticking out of the top and can vary in size depending on the product you purchase. Hand-held transceivers may be used to communicate between each other, or to vehicle-mounted or base stations. An earpiece-microphone-combination can also be used for discreet use. You can purchase Licensed Walkie Talkies for commercial use, which are usually ruggedized to protect them, or Licence Free products for private use.

Walkie Talkies can be used by building site workers, security in shopping centres or for an event in an arena or perhaps an outdoor festival. They are great for a business endeavor where employees may be spread out far and wide, but still need to remain in close contact with each other. These types of Walkie Talkies can be more expensive but purchasing a reliable two way radio device can be imperative for public safety. If you need them for a one off event there are companies that can hire out sets suitable for your specific requirements.

Walkie Talkies not only have a use in the commercial world they can be utilized for communicating for many outdoor leisure activities. Although many of us use mobile phones to communicate what if we are in an environment were the mobile phone signals are weak or not available at all? For example when you are on a skiing, hiking or camping holiday when safety and communication is important and can be costly and unreliable if you are relying on a mobile phone and international roaming.

When deciding which Walkie Talkie’s to purchase you need to look at your requirements, below are some things you need to take into consideration:

• Battery life
• Amount of available channels
• Whether they need to be licensed
• If you need them to be ruggedized
• Are they going to need secure channels
• How can they transmit
• Amount of chargers you require

Walkie Talkies can provide a valuable 2 way communication solution for the public and business sectors as well as being suitable for many leisure activities. Purchasing reliable suitable products for your needs is important so researching your requirements and the different products on the market is imperative when making the right choice.

Andy Baker is owner of Netradios an independent Midlands Company serving the whole of the UK, supplying a wide range of Walkie Talkies equipment and accessories from the leading manufacturers. With many years experience Netradios supply many applications including business, leisure, security and military communications.