Walkie Talkie Reviews

So, you’re in the process of deciding which 2 way Walkie Talkie is for you!

What 2 Way Walkie Talkie Features Do You Need?

Two way Walkie Talkies need to be simple.  You don’t want to spend all your time selecting variable features and messing about with awkward, fiddly knobs.  Keep it straightforward.

You may decide to select a 2 way Walkie Talkie radio with both GMRS and FRS channels.  It’s worth thinking about, especially if other users are in the same area.  The latter will result in less interference.

Try out a selection of two way Walkie Talkies to see what you like and what you don’t like.  For instance, the Cobra PR100 has a belt clip which you might like, until you find that it needs to be removed if you are to access the batteries.  Do you need to clip a Walkie Talkie radio to your belt when it fits easily into a shirt pocket?  On the plus side it has both GMRS and FRS channels.

Consider the power supply.  If you’re using it on a building site or anywhere where you can recharge it after a day’s work, then a rechargeable one may save you money, but if you’re wandering about in the vast unknown of the outback for long periods of time, you may want to consider the alternative.

What Radio Frequency is Right for You?

FRS is fine for hunting, walking, fishing or camping.  You won’t get interference and you don’t need a license.  For those of you who need a broader range, (up to 5 miles), and will be using your Walkie Talkie radio for more serious business communication, then GMRS is probably for you.
Then there are GPS-enabled Walkie Talkies.  They are ideal if you’re one for the wide open spaces.  They will map your location, your route and your destination.

Another alternative is the weather-alert enabled Walkie Talkies.  As the name implies, it will give you advance warning of adverse weather conditions.

When considering the range required, you need to think about what you’ll be using the 2 way radio for.  If you’re walking or cycling, then 2-5 miles will probably suffice.  Hunters, campers or hikers may opt for a greater range depending on the scale of the journey.

As for selecting channels, FRS and GMRS systems utilize channels 1-7.  Channels 8-14 are for use only by FRS.  Channels 15-22 are solely for GMRS.  Models vary as to how many channel options are available.  If you plan to use it in the city, where GMRS is the preferred option, you may wish to consider purchasing a 14-channel unit.

Which is the Best Walkie Talkie Brand?  Let’s look at a few.

Audiovox have some interesting features such as earbud microphones and a built in torch.  Some Garmin Rino Walkie Talkies boast a compass, a barometer, a weather receiver and an extensive memory.

Cobras are noted for their quality.  Kenwood also have a good name.  Midland Walkie Talkies offer an extensive range to choose from.  Sylvania boasts good audio input and Uniden also have a good reputation in that respect.  And, of course, Motorola, who have been making Walkie Talkies for decades, offers Walkie Talkie radios to suit every budget. that are well built and well designed.

In short, you need to think about what you will use your 2 way Walkie Talkie for and what you expect from it.  There’s a huge range available so take your time in selecting the appropriate Walkie Talkie for your own particular needs.

Motorola 53725 SLK Headset with Swivel Boom Mic (Black) $7.49 Motorola 53725 Headset 53725 Headsets & Earsets...

Motorola i530- Phone (Nextel/Sprint) $150.00 The ruggedized clamshell in Motorola's Falcon series. Meets military specs for ruggedness. Features iDEN's original Push-To-Talk walkie-talkie feature with speakerphone, and voice dialing....

AGPtek® Smart Wristwatch Walkie Talkie Two Way 2-Way Radio Watch with Wrist-operated Function $40.09 This new generation wrist watch walkie talkie has FUNCTION called Wristoperated, this wristoperated key located at the right bottomside of your device carries exactly the same functions as the PTT/Call key located on the face of the device. It can conveniently be operated by a simple and gentle upwardflex of your hand. (Make sure that the device is loosely worn, so that it can slide down easilyupo...

Motorola TalkAbout 250 2-WAY RADIO UNIT walkie talkie ...

Motorola Products, including: Motorola 56000, Motorola 96000, Walkie-talkie, List Of Motorola Products, Motorola 6845, Motorola 6847, Motorola ... Motorola Envoy, Motorola Marco, Motorola Aura $11.06 Hephaestus Books represents a new publishing paradigm, allowing disparate content sources to be curated into cohesive, relevant, and informative books. To date, this content has been curated from Wikipedia articles and images under Creative Commons licensing, although as Hephaestus Books continues to increase in scope and dimension, more licensed and public domain content is being added. We belie...

Couple using 2 way Walkie Talkies

Photograph by oferiko

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Have You Ever Wondered How Do Walkie Talkies Work?

Walkie Talkies, or Walkie Talkie radios, employ a radio band to transmit audio signals between radios.  The Family Radio Service, commonly known as the FRS, makes available 14 channels in the 462-467 MHz range, for use by two way radios. This range is set by the Federal Communications Commission or FCC.

What Are FRS Walkie Talkies?

Independent of the brand you use, these are the wavelengths you will be using.  In essence, FRS is a singular radio service that utilizes frequencies in the UHF band and therefore has nothing to do with phones, baby monitors or CB radios.  They employ FM instead of AM and you don’t need a license.

A wide range of brand names are available: Midland, Cobra, Audiovox, Sylvania, Motorola and Cherokee to name a few.  They do not require a lot of power and are useful in any situation where you want to keep in touch.  They are very popular with hunters, campers, people with big gardens who want to stay in touch with the kids, bikers, construction workers, walkers and so on.  Range can be anything up to two miles.

What Are GMRS Walkie Talkies?

Alternately, GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) radios utilize specific frequencies in the 462 MHz range provided by the FCC.   These radios are larger, have a greater range, (up to 5 miles) and do require a license from the FCC, so are slightly more serious and are generally used for serious communications like those in a business environment.

As regards power, FRS radios have a limit of 0.5 watts and GMRS radios are usually limited to 2 watts.   Rechargeable 2 way Walkie Talkies are available so you don’t always have to rely on batteries.  Some Walkie Talkie headsets have a scrambler so that you can keep conversations private.

Why Use a Walkie Talkie When You Have a Cell Phone?

We are all familiar with phone ‘black spots’ where you can’t get a good signal.  Two way Walkie Talkies will work in situations where your cell phone can’t get a signal.  Unlike cell phones, there are no ongoing costs once you have purchased your 2 way radio.  They are also useful if you need to communicate with a group of people at the same time.  All you need to do is make sure that the settings on your radios are the same and you can contact your entire group simultaneously.  If the signal is strong enough, there is no limit to the number of your group.

In reality the Walkie Talkie represents a serious alternative to the cell phone in certain situations.  They are cheap, convenient, fun and very simple to use.

Motorola 53725 SLK Headset with Swivel Boom Mic (Black) $7.49 Motorola 53725 Headset 53725 Headsets & Earsets...

Kenwood TK3230K 2 Channel UHF Hand Held Radio $163.99 The Kenwood ProTalk TK-3230 Two-Way UHF Radio is just what you need if you are at a work site, handling hospitality, or a contractor who needs to be constantly in touch with his workers. This reliable and easy-to-use radio delivers just what it promises - first-rate, two-channel UHF capability. The 56 programmable pre-stored frequencies give you enough leeway to converse without interference. Thi...

2-Way FRS/GMRS Wrist Watch Walkie-Talkie Radio (Black/Red) The OmniZel EZTalk LC22WT communicator is a compact, light-weight, user friendly device with the added functionality of a basic digital watch. No matter who you are, wehever you are, it keeps you within reach! The OmniZel LC22WT communicator can be used at home, work, at the park, while shopping, in stadiums and concerts or in the depths of a forest! The LC22WT features 22 FRS/GMRS channels with ...

Kenwood TK3300U16P ProTalk 16-Channel Compact UHF FM Portable Radio $215.00 89 UHF pre-programmed frequencies. 450-470MHz frequency range. QT/DQT encode/decode, wireless cloning, audio companding and channel confirmation mode. Temporary nuisance delete. Selected/fixed priority channel and channel voice announcement. Voice scrambler and internal VOX by channel. IP 54/55. 2-year warranty....

Kenwood TK-3302-U16P UHF 4 Watt Two-way Radio $289.00 The Kenwood TK-3302-U16P two way radio offers 16 channels, 4 watts of power, and a lithium battery providing up to 18 hours of battery life (14 hours without the battery-saver feature). This powerful model supports coverage for up to 300,000 square feet, 30 floors, or up to 7 miles. The TK3302-U16P can be programmed to any UHF frequencies, works with a repeater, and supports 121 Quiet Talk codes (...

Eddie Bauer FRS Radio Set - 2 Units $49.99 Stay connected with friends and family during your outdoor recreational activities. The Family Radio Service (FRS) is a Citizens Band Radio service with No License required. You may operate your FRS Eddie Bauer Radios anywhere within the territorial limits of the U.S....

Modern Walkie Talkie Radio

Photograph by kylemay

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The invention of the Walkie Talkie, also known as a 2 way radio or two way Walkie Talkie, has been attributed to several people.  The inventors were:

1)    Al Goss, who came to the attention of the OSS (soon to be the CIA) in 1938.  He was a high-school student and was recruited by the OSS and they went on to develop the walkie talkie for use by the military.

2)    The engineering team at the Galvin Manufacturing Company in 1940 (soon to become Motorola).  The team was made up of Dan Noble, Henryk Magnuski, Raymond Yoder, Lloyd Morris, Bill Vogel and Marion Bond.  They produced the Motorola SCR-300.

3)    Donald L Hings, who was a Canadian.

A Walkie Talkie radio is a hand-held, 2-way transceiver with an antenna and either an earpiece simply for the user to hear or a speaker allowing those in the immediate vicinity to hear.

Following the War, 2 way Walkie Talkies came into popular use by the public and by businesses.  Using the ‘push to talk’ system, (PTT), they were available at a wide range of prices, depending on whether they were to be used as a toy or as a serious means of communication in the workplace.  Unlike the original 2 way Walkie Talkies, some of which had to be carried in a backpack, modern units are small enough to fit into your pocket.  They may be shockproof, waterproof and contain a scrambling device for privacy.  Some kids Walkie Talkies boast a Morse code facility.

As a means of instant short-range communication, 2 way Walkie Talkies have proved an invaluable asset to the work carried out by security, law enforcement, military and construction workers.  It is also of great use to the general public for use when skiing, camping, hunting and for keeping in touch with our children, particularly in areas where there is no cell phone signal.

Dakota Alert Long Range Alert System Kit $165.60 - Dakota Alert long range alert system kit- Includes one WMT-3000 wireless motion alert MURS transmitter and one M538-BS base station transceiver- Ideal for use in fixed locations such as homes, shops or offices- BlackDKMURSBSKIT...

Westinghouse WHDBI-5C Whole-House Wireless Doorbell and Intercom $105.80 500' rangeSimple installation with nothing to wireExpandable up to 5 intercomsUnique house code prevents other nearby intercoms from accessing system2 selectable radio frequencies for transmissionNot compatible with 2-3-4-channel Westinghouse intercomsIncludes doorbell module 1 intercom and AC adapter...

KENWOOD TK3230K PROTALK XLS $164.00 KENWOOD TK3230K PROTALK XLS...

Motorola 53725 SLK Headset with Swivel Boom Mic (Black) $7.49 Motorola 53725 Headset 53725 Headsets & Earsets...

AGPtek® Smart Wristwatch Walkie Talkie Two Way 2-Way Radio Watch with Wrist-operated Function $40.09 This new generation wrist watch walkie talkie has FUNCTION called Wristoperated, this wristoperated key located at the right bottomside of your device carries exactly the same functions as the PTT/Call key located on the face of the device. It can conveniently be operated by a simple and gentle upwardflex of your hand. (Make sure that the device is loosely worn, so that it can slide down easilyupo...

Motorola's First 2 Way Radio from 1962

Photograph by bhenak

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