How Do Walkie Talkies Work?
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.
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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.... |
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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 (... |
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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.... |
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Yuasa 4-Pack of AA Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries (2500mAh) $14.50 Yuasa high-capacity AA batteries provide superb amounts of clean, fresh energy to any device that uses AA batteries. Rechargeables save the environment because there is no need to throw them out when they are depleted. Ni-MH batteries such as these can be recharged fully or partially up to 1000 times, and occasionally beyond, without experiencing "memory effect." Excellent for high drain devices s... |
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Motorola 53725 SLK Headset with Swivel Boom Mic (Black) $7.49 Motorola 53725 Headset 53725 Headsets & Earsets... |
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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... |
Modern Walkie Talkie Radio
Photograph by kylemay
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