Walkie Talkie Reviews

Developed originally for use by the military, a Walkie Talkie radio is a portable bi-directional radio transceiver.  Each Walkie Talkie radio can transmit one at a time but the signal can be received by any number of handsets if the wattage is sufficient and the range is limited.

Today, 2 way Walkie Talkies are very popular with the police, emergency services and just about anyone who wants to keep in touch over a limited distance.  Hikers, hunters, campers and orienteering groups have found them to be an invaluable addition to their arsenal. They also seem to have been readily adopted by the construction industry as a simple and immediate way of maintaining contact with progress on site.

When considering your purchase of a Walkie Talkie radio, first think about what you want it for.  What sort of range will you need?  How much are you willing to pay?  It is important to ask yourself a few simple questions at the outset to ensure that you get the right two way radio for your needs.

Low power kids Walkie Talkies are popular as children’s toys.  Kids love to play hide and seek games with them and they’re a good way of keeping in touch with your children when you’re out around town together.

Walkie Talkie radios do not need a license if they employ the FRS range, (462-467MHz) and are available in most retail stores.  Some kids Walkie Talkies are very basic and may not even have a volume control.  In some models, the receiver’s speaker doubles as a microphone.

If you’re thinking about buying a 2 way Walkie Talkie radio, it’s well worth shopping around.  Consider contacting people who use them on a daily basis.  Their first hand experience should prove invaluable.  Online retailers are worth looking at and many provide customer Walkie Talkie reviews that you can read.  There are also specialist magazines which are good for finding out what’s happening today in the marketplace and what is on offer.  Local stores often offer a personal service and allow you to try different models before making your choice of which Walkie Talkie radio to buy.

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Midland 22540 Headset Speaker with Boom Microphone $10.11 The Midland 22-540 headset speaker with boom microphone will make conversing on your Midland family radio easier and more convenient. Plug the headset into your radio and you are all set for hands-free operation. It's a great option when you are skiing, snowboarding, even doing garden work. It comes with an adjustable headband and a cushioned earpiece for added comfort and fit. Use the Midlan...

Walkie Talkies from a Vending Machine

Photograph by secretagentmoof

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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.

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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 (...

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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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...

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.

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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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