Walkie Talkies - 5 Things You Probably Didn't Know
30/09/2022
Walkie talkies have been round since the 1930s. And in that time, they’ve become recognisable by pretty much everyone.
But by becoming so recognisable, they have fallen into a category where a lot of people see them as cheap devices that are often used by kids, when in fact, they are far more sophisticated than meet the eyes.
So, today we are going to tell you 5 things you probably didn’t know about walkie talkies.
1. Walkie talkies are almost the same as two-way radios
The first thing to mention on our list, is the fact that walkie talkies are nearly the same thing as a two-way radio.
In fact, the only difference between the two is that the former only has one transmission capability, whilst the latter allows users to speak and listen at the same time.
2. People often call two-way radios by the wrong name
Now that we’ve established the slight difference between a walkie talkie and a two-way radio, let’s also point out that people often refer to two-way radios as “walkie talkies”.
Whilst they are very similar in nature, a lot of people see walkie talkies as simple devices that are almost toy-like in purpose. So, it’s important to clarify.
Digital two-way radios come packed full of features and software. This includes everything from noise cancellation technology to alarm integration capabilities – and a host of other things.
3. End users think they need a ‘walkie talkie’
This point in particular is relevant to business users who look to purchase communication devices. They often think that they just need a walkie talkie, and it will work like clockwork, regardless of the environment they’re in.
The reality is that they would benefit from a more sophisticated device, whether that be a licenced digital radio, a licence-free radio, or even an LTE device (one that works like a mobile phone but has push-to-talk compatibility).
And pricing is also important. There’s never any pressure for businesses to spend more than they need to, but they must be realistic when they decide to go for the cheapest option.
The cheapest radios will be limited in terms of what they can do and what environment they are suited for.
Businesses that operate across vast amounts of space and have a range of physical obstacles (for example steel structures and underground facilities) will not benefit from a solution that is designed for a basic camping trip.
4. We’re often asked about walkie talkies
A day rarely goes by where we don’t receive a phone call or enquiry about walkie talkies. We’ll often be met with “our business needs some walkie talkies, what’s the cheapest one?”.
Our answer is always simple. The best one is not always the cheapest, and it demands on how you’ll use them and where you’ll use them.
It’s up to us, as a digital two-way radio expert, to educate businesses – who through no fault of their own – aren’t clued up when it comes to what suits them the most.
On our who we help page, you’ll see that we help every sector from education to petrochemical. Each industry is different, so the solution is never about choosing the cheapest, or even most expensive option.
5. You can thank Motorola and the US military for the term ‘walkie talkie’
We’ll finish this blog post with a fun fact. Walkie talkies gained their nickname during World War II. The US military developed the first device that became widely known as a “walkie talkie”.
It was the backpacked Motorola SCR-300, which was created by an engineering team in 1940 at the Galvin Manufacturing Company. The first ever handheld walkie talkie was the AM SCR-356 transceiver, which was also produced by Motorola.
Walkie talkies for sale
We sell a wide range of devices over on our e-commerce website, 2wayradioshop. We also offer a wide range of products and services via our Eemits Communications and TRBOCALL proposition.
If there’s anything we can help you with, then please contact us via our online enquiry form, or call us on 0800 328 0100.
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