Walkie Talkies, or as they’re also known, Two-Way Radios, are extremely useful pieces of equipment to use within your business. Whether you’re a mechanic or a warehouse manager, staying in communication with colleagues is essential for safety and efficiency. But what is the best walkie talkie for these types of uses? People choose the best walkie talkie for them based on several factors. This ranges from colors to features, but the main thing to consider should always be the radio range. If you only need to communicate from one room to another, an expensive model offering an 8km range may not be the wisest choice. Contrastingly, if you need a radio for maintaining communication on a busy worksite, you’ll be thankful for a range of over 1km.
How do walkie talkies work?
Walkie talkies are two-way radios powered by a battery. They transmit and receive wireless voice signals on a frequency that all radios must be tuned to receive the signal. Radios are unaffected by poor GPS or mobile phone signal and offer only two-way voice communication. Walkie talkies are the perfect companion for buildings and areas where mobile phone signals cannot be counted upon.
What is the range of walkie talkies?
Walkie talkies fall under two main categories – Licensed and Licence-Free. Licensed walkies talkies use dedicated frequencies, and to obtain these licensed frequencies, you first need a radio license from Ofcom. Radio Solutions organize any walkie talkie licenses required with Ofcom on your behalf from application to programming, so they are ready to work out the box.
Typically, licensed walkies talkies benefit from increased frequency security and a greater range due to their increased power. The range can reach as high as the 8km mark. An excellent example of licensed radios and the extra power they bring is the Motorola DP1400. This Motorola radio operates at 4 Watt (UHF) / 5 Watt (VHF) which allows for a farther and broader range. It also possesses a whole host of added benefits, including advanced features.
As you’ll see below, the license-free radios are significantly less expensive, but with a decreased range and power.
License-free radios usually offer less range operating at 0.5 Watt their power is restricted by law, but they’re straightforward to use and usually less expensive. The range can be affected by many different factors such as buildings, high elevations, and the weather. The most likely range will be around 1-1.5km. However, 1.5km is still more than adequate for most scenarios and situations.
Here are a few license-free walkie talkies that have proven to be frontrunners in the industry over the past few years. All these walkie talkies have been so popular because of the benefits that they bring with them. These products are used daily across several industries and hobbies, from schools to factories, retail and hospitality, and everything in between.
Motorola Walkie Talkie XT180
This walkie talkie comes with accessories such as a charger pod, earbuds, and removable batteries. Our most popular radio with a typical range of 1.5Km, it’s an excellent option for schools, restaurants, and warehouses. In addition, there are many other technical features on the radio, like an LED torch, an 18-hour battery life, and much more.
Motorola XT420 Walkie Talkie
This license-free walkie talkie is a very popular option with small construction sites and large retail stores. It works straight out of the box with no radio tuning required. It has excellent build quality, aimed at professional use, and with accelerated life testing 5+ years, you can rely on this radio to stand up every day with intense use, and it also has a powerful battery life of 20 hours. The radio comes complete with great accessories such as single chargers, belt clips, and much more. This is another radio packed full of technical features, enabling you to fine-tune settings to make it the perfect radio.
Motorola Walkie Talkie T82 Extreme
The clue is in the name of this radio, with a design that’s built to last, rated IP x4, it’s a perfect choice for more challenging conditions. Like all Motorola walkie talkies, this radio comes complete with many accessories, from belt clips to headsets. It also has a battery life of up to 18 hours and vibrates alerts to keep you in touch. This is a great option for anyone who may be using the radios outside or in harsher environments.
How can Radio Solutions help?
Radio Solutions proudly offer a wide range of walkie talkies for any need. In addition, we offer radio hire for temporary solutions and even provide client demo packs so you can get your hands on the radios to test the range for your environment before committing to one model. For more help, you can contact us on our Live Chat or request a quote through our website or give us a call on 01745 335811.
