There are many different types of walkie-talkies available to the public and industry, and it is difficult to know which types are the best for your particular use. The intent of this site is to provide a little background information discussing how walkie-talkies have evolved, and then provide you with information regarding the technology and where it stands today. Walkie-talkies have evolved from a primarily military tool to piece of equipment that can be found in almost every American household.

Walkie-talkies have become so versatile that not only are they still currently used by the military for battlefield communications, but now you see applications such as walkie talkie headsets or walkie talkie watches. For some reason the novelty of these handheld communications devices never seems to wear off. And with advances in wavelength technologies, the reach of these smaller commercial units have significantly increased. Hopefully this site will de-shroud some of the mystery that surrounds the way these electronics wonders work.

Walkie-talkies were created during the World War II era, no doubt to support battlefield operations during that great worldwide struggle. As happens with so much of the technology we have today once the war concluded private industry found practical applications for these communications tools. It was very easy to extend the use of long-range walkie-talkies to construction job sites or outdoor workplaces. Furthermore, these portable communications devices found their way into law enforcement and emergency services as well. These small, handheld communications units opened up a whole new world of possibilities for individuals who needed real-time communications capabilities on their job. Once these tools were brought into the private sector, it was only a matter of time before the average American household would see these tools available for their purchase as well. Now, it is commonplace to see walkie talkie headsets, walkie-talkie watches, and compact walkie-talkie units used by families to keep in touch around the neighborhood, or in the wilderness. Furthermore, recent advances in wavelength utilization have improved reception distance capabilities of small handheld walkie-talkie units.

Walkie-talkies come fully customized for a wide variety of uses. If you’re simply a personal user looking to purchase something for your family to use on outings or in the neighborhood you can go to your local store and pickup a set of fairly inexpensive talkies to allow you to communicate using the Family Radio Service (FRS) frequency. Walkie-talkies that are purchased for personal use are not typically heavy-duty models, but are designed for a moderate amount of abuse. However for military, first responder, and law enforcement use, ruggedized walkie-talkies are typically used. These types of talkies have hardened cases, be it rubber or steel that are designed to protect the unit from multiple impacts and abuse.

So how does the walkie-talkie work? It’s magic! Okay, no really it is a little magic only… not so mystical. The bottom line is this… commercial walkie-talkie units are designed to operate using the FRS band of frequencies in the United States. These frequencies constitute 14 separate UHF frequencies that are specifically set aside for commercial walkie-talkie use. When you use a commercial walkie-talkie, be it a long-range walkie-talkie or short-range walkie-talkie, you simply set the walkie-talkies to the same channel and use the press to talk (PTT) button located typically on the side of the unit to transmit to the other individual, or individuals, on the receiving side of the conversation. The use of this technology in watches or headsets is really no different, just that a smaller button is used.

As with all things in the technical world, the continued improvement of the efficiency of electronics has allowed for walkie-talkies to become considerably smaller. I remember growing up as a kid seeing Dick Tracy use his wristwatch communication device and thinking “Wow, that’s impossible”. However, time has proven that it is in fact possible and happening now. By increasing the efficiency of electronic parts that make up the walkie-talkie, manufacturers have been able to downsize the technology very efficiently into walkie talkie headset units and walkie talkie watch units… incredible. I’m inclined to think that as technology continues to advance these units will get smaller and become even more efficient. I don’t think it’s unrealistic to expect to see walkie-talkie units that sit in the ears of their users in the not so distant future.

Please feel free to browse the site and look at the different information that I how compiled on the different walkie-talkie technologies and feel free to comment about different technologies that I discuss.