Buy walkie-talkies? These 6 points will get you started

Well-functioning walkie-talkies are indispensable for a good emergency response organization or a streamlined event. If you have chosen to purchase two-way radios, you would like to buy the right one. The points below will help you to purchase walkie-talkies

1. Range

   There are roughly three different types of walkie-talkies. License-free walkie-talkies, professional walkie-talkies & 4G walkie-talkies. The first category has a range of approximately 700 meters / 7 floors. The second category has a standard range of 1500 meters / 15 floors, but can be expanded with repeaters. The professional walkie-talkies are the standard for companies that do not want to be dependent on external equipment. If you want to communicate throughout the country, choose 4G walkie-talkies.

2. Permit

   Professional walkie-talkies require a license from the Telecom Agency. This permit costs approximately € 150 once and € 100 per year. Your telecom supplier can provide this equipment for you.

3. VHF, UHF or PMR

   The license-free walkie-talkies use the PMR band. You may always communicate on these frequencies. Professional walkie-talkies use the VHF or UHF band. VHF is mostly used for open country communications. UHF is more for an environment with concrete & steel.

4. Additional options

   Professional radios and 4G radios in particular have many options for adding additional services. Think of lone work systems, calling systems, sending messages, emergency buttons, text messages and much more. Make an inventory of these options and share them with your supplier.

5. Chargers

   Usually a walkie-talkie comes standard with a single charger. In some cases there are double chargers. If you don't want these, there are usually six-way chargers. These are more expensive than 6 single chargers.

6. Accessories

   All walkie-talkies have one or more accessory connections. Using an earpiece is very easier. There are also extensive accessories such as bags, emergency buttons, speaker microphones and much more. Please note, not every two-way radio has the same accessory connector.