Walkie Talkies
Posted on February 23, 2010
Filed Under Telephone Systems | Leave a Comment
Walkie Talkies are portable, hand-held communication devices. Their history can be traced back to the Second World War. Many different variations were made for the different armed forces, and the commercial walkie talkie was developed after the war ended.
Walkie Talkies – Features
Walkie talkies uniquely only allow one radio to transmit at the same time over their half-duplex channel, however there is no limit as to how many people can listen. Rather than have an earpiece similar to a telephone, a walkie talkie has a built in speaker so the unit does not have to be held to the ear. Walkie talkies can communicate between both fixed radio stations and to other mobile handheld units. Normally, the shape of a walkie talkie is that of a large telephone handset, and they incorporate a thick, fixed antenna at the top.
History of the Walkie Talkie
The fist radio audio transmiter and receiver that was coined the ‘walkie talkie’ was created by Motorola. The team involved designed the Motorola SCR-300 with the use of frequency modulation. This first walkie talkie was actually backpack mounted. Not long afterward, during World War 2, Motorola produced the ‘Handie Talkie’ which rather confusingly is what we would now recognise as a ‘Walkie Talkie’. It had massively reduced performance, but was the first completely self contained handheld device.
Walkie Talkies Nowadays
Walkie talkies are now used widely, in a variety of environments including outdoor recreation, public safety and military use. As a result of this the prices and quality of the units vary greatly, from kids walkie talkies to rugged digital units for heavy industry use. Walkie talkie housings have reduced in size as the technology has improved and components become smaller. More often than not, commercial walkie talkies are more robust, or in a protective case, and are limited to just a few designated frequencies. Consumer versions of walkie talkies on the other hand are capable of scanning over wider ranges and bands, and are often smaller in size. Kids walkie talkies are generally low power units, and as a result are exempt from licence requirements. They frequently look the same as a high-tech walkie talkie, though the technology inside is reduced.
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