Professional Walkie-Talkies – How to Choose the Right Two Way Radios

Walkie-talkies, or two-way radios as they are also known, are valuable assets in many industries. From the military to construction, from law enforcement to emergency services, walkie talkies enable people to communicate instantly no matter the situation or environment. There are various different models of walkie talkie, some with far better specifications and features than others. When choosing walkie talkies for professional use, it is vital to identify your needs and match them to the right model. With so many factors to consider, however, this is not always easy, particularly if you are not used to two-way radio technology.

To help make it easy for everyone to find the right communication system for their industry needs, here is our expert guide to professional walkie-talkies.

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Need help choosing the right professional walkie-talkies? 

Call us on 0151 263 9993 or send an enquiry.

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What are the Two Main Types of Professional Walkie-Talkies?

Ofcom Licensed Walkie-Talkies

These types of devices will usually be more expensive to initially buy, but they do provide users with better quality communication because the signal is far less likely to suffer from interference. They also allow you to use many different frequencies without any signal problems which can often occur when using unlicensed radios that only have a very limited number of frequencies available. Although Ofcom licensed radios may cost you more money when you first purchase them, they may save your company in the long run due to increased efficiency and productivity. 

Unlicensed Walkie-Talkies

These types of devices are usually much cheaper to initially buy, but they do come with some disadvantages. For instance, unlicensed walkie talkies only allow users to use a limited amount of frequencies so this can cause problems if there are too many radio stations or other electronic equipment using the same frequency as your walkie talkies. This can result in poor quality communication and ultimately wasted time where people have to keep on trying different channels until finding one that works correctly. Also because these types of walkie-talkies only provide you with low-quality signals, it often results in difficulty communicating over long distances (approximately more than 500 metres) unless high powered antennas. However, this is usually not cost-effective, especially when compared to Ofcom licensed radios which also have the ability to use higher power antennas.

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Need help choosing the right professional walkie-talkies? 

Call us on 0151 263 9993 or send an enquiry.

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Most Important Professional Walkie-Talkie Features

Knowing what features professional walkie talkies have available before purchasing them over others can to ensure that your employees will have everything they need from a communication device.

Here are some of the top features that you should look out for:

• Range – A bigger range is one of the most important features to look out for when purchasing professional walkie-talkies because your staff members will be able to communicate with each other no matter the area of operations. Ofcom licensed two-way radios have a much greater range than standard unlicensed devices because they provide users with access to better antennas and their frequency bands are not as prone to interference

 

• Battery Life – Long battery life is a very important feature for professional walkie-talkies as your employees need to be able to do their jobs without constantly needing to replace the batteries. The best professional radios come equipped with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries which once fully charged can be used constantly without employees ever having to worry about the batteries running out. All they need to do is plug their radio into an outlet socket every night before going home. These types of devices tend to cost more money than those which run on standard batteries but they are usually far more convenient.

 

• Talk Time – The length of operational time until batteries need to be recharged or replaced is also very important. This is called “talk time” and devices with a longer talk time are usually more expensive. However, these devices are much better for jobs in which charging the device may not be possible during a long shift. 

 

• Channel Capacity – Most Ofcom Licensed professional walkie-talkies come fully equipped with around 30 different channels which are pre-programmed into the device itself. This means that all you need to do is select the appropriate channels for your employees that should not overlap or interfere with other radio signals being used in the area. This means that if, for example, you or your employees work on a site where there are large vehicles driving past, they could potentially cause interference. If this happens, you will need to choose a different channel to avoid frequency disruptions. Depending on the size of your company and where you operate, you will need to decide how many channels you need. Some two-way radios come with around 20 channels while others have upwards of forty. Generally speaking, walkie-talkies with a higher number of channels are better suited for larger work areas.

 

• Privacy – Not everyone within an organization wants every staff member to be able to hear what is going on over their walkie talkies, particularly when discussing sensitive information such as salaries and personal matters. For this reason, many professional walkie talkies allow users to activate a privacy mode feature which means that only those who have been granted permission can hear what is being said. It’s also very common for these types of devices to be fitted with an automatic silencing control so whenever the device stops receiving any audio from its primary speaker it will automatically mute thus preventing users from being interrupted by static or background noise.

 

• Types of Communication–  There are two types of communication available on professional walkie talkies: 

1. Analog – This is the most common type of radio communication technology used by walkie-talkies. Analog technology has been around for decades so its reliability is well-tested meaning that analogue devices are used in many different industries worldwide.
2. Digital- Walkie-talkies which use digital communication technology have become increasingly popular in recent times because they offer greater levels of privacy between users through encryption facilities. They also provide higher sound quality thanks to better compression algorithms, as well as quicker transmissions when data needs to be sent (especially useful in security situations where information may need to be transferred quickly). The downside can be that certain digital signals work much alongside other wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and WiFi which can cause interference if they are in close enough range to a walkie talkie.

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Need help choosing the right professional walkie-talkies? 

Call us on 0151 263 9993 or send an enquiry.

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Which Industries Need Professional Walkie-Talkies?

There are many different industries where professional walkie talkies have become an essential part of businesses’ communications systems. Here are three very different industries which need professional walkie-talkies to demonstrate how adaptive and versatile they are:

Construction

This is one industry that cannot function without reliable radio communications. Without quality walkie-talkies, it would be next to impossible for employees working on-site who need to be able to communicate with colleagues at the other end of the site to synchronise with each other. A synchronised building site needs everyone to receive regular updates about their work schedule, and also needs them to be able to contact foremen and other workmen quickly should there ever be any problems with equipment, vehicles, generators and so on. For these reasons, most building companies invest heavily in top of the range professional walkie talkies, as the cost of not having them can often mean losing significant time and money.

Security

In times when security is a hot topic, it has become increasingly important to have professional two-way radios due to their encryption facilities and their ability for users to quickly communicate with each other should anything ever happen. Security communication systems need to be reliable first and foremost because there will be various risks depending on who or what is being protected. For example, if a terrorist attack were to take place at a major event, then being able to contact other security members and event coordinators without delay will be imperative for saving lives. Professional walkie-talkies will enable the first security guard who recognises a problem to communicate it instantly with others who aren’t aware of what is going on so that there can be a synchronised response. 

Theme Parks

Theme parks are very busy places which is why professional walkie-talkies are such an essential part of security and synching park operations because they allow staff members in different areas to communicate and stay up-to-date with what’s going on. This is very important, especially when it comes to looking after the park guests who may experience various health issues as a result of the rides or being outside in hot or cold weather.  Theme park walkie-talkies require large coverage zones meaning that range is particularly important.

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Need help choosing the right professional walkie-talkies? 

Call us on 0151 263 9993 or send an enquiry.

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Our Top 5 Professional Walkie-Talkies

Our #1 Top Pick DigiX Link Keypad

The DigiX Link Keypad is, without doubt, our number one professional walkie-talkie because it is packed full of useful features. This compact two-way radio has an ultra-slim design, digital and analogue modes, GBP, Bluetooth, encryption, caller ID, and many other functions which make it the ideal device for a huge number of different industries.

Top Features:

#2 DigiX Link 

The DigiX Link walkie-talkie has all the excellent features of the Link Keypad including Bluetooth and GPS, but without the screen or keys. This does not take away at all from its functionality, and with IP68 dust and water protection, it is one of the most resilient two-way radios on the market today. 

Top Features:

#3 DigiX Halo Keypad 

The DigiX Halo Keypad is another professional walkie-talkie that is jam-packed with everything that you would expect from a high-end device: excellent audio quality, long battery life, impressive range, and decent water and dust protection. It has multiple channels, analogue/digital dual mode, emergency alarm, and comes with a two-year warranty to ensure there are no issues.

Top Features:

• Emergency alarm
• Call identity
• Private/group call
• Remote monitor
• Long battery life (16 hours)
• Kill/revive functionality
• VHF/UHF
• Dual-mode (analogue/digital)
• 2-year warranty
• IP54 water and dust protected
• 32 channel capacity

#4 DigiX Halo

The DigiX Halo comes with multiple channels so users can have one conversation while simultaneously monitoring another channel for emergency calls from other team members. It is easy to use, even in bad weather conditions and it has a top-notch battery life. An ideal no-frills professional walkie-talkie.

Top Features

• Emergency alarm
• Call identity
• Private/group call
• Remote monitor
• Long battery life
• Kill/revive functionality
• VHF/UHF
• Dual-mode (analogue/digital)

#5 DigiX Neo

The Digix Neo is one of the most powerful walkie-talkies available and definitely has all of the features required for professional use. It has an impressive range, is highly dustproof and waterproof, and is dual mode. It also has an impressive battery life which makes it ideal for outdoor use where there are no charging outlets.

Top Features

• Emergency alarm
• Call identity
• Private/group call
• Remote monitor
• Long battery life (16 hours)
• Kill/revive functionality
• VHF/UHF
• IP67 water and dust protection
• Dual mode (analogue/digital)
• Voice encryption
• Voice recording

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Need help choosing the right professional walkie-talkies? 

Call us on 0151 263 9993 or send an enquiry.

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To Sum Up

Professional walkie talkies are a must-have for many different industries and thanks to the advanced technology used in these devices they provide users with all of the features needed in order to communicate effectively when working in demanding industries and when there are large areas that need covering. If you need help choosing the right professional walkie-talkies for your company, get in touch and we can discuss your requirements and give you our expert recommendations.