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A two-way radio transceiver, more familiarly known as the Walkie-Talkie, owes its origin to the old engineering team of Galvin Manufacturing Company in the year of 1940. The team used the technology of frequency modulation and designed a hand-held AM SCR-536 radio during the World War II.
The device was given the name of Handie-Talkie. Handie-Talkie was a device that was held entirely in the hand and it was basically a portable handheld ham radio. However, Walkie-Talkie is a mutated variant; a more specialized commercial and personal radio and it offers a much greater advantage than the old handie-talkie.
The credit for inventing the Walkie-Talkie goes to Al Gross who is a pioneer in mobile wireless communication. It was designed for the soldiers on the war front (WW II). Eventually, after the war, its usage spread into public safety areas as well as more commercial areas.
A Walkie-Talkie typically looks like a telephone handset with a small antenna at the top. Though only one radio transmits at a time, any number of people can listen. There is usually a push-to-talk switch that starts the transmission.
One can hardly overstate the application and scope of these two-way radios. They are commonly found in places where portable radio communications is an absolute necessity, such as large parks and industrial work areas.
Its application in the field of marine communication is amazing and these have been used in large motorized boats as well as gigantic ships. The purpose of these is to summon rescue in difficult-to-navigate times, to communicate with harbor personnel from inside the deep sea, etc. A portable walkie-talkie is always carried in a lifeboat, too, for emergency communication efforts. It has its own source of power and is mainly resistant to water.
The two-way radios have some personal use too, such as the usage of a CB-radio. Citizens Band radio is a two-way radio; a system of short distance radio communication between individuals. It has a choice of 40 channels within 27 MHz.
The two-way radio can be used as a mobile and 13.8-volts DC can power it. Walkie-Talkie usage and scope can be found in amateur radio operators.
The personal Walkie-Talkie has become more popular because of the unlicensed services of the US Family Radio Service (FRS). These walkie-talkies are useful communication tools for business and personal applications. The personal two-way radios are sometimes combined with other electronic devices.
The application of Walkie-Talkie can be seen in aviation communications too. It can be used in an aircraft where mounting a fixed radio becomes expensive and does not make any practical sense.
In heavy industrial settings, the usage of walkie-talkies can be seen where fire or explosives triggered by radio signals is possible to caution the workers.
Walki Talkies can also found as children’s toys. Children’s toy Walkie-Talkies are exempted from license requirements since they are lower powered versions.
Thus two-way radios have multiple applications but the majority of the time they are lifesavers! If your business/personal needs calls for having one, go ahead and read reviews on various brands and models and go for the one with good rating.