The world of two-way radios can seem a little daunting if you aren’t familiar with the basic concepts. We get asked a bunch of questions about the two-way radios on our e-commerce site, so we thought we would answer the most frequently asked two-way radio questions in one place. Hopefully, our content can help educate people new to the two-way radio world and make some tricky concepts easier to understand

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FAQS

1. What is the difference between a two-way radio and a walkie-talkie?

   This is probably our most asked question!
   ‘Walkie-talkie’ is a slang term for a portable handheld two-way radio. This means that all walkie-talkies are a form of two-way radio, however not all two-way radios are walkie-talkies.
   This is because some forms of two-way radios are not handheld or portable, some are wall mounted or fixed in vehicles.

2. What are the benefits of using a two-way radio over a smartphone?

We would say that this answer has three parts to it.
Improved safety features, ease of use and reliability.

Two-way radios are packed full of safety features such as man down, lone worker and the emergency button. These safety features will send out an alarm when activated to everyone on your radio system to alert them to the emergency. This allows for lots of people to be notified all at once so that the issue can be resolved quickly and efficiently.
You are unable to do this on a mobile phone as you would either need to call contacts one by one or set up a group-style conference call which can be time-consuming.

Two-way radios are also much easier to operate than a mobile phone, especially if you are wearing gloves. With a smartphone, you have to physically unlock the phone and scroll through some type of navigation bar to find the app or contact needed. Whereas with a two-way radio, you have a large push-to-talk (PTT) button allowing for instant communication at the press of a button.

Two-way radios do not rely on cellular data to transmit or receive. This means that you can communicate in remote areas with a poor signal such as industrial estates, hills or lakes. This isn’t possible with mobile phones as they rely on a cellular data connection for communication

For more information on the differences between two-way radios and smartphones click HERE

3. What is the difference between VHF and UHF?

Two-way radios operate on two frequencies – VHF and UHF.
VHF (Very High Frequency) two-way radios are normally most recommended for use in outdoor settings with little obstacles between the communication points. VHF radios communicate over larger distances when they are not disrupted by obstacles such as buildings. These are ideal for use on open roads, large outdoor sites with little buildings or even an open lake.

UHF (Ultra high frequency) radio waves have a shorter wavelength which means they have a reduced range. However, they are much better at penetrating through obstacles such as buildings, walls and infrastructure, and UHF tends to have a better overall signal.

4. What does PMR446 stand for?

PMR446 stands for Private Mobile Radio 446 MHz. This is a dedicated range of UHF frequencies in the UK that are licence exempt by OFCOM. The frequency range is between 446 and 446.2 MHz and contains 16 licence-free channels which anyone can use without the need for a licence.

Devices that operate on licence-free frequencies tend to have a lower power output (around 0.5 watts) which means they have a reduced communication range.

These devices are ideal for individuals and groups to use for recreational use or small business use.

5. What is the difference between licenced and licence-free devices?

Licence-free devices operate on the above-mentioned PMR446 MHz frequencies. They typically arrive ready to use straight out of the box with no programming required. These devices work well in small areas.

The main disadvantage of licence-free devices is that they all operate on the same 16 licence-free channels. This means that you may experience unwanted traffic from people nearby operating on the same frequencies and other people may hear your conversations as well. This is why we do not typically recommend licence-free devices for schools or security when you may be in a situation where you need to share sensitive information over your two-way radio.

Licenced two-way radios are devices that do need to be pre-programmed before use to a specific frequency range. The frequency range you have them programmed to is provided to you by OFCOM in the form of a radio licence. Licences start from £75 and last for 5 years. The licence is a set of dedicated frequencies that only you can operate and communicate on, which makes it much safer and more secure to share information.

Licenced devices are up to 8X more powerful than licence-free devices which means that the communication range is much larger.

Licenced device radios are typically more expensive to purchase than licence-free devices and this is because they are equipped with more advanced safety and communication features such as GPS tracking, Bluetooth and Man Down to name a few.

As a word of warning, it is illegal to use a licenced two-way radio without a valid licence in the UK and you can receive a hefty fine from OFCOM for doing this

For more information on the difference between licenced and licence-free devices click HERE

Outro

That’s all the answers we have for you today. We hope that this article has helped educate you on the wonderful world of two-way radios.  Now you make a more informed decision when choosing the perfect device for you!

If you are still unsure and would like to talk to a member of our expert team give us a call at 0800 328 0100 or drop us an email at servce@eemits.co.uk

We are more than happy to help!

If you have any other questions, please leave a comment down.

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– Niamh from the TwoWayRadioShop Marketing Team