On February 11^th, National Inventors Day celebrates the great minds behind the even greater ideas. Honouring the architects of the past, motivating the innovators of the present and encouraging the creators of the future.

This year we would like the commemorate Donald L. Hings, telecommunications pioneer and inventor of the walkie-talkie.

Who is Donald L. Hings?

Donald Lewes Hings was born on 6^th November 1907 in Leicester, England and moved to Western Canada. In 1937, whilst working at CM&S Hings developed a portable radio signalling system to allow effective communication between bush pilots who had to fly their planes through remote sites in the far North of Canada.  Hings named the device the ‘packset’.  At first there was little interest in the invention.  This changed drastically over night as world war II broke out around the globe.

In 1939, Hings was sent to Ottawa Canada to re-develop the ‘packset’ for military use after a successful demonstration of his invention for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). During this time, he developed the C-58 model radio which saw huge success in giving soldiers the ability to communicate over long distances and still having complete mobility. This was truly a game-changing ware time innovation and became a crucial part of how soldiers would be organised on the battlefield.  Meanwhile,  journalists reporting on the war coined the term ‘walkie-talkie’ when referring to the invention is what most people will recognise it as today.

In 1946 Hings was also made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) for outstanding contributions to radio communications during WWII.

After the War Hings settled in Burnaby, British Columbia where he  later continued to research and develop within the communication sector until his retirement.

Sadly, Hings passed peacefully in 2004 at 96 years old.  Hing’s memory will live on through his inventions and the effect the walkie-talkie  had on the world as we know it.

Modern Walkie-Talkies

The Walkie-talkies has evolved rapidly over the years with massive consumer and industry adoption.

Mention the word walkie-talkie and you’d be strapped to find someone who didn’t know what you were referring to.

As a result, the walkie-talkies you see today are unrecognisable from the original ‘packset’.  Modern walkie-talkies are full of safety features and innovative audio technology. From lone worker protection features to GPS location trackers, walkie-talkie features continue to increase whilst the size decreasing. Who knows what exciting communication developments might come about in the future?

Today almost all industries use walkie-talkies as a vital communication tool within their operations. They are versatile, economical, and robust.  This makes them an invaluable tool for a wide array of industries. Retail, construction and event hire to name a few.

2WayRadioShop

Two-way radio technology has come on in leaps and bounds from the original wartime ‘packset’.

Here at 2Wayradioshop, we supply a wide range of licenced and licence-free walkie-talkie and two-way radio hire solutions

Donald’s creative genius has helped to revolutionise the industry. And we proudly operate today as a company who have benefitted from his creativity. As a result of his work, we offer a range of products from the leading modern day manufacturers.  These include Motorola, Hytera and ICOM to name a few.

If your interest in walkie- talkies has been perked following this article see below for our most popular models!

• Motorola T82 Extreme (Licence-free) – Popular with hikers and campers because they are cheap, reliable and weatherproof
• Motorola R7 Premium (Licenced) – Popular with businesses working in high-risk environments. This model comes equipped with all premium software features such as man down, audio recording and  GPS & GNSS locator tracking.
• Hytera HP705 (Licenced) – Popular for use in wet environments.  This radio is IP68 rated, which means it is submersible to a depth of 2M for up to 4Hrs.

Click here for more information on waterproof two-way radios

Lastly, if you need help choosing the perfect walkie-talkie  or want to discuss our hire solutions, please contact our team.

servce@eemits.co.uk or give us a call at 01642 566661.