The best walkie talkie in 2021—connecting the world seamlessly
Two-way radios, or walkie-talkies, are one of the communication ways between parties. You can rely on them when cell phone service is spotty, they can keep in touch with one another, and they are a crucial tool to stay in the wilderness or even on the water. But how to choose a walkie-talkie, now I am going to explain it in an easy-to-understand way.
Content:
A. Some problems when buying walkie talkies
1. Why does a walkie-talkie have no distance parameter?
2. Can different brands of walkie-talkie talk to each other?
3. What is the communication distance of the walkie-talkie?
4. Do I need a license to use walkie-talkies?
5. What’s the difference between a digital walkie-talkie and an analog walkie-talkie?
6. How to check the safety protection level?
B. How to choose the right walkie-talkie?
1. The cost-effective walkie-talkie recommended?
2. What are the brands of walkie-talkies?
C. How to choose a walkie-talkie in different scenes?
A. Some problems when buying walkie talkies
1. Why does a walkie-talkie have no distance parameter?
Although the transmission distance is an important performance index of the walkie-talkie, as a kind of ultrashort wave communication equipment, the transmission distance will be affected by the power of the walkie-talkie, the surrounding obstacles, and the height.
Power: the transmission power is the most critical essential parameter of walkie-talkies. The power will directly affect the stability of the signal and transmission distance. In simple terms, the greater the output power, the greater the communication distance.
Obstacles: Obstacles can affect the transmission distance of walkie-talkie signals, such as buildings, trees, etc., all of them can absorb and block the radio waves emitted by walkie talkies. Therefore, using walkie-talkies in urban areas will significantly reduce the communication distance.
Height: The height of the use of radio has a significant impact. The higher the place it is used, the farther the signal will be transmitted.
2. Can different brands of walkie-talkie talk to each other?
The brand of the walkie-talkie is different, but the principle is the same, and they can communicate with each other as long as the frequency is the same.
3. What is the communication distance of the walkie-talkie?
For example, civil walkie talkie generally under 5w, up to 5km in open areas, and approximately 3km in buildings.
4. Do I need a license to use walkie-talkies?
According to your local policy, kindly check with your country's telecommunication department.
5. What’s the difference between a digital walkie-talkie and an analog walkie-talkie?
Digital walkie-talkies are an upgrade version of an analog walkie-talkie. Compared with a traditional analog walkie-talkie, the voice is clearer, the confidence is stronger, and the ability to transmit data is better. But the price also higher than a traditional analog walkie-talkie. If encrypted communication contents are required, you can choose digital walkie-talkies. On the other hand, an analog walkie-talkie is enough for regular use.
6. How to check the safety protection level?
Most walkie-talkies are marked with their own waterproof and dustproof grade, which IPXX represents. The first X means the dustproof grade, and the second X means the waterproof rate. For example, IP67 means level6 dustproof and level7 waterproof.
| Dust proof Grade | Waterproof Grade |
| 0 | No protection against contact and ingress of objects | 0 | No protection against ingress of water |
| 1 | >50 mm 2.0 in Any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part | 1 | Dripping water Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmful effect on the specimen when mounted in an upright position onto a turntable and rotated at 1 RPM. |
| 2 | >12.5 mm 0.49 in Fingers or similar objects | 2 | Dripping water when tilted at 15° Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted at an angle of 15° from its normal position. A total of four positions are tested within two axes. |
| 3 | >2.5 mm 0.098 in Tools, thick wires, etc. | 3 | Spraying water Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall have no harmful effect, utilizing either: a) an oscillating fixture, or b) A spray nozzle with a counterbalanced shield. Test a) is conducted for 5 minutes, then repeated with the specimen rotated horizontally by 90° for the second 5-minute test. Test b) is conducted (with shield in place) for 5 minutes minimum. |
| 4 | >1 mm 0.039 in Most wires, slender screws, large ants etc. | 4 | Splashing of water Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect, utilizing either: a) an oscillating fixture, or b) A spray nozzle with no shield. Test a) is conducted for 10 minutes. b) is conducted (without shield) for 5 minutes minimum. |
| 5 | Dust protected Ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment. | 5 | Water jets Water projected by a nozzle (6.3 mm (0.25 in)) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects. |
| 6 | Dust-tight No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact (dust-tight). A vacuum must be applied. Test duration of up to 8 hours based on airflow. | 6 | Powerful water jets Water projected in powerful jets (12.5 mm (0.49 in)) against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects. |
| | | 7 | Immersion, up to 1 meter (3 ft 3 in) depth Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (up to 1 meter (3 ft 3 in) of submersion). |
| | | 8 | Immersion, 1 meter (3 ft 3 in) or more depth The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions which shall be specified by the manufacturer. However, with certain types of equipment, it can mean that water can enter but only in such a manner that it produces no harmful effects. The test depth and duration is expected to be greater than the requirements for IPx7, and other environmental effects may be added, such as temperature cycling before immersion. |
B. How to choose the right walkie-talkie?
1. What are the brands of walkie-talkies?
Motorola/Kenwood/Baofeng.,etc
2. How to choose a walkie-talkie in different scenes?
There are many brands of walkie-talkies on the market, you can first select a number of well-known brands on the market, and then according to the needs of the scene, and select the appropriate model.
Supermarkets or hotels:
Supermarkets and hotels use walkie-talkie more frequently and may be worn for the whole day, so battery and portable need to consider more.
Baofeng 888s
Recommend reason: net weight 250g and the body is small. There is no pressure to wear for a day. Set with an earphone, it is suitable for more hands-on work.
Output power: 5w
Communication distance: 2-3km
Battery life: three days of standby, 10hours of continuous use
Baofeng S56-Max
Recommend reason: 10w power, even large supermarkets can be fully covered, IP67 level of security protection can deal with a variety of harsh environment.
Output power: 10w
Communication distance: 5-10km
Battery life: 3 days of standby, 10hours of continuous use
Safety protection: IP67 dustproof and waterproof
Outdoor driving
Outdoor exploring or self-driving requires a walkie-talkie must be rugged and can adapt to a variety of climates. In addition to self-driving. In addition, the signal of the walkie-talkie in the car will be unstable during self-driving, and the function of supporting the onboard antenna is also very needed.
Baofeng UV9R Plus
Recommend reason: IP67 is water-resistant and can be used in all kinds of outdoor environment, 15w output power is used to balance the signal and range, it’s, like, the top choice for an outdoor walkie-talkie.
Output power: 15w
Communication distance: 5-10km
Battery life: 5 days of standby, 15hours of continuous use
Safety protection: IP67 dustproof and waterproof
Leixun VV25
Recommend reason: 25w super high power, can coverage 12-15km in open field, rugged and high-power design, suitable for outdoor use.
Output power: 25w
Communication distance: 12-15km
Battery life: 7 days of standby, 48hours of continuous use
Safety protection: IP65 dustproof and waterproof
Property Development:
Baofeng UV5R
Recommend reason: net weight 250g, and the body is small. There is no pressure to wear for a day. Extralong battery for 3800mAh longer use time. Set with an earphone, it is suitable for more hands-on work.
Output power: 8w/5w
Communication distance: 3-8km
Battery life: five days of standby, 16hours of continuous use
Baofeng UV82
Recommend reason: Double PTT design, more effectifive
Output power: 8w/5w
Communication distance: 3-8km
Battery life: five days of standby, 16hours of continuous use
