Walkie-Talkie Guide for Parents & Kids
This beginner’s guide on walkie-talkies is aimed primarily at parents with children using walkie-talkies or for families looking to use 2-way radios on trips. It takes you through some of the basics of using walkie-talkies, what to watch out for and gives some tips and suggestions.
I've aimed this at beginners but it does go into a fair amount of detail in places so you may want to use the chapters in the video to skip through to the parts you are most interested in. I thought about splitting this video into parts but chapters work just as well.
Walkie-Talkie Product Links
🛒 Great Kids Walkie-Talkies for UK & EU - https://geni.us/motot42
🛒 Great Kids Walkie-Talkies for US - https://geni.us/t114
🛒 Recommended Pro Walkie-Talkie - https://geni.us/xt420
🛒 Recommended Waterproof Radio - https://geni.us/motot92
All the links above are Amazon affiliate links. Use these if you would like to support the TDCatTech website and channel. It does not cost you more but Amazon gives me a commission on the purchase for bringing you to their door.
Topics Covered
If you don’t feel like watching the video and are just after the highlights but none of the detail, I’ve listed them below.
Are Walkie-Talkies Secure? - No. There are exceptions but assume that anyone within range can listen to what you are saying.
What's The Range? - About 100-200m. Don’t count on a range greater than 100m in a built-up area. Watch the video for more info as you can achieve considerably further than this.
How Many Channels? - Either 8 or 16. If you have a 16 channel radio, try to use channels 9-16 to avoid congestion with local businesses.
What Are Privacy Codes & Sub-Channels? - Watch the video for an explanation of how they work but do consider that they offer no additional capacity or security.
Power & Charging - Rechargeable walkie-talkies are usually USB rechargeable which can be very handy. Many use either AA or AAA batteries which don’t sound as appealing as rechargeable but can be very useful as they are easily field-replaceable and easy to buy.
Other Tips & Useful Functions
Use walkie-talkie lingo when working in groups
Look for a model with a call tone and roger beep
Check for a 16 channel model
Waterproof models can be very useful (IPX7 or IPX8) and offer few downsides
Check if a walkie-talkie requires a cable for programming and accessing advanced features. This can be very inconvenient for general users (albeit essential for business users)
It doesn’t matter if antennas are short or long
Change privacy codes from the factory defaults