In this digital day and age when nearly everybody in the world carries a handheld mobile device around with them, a number of old technologies have become obsolete! The landline home phone with the cord connected to the wall, intercoms, and public payphones have all slowly vanished into the shadows of history. Despite all of that, there is still a piece of 100-year-old communications technology that is doing quite well today and shows no signs of obsolescence!
While it may not feel as flashy and cool as it once did to kids watching TV shows about police and first responders, the tried and true 2 way radio is still a very important piece of essential equipment that is currently in use in hundreds of different applications today! Let’s take a look at how this is possible even in today’s world of cell phones!
- Improved Designs – Over the last 100 years the 2-way radio has enjoyed a lot of improvements to its capabilities. The early models, while a big step above two cans and a string, were more like the toy walkie-talkies that kids used for their games, they had a very limited range, barely making it down the block, and the reception was pretty fuzzy! The radios of today provide much greater sound quality and a huge increase in range. They also come with bonus features like GPS locators and range finders to help teams using them be more effective and efficient.
- Emergency Use – The 2-way radio is an extremely reliable tool for communication under adverse conditions like dangerous weather. The typical mobile phone requires a wi-fi connection or cellular signal to be operational, things that often go down or become unavailable during an emergency. The 2-way radio is free of those inhibiting factors, there are no weak signals or dropped calls, they can remain operational under the most extreme conditions. This makes them the preferred choice for first responders like police, paramedics, and firefighters whose lives, and the lives of others may depend on a trustworthy and robust means of communication! Another great perk is that their battery power lasts twice as long as a cell phone’s does!
- Ease of Use – The 2-way radio is so easy to use its child’s play, and most people have some experience with them thanks to their childhood toy walkie-talkie sets! They broadcast and receive on a single channel at a time, and all the action that is required is to push the button to talk. The professionals in law enforcement and emergency services have more complex options available, but anyone can pick up a set and start talking at any time, it’s easy!
- Reliable – The 2-way radio is incredibly reliable, it’s designed with a bendable antenna, long battery life, and shockproof housing that is built to last in times of trouble! When the phone lines and cell towers are down, you are still talking!
So, there you have it, a 100 year old technology that isn’t in a museum, and is still hard at work today! Can you roger that? Over and out!