Recently we received a comment from a customer who took issue with our use of the terms two way radio and walkie talkie in one of our older posts. Apparently the customer was searching for a two way radio but after locating radios listed as walkie talkies, considered it a misdirection to another line of products, presumably perceiving that an item labeled as a walkie talkie was inferior to another item labeled as a two way radio. According to the customer, walkie talkies and two way radios are not the same.
In reality, the terms walkie talkie and two way radio are often considered interchangeable, at least here in the US, and are sometimes even used together in the same conversation to reference the same thing. As a US based company, our use of these terms is based on their common accepted usage within our country. These terms may be used differently in other countries, so it is, by no means, an absolute.
Of course, there is a difference between a two way radio and a walkie talkie that is somewhat universal. Technically speaking, the two are not the same thing, although in some cases, they can be. To understand the difference, we need to define the terms.
A two way radio is a radio that can operate two ways, that is, it has the ability to both transmit and receive a radio signal, as opposed to a radio that can only receive. A two way radio can either operate in a half-duplex or full duplex mode. Half-duplex allows the radio to transmit or receive in turn but not both simultaneously. Full-duplex allows the radio to transmit and receive at the same time. A two way radio is also commonly called a transceiver, because it can both transmit and receive radio communications. In either case, the radio operates two ways; it can send and it can receive.
A walkie talkie is a portable two way radio, particularly one that can be held in the hand. This type of radio, also known as a handy talkie, handheld transceiver or HT, allows you to talk on the radio while walking around, hence the name walkie talkie.
Now that we've defined the terms, let's consider the argument. Are these terms interchangeable? Well, yes and no.
According to the definition, a walkie talkie is a two way radio, but a two way radio is not always a walkie talkie. This is because there are types of radios that are not portable handhelds, such as a mobile radio mounted in a vehicle or a desk or wall mounted base station.
But, it can be one. In fact, most, if not all manufacturers of business, CB, FRS, GMRS, marine, airband and amateur portable handheld radios or walkie talkies do not usually refer to their products as "Walkie Talkies", but as "Two Way Radios".
This is understandable, considering the history of the walkie talkie. It originally referred to the portable backpack transceivers used in the military during World War II. More recently it became associated with consumer grade FRS radios. The term has also long been used to refer to extremely low power radios sold as toys and that stigma, while misdirected, still exists today. Given that, it's no wonder some folks shun products labeled as walkie talkies in search of a "real" two way radio.
Do you consider walkie talkies and two way radios different or the same things? How and why? It's a great topic and we discussed it in a previous episode of The Two Way Radio Show Podcast. What you think? Add your comments below.
My first exposure to transceivers was when I was like 7-8 years old. A boy from my neighborhood received “toy” walkie talkies. I thought that they were the coolest thing ever. You mean to tell me that I could press a button and talk into a portable box, and my friend could hear me at the other end, down the street from me, and, with no wires in between, really? To my 7-8 year old brain, it was like magic.
I guess that fascination has never gone away. And the moment bubble wrap FRS radios hit the market I bought a bunch of them. At one time I had as many as 10 or 12 of them. I still have four of them that I’ve used for hiking and camping,
More recently, my attention has switched over to GMRS radios. And I also got my very own, oficial FCC, GMRS license. I felt so proud! 😂 Now I have 8 GMRS radios and I have my eye on two or three more models. Plus, may be 2 or 4 MURS radios, just for the fun of it. And for the first time ever I even thought about getting my HAM license. But it seems like a lot of studying, and also, I am turned off by the high sense of self that many HAM’s have. Always going around correcting everyone with an air of arrogance. Of course not all of them are like that.
Anyway, to this day, even though I know that a transceiver and a walkie talkie is the same, when I hear people say walkie talkie, it makes me think of toy radios. I never refer to “real adult” radios (wink wink) as walkie talkies. I know that is dumb, but it is link to ignorant social programing.
In my teens I got big into scanners. I owned several Radio Shack and Uniden scanners. So in the similar way I hate when people refer to scanners as “police scanners.” To me there is no such thing as “police scanners,” they are all just scanners. Which is nothing more than a receiver. But the public, often mislead by the ignorant news media, often refer to scanners as “police scanners.” 🤦♀️ They “scan” more than police frequencies. That one bothers me. I know, I know, it is dumb. So I can relate to those who don’t like referring to “adult” HT’s as walkie talkies. Silly but to some I guess it makes a difference.
Thanks
As for digital and analog signals, there is certainly a place for both. It depends on the needs of the operator and the application. They are very different modes of operation. For the answer to your question, listen to Episode 88 of The Two Way Radio Show Podcast, called Digital vs. Analog Radios. It goes into some detail with a full explanation of the difference between analog and digital radios.
This is like using the words "SAME & SIMILAR". SO ARE THEY? its like asking are they? or they are?
Thank you for this wonderful information
What do you recommend? A 4 pack with chargers?
]
^
:-)
-Kat-
Can anyone tell me do they make a device (be it a walkie talkie or a 2 way radio or anything else) that can be used primarily indoors, like a mall or shopping center?
Any suggestions will be appreciated
Thanks,
Dan