How to Make Long Range Walkie Talkies Go the Extra Mile
12/07/2024
![Eemits Requalifies for SafeContractor Accreditation](/assets/images/articles/151.png)
Long-range walkie talkies are a communication lifeline for businesses, outdoor enthusiasts, and emergency services. Brands like Motorola and Hytera are renowned for their robust devices, but even the best walkie talkies have their limits. Whether you're using them in sprawling warehouses, vast construction sites, or remote wilderness, optimising their range can be a game-changer. Let's take a look at the practical ways of making your walkie talkies reach further.
Factors That Affect Walkie Talkie Range
Before we delve into solutions, it's important to understand the key factors that influence walkie talkie range:
- Power Output: Higher wattage radios generally have a longer reach.
- Frequency: VHF (Very High Frequency) radios often outperform UHF (Ultra High Frequency) in open areas, while UHF performs better in urban settings due to its ability to penetrate obstacles.
- Antenna: The size and type of antenna play a crucial role. Larger, external antennas can significantly boost range.
- Terrain: Hills, buildings, and dense foliage can block or absorb signals.
- Weather: Atmospheric conditions can affect signal propagation.
10 Tips to Extend Your Walkie Talkie Range
- Invest in High-Gain Antennas: This is perhaps the most effective way to increase range. Both Motorola and Hytera offer a variety of high-gain antennas that can be swapped out with the stock antennas on your radios. Look for antennas with high dBi ratings, as this indicates greater gain.
- Elevate Your Position: The higher your antenna is, the further it can transmit and receive signals. If possible, climb to a higher elevation or use a rooftop.
- Clear the Line of Sight: Whenever possible, ensure a direct line of sight between radios. This minimizes obstructions that can weaken the signal.
- Use Repeaters: Repeaters act as signal boosters. They receive a weak signal, amplify it, and retransmit it with greater power, effectively doubling your range.
- Keep Batteries Charged: Low batteries can reduce transmit power and therefore range. Keep spare batteries on hand and charge them regularly.
- Choose the Right Channels: If you're experiencing interference, try switching to a different channel or frequency.
- Fine-Tune Squelch: Squelch settings control background noise. Adjust it so you only hear transmissions and not static.
- Maintenance: Keep your walkie talkies clean and dry. Dust and moisture can degrade performance.
- Consider External Power Amplifiers: For truly extreme range, external amplifiers can boost your signal significantly. These are more specialized and usually found in professional settings.
- Professional Tuning: If you're still struggling, have your radios professionally tuned by a technician. They can optimize the settings for your specific environment and needs.
Specific Recommendations for Motorola and Hytera Radios
- Motorola: Explore Motorola's MOTOTRBO line for long-range models. Consider the R7 for exceptional power and durability.
- Hytera: Hytera's H-Series offers robust radios with digital technology that enhance clarity and range.
The Importance of Professional Guidance
While these tips help you maximise your walkie talkie's range, it's always a good idea to consult with professionals - like ourselves. We will assess your specific needs and recommend the best equipment and configurations to achieve the range you require.
Either contact us today online, or call us on 0800 328 0100 - between 8:30am and 5:15pm Monday to Friday.
News Archive
![Eemits Features on Look North News](/assets/images/articles/145.png)
31/05/2024
![Eemits Welcomes New Engineering Team Members](/assets/images/articles/143.png)
28/05/2024
![Eemits Welcomes New Member to the Team](/assets/images/articles/137.png)
25/04/2024
![Introducing the New Hytera ATEX Radio](/assets/images/articles/122.png)
05/02/2024
![Eemits Welcomes New Addition to Business](/assets/images/articles/121.png)
31/01/2024
![Eemits Staff Step Into Christmas](/assets/images/articles/115.png)
22/12/2023
![Merry Christmas From Eemits Communications](/assets/images/articles/114.png)
22/12/2023
![Eemits Hire Set To Help Stockton Sparkle](/assets/images/articles/107.png)
22/11/2023
![Eemits at Offshore Wind North East 2023](/assets/images/articles/105.png)
10/11/2023
![Eemits Welcomes New Recruits to Business](/assets/images/articles/104.png)
27/10/2023
![The Best Radios For Emergency Communication](/assets/images/articles/103.png)
26/10/2023
![Eemits At the Onshore Wind Conference 2023](/assets/images/articles/96.png)
22/09/2023
![How Cost Effective is Radio Hire?](/assets/images/articles/92.png)
31/08/2023
![Introducing the MOTOTRBO R2 Two-Way Radio](/assets/images/articles/86.png)
09/05/2023
![Lone Working: The Dangers It Presents](/assets/images/articles/80.png)
23/12/2022
![Two-Way Radio: 4 Genius Ways It's Been Used](/assets/images/articles/79.png)
30/11/2022
![Eemits Delighted to Sponsor Middlesbrough Women Star Kerry Heslop for the 2021/2022 Season](/assets/images/articles/35.jpg)
![Whitby Seafoods Chooses TRBOcall](/assets/images/articles/29.jpg)
28/01/2021
![Radio Hire from Eemits Communications](/assets/images/articles/23.jpg)
14/09/2020
![COVID-19 and Communicating in the New Normal](/assets/images/articles/20.png)
15/06/2020
![COVID-19 and Sharing Two Way Radio Equipment](/assets/images/articles/18.jpg)
22/05/2020
![Wishing You All A Very Merry Christmas](https://www.eemits.co.uk/assets/images/78997726_1450011551837401_4784628339799228416_o.jpg)
18/12/2019
![Tees Bay Pilots Choose TRBOcall](/assets/images/articles/14.jpeg)
31/07/2018
![Introducing Our New Website](/assets/images/articles/1.jpg)
20/02/2018
![Protect Your Lone Workers](/assets/images/articles/7.jpg)
05/10/2017
See What Our Clients Say
![Whitby Seafoods](/assets/images/testimonials/13.jpg)
“Eemits Communications has been a long-time partner of Whitby Seafoods. Their single-site conventional digital repeater system has driven daily efficiency and given us greater on-site access control. We appreciate their continued commitment to customer satisfaction and look forward to what the future holds.”
![Teesside Park](/assets/images/testimonials/12.png)
"We have a great and longstanding working relationship with Eemits and they have always ticked every box. They offer an excellent, friendly and reliable service.
Eemits have a great understanding of the park and its needs for the customer and our retailers. With a positive can-do attitude, they never say no."
![Middlesbrough Council](/assets/images/testimonials/11.png)
"We started working with Eemits following on from a recommendation from another customer. They provided us with a solution that suits our needs and they continue to supply the best service with no issues.
Eemits is a professional, friendly and reliable company."
![Lucite International](/assets/images/testimonials/10.png)
"Eemits continue to provide us with a great supportive service consistently being very helpful. The whole team is great and it's very clear the staff have a great knowledge of the products and are happy to pass this on.
Eemits is a great company."
![Huntsman Pigments and Additives](/assets/images/testimonials/9.png)
"The service offered by Eemits is second to none, we have a great working relationship with them and the contract we have is good value for money."
![Hitachi Rail Europe](/assets/images/testimonials/8.png)
"We needed two-way radios for the guys on the test track and something that was scalable. The solution Eemits provided was far superior in comparison to other competitors offerings.
Everything is done in-house and the service and sales department is particularly good. As masters in their field they are extremely knowledgeable."
![Go North East](/assets/images/testimonials/7.png)
"Eemits dedicate a lot of time to us as a customer - we feel like we get a personal touch. They're excellent and go above and beyond. They'll put the work in - i.e. training users.
Good quality, good people, good team, all of who are positive about their company. They demonstrate real passion."
![Chemoxy](/assets/images/testimonials/6.png)
"The quality of service that Eemits provides is excellent. The team is very knowledgeable and they offer high quality products. The TRBOCALL solution fitted meets our site requirements and upgrades our technology.
Lone worker function is particularly useful allowing us to monitor our staff ensuring they are safe at all times."
![ATC Liverpool](/assets/images/testimonials/5.png)
"Eemits Communication is friendly, professional and competitive. They are excellent and their workmanship and knowledge is great.
Eemits attitude sets them apart - no problem is too big"
![North Tees Hospital](/assets/images/testimonials/4.png)
"Prior to the installation of our current system onsite communications were poor. Eemits Communications offered us guidance and advice on the different technologies available and delivered a highly effective system on time and within our budget. Its success has led to other departments using the system."
![Hartlepool Power Station](/assets/images/testimonials/3.png)
"Eemits Communications Ltd have been involved in work at Hartlepool Power Station for over 10 years now. During this time they have installed an Aerial network through our buildings to enable more efficient internal radio communications.
I have found the staff highly professional at all times and willing to provide help whenever they can, I would have no hesitation in recommending this company."
![Cummins Turbo Technologies](/assets/images/testimonials/2.png)
"Having previously worked with Eemits, we knew that we were dealing with a supplier that we could trust and one that could help us to significantly increase the safety of our lone workers with its unique solutions.
The equipment supplied by Eemits is excellent. We have been greatly impressed by the knowledge and skills of their engineers who have carried out the onsite surveys and installation of the system.
Eemits came up with an innovative approach to overcome challenges that we had with installing a system with the structure of our building, and as such, the quality of radio frequency is outstanding."
![Falck Fire Services](/assets/images/testimonials/1.png)
"The service delivered by Eemits has been excellent and we have developed a very good working relationship over the years.
As a local business to Falck Fire Services they can respond to faults or general requests very quickly - which is very important in our line of work - whereas similar suppliers have a greater response time.
TRBOCALL is an overall platform that has made a massive improvement to our communications in comparison to the analogue system that we had been using for many years. It provides us with many different applications that can be utilised across the business.
Since introducing TRBOCALL we have seen significant improvements related to safety and in our communications itself, which is critical to our operations."