If you’ve ever watched Stranger Things, or grew up in the 80s, you’ll remember the big walkie talkies that kids used to stay in touch with their buddies. You were REALLY cool if you had a set of those – I’m not talking about the toy walkie talkies, but the big ones that could let you talk over an entire town!
NOTE: to skip to the list of compatible radios and links, please scroll to the bottom.
They weren’t just used by kids though, and adults even used them for neighborhood watches, camping, etc. Due to their big size, they were a bit to carry around, until cellphones became popular with younger people and the walkie talkie of this type became a historical artifact. The 80s walkie talkie was also expensive! Today, (fortunately) walkie talkies are making a big come back. New technology has made the walkie talkie incredibly small, lightweight, and incredibly affordable. Take a look at this Retevis RT22 UHF 16 channel walkie talkie that has a decent reach for its size:
The RT22 is offered as a rechargeable pair, or a 6-pack with a drop-in charger for the ultimate in convenience:
We have used radios in our family for many years. In our old neighborhood and even here in Bridgeberry, they allow us to extend a bit of freedom to our kids but be within instant reach at the push of a button, and in a few ways, are superior to a cellphone, here’s where 2-way radios excel over a cellphone:
- Are a LOT less expensive than a cellphone
- Easily and inexpensively replaced for a few dollars if damaged – compared to a cellphone costing hundreds of dollars
- Instant reachability compared to a cellphone – talk at the simple push of a button and be heard immediately – whereas cellphones take time to unlock, dial, & be answered
- You can be heard immediately by a group of radios on the same channel – a cellphone can only connect with 1 other person – this has big advantages
- No monthly bill – ever
- Can talk over a few miles with good clarity and reliability
- Nowadays, are small enough to easily fit in your pocket
- Excellent for instant group or neighborhood communication – like neighborhood watches, keeping in touch with kids out playing, allowing kids to coordinate play and be more social
Since we moved into Bridgeberry, and our small fleet of radios moved here with us, a few of the kids in the neighborhood have shown a lot of interest in the radios our kids carry, and during play, they have shared some of the extra handsets with the other kids. They were an instant hit with the other kids, and our kids were often asked “hey can you bring out a few more radios?” and they have been used almost daily.
I had a thought, in writing this article, that if any of our neighbors wanted to get their own pair, or a 6-pack, I could offer assistance getting them setup and create a “neighborhood-wide” radio network that would not only let other kids join in, and create a “party line”, but they could also be useful for the adults as well. When you purchase these radios, they do come pre-programmed to a set of channels at the factory, but I do maintain a coordinated programming file so that you can setup the radios to operate with the coordinated channel configuration we already have running. I can offer the config file to those who are tech savvy and want to program their own, or if you want, I can program your radios for you rather quickly as I already have all the programming software, cable, and equipment.
The nice thing about the RT22 is that you can make all 16 channels the same configuration to make them “kid proof” so that kids do not go off-channel and “disappear”. For adult radios, I have another config file that includes separate channels away from the kid “common channel”, allowing radios to be set to an adult “community channel” or separate groups. If you might be interested in picking up some radios, but have questions, feel free to get in touch and I will be happy to answer any questions. Just reach out.
There’s been an interest in creating some sort of neighborhood watch, and radios are a great tool for that. Consult the list of compatible radios for the Bridgeberry Radio Network plan below.
Compatible Radios & Ordering
To fully take advantage of the radio plan, you should purchase radios that can be programmed for the plan. These are inexpensive and widely available. Consult the list below with links:
CLICK HERE FOR LIST OF RECOMMENDED RADIOS
Once you receive your new radios, contact John at 305 Trautz/Lot 14 to arrange for programming. Programming only takes just a couple minutes and is very quick. Once your new radios are programmed, you can begin enjoying them immediately.
How Community Watch Channel Works
Our community watch channel operates through a dedicated repeater station, hosted at 305 Trautz. This repeater station has redundant power facility (on-site 25KW generator) in the event of a commercial power failure. This ensures that the repeater is available for use during emergencies.
The repeater has a dedicated and protected 6 foot UHF base station antenna that is located in the attic space of the property. At that height it has good visibility to the horizon and can “see” transmissions from handsets very well on the community watch channel, and repeat those transmissions to a greater distance using the powerful transmitter of the repeater station in the equipment rack.
PLEASE NOTE: Children are not permitted use of the repeater, except in dire emergencies only!
How the repeater works with your handsets:
How to use the Community Watch Channel
All radios in Bridgeberry will be programmed with our standard 16 channel plan. The community watch channel will always be on CH16. All residents in Bridgeberry should plan to leave a radio on and set to CH16 24 hours a day. You can leave your radio on and in the charge cradle to keep an ear out for community watch traffic on CH16. This way, you will be ensured to hear calls that may report hazards or suspicious activity in our area. Every resident will then have the ability to instantly notify others of any hazards or threats in our neighborhood. The more people who participate in this program, the safer our neighborhood will be, and will make our neighborhood a less desirable target for criminal activity. The system also greatly enhances the safety of the children who live in Bridgeberry by making it easier to spot, identify, and report any potential threats to our children. Instant communications are key.
