Home > Product Details >

Business Two Way Radios

It was World War II that hastened the development of wireless radio technology, a forerunner to our current business two way radios.

Better Communications Paves the Way for Business Two Way Radios

“The war effort developed portable radios, units no longer restricted to a car, truck, or tank," according to Tom Farley, a recognized authority on cell phone history. “Unlike in previous wars, the foot soldier could now carry a radio with him, communicating with headquarters, squad leaders, or other soldiers while moving about." This same type of mobility would become prevalent in business two way radios as we know them now.

From this Portability Concept Emerged Business Two Way Radios

Farley described radio transmitters and receivers, pre-World War II, as being “big, bulky, and extremely heavy. Each piece could weigh 15 kilograms or more. They were so heavy that equipment collectors call these old radios 'boat anchors.'" Responding to the needs of the military, manufacturers took steps to make such devices truly portable, reducing their size and weight and eventually being ideal for business two way radios.

From Galvan to Motorola to the Introduction of Business Two Way Radios

Leading the charge was the Galvin Manufacturing Company, which would later become the modern-day Motorola, the developer of many of our business two way radios. It combined a receiver and transmitter into a single hand-held unit and called it the Handie-Talkie. At the modest weight of 2.3 kg., the device also had a range of 1.6 to 4.8 kilometers. Farley notes that the Handie-Talkie used five small vacuum tubes and put out one third of a watt.