How to Talk on a Radio (Walkie Talkie)

This is how to talk on a radio or walkie talkie for business or group use.

Steps

  1. Image titled Talk on a Radio (Walkie Talkie) Step 1
    1
    First, decide who your dispatcher or secretary is. The dispatcher is the person who sends out the calls to a person for what ever event. Label or Nick-Name this person BASE. This Will come in handy later.
  2. Image titled Talk on a Radio (Walkie Talkie) Step 2
    2
    Give all the users a radio and a Nick-Name. By Nick-Name, do not label people Momma-bear or Papa-Bear. Remember, you are trying to sound Professional.
    Advertisement
  3. Image titled Talk on a Radio (Walkie Talkie) Step 3
    3
    When you want to call BASE, you simply say "[your nick-name] to BASE." Example: "Packaging Dept. to BASE."
  4. Image titled Talk on a Radio (Walkie Talkie) Step 4
    4
    When your nick-name is being called, you say : "Go Ahead".
  5. Image titled Talk on a Radio (Walkie Talkie) Step 5
    5
    The Calling person says or asks what they want to say/ask.
  6. Image titled Talk on a Radio (Walkie Talkie) Step 6
    6
    After the conversation is done, the person who called the other person has the option to say and ONLY SAY: "Clear" The other person can repeat this ONLY once.
  7. Image titled Talk on a Radio (Walkie Talkie) Step 7
    7
    To call someone other than BASE, just say something like this: [Packaging Dept to Josh] - Josh will then say ["Go Ahead'].
  8. Image titled Talk on a Radio (Walkie Talkie) Step 8
    8
    Go Ahead simply means "I'm ready to hear what you want to say".
    9. Advertisement
Method 1
Method 1 of 1:

Example

  1. Image titled Talk on a Radio (Walkie Talkie) Step 9
    1
    BASE: Base to Josh
  2. Image titled Talk on a Radio (Walkie Talkie) Step 10
    2
    JOSH: Go Ahead
  3. Image titled Talk on a Radio (Walkie Talkie) Step 11
    3
    BASE: I need you to come to the front desk to sign a package that just arrived.
  4. Image titled Talk on a Radio (Walkie Talkie) Step 12
    4
    JOSH: Roger that
  5. Image titled Talk on a Radio (Walkie Talkie) Step 13
    5
    BASE: Clear
  6. Image titled Talk on a Radio (Walkie Talkie) Step 14
    6
    JOSH: Clear (optional)
    7. Advertisement

Community Q&A

  • Question
    On a radio or walkie-talkie, what does "over" mean?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You say "over" when you are finished with a statement so the other person knows when you are finished. Example: Tim: "I need you to do this. Over." Lisa: "Roger. I will be able to do that in a few minutes. Over."
  • Question
    How do I speak to one person at a time without the others hearing?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Designate a separate channel that you and your friend can switch to so that no one else can hear.
  • Question
    What channel should I use for an emergency?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    While channel 9 is sometimes still monitored by emergency services on CB radios, there is no established emergency channel for walkie-talkies. Each manufacturer has the ability to shift which frequency applies to which channel in order to prevent overlap with their own (or competitors') similar devices.
Advertisement

Warnings

  • The FCC defined additional frequencies for GMRS, primarily to talk to repeaters. A GMRS license is needed for use of a GMRS radio to transmit on FRS or GMRS frequencies. Also, if your radio with FRS/GMRS channels has a detachable antenna or a power level that exceeds 2 watts, it is not an approved FRS radio and you would need a GMRS license to transmit on any channel.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • Don't Cuss. It's Not Professional and may be prohibited by law.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • The channel and license rules recently changed in the USA. On 22-channel (dual-service) handheld radios, channels 1 through 7 and 15 through 22 were defined as GMRS channels. In the United States, the use of these higher-power (2 watt) channels required a GMRS license that could be purchased from the FCC for a fee. In 2017 the FCC re-defined all 22 channels as "Family Radio Service" (FRS) and no license is needed for transmission on any of the 22 channels.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • Transmitting without a license may result in penalties if the FCC enforces this rule. In Canada, GMRS channels can be used freely without a license. For more information on GMRS licensing, see https://www.fcc.gov/general/general-mobile-radio-service-gmrs
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
Advertisement

Things You'll Need

  • Radios for all of the staff.
  • Clips for all of the staff.
  • Charger for all the radios.
  • Your Receipt in case a radio is lost, stolen or damaged.

You Might Also Like

Create a Simple AM Radio
How to
Create a Simple AM Radio
Build Several Easy Antennas for Amateur Radio
How to
Build Several Easy Antennas for Amateur Radio
Call CQ on Amateur Radio
How to
Call CQ on Amateur Radio
Operate a CB Radio
How to
Operate a CB Radio
Make a Crystal Radio
How to
Make a Crystal Radio
Create an Internet Radio Station
How to
Create an Internet Radio Station
Start a Low Power FM Radio Station
How to
Start a Low Power FM Radio Station
Start Your Own Radio Station
How to
Start Your Own Radio Station
Host Your Own Talk Radio Show
How to
Host Your Own Talk Radio Show
Use a UHF Radio
How to
Use a UHF Radio
Advertisement

About This Article

Eric McClure
Co-authored by:
Eric McClure
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Eric McClure is an editing fellow at wikiHow where he has been editing, researching, and creating content since 2019. A former educator and poet, his work has appeared in Carcinogenic Poetry, Shot Glass Journal, Prairie Margins, and The Rusty Nail. His digital chapbook, The Internet, was also published in TL;DR Magazine. He was the winner of the Paul Carroll award for outstanding achievement in creative writing in 2014, and he was a featured reader at the Poetry Foundation’s Open Door Reading Series in 2015. Eric holds a BA in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and an MEd in secondary education from DePaul University. This article has been viewed 293,270 times.
How helpful is this?
Co-authors: 18
Updated: March 19, 2022
Views: 293,270
Categories: Amateur Radio
Advertisement