Walkie talkies are useful for a variety of purposes, whether you’re trying to keep tabs on your baby while in another part of the house or reaching an emergency service while camping out in the middle of a remote forest.
Before you purchase a walkie talkie, however, it’s best to determine which is more suited for you: a VHF (Very High Frequency) or a UHF (Ultra High Frequency) device? In this article, we will discuss the differences between these two types of frequency bands that walkie talkies typically operate on.
Frequencies from 300 MHz to 3 GHz belong to the UHF bandwidth. The greatest advantage that UHF signals have over VHF ones is the ability to penetrate strong solid material such as brick, concrete, and wood. That’s why UHF walkie talkies are commonly used in important applications such as television broadcasting, radio broadcasting, and even air traffic control.
In contrast, the VHF band is comprised of frequencies that range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. While the frequencies are obviously lower than signals from the UHF bandwidth, the wavelengths are actually longer. This means that walkie talkies operating on VHF signals will have a greater range.
The downside of VHF signals is that they aren’t as good at penetrating objects like buildings as UHF signals. Therefore VHF walkie talkies are more suited for applications such as marine and aviation security, where there are little to no obstructions to the signals.
Which Is Better For You?
Frankly, UHF walkie talkies are probably better suited for most scenarios. The fact that they can go through walls, furniture, and even trees makes them useful regardless of whether you’re inside your house or out in nature. VHF walkie talkies are better for purposes that require longer range communication as long as there aren’t any major obstructions in the way.